Lessons Learned from a Dojo Light Bulb

I have been blessed to know many great martial arts teachers. But today, I’m going to share the surprising lessons learned from an unexpected sensei—a dojo light bulb. Here’s the story…

A month ago, I walked into the dojo and noticed a burned out light bulb on the ceiling.

I checked the cabinet for a replacement… no luck. In a hurry, I shrugged and figured someone else would take care of it.

A week later, the bulb was still burned out. Two weeks later, still burned out. Ugh.

“Why hasn’t anyone replaced that stupid light bulb?”

But that wasn’t the real question. The real question was, “Why haven’t I replaced that stupid light bulb?”

I stared at the bulb, demanding an answer. A few minutes later—yes, I stared at the bulb for several minutes—it hit me…

The light bulb was weird!

I had replaced hundreds of bulbs in and out of the dojo over the years, but I had never replaced this particular style of bulb before. And to be honest, it made me anxious.

Every time I looked at that weird bulb, my mind started making a list of all the things I didn’t know…

• Where do I get a bulb like that? Is it at the hardware store or is it special order?
• Is it difficult to replace? Will I break the socket or housing if I touch it?
• Is it expensive? Can I afford