By: Matthew Kukowski
March 8 marked the ten-year anniversary of my first Tae Kwon Do class. At age twenty, the realization that for half of my life I have been part of a group of extraordinary people who can perform wonderful feats of the mind and body astounds me. However, for the majority of my training, I failed to appreciate the subtle relationship my faith had with my practice of martial arts. In fact, I originally viewed my training as a lifestyle at odds with my Catholic faith and endeavored to keep the two worlds separate. As a child, my faith was of supreme importance to me and continued to be so as I entered a Jesuit high school, but the passion I had for martial arts, the way my heart was alighted with each move I made and friendship I formed, seemed just as vital. As a ten year old, I interpreted the low bows that martial artists often perform as a sign of worship that was not akin to the worship of my Christian God and believed the meditation to be an attempt to enter into a relationship with an East-Asian enlightenment that I did not follow, but I pushed past these uninformed views. As I grew older, from ten to eleven to fifteen to eighteen to twenty, my naïve perceptions transformed and I now see the beauty of a faith life coupled with a martial arts mindset.
There are so many beautiful comparisons between Christianity and Tae Kwon Do but I will share one of my personal favorites. My master instructor often tells of the great pyramid that is Tae Kwon Do training. A white belt, the lowest rank, enters at the bottom, which is the widest portion of the pyramid, representing all of the new things a white belt can learn and should learn to set a sturdy foundation for future training. As the white belt continues through the ranks to black belt, the pyramid grows progressively narrower until the student reaches the top. However, despite the fact that the student has reached the top, represented by wearing the rank of first-degree black belt, my instructor reminds us of the power of the magnifying glass. If one were to view the top of the pyramid under a magnifying glass, one would see an entirely new pyramid formed out of the small one at the top with a new wide portion signifying all that a person can and should learn to set a foundation as a black belt. And this cycle will continue indefinitely as long as the student is dedicated to growth.
The tenets of martial arts that I have learned over the years, namely perseverance, respect, self-discipline, indomitable spirit, and integrity manifest themselves in the pyramid. The analogy of training compared to a pyramid reminds us of the snare of complacency. Complacency is the spawn of pride, a dangerous sin that can halt a person in their tracks and begin the process of dying. One could reach the top of the pyramid and see it as a destination rather than a stop along a larger journey, failing to see all of the wonderful opportunities and challenges that contribute to further self-growth. A relevant example is that of a person situated between spring break and Easter break, a person with the power to choose whether or not to push on and fight the good fight until the second break is earned or to choose to coast through the days and waste the chance for growth.
Lent often puts complacency in faith on pause. The period of Lent is the time during the church year wherein human beings are asked to examine their habits and determine where improvements can be made. I’m sure many are familiar with the annual competition between faith practitioners over who is giving up the most dangerous vice for Lent. At a young age, chocolate or television reigned supreme as the ultimate sacrifices before giving way to abandoning swearing or using sarcasm in conversation. While the sacrifices can often be beneficial, the person who strives to avoid the trap of complacency may also add something virtuous to his or her life, such as daily mass attendance, a daily good deed, or even beginning martial arts training to achieve a strong mind and body. I urge people to maintain the Lenten spirit throughout the year, to continue to push forward and create a deeper connection with God, the church and fellow human beings. Remember that anything worth doing is part of a great, never-ending pyramid and that there is always something more you can do, something more you can learn that will enrich your life and allow you to achieve masterfully.
The Round Table 