After an amazing trip to Korea, I landed on Saturday… and took my first Kumdo test on Sunday. Yes, I was jetlagged, but I was excited. I’ve been training in Kumdo for about five years now, and I love it. It gives me that same rush I had in Taekwondo sparring ; the focus, intensity, exhiliration, and pure fun, just with a bamboo sword instead of kicks.
But what I appreciate most is the chance to learn something new. I’ve always believed: If you’re not growing, you’re doing the opposite, deteriorating.
And Kumdo keeps me growing. Even though I was completely exhausted, I felt alive because I was challenging myself again putting myself way outside my comfort zone.
It’s the same in life and business. If we want to move forward, we have to stay curious, stay humble, and keep improving. The moment we stop learning is the moment we start slipping backward. that is not acceptable for me.
Walking out of that test reminded me of what Il Il Shin is all about:
One mind. One purpose. One step better every day.
Special appreciation for my wife, Kathy, who sat there for hours upon hours watching me perform in an extremely overcrowded Kendo dojo. She’s always so supportive.
