I promise to give 100% effort, to treat others with kindness, to show respect to everyone, to eat healthy, to strengthen my body, to grow my mind, and to positively impact the people around me.
This oath is said at the beginning of every martial arts class at Elevate. However, it is not just a list of platitudes or a nice tradition. As the first two words indicate, it is a promise. So what does the oath mean?
The oath contains 7 clauses that each affect our lives in and out of karate.
1. Give 100% Effort
This means trying our best at whatever we are doing. We must focus on the task and apply all our energy, strength, and brainpower to it. Our goal should not be merely finishing the job. We want to excel at whatever we do. If you are competitive, use that competitive spirit to motivate you. Even if you are not naturally competitive, cultivate a habit of hard work. Whatever we do, we should do it to the best of our abilities. Never meet expectations; always exceed them.
2. Treat Others With Kindness
This means being compassionate and empathetic towards others. It also means being considerate of their feelings and needs. Kindness requires humility and sincerity. In order to be kind to someone, we must think about their emotions and desires. Kindness seeks to help others and encourage others. Kindness is the free gift we must always give.
3. Show Respect To Everyone
Respect is a core principle in martial arts. How to show respect to others is a major part of every culture. Disregarding cultural differences, respect involves kindness, listening, and courtesy. In America, courtesy can be shown by saying “Please,” “Thank you,” “You’re welcome,” etc., as well as saying “Yes ma’am” and “Yes sir” to parents, teachers, martial arts instructors, and anyone else. When we say this oath, we are promising to be kind, listen, and show courtesy to everyone around us.
4. Eat Healthy
For some people, this comes naturally, but to others, eating healthy can be a real challenge. It can be helpful to remember the core principle underneath this idea. Why do we eat healthy? Because what we put into our body affects us. In order to elevate ourselves physically and mentally, we need to have the right fuel. Whole foods that are rich in nutrients are widely accepted as healthier than processed foods that are high in sugar and unhealthy fats. Instead of being legalistic, we should each do some research and find the diet that is right for us personally.
5. Strengthen My Body
We must strengthen our bodies through regular exercise and physical activity. This means engaging in activities that challenge us physically and help us build strength and endurance. Karate classes are an obvious example. Going back to principle 1, we must give 100% effort in karate class in order to maximize the workout. However, if you are only taking one or two classes a week, it may be necessary to train outside of karate class. The goal in this is to keep our bodies at the optimal level to cultivate peak performance.
6. Grow My Mind
This is about growing our minds through learning new things and challenging ourselves intellectually. We must seek out new experiences that expand our knowledge and understanding. For kids, this is school. For adults, this is continued education. In addition, reading books and engaging in debates with peers are great ways to grow your mind no matter your age.
7. Positively Impact The People Around Me
The Elevate mission statement is: “It is our mission to Positively Impact our employees and students and inspire them to become leaders who will Positively Impact their communities!” This is the fundamental idea behind the Oath and everything we do at Elevate. Not only should we improve ourselves, but we should also improve others.