Wax On
“Wax on, wax off"“
- Mr. Miyagi, The Karate Kid (1984)
When I was five, my kindergarten crush, Connor, brought his karate uniform to show and tell. It was crisp white with purple cuffs and an adorable, kicking baby dragon printed on the back. Our teacher asked him to demonstrate a move, and he threw a high, arching kick.
In hindsight, the kick was probably pretty sloppy and not all that impressive. At the time, though, I was mesmerized. That afternoon, I went home and told my dad I was done with ballet—I wanted to do karate.
I never took another dance class again. Without consulting my mom, he signed me up, excited to share one of his own passions with his young daughter—the first of his kids to show an interest. Connor was soon forgotten as I discovered a new love: karate. I took classes multiple times a week, but it wasn’t enough for me. I practiced in my room before bed. I ran through my katas at the bus stop. I made a show of meditating at lunch, visualizing each form. I devoured karate books and watched every martial arts movie I could find—Bruce Lee films, Chuck Norris, and, of course, The Karate Kid.
I ate, slept, and breathed karate. I trained in the dojo, I competed in tournaments, I traveled the country to attend seminars. I trained in various martial arts all the way up until I joined the Army. And though I haven’t truly trained since, aside from running through a kata or sparring with my best friend, the lessons never left me.
Karate taught me I could try new things. It taught me that with time and effort, I could master anything. It showed me the power of baby steps, the necessity of discipline, and the value of practice. Most importantly, it taught me to take a hit.
Rejection is a constant in writing and editing. Agents, publishers, critique groups, potential clients, even our own self-doubt—they all land blows. But the only way forward is the same way Mr. Miyagi told Daniel: “First learn stand, then learn fly.”
Write every day, even if it’s terrible. Have discipline. Train your instincts until the muscle memory sets in. When you start to struggle, return to the fundamentals. Focus on the story.
Wax on, wax off.