Week 10: The Fire Inside

Week 10 of 16 · Test Cycle 2. This lesson is part of The Black Belt Mindset, the character curriculum every new Mile High Karate student begins with, by Grand Master Stephen Oliver and Grand Master Jeff Smith. Every week stands alone, so a student can start with any lesson.

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision.”

Muhammad Ali

On this page: Read the chapter · Workbook lesson · For instructors: Mat Chat

Read: The Fire Inside

In 1977, a letter came for me in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was handwritten. And it was from Grand Master Jhoon Rhee himself.

I was a teenager. I had been training since 1969. I had been teaching since 1974. I had opened my own small school in 1975, when I was 15 years old. Nobody made me do any of that. I did it because I wanted it more than I wanted almost anything.

Grand Master Rhee’s letter offered me free training that summer at any of his eight schools around Washington, D.C. It also offered me the chance to test for my Black Belt.

Think about that. The most famous Tae Kwon Do teacher in America wrote to a kid in Oklahoma. Why? I believe it was because he saw a fire in me. He did not light that fire. I did. But he noticed it, and he fed it.

I still have that letter. It is one of my treasures. In August 1978, I tested for my 1st Degree Black Belt in front of Grand Master Rhee in Washington. I passed. But the story did not start with the letter. It started years before, with a boy who kept showing up to class because something inside him said, “Keep going.”

That something has a name. It is called self-motivation.

What Is Self-Motivation?

To be motivated means you have a reason to act. Your reason is called a motive. It is the “why” behind what you do.

There are two kinds of motivation.

The first kind comes from outside. Someone pushes you. A parent says, “Clean your room or no video games.” A boss says, “Finish this report or else.” Outside pushes can work for a little while. But when the push stops, you stop too.

The second kind comes from inside. You do something because you want it. You practice your form because you want to get better. You read because you like the story. You help your friend because you care.

Inside motivation is like a fire. Outside motivation is like a match. A match burns for a few seconds. A fire can burn all night, as long as you keep feeding it.

A Black Belt has a fire inside.

Want It More Than You Fear It

Here is something I have learned in more than 50 years of martial arts. Almost everything you want has something hard standing in front of it.

You want to earn your next belt. Standing in front of it are push-ups, practice, and a test.

You want to make the team. Standing in front of it are early mornings and tired legs.

You want to feel stronger and healthier. Standing in front of it are the couch, the snacks, and the excuses.

Self-motivation is what gets you past the hard thing. It is wanting the goal more than you dislike the work.

Imagine a student named Maya. She is eight. She wants her yellow belt more than anything. One night, her favorite show is on, but she has not practiced her form. Nobody tells her to practice. She turns off the TV and practices anyway.

That is the fire inside.

Now imagine her dad. He is 42. He wants to get in shape. It is cold outside, and his bed is warm. Nobody will know if he skips class. He goes anyway.

Same fire. Different age.

Where Does the Fire Come From?

People ask me, “How do I get motivated?” Here is the truth. You do not wait to feel motivated. You build it. Here is how.

1. Know your “why.” Ask yourself, “Why do I want this?” Maybe you want to feel brave. Maybe you want to be strong for your family. Maybe you want to make your parents proud. Your “why” is the wood for your fire. The bigger your why, the bigger the fire.

2. Picture the finish. Close your eyes. See yourself on stage, getting your Black Belt. Hear people clapping. Feel the new belt in your hands. When you can see it, you will want it more.

3. Start before you feel ready. Motivation often shows up after you begin, not before. Put on your uniform. Walk into the school. Bow in. The fire usually catches once you start moving.

4. Stay near other fires. Fires burn hotter together. Train with people who work hard. Watch the senior students. Their energy will rub off on you.

5. Notice your wins. Did you remember a new move? Did you do one more push-up than last week? Celebrate it. Every small win adds wood to the fire.

“Maybe” Puts the Fire Out

There is one thing that puts out a fire faster than anything else. It is the word “maybe.”

“Maybe I’ll go to class tonight.” “Maybe I’ll practice later.” “Maybe I’ll get my Black Belt someday.”

Over many years, I have watched hundreds of families on the road to Black Belt. Here is what I have learned. “Maybe” means no. Almost every time. Not because anybody planned to quit, but because “maybe” never makes it onto the calendar.

Every Black Belt I have ever promoted made a decision. Not “maybe.” Not “we’ll see.” They decided, “I am going to be a Black Belt.” Once they decided, the hard days got easier, because the question was already answered.

A decided student doesn’t ask, “Should I go to class tonight?” A decided student asks, “What time do we leave?”

