Are Your Martial Arts Lessons Carrying Over Into Your World?

[ihmftj...@yahoo.com]

One of the main reasons folks are attracted to the martial arts is the
implied or stated benefit of becoming stronger, more confident, and
tougher.
In many dojos, without question, you'll achieve these goals.
When you step onto the mat you'll spar with fewer fears and
butterflies, be able to withstand kicks and strikes, and
authoritatively pay them back in kind.
But when you put on your street gear, and especially those business or
work outfits, do you shrink from being a king of the mat to a doormat?
Are you just as likely as you ever were to defer to others more than
you'd care to, more than they deserve?
Do you go way, way out of your way to squelch conflict, thus becoming
unnecessarily passive, an indirect communicator, and an inadvertent
abettor of bullies?
Dojos should, as part of their curricula, give their members
"homework," just as traditional schools do. But in this case the
homework is more like a "lab" assignment, where your laboratory is the
outside world.
Every week, dojo members should be held to account for their
"application assignments."...

http://groups.msn.com/martialartsqen