Ladies and Gentlemen, I stand before you as Master Ken, your beloved Karate instructor, and the man who is about to deliver a lesson in humility to Spiros-san.
Spiros-san, you may call yourself The Great One, you may believe yourself to be a Greek God, but let me tell you something. In the ring, it’s not about the titles you give yourself, it’s about the respect you earn. And respect, Spiros-san, is something you’ll never understand.
You see, while you were busy boasting about your greatness, I was busy teaching my students the true meaning of greatness. Greatness is not about arrogance or ego. It’s about humility, discipline, and respect for others. And that, Spiros-san, is something you’ll never understand.
In the dojo, we don’t just train our bodies. We train our minds, our spirits. We learn to control our ego, not let it control us. We yearn to understand that greatness is earned, not gifted. To be great, one must train with a fierce determination. One simply cannot call themselves Great – it must be earned through hard work and effort.
You see, in the ring, it’s not about who can throw the hardest punch or the fastest kick. It never is, even though in this instance, Master Ken can do both. It’s about who can stay humble under pressure, who can keep their ego in check when the heat is on. And that, Spiros-san, is me. When the referee makes a mistake, or does something you consider to be a mistake, you’ll be lost in your ego. I won’t be. When things don’t go your way or the applecart is upset by something you don’t like, you’ll be lost to your ego. That isn’t Master Ken.
So, go ahead, Spiros-san. Bring your arrogance, your ego, your self-proclaimed greatness. You can bring all those things to the challenge you laid out before me.
But your ego is precisely why I’m going to beat you. Not because I’m a better wrestler – which I am. Not because I’m a better fighter – which I am… but because I’m a better man. Because while you were busy proclaiming your greatness, I was busy earning mine. While you were busy looking down on others, I was busy lifting them up. I was busy earning the right to call myself and have others call me great. I didn’t bestow it upon myself like a cheap badge of honor.
Get ready, Spiros-san. Because when we step into that ring, it’s not going to be a wrestling match. It’s going to be a life lesson. A lesson in humility, discipline, and the true spirit of Karate. Remember, it’s not the ego that wins the match. It’s the spirit.
And I promise you, it’s going to be a lesson you’ll never forget.
Welcome to the dojo, kou-hai.
Master Ken, signing off.