In life, as in martial arts, everything exists within the tension of polarities. Every moment, every interaction, is an exchange of potential created by opposing forces. The key to navigating this is not to focus on the polarities themselves but to move with the potential they create. This concept is deeply embedded in the practice of Goju Ryu Karate, where the interplay of hard and soft, the force and the flow, mirrors the balance found in all things.
Through years of martial arts practice, I’ve learned to identify these polarities and my own preferences. Instead of getting caught in the tension between what is and what should be, I’ve learned to simply allow the potential to guide me forward. It’s not about resistance but about understanding that polarities, like the ebb and flow of life, are not fixed. They are fleeting and changeable, and the only constant is the potential in our own preferences.
This mindset transcends the dojo. It shapes how I engage with the world, whether in conflict, conversation, or daily life. Every interaction is an opportunity to engage with potential, to understand the contrast between different perspectives, and to move forward without being bogged down by dualities. And yet, the greater the understanding of an individual, the greater the polarities they must navigate. The more potential they are willing to move with, the more contrasts they encounter.
When evaluating students, especially brown belts preparing for Black Belt, I look for more than just physical skill. The true test lies in their understanding of this deeper principle—the realization that first-degree Black Belt is not the end, but the beginning. It is the moment when the student fully acknowledges that the journey of growth never ends. It is a constant cycle of learning and unlearning, of seeing and becoming.
This process of growth is never linear. Each new realization leads to new challenges, and each layer of understanding introduces a new duality. Trying to force an understanding, a breakthrough, is part of the journey. It is only when we struggle, when we push, that we eventually arrive at the realization that the gate was always open—the “gateless gate.” It is not something to be forced, but something to be allowed. Acceptance of uncertainty, of the unknown, is part of the change that comes only through experience.
Ultimately, the journey is unique to each individual. Each person must go through their own process of struggling and releasing before they can truly understand. As we embrace the process, we stop measuring against an ideal and start moving with the flow of potential. This is true mastery—not in the absence of struggle, but in the ability to move with it and let it guide us forward.
