Integrity is the force which completes what is good in life.
At Angel’s Karate we imprint the student with the understanding and value of uprightness, encouraging them to have a center of balance in life. Uprightness is to take action in constant expectation with the student following directions and doing what is right. Center balance is maintaining proper balance in performance between creativity and common sense.
Today’s world life style and reasoning is consistently changing. The desire for quick success and glory brings a set of different values along with ethics. An example of this is the mixed martial arts and the traditional martial arts training (Taekwondo, Karate, Jiu-jitsu). This creates an environment for questioning what your goals are. Unless integrity is applied to answer the question what is my goal and intent. You would not know or get the benefits of either.
Integrity is the knowledge of right and wrong. To choose what is right, no matter the cost. In the Taekwondo text book there are examples about integrity. One is in…“misleading a student with an improper technique for lack of knowledge.” Or “fixing or treating boards with heat for easy breaking.” Along these lines of board breaking I would add the martial arts practice of using spaces between boards. Schedule a free Introductory Lesson
In my personal note, it is my experience that integrity is a process. It needs to be taught, not forgotten. It is a gift to be given to children from the elders. Elders used to represent those who see and could give to children seeing eyes, something that comes from the heart. Yet only few teach it as an important value. I have made my share of mistakes learning and adjusting my life the hard way. Our thoughts and dreams in connection with our passions can be our enemy. They can suppress the reality of integrity. Passion without right and wrong, without the path of integrity (to not veer off), in some instances, blinds judgment and can cause individuals to do the wrong things.
I remember at a particular taekwondo tournament when a call came into question. I was asked to judge on it. There were two brothers sparring on the same division and they needed to fight one another. Their coach wanted them to fight different fighters instead. My decision for this situation was for them to fight each other. This decision did not have the agreement of the instructor nor the parents. My judgment was based on the size of the competitors within this match and to make it fair for all assigned to this ring. I was agreeing with the center ring judge in his call for the brothers to fight each other. I had learned competition judging during the 70’s and 80’s. These personal experiences taught me about fair matches. A competitor’s weight, height and rank affect their match-ups. They can be of the same rank, but differ in height and weight. These are unique calls, yet need to be based on fairness and the integrity of a judge. What are the chances of a fair fight if the decision is only based on one factor rank, without the consent of the other factor, size.
Remember in boxing how fighters are divided by their weight (weight division) and of coarse a skill level (number of fights and/or titles). In this incident I believe I was guided to make the right choice based on having learned the power of just balances and integrity. I am motivated to pass on the teaching of integrity. We need to have information to walk right and make fair decisions. Introducing integrity to young ones is to give a necessary tool for their important decisions that shapes the course of their lives. Moments we face can seem trying and overwhelming without having been tested by integrity. Yet we can hold to it as a true building substance. Over all we seek the power to make the right called at all time. Integrity is the key of success. Schedule a free Introductory Lesson
Master Angel De Jesus
