WARRIORS IN A GARDEN

WEEK OF 5/11/26

 

Better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war as the saying goes.

However I tend to think that being a warrior is something like being a gardener, though.

In a combat sports community, we all exist in a shared ecosystem in which we individually serve our own specific function.  If the ecosystem is healthy, it’s because we are all contributing to that environment in a symbiotic way.

A healthy garden is the totality of healthy plants, healthy soil, good maintenance, and proper design.  And throughout the seasons, different elements of the garden are featured: in Spring, the early blooms and new growth capture the eye.  In Summer, it’s the vibrant colors and maturity that takes center stage.  In Autumn, the changing of the leaves steps into the spotlight.  And in Winter, the structural elements laid bare are revealed and able to be appreciated.

That is to say, we all have our time and moments in the spotlight.  The autumn leaves are not less impressive because of the previous Spring’s color —  it is the totality, and the spectrum, of the garden that gives it its beauty and value, not the individual points of interest.

To be a true student and true member of a team is to have the consideration to step back when it’s not your time, the confidence to step forward when your season arrives, and the wisdom to know that whether we are active or dormant, tending to the garden in all seasons will improve both our own, and our teammates, experience.