I Doubt It!

Dog Rock...can you see it?

So much depends on faith in the learning of karate. You take it on faith when you begin training that the person teaching you knows what they're doing, that they are not only skilled but qualified to guide you. But many karateka are far too quick when it comes to placing their faith. You see faith...for me at least, depends on doubt; as I've come to understand the nature of both, one without the other is a recipe for getting lost.

Faith without doubt is blind faith and I'm not sure that's the same thing at all. Too many in karate these days have blind faith in all they hear and all they're told and that's a big mistake in my book. But, finding the balance between skepticism and doubt is a skill that's not easy to learn, at least it wasn't for me; it took a while and a great deal of growing up before I could come to grips with the difference, because I did what so many others do when exploring doubt, I became a cynic.

Having your faith tested from time to time is I believe vital to maintaining that faith. The rock in the photo is known locally as "dog rock"...for obvious reasons: right? Well....let me tell you something, the first time I stood there it took me a while to see anything other than a rock: now I always see the dog.