Stones and potholes in my path

The biggest challenge in the way of me earning that fourth stripe is working at the dojang. It isn’t a very good school anymore for a number of reasons. I really don’t care for the teaching style of the young masters there, and Master Kim rarely ventures out onto the floor these days. Hell, I haven’t learned much of anything there in about three years. I’m sort of at peace with it most of the time; other times it really bugs me.


For me, the worst part is how low the standards for behavior and discipline have become. The kids get away with way too much. They don’t show any respect for the school, the teachers, the other students, or themselves. Left to my own devices I would never tolerate that. As it stands now I’m just an employee there, with no real authority.

Having said all that, it doesn’t matter. Fuck it. I’m getting my 4th dan one way or another, and it’s gonna be on my own terms. It’s too important to me to let anyone else’s low standards ruin it for me. I don’t know exactly what will be expected of me at the test, but I’m setting the bar very high for myself. I plan on being at a physical, mental, and spiritual peak on the day of the test, and there isn’t a goddamned thing anyone can do about it…except myself.