What defines a community? In simple terms it’s a group of people that are working towards the same goal. For martial arts, it could mean a studio or club, a loose collection of local schools, an association, all those who train in the same style, or perhaps as large as every other martial artist. How you define your community is up to you, and I’m not here to restrict or force you to adopt my definition or boundaries that encompass your community. However, there are times where we find ourselves in search of a new community, whether it’s through life circumstances such as a new job, economic difficulties, or simply looking for a new opportunity. Trying to find somewhere else to “fit-in” can be incredibly difficult, especially when you want to continue your training.
When I moved to the Chicago area, the only person I knew was my best friend, but he didn’t train in martial arts. So, I had to research and look up any schools that offered Tang Soo Do, and luckily for me there were several near where I worked, and they happened to be part of the same association that I started in. Even so, I didn’t know any of the instructors or any of the students that trained at each location I looked at, so I just did my best not to stand out and went out of my way to avoid social interaction, mainly because I was shy and because I wanted to observe the others.
Eventually I became friends with many of those I trained with, and it wasn’t without some bumps along the way. I’m fairly introverted by nature, and it took some time for me to form those friendships and to be comfortable with hanging out with them. Once I earned my black belt, my community unexpectedly grew to encompass not only the black belts at my studio, but all the black belts in my region. I had joined a brotherhood/sisterhood who have all gone through what I had, a shared experience that, in a way, transcended my prior training experience.
While I continued to train and rise through the ranks over the years, I didn’t necessarily train at one specific studio, especially when I achieved the Sam Dan (3rd degree) rank. I trained where my work schedule allowed and where it was convenient, and in a way my community grew to include many of the gups (color ranks) at the various studios as well as the black belts and instructors. I still retain some of my introverted nature but tried to converse with those who approach me (awkward as I may be!), and in so doing developed lasting friendships with many students. It didn’t matter if I was a higher or lower rank, if I was younger or older than they were, or even if they didn’t train, I wanted to get to know people better so I could grow my community.
I say all this, but in the end your community can only be defined by you. You have the power to include or reject anyone you want. Whether others include or reject you, or the community moves away (or if you move away), you won’t necessarily have full control over these factors, and that is simply life. The internet and social media have allowed us to retain connections to our communities over vast distances, but they are not a substitute for true human-to-human interaction. I only pray that your community is uplifting to you, and that you are uplifting to your community.
