Quotes and Philosophy by Master Alders

  • Those who have said to me, “it’s too late for me” or “I’m too old to start training in the martial arts,” I say “it may take 4-5 years to become a Black Belt and you can choose to be 4-5 years older with a Black Belt or 4-5 years older without one, either way, in 4-5 years, you are still going to be the same age.”

  • Express yourself with your own personality. 

  • Anyone can punch and kick but that does not make them a Martial Artist.

  • When you demonstrate your technique, you must perform your technique as if you are on a stage.  You must become the technique emotionally and physically.

  • A Black Belt is not about material wrapped around your waist, it’s about the person you have become and the way you live your life.  Don’t just train to achieve a black belt, strive to live your life as one.

  • Practice with the mentality that you are really in danger and your life is on the line, only then can you begin to prepare yourself for a real life situation.

  • The lessons that you learn in the dojo can and should be applied in your everyday life.

  • It’s easy to be the “good person” or do the “right thing” when things are going well for you but it takes a true martial artist to remain noble, peaceful and moral when it feels like the world is against you.

  • When you bow into the dojo, clear your mind, let your stress and anxiety fall out of your head when you tilt your head down, only then can you fully understand and comprehend what is being taught to you in class.  If you want, you can leave it there or pick it up on your way out.

  • Being a martial artist, means being an active part of your community, being civil to others and by standing out amongst all as an ambassador of humanity.

  • Respect starts with you.  Love yourself, respect yourself and only then can you begin to influence others.

  • Your best weapon in life is not a fist, but rather a handshake and a smile.

  • Walk tall, with your chest out and a smile on your face, this will attract friends. If you slouch and stare at the floor then you will attract danger.

  • Your mind can be your worst enemy or your best friend.  Focus on the positive, on success, on achievement, on becoming the best you can be and this is who you will become.  However, if you focus on pain, regret, doubts and fear then you will be trapped within your own body.

  • Whatever you do in the martial arts or in life, approach it with a passion.

  • Give back more then you take and you’ll receive more then you can imagine.

  • A bully is the weakest of us all.  They have no self-esteem and must attack someone in order to feel strong.

  • Don’t let anyone push your buttons. You can not control their actions but you can choose to respond correctly.

  • Martial Arts is about the individual becoming the best they can be.  No Black Belt is the same, the only similarity is that they have reached their own personal best.

  • Every move you make, kata you perform, or technique you demonstrate has your “signature on it,” remember to always present your best.

  • The best way to learn is by observation and then by application.

  • Instead of throwing 100 techniques and landing one, throw 10 and land them all.

  • There can be no time between thought and reaction in an altercation or sparring match.  If you see an opening, you should have already hit your target before your thought is over.

  • You will not get your black belt from a few hours a week of classes.  You must put in the time at home to develop, practice and grow your skills to the fullest potential.

  • Karate is The Building of Life Skills as you grow.

  • Karate unifies the mind, body and spirit.  Our fusion system combines the skills from many masters into a unified force.

  • The Dojo is the Arena of Life.

Other powerful quotes

“I come to you with only Karate, Empty Hands. I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles, or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong, then here are my weapons, Karate, my Empty Hands.” – Ed Parker

  • I am not teaching you anything, I just help you to explore yourself – Bruce Lee

  • I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. – Bruce Lee

  • I refer to my hands, feet and body as tools of the trade.  The hands and feet must be sharpened and improved to be efficient – Bruce Lee

  • Knowing is not enough, you must apply, willing is not enough, you must do.

  • Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend. – Bruce Lee

  • I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. – Confucius

  • The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of its participants – Master Gichin Funakoshi

  • To Win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill.  To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill. – Sun Tsu (The Art of War).

  • Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail – Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • Follow not in the footsteps of the masters, but rather seek what they sought – Unknown.

  • He who hesitates, meditates.  – Ed Parker

  


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