We must not allow circumstances that are outside of our control to turn us into someone we do not want to be.
Circumstances, whether good or bad, come and go.
We must stay vigilant with our character and integrity.
We must remain strong in who we are and true to ourselves.
However, our strength must also be tempered with flexibility.
If we are not flexible in our strength, as we are pushed and pulled by the circumstances we face, we will either waver in our principles or we will break under the forces applied against us.
Holistic Budo: As it is in budo, so too it is in life. As it is in life, so too it is in budo.
Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Kogen Dojo Self Defense Academy where he teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
All photos by Robert Van Valkenburgh unless otherwise noted.*
*Robert Van Valkenburgh’s black and white photography can be seen at My Darkness To Light
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