I used it for my UC personal statement, but I'm not sure if it's good or not...
An accomplishment that has impacted me greatly was not too long ago. I respect my sensei and his words, but there are things I just can't do such as visualization of myself in action. I've always thought of the philosophies behind karate as a gimmick and they would never lead me anywhere, I always thought it was physical endurance that would develop my skills, until my exam changed me. It was during my Brown Belt exam, after many sparring sessions, 150 pushups and sit-ups, and kata performances, it was time to break a board. The board wasn't thin and I had to break it with a strong, swift side kick.
After watching others succeed and fail, my turn was next. I stepped up and got into my horse stance, eyed the board, and ignored my instructor's words telling me to visualize myself breaking the board before I kick, a mistake I would soon realize. I threw a kick as powerful and agile as I could, but to no avail the kick failed yet I was able to knock back the blackbelt holding the board.
Again I attempted to break it, and again I ignored my instructor's words thinking it was a waste of thought and time. Evidently, I failed, slipping off the board. He told me to switch the side of my stance, which made me ignore his words again and thought it was the stance that was hindering me. And to no surprise my kick just slid off the board.
"Okay this is it," I thought to myself, "I'm going to listen to his advice." When I visualized myself breaking through that board, it was then that I noticed how I should kick the board. I shouldn't continue to push after my kick but rather snap. I readied myself and kicked into the board, my eyes closed as I kicked; I heard the snap, and the whole room burst into applause.
Yet there's more to karate than just breaking boards and visualizing. When I visualized myself kicking through that board, I ignored that voice in my head telling me to, "Ah, don't listen to your instructor that guy's ridiculous, that visualization stuff is a load of crap." When I ignored that voice, I grew a spirit for karate. After breaking that board, I no longer thought of the philosophies of karate as a gimmick to differ it from other physical exercises. Using my mind in connection with my body I developed a spirit, a spirit that shows my passion for karate. Because applying my mind to a physical exercise with the intent of doing - to prove something - and not solely for the means of making myself physically fit, I learned to treat it as more than just an exercise. I treated karate as a constant training to my spirit and my mind, something I can apply to everyday life. The mind, the body, the spirit, the three fundamentals of karate, I only touched upon spirit as I transcended into my brown belt, a fundamental I must master for my black belt. This whole ordeal demonstrated my cunningness to take for granted small ideals. But now that I had realized my flaw, I want to repair it, and apply it to all situations.
Oh and sorry for signing up for this forum, just for this, I'll be sure to try and help others.
"Ah, don't listen to your instructor that guy's ridiculous, that visualization stuff is a load of crap."
Try a more:
I ignored the urges to fight back my teachers instructions...
or something more simple, and less of your own speech words?
It's good, I think more of it can be put on how it connects with how you learned, changed, and perhaps even a little about how it changed your school life?
good luck!
