“The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step” – Lao Zi
Getting started in a training Chinese martial arts program at our school, whether in the Internal arts of Tai Chi, Xingyi, Bagua, and Liuhe Bafa, or the Shaolin arts of Mizong Luohan and Eagle Claw Gong Fu, can be illuminated by the saying from Lao Zi: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This wisdom from an ancient sage has profound philosophical meanings.
The first step is that of expectations. A student must approach training with an empty cup. Get rid of any assumptions and clear your mind so that you can absorb the teaching. If you begin by placing expectations on progress, the lesson, and the instructor, you will set yourself up for failure.
The second step is to stay on course. In aviation there is the “1 to 60 rule,” which is a good parameter for keeping you on a straight path. On a thousand-mile journey, being off by 1 degree will result in being off course by 16.7 miles. If you make assumptions in class and fail to follow instructions, you will most certainly end up off course.
The third step is humility. New students sometimes may act humbly, but their ego betrays them. On your martial arts journey, learning to master yourself is paramount for success not only in training but, more importantly, in life. The ego is the enemy within. It blinds you and places obstacles in your path that will hinder your progress.
The fourth step is perseverance. Nothing worthwhile comes easy, but the most arduous tasks can be overcome through perseverance. There is a saying: “constant dropping wears away a stone.” This refers to the effect that a drop of water can have on the hardest stone over an extended period of time. Like the constant dropping of water, you must persist in your thousand-mile journey.
I began my martial arts journey more than 50 years ago. I have learned to keep a beginner’s mindset. I practice daily, and in each practice, I learn something new, not only about a skill or an old principle, but about life and about myself.