From grandmaster Lee’s writing, “Think like a true black belt master”. thanks to Ms. Ogata for reminding me that we haven’t had a bok fu do philosophy post in a while. enjoy!

“It is my hope that studying with me will facilitate your journey on this heroic black belt warrior path. I know it will help you create great black belt passion in your movement and develop an extraordinary total black belt skill level within you. Remember mind-body-spirit. I hope it will also help you to redefine in a more enlightened and masterly way your athletic and human abilities. This path has the potential to take you to new levels of black belt understanding, enlightenment, and achievement. Your study with me can and will become a way to practice the positive black belt holistic attitudes of the true bok-fu master. Since the way in which you meet challenges in bok-fu is also how i have found you usually approach challenges in everyday life, in order to become a master you must learn to transfer these principles from bok-fu to the rest of your life as well. In fact, you could use the reverse approach and practice these principles first in your work and relationships and then apply them to the art. Being a great black belt means simply that you cannot revert to moving life a brown belt. becoming a master is simply acting like a master.

As a black belt you know that bok-fu is for all people, young and old, who seek effective ways to attain levels of extraordinary performance in all that they do – work, play and sport. My black belts should accomplish their daily routines with a refreshing view of life and a respect for the people and other black belts around them. Do this and you will find that many closed doors will open for the black belt who knows this true master path.

As one of my black belts working to become a master, it is important to be relaxed, focused, centered, and balanced. When making any decision visualize your path and think only of achieving your goal.

To me bok-fu training provides a sense of yielding to forces in nature, a much-needed balance to the incredible demands placed on each of us in the school and our everyday lives. Being in a black belt master frame of mind is an ideal way of just being in the world. Train yourself to worry about things you have control over and let go of what you do not.

Hopefully you now have a more expansive view of yourself and your capabilities, both mental and physical. I think of bok-fu training and my writings to you (like this one) as the icing on the cake. I assure you that in the long run it will give you the edge in becoming a master. These are the techniques that help me to create an excellent balance between body, mind, and spirit, and i know they will work for you. I assure you that you will achieve beyond what you thought were limits, not only in martial arts but in all parts of your life, when you fully internalized these concepts. Fully internalized is the key here. “