ANN ARBOR, Mich. - iSportsWire -- "Be detached from desire your whole life long." –Miyamoto Musashi

What is the most rewarding part of training to you?

You've played the game full out and your gains are starting to stack up. You've risen past getting discouraged by small obstacles, and have actually realized that almost all obstacles are small when you're focused on extreme learning. You've started to pay attention without judging. When all these factors come together and you put them into play consistently over several months or years, you'll notice a new depth to your training … even your will to train comes from a deeper place.

Congratulations! That's called "character." It's one result of consciously getting yourself on the path to becoming exceptional. So let's talk about rank.

The exceptional martial artist keeps rank in its proper perspective. The momentary joy of getting a new belt or certificate fades. Don't go for that.

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The deep internal joy of learning and doing great martial arts changes you forever. Go for that.

Getting a new rank can be very motivating. It's recognition from your instructor or your system that you've worked hard and learned key aspects of your martial art. It's something of a Catch-22, however; getting new belts (or sashes, or whatever external emblems of progress your system uses) is nice, but if you only focus on training for the next belt, you'll be an amateur forever.

Read the full article on SMAA's website: https://www.smaa-hq.com/articles/article/its-ab...

Looking for a Martial Arts Organization that Clicks?

SMAA could be right for you!

As part of the Shudokan Martial Arts Association, you can learn karate, aikido, iaido, judo, and jujutsu. If you're ready to get immersed in your training at a traditional martial arts organization, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here: https://www.smaa-hq.com/contact

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About Shudokan Martial Arts Association: SMAA was founded in January 1994 by a group of martial artists concerned with promoting and safeguarding Nihon budo and koryu bujutsu—the traditional martial arts and ways of Japan. SMAA is a non-profit that aims keep the spirit of traditional budo alive in the West. Anyone can become a member, even if you aren't a martial artist, and SMAA members are from multiple countries across the globe. For more information, visit https://www.smaa-hq.com/about