Waldorf Maryland Martial Arts and Fitness

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PASSION, PERSEVERANCE, AND SACRIFICE TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS

By J. Roger Cavanaugh

8^th Dan Black Belt, Taekwondo

I’m 66 years old. I have trained in one martial or another since 1977. Primarily, I trained in Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do, with a short stint in Kung Fu and Tai Chi. I’ve not competed in hundreds of tournaments, although I have won my fair share of the ones I competed in. Whether I won or lost, it never really mattered that much. Ask anybody that knows me, and they’ll tell you I’m a training fanatic. My goal was not trophies, it was to be the best I could be. I would train for hours by myself. Everything I did was aimed towards improving my Taekwondo skills. I ran endless miles, lifted crazy weights, did thousands of pushups and sit-ups, stretched for hours on end, and took any supplement or shake I thought would help me to be stronger at my Taekwondo. I’ve thrown tens of thousands of kicks, punches, and blocks. I trained for hours every day, 6 days a week (Sundays were always my day of rest). As a result, I did become a very good martial artist. I’m proud of my achievements.  I was, in my younger years, what I consider is an elite martial arts athlete. I was an expert at what I did. The following is how I did it, and how you, too, can do it.

What does it takes to be an expert at anything you want to accomplish? In my case, I have identified three things that facilitated my achievement of expert status in my chosen passion, Taekwondo. First of all, it has to be your passion.  It must be some goal you want to achieve to your highest potential. You must fall in love with it.  And the second part of the equation is very simple. Perseverance and Sacrifice.  In order to achieve proficiency, excellence, expertise in any endeavor, you must spend many hours alone, away from your friends, relatives, social functions, and, for lack of a better way to describe, a “normal” life.

Elite status in any pursuit is achievable for most, but for most very difficult and rarely obtained. You must spend hours, countless hours, alone… training and honing your skills, as well as training with others better than you. To be elite in any activity, you must give up the time spent with friends and family. You must sacrifice time away from your wife, your children, your parents, and anyone else you hold close to your heart. This is why only a few become great, become elite, become experts at anything in life.

To anyone who has a passion for something in particular, whether it’s taekwondo, chess, computer programming, or whatever, don’t expect that a high level skill will be easily handed to you. You must work, and I mean really work harder than you’ve ever imagined, to become really good, an expert. You must read, study, evaluate and reevaluate.  You must take classes, watch videos, and practice countless hours. You must study your mentors, those who you want to someday be as good as. You must train until you feel like you’re going to collapse. And then train more.  The funny thing is that if your pursuit is your passion (and it should be!), the journey seems less like work and more like a calling; a vocation.  Yes, it’s hard work, but the challenge is what keeps you training.  The challenge illustrates the extent of accomplishment and success.

It sounds painful, and at times it is. But the benefits you receive are indescribable. The confidence, the discipline, the respect, the physical and mental growth you will acquire will more than make up for the sweat, the pain, and sacrifice you went through. And the knowledge and wisdom you gain will propel you to even greater heights as a human being.

Whatever your passion is, work harder than you thought is possible. Then work some more, because once you think you’ve reached your highest human potential, you will realize that you can accomplish even more.  You see, the journey continues as long as you pursue it to greater heights. In conclusion, the solution to greatness in any endeavor boils down to finding your passion and pursuing it with incredible perseverance and unrelenting sacrifice.  I hope this assists  you in reaching for your own greatness and success in life.

Hey everyone,  Ms. C. and I have decided to cancel classes tomorrow, January 29, 2022, due to the predicted snowstorm.  We are also canceling the January Belt Test that was to be held as well.  We will hold belt testing during regular classes on Monday and Tuesday evening.  If you are Belt Testing, be sure to wear your full uniform.  If you are Green Belt or higher, bring your sparring gear and be prepared to break boards too.

So, tomorrow, stay home, stay warm, and stay safe! Enjoy the beauty of the falling snow.

Mr. Cavanaugh

AKA: Mr. C

Students and Parents,

I’m so excited to announce our 1-Day Only 2021 Holiday Sale! This year we’re going all out to bring you awesome martial arts equipment and gifts your whole family will love (and some they really need!).    10 to 20 % off on most orders!  Special Package Deals!  We’ll have on hand WMA Logo Hoodies and T-shirts as well as  training and sparring gear!  From high quality safety gear and at home training equipment to hundreds of dollars in savings on tuition. We’re really excited about the sale – we know you’ll love it!

If you need to get a second uniform, replace that worn out mouthpiece, or finally get a new headgear (you know, they’re not supposed to cut off circulation to the brain ;)), we can help at the Holiday Sale.

Look for the 2021 Century Martial Arts Holiday Catalogue in your emails, on our website, www.waldorfmartialarts.com, or on our private Facebook Group Page, Waldorf Martial Arts Student Bulletin Board.  Or pick one up at the school counter.  The Holiday Catalogue has some really cool gifts for your martial artist!

If you can’t make it in on the 20^th, we will be happy to take your orders by phone, email, or fax. Do your shopping at home, complete the order form, and send it in via email, phone call, fax, or drop it off here at the school.  We can debit your account or take a credit card over the phone.

We’ll schedule discreet pickup if you’re trying to surprise someone with a gift, and even let family and friends make phone orders. If they call between 10 and 5 they’ll get the Holiday Sale prices and discounts. I mean, why not hit up grandma for some cool karate gear, right?

Anyway, we’re really, really excited about the sale, and we hope you are too! We’ll be announcing it in class over the next few weeks as we get ready for it.

If you have any questions, please let us know.  See you at the sale!

Yours in Taekwondo,

Mrs. Cavanaugh (AKA: Ms.C.)

P.S. Black Belt and students with a VIP pass (ask how to get a VIP Pass!) will be allowed through the doors at 9:30 am!

P.P.S. We’ll even have a really cool new student package, so if you know of anyone who’s been wanting to start but just hasn’t yet, let them know that November 20th is the perfect day. Thanks!