USBA Word for March

March 5, 2008

The word for this month is “kaizen”. This Japanese word is actually two words, “kai”, which means change, and “zen”, which means good. In its normal use, Kaizen means continuous improvement, especially a slow and steady improvment.

Kaizen is also a Japanese business philosophy that describes the mindset of always striving to make gradual and steady progress. This is one of the reason Japan’s economy became so strong after World War II.

Great Black Belt Champions are really modern day Kaizen Warriors, because they are always aiming to improve their knowledge, their skills, and their conditioning. They are always seeking the next level of progress and growth.

The ancient Samurai warriors were well known for their practice of Kaizen. A constant effort to improve their fighting skills and abilities, empty hand combat, weaponry, horsemanship and any other areas that could make them more effective and increase their odds of victory in t he battlefield. Any improvements, even tiny little incremental gains could save their lives in the various situations they may encounter.

Kaizen can easily be applied in modern times, especially in the dojo. By engulfing this philosophy, it will allow all of us to continue to enjoy and share the many benefits of a positive, progressive and well-disciplined learning environment. Anyone can be become a Kaizen Warrior, provided they are truly committed to making steady improvements, in every aspect of their life. Becoming a great Black Belt Champion in and out of the dojo leads to becoming a better overall person. When this happens…everyone wins!

Think about one or two areas you could improve that could really make a difference in your progress and growth. Once you pinpoint these, you need to set a goal to take immediate action to improve these areas. Then you repeat the process again and again until the process of improvement becomes habit. This is how you become a modern day Kaizen Warrior!

Written by Ivan Kravitz · Filed Under USBA Kids!