Martial Arts, Obsession and Lent?

Have you ever trained for anything? anything at all? Football, softball, soccer, martial arts or any other sport? Have you ever studied something you love so much that you go to sleep seeing it on the back of your eyelids. Maybe it was a test, your favorite subject, your worst subject. Have you ever set a goal that meant so much to you that you were willing to sacrifice your personal time, your family time, your sleep, your diet (especially those sugary sweets.)

Most of us at one point in time have sacrificed to reach a goal. Most of us understand what it takes to excel, at one point in our lives we will desire something so badly that we will give up other parts of our life in order to accomplish that single goal.

As Sensei Kendall and I were preparing for our 2nd Dan test we talked about the relief we anticipated when the test was over... the relief that our family would feel now that our intense training was over.

You could say that I am obsessed with martial arts. 5-6 days I can be found at a Dojo. At my master instructor's, my professional one, or the one in my basement or someone else's. It consumes the way I act, think and work. It is my only hobby. I even go out of my way to watch others participate in combat arts. Some people would think it strange the amount of time and effort I put in to Martial Arts.

They funny thing is I have found a whole group of people that are willing to join me in this pursuit. There are over a hundred students between 2 schools that teach and learn our style. Add to that the 2 associations that i currently participate in and you are talking a fair amount of people who for at least a few years of their life give up other extra-curricular activities in favor of Martial Arts. Martial Arts, one of the slowest progressing activities around. It takes years to learn the basic to intermediate techniques and decades to "master."

If you ask me most Martial artist are a little obsessed. Just to be clear lets talk a little about obsession.
The dictionary defines Obsession as:
Noun
•S: (n) compulsion, obsession (an irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will) "her compulsion to wash her hands repeatedly"
•S: (n) obsession, fixation (an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone)

For the purpose of this conversation we will use the second definition:
an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something.

Now in a clinical setting with a patient and a therapist, you could call and obsession "un-heathty." But in the context of Martial arts is could it be healthy? For me the answer is yes in can be.

I don't know about you, but if I can't workout I get cranky. My desire to move and communicate with others is diminished and a whole host of other strange things happen. Unlike some I have a hard time keeping on track with workouts with out a goal. My goal is always to improve my Martial arts. I have changed my diet, and even that of my family. I spend a good portion of each day researching new and better ways to train me and those who look to me for guidance. For me the obsession with martial arts has been a positive vessel of change for over 7 years in my life.

OK I am sure you are still following me, but you might be wondering "what in the world does this have to do with Lent?

Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, alms giving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This year for Lent a Friend of my wife challenged her to give something up. How many things am I willing to give up for training? The list goes on and on sugar, bread, sleep, time with my family and more... When was the last time I gave up something for God? When was the last time I was OBSESSED with God? I have give countless hours to train it is high time I start sacrificing to God. You see that's the thing with Lent, what you choose to give up for those 40 days isn't supposed to be easy, it has to be a sacrifice, it has to be hard. Think about the last thing you gave up to reach a goal, was it worth it. How much more effort would you put in to a goal that surpasses this life? It is time for the world to see the difference a person obsessed with God can make. Each of us is that person.

So I challenge you to find something that you can live without but don't want to and sacrifice it to God for the next 40 days. I'll warn you, this is only a first step but it could be very addictive. Not having to be in charge, letting God be in control. Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I mean look at me I started Martial Arts a young guy looking for a place in this world where I fit and people like me, 7 years later I am still as infatuated with martial arts as I was in the beginning. Who knows what we will look like in another 7 years of combining the discipline we learn in Martial Arts with our devotion to God.

Good luck to you over the next 40 days, if it was easy it wouldn 't be worth it

also just so you know I am giving up caffeine. I have been a coke-oholic for at least a decade so no more coke or sweetened tea..... I'll let you know how it goes!