When your Fire Grows Dim, Strike the Flint Again!

This past week, we’ve been talking about Flint to Fire with the kids in our karate classes.

When we started by asking what happens when flint hits steel, the students quickly recognized that a spark is created, and from that spark, a fire can grow. Once they connected that image to their own training, things really started to fall into place.

We discussed how everyone begins their martial arts journey with just a small spark, maybe it’s excitement for something new, a goal to earn their black belt, or simply a desire to improve. But like a real fire, that spark won’t last on its own as it needs effort, consistency, and the right fuel to grow.

At First Choice Martial Arts, we believe those sparks show up in many ways: choosing to do one more push-up when you’re tired, tightening your stance during forms, or focusing just a little harder during drills. Those small moments of effort are the sparks that eventually build into the fire of strong habits, discipline, and confidence. With that as a focus, you start to see students adopt the concept of a Black Belt Mindset not only in class but in all realms of their lives.

We then reminded the students that Black Belt success doesn’t happen overnight; rather, it comes from feeding that inner fire every class by showing up with energy, pushing through challenges, and never losing sight of the goals that first inspired them to start training.

So, this week, our challenge to everyone is simple: find your spark. Maybe it’s something that excites you, something that challenges you, or something you want to get better at. Protect it, feed it, and let it grow because that’s how you turn flint into fire.

And, when you see the spark start to flicker, always remember – When your Fire Grows Dim, Strike the Flint Again!

Sensei Chris