They have several characteristics that are worth studying and emulating. Some of these include beauty, strength, vision, and boldness. I believe that there are several characteristics we should apply, as martial artists, in our own lives but for the purposes of this blog, let’s focus on how eagles handle storms.
Eagles have the ability to detect storms long before they actually happen. It is even more remarkable is that upon sensing a storm, rather than attempt to escape it like most other birds or animals will do, eagles position themselves to take advantage of the incoming winds that will eventually lift them above the storm. The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
I believe there is a remarkable lesson for us Martial Artists at the Port Credit Academy of Martial Arts because although the eagle does not escape the storm, it does use the storm to rise to a higher level.
In the same way, when the storms of life come, rather than hide in a hole and take the easy route, we can use the winds of the storm to rise to above it, to a higher level as a martial artist. In essence, adversity should serve as fuel for training.
Notice also that the eagle relies on the wind to soar above the storm because it would be physically impossible for it to do so on its own. Likewise, we should depend on the instructors and your fellow classmates at the Academy and not just your own abilities to lift you above the storm by positioning ourselves like the eagle does.
In a sense, the eagle understands how best to take advantage of a storm. It uses the storm as an helper rather than view it as a challenger.
Ous,
Kyoshi
PS It is interesting to note that I sometimes call members of the instructing team “S.T.O.R.M. Troopers” with the acronym S.T.O.R.M. meaning Special Team of Role Models!
