I loved watching sports with my dad.
Especially when our team was behind and they started to make a comeback. He would always yell " FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT !
Webster defines athlete as a person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise. And while I constantly harp on the fact that Wing Tsun is not a sport, it is an athletic endeavor.
Some people come to martial arts having been an athlete, and because of this, they 're used to pushing their bodies past their limits. But more often than not, people come to martial arts with no athletic background. They haven't developed that work ethic of pushing past the pain, of telling that little voice inside of your head that's telling you to stop to shut the hell up.
To be good at Wing Tsun, you have to push on when others around you are quitting. But that;s not just a martial arts thing...that's a life thing.
If I teach people anything, I want them to come away with the notion of kung fu. That if it's worth doing, it's worth doing to your upmost. Let other people half-ass, or quit when it gets difficult.
You don't quit, you keep going. If you get knocked down, you get back up. If you get punched, you shake it off and go back for more...
Here are a few quotes from some athletes that might help to motivate you :
“I don’t count my situps. I only start counting once it starts hurting. ” -Muhammad Ali
“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter
“To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” – Picabo Street
“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi
“Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.” – Lou Holtz
“It’s not the will to win that matters — everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” – Paul “Bear” Bryant
“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.” – Dean Karnazes
And of course, my personal favorite : FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT ! - Sid Griffin
Keep punching.