AJ Dyer

Hey y’all,

My name is AJ Dyer and one unique aspect of my life that I think everyone in our class would find interesting about me is that I was a black belt in American karate. I say “was” because I don’t “technically” practice American karate anymore so I cannot just say I am a black belt because currently, I am not. Anyways, I want to tell y’all about one of the most useful lessons I learned ever since embarking on my karate journey. For that, I have to go all the way back to my first time entering the karate studio.

I still vividly remember walking down the longest hallway ever: crying my eyes out, screaming, and doing everything I could to turn around and run out the entrance of the building. Who could blame me, I was a scared six-year-old who was entering an unknown world with so many unfamiliar faces, but once I stepped foot in the studio and was greeted by a few of the instructors, I soon realized that everything is going to be all right. I know I have not explained anything that I did at the studio, but honestly, I don’t need to. Instead, I will leave y’all with a quote from my long time idol, Bruce Lee:

"Be Water, My Friend.

Empty your mind.

Be formless, shapeless, like water.

You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup.

You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle.

You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.

Now water can flow or it can crash.

Be water, my friend." -Bruce Lee

In my opinion, this quote encompasses one of the most valuable lessons I learned from karate; learning how to be flexible with your body and mind. Essentially, be open-minded and be able to adapt to the situations you are put into. Now, whenever I enter a new environment or don’t know what to do, I think of this famous Bruce Lee quote, knowing that if I go with the flow and adapt, everything will work out.