Rewards Are Nice. Reasons Are Better.

At Mile High Karate, we give out Attitude Stripes. We give stickers. We cheer for each other. Those rewards are good. They help young students learn what “good” looks like.

But a stripe is not the reason you train. The reason is who you are becoming.

I have seen students work for years with no reward in sight except their own improvement. Those students do not quit when the stickers stop. They keep going because the fire is theirs.

So enjoy the rewards. Say thank you when you earn them. But do not need them. Need your reason instead.

How a Black Belt Does It

1. Writes down a “why” tonight. A Black Belt knows the reason behind the goal and looks at it often.
2. Shows up, even on hard days. A Black Belt does not wait to feel like it. Showing up is the first win.
3. Starts on time. When practice time comes, a Black Belt starts within five minutes, before the excuses show up.
4. Asks for help or a chance. Like Grand Master Smith, a Black Belt is not afraid to ask, “Can I try?”
5. Feeds the fire with good company. A Black Belt trains with people who work hard and want to grow.

Remember

• Outside motivation is a match. Inside motivation is a fire.
• Know your “why.” The bigger your why, the bigger the fire.
• Start before you feel ready. Motivation often shows up after you begin.
• “Maybe” means no. Decide for sure.
• A Black Belt keeps going because the fire is theirs.

Workbook Lesson: Week 10

Print the full workbook below, or answer these on paper. Young students can have a parent help them read and write.

1. Words to Know

• Motivation: the reason or push that makes you want to act
• Self-motivation: a push that comes from inside you
• Motive: the “why” behind what you do
• Commitment: a promise to keep going until you reach your goal
• Dean: a leader in charge of part of a college

2. Fill in the Blank

1. Outside motivation is like a match. Inside motivation is like a .
2. Motivation often shows up you begin, not before.
3. “Maybe” means . Almost every time.

3. Think About It

1. Grand Master Smith wanted to join a karate club that was only for college students. What did he do? What would you have done?
2. What is the difference between being interested and being committed?
3. Think of a day when you did not feel like going to class. What could help you go anyway?
4. Teens & Adults: Where in your life are you still saying “maybe”? What would change if you decided for sure?

5. Activity: Build Your Fire

Draw a campfire. On each log, write one reason WHY you want to earn your Black Belt. The more logs (reasons) you add, the bigger your fire can grow!

7. My Self-Talk

Write your own “fire” sentence. Start with: “I have decided. I train because I want to…”

8. Live the Creed

Say the Student Creed out loud every day this week. Then write about one time this week you showed Indomitable Spirit.

For Instructors: Week 10 Mat Chat

A 3–4 minute line-up lesson built on the Hook, Teach, Story, Ask, Commit formula, with a discussion guide for every age on the mat.

Objective: By the end of this Mat Chat, students will be able to explain the difference between outside motivation (a match) and inside motivation (a fire), say “I have decided” about their Black Belt, and name the set time they will start home practice each day this week.

Prepare:

• Plan the pretend match: strike it with your hand, count to three, and blow it out.
• Have each student think of one reason they train; post a simple “Add it to the fire!” reminder if helpful.
• Recruit a Black Belt or Leadership Team helper to shout the first reason in the Build the Fire drill and lead the class reply.
• Keep Commitment Check pages (workbook goal step) handy to show the 1-to-10 rating.

The Mat Chat (3–4 minutes)

Hook (0:00–0:30). Students, eyes on me. Watch this. [Strike a pretend match, count to three, and blow it out.] Fsst. One, two, three. Whoosh. What happened? (It went out!) That’s what it’s like when somebody else pushes you. Mom says practice, so you practice. The second she stops pushing, you stop too. Now picture a campfire. You keep adding wood, and it burns all night long. Which one lasts longer, a match or a fire? (A fire!) Our key word this week is FIRE.

Teach (0:30–1:30). A match is outside motivation. Someone else pushes you. A FIRE is inside motivation. You do it because you want it. Your reason, your “why,” is the wood for your fire. The bigger your why, the bigger the fire. Our Black Belt Success Skill this week is Definite Commitment. That means you decide for sure, and then you work steadily to make it happen. Here’s the word that puts fires out: maybe. “Maybe I’ll practice later.” “Maybe I’ll get my Black Belt someday.” Grand Master Oliver has watched hundreds of families on the road to Black Belt, and he says “maybe” means no, almost every time. Interested people do what is easy. Committed people do what it takes. Every Black Belt made a decision: “I am going to be a Black Belt.” A decided student doesn’t ask, “Should I go to class tonight?” A decided student asks, “What time do we leave?”

