The Power of Belief - The Martial Artist's Student Creed
Contained within the philosophical teachings of the Ninja
Warrior's mind-science and personal-development practice known
in Japanese as Mikkyo, is a series of three affirmations,
or statements of devout trust. They are designed to assist a
student in successfully embodying the lessons, strategies and
tactics being taught. Each statement represents an emotional
power held within the student's heart that, when spoken,
expresses to him or herself and the world around them, the
potential of greatness that lies within.
These three affirmations are introduced to beginning students of
my academy as the 3-part Student Creed. Other martial schools
may have a different wording or number, but the purpose is the
same. Each part expresses a belief, trust, or inherent faith
held by that student about an equally important part of their
progress through the Mastery Program and their successful
completion of the goal they have set out to achieve. The Studert
Creed also helps those students with low confidence,
self-esteem, and doubts about their ability to be successful, to
hear these words over and over again. In time, this repetitive
exposure, like that which produced this student's current
depressed state, will take root and allow the student to change
from within to become a walking, talking example of the Creed
itself.
More than just a set of positive affirmations to be memorized
and recited though, when reciting as part of a class or
graduation exam, the student should speak each part of the creed
in a way that is charged with the emotional intent of the heart.
Take a minute and recite the 3-Part Student Creed aloud:
1. I believe in myself. I am confident. I can accomplish my
goals.
2. I believe in what I study. I am disciplined. I am ready to
learn and advance.
3. I believe in my teachers. I show respect to all those who
help me progress.
Again, we must remember that these phrases are just words. In
and of themselves they hold no innate power. We use them, and
ones just like them each and every day of our lives.
The real power - the real magic - lies in the
emotions behind them. The student who recites these phrases with
conviction and an authentic desire to become what the phrases
suggest can't help but to be successful in their task.
We must remember that, if we are to change who we are and what
we are capable of doing, we must first convince ourselves and no
one else that it is possible. For many of us, this task is not
an easy one as years of habit-based actions and preprogrammed
conditioning have taken it's toll on who and what we think we
are. We must remember that we are today, the sum result of all
that we have learned, experienced and, yes, believed in the past.
The reciting of the Student Creed is a tool for reminding
ourselves - for reprogramming our subconscious, habitual thought
processes - in a way that creates new habits conducive to
producing the results we are after.
As stated by John Mills, "One person with a belief is equal
to a force of ninety-nine who have only interests." The
question is, are we merely 'interested' in changing to become
the person we say we want to be, or do we desire the benefits of
having attained our goal - we feel it in our very heart and soul
- we believe in ourselves, our plan of accomplishment and our
willingness to do what must be done - so much, that it literally
moves us at our very core?
The true test of gaining the results we seek is in our response
to the statements themselves. We may be able to convince others
- for a while - that we speak from the truth, but we will never
be able to lie to ourselves. Eventually, we will drop our guard
or conveniently 'forget' the path we're on and the promises we
made to ourself and revert back to the same lazy, sleep-walk'
living that was the 'us' before we began training.
Ask yourself these questions:
A. "When I recite the Student Creed, does it move
me?" (Do you get chills, a welling in your chest or an
empowered feeling or do you feel like you're reciting the Pledge
of Allegiance from school?)
B. Do I have to think about the Creed when reciting it or
is it so natural to me that I have the feeling, "of course this
is true?"
Through the power of belief, the true, heartfelt drive to become
the words we are speaking, the Student Creed takes on a life and
power capable of transforming you into the confident,
successful, disciplined, respectful and proactive person you
were meant to be.
Go for it!