C.S. Lewis Once Said, “Aim at Heaven And You Will Get Earth Thrown In. Aim at Earth and You Get Neither.” So, Dare Greatly My Friends!
I’ve just completed the grading of the first ever Advanced Programming group’s year one test.
The test included elements of Level 1 & 2 of the Krav Maga Worldwide curriculum, as well as advanced mitt work, straight stab knife defense, 360 degrees of edged weapon defenses, attacks using outside defenses against edged weapons, and a knife flow drill consisting of attacks going back and forth in close quarters for a long 60 seconds. In short, it was a super test. The group performed incredibly well – this was the most impressive test I’ve ever seen when measured against the performance of an entire group.
But, this wasn’t how we started. The Advanced Programming group is full of men and women of different sizes, backgrounds, and proficiency levels. Some of these folks were understandably nervous and, perhaps, even negative about their skill level and early performance as the program began. For a few of these students, it seemed appropriate to share one of my favorite quotes, and I was surprised to find how few people are familiar with what I shared. Below, I’ve provided this passage for you. Remember, you’re the one making the effort; you’re the one who will find a means to prevail in one sense or another.
The Man in the Arena
Excerpt from “Citizenship In A Republic”
April 23, 1910
Delivered at the Sorbonne in Paris, France
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Keep training, keep trying, and press on!