Story (1:30–2:30). Let me tell you about Grand Master Jeff Smith. He was a junior-high paperboy in Kingsville, Texas. His mother worked at a college there. One day, young Jeff saw a sign for a karate demonstration. He went, and he was hooked! But there was one big problem. The karate club was for college students only. Jeff was just a kid. Most kids would have given up right there. Not Jeff. In his words, “I talked to my mother, she talked to the dean, and they decided to let me and several other of the faculty kids in.” Did anybody tell Jeff to go find a karate class? (No!) Did anybody beg him to ask? (No!) The fire was his. And that fire carried him a long way. He became the PKA World Light Heavyweight Champion and held that title from 1974 to 1980. It all started with a boy who wanted something enough to ask.

Ask (2:30–3:15). Quick questions. Who pushed Grand Master Smith to take karate? (Nobody!) What does “maybe” usually turn into? (No!) What’s the difference between interested and committed? (Committed people do what it takes!) Now turn to a partner and tell them one reason you want your Black Belt. That’s a log for your fire. Go! [Allow about 20 seconds.] Hands up if your reason came from inside you. Look around. That’s a lot of fire in one room!

Commit (3:15–3:45). Here’s your challenge for the next seven days: Start On Time. Pick one set time for home practice every day. Start within five minutes of that time, with nobody reminding you. Practice at least 15 minutes. And do your Commitment Check: rate yourself from 1 to 10, fix your lowest number, and write your Black Belt date under “I have decided.” That’s how fires get to Black Belt and beyond. Where does your fire come from? (Inside me!)

Discussion Guide

Aim: Help each student find and say their own reason for training, and replace “maybe” with a clear decision, starting with a set daily practice time they choose themselves.

Little Dragons (ages 4–6)

1. Show me how you blow out a match! Now show me a big fire with your arms. Which one lasts longer?
2. Can you start your practice at home all by yourself, without Mom or Dad telling you? Show me a thumbs-up if you will try.

Kids (ages 7–12)

1. Grand Master Smith asked for something that looked impossible. What would you have done if the club said “college students only”?
2. Think of a day you did not feel like coming to class. What could help you come anyway?
3. What time will you start your home practice this week, and what will you do to remember it without a reminder?

Teens and adults

1. Where in your life are you still saying “maybe”? What would change if you decided for sure?
2. Grand Master Smith says a good instructor motivates but a great one inspires. Who has fed your fire, and how?
3. Motivation often shows up after you begin, not before. When has that been true for you at school, work or home?

Listen for:

• A personal “why” that belongs to the student, not just “my parents make me.”
• The difference between interested (doing what is easy) and committed (doing what it takes).
• Understanding that “maybe” usually turns into no because it never gets on the calendar.
• A specific plan: a set start time, a decision about their Black Belt date, or a fix for their lowest Commitment Check number.

Follow-up questions:

• What would that look like at home tomorrow, minute by minute?
• What excuse is most likely to show up, and what will you say back to it?
• Who could you train near this week to keep your fire hot?

Into the Mat Drill

• Mat drill: Build the Fire: students line up. One at a time, each steps forward, throws a reverse punch with a strong kiai and shouts one reason they train (‘To be strong!’ ‘For my family!’). The class answers ‘Add it to the fire!’ Finish with the whole class shouting ‘I have decided!’
• Leader role: The Black Belt or Leadership Team helper steps up first in Build the Fire with a strong kiai and reason, then leads the class in answering “Add it to the fire!” for every student.
• Open next class: Open next class with, “Hands up if you started home practice on time, with no reminder, at least three days. What time did you start?” and praise students who wrote their start times.

Black Belt and Beyond: Module B: Commitment, revisited

Checkpoint: Spotlight students in class for Black Belt Leadership and Goal Setting

• Re-read the W. H. Murray commitment passage and tie it to the words ‘I have decided.’
• Run the Commitment Check: students rate attendance, home practice and effort from 1 to 10 and set one fix.
• Spotlight 2 or 3 students whose commitment has grown since cycle 1.

Adult and parent tip: Parents: do the Commitment Check with your child and rate your own part, getting them to class 2 to 3 times a week. Adults: replace one ‘maybe’ in your week with a decision and put it on your calendar.

Teaching tip: Light a pretend match with your hand, count to three and blow it out. Then have the class ‘build a fire’ together by each shouting one reason they train. Kids remember the picture of a match versus a fire.

Download the complete books (PDF): The Black Belt Mindset · The Workbook · The Instructor’s Manual

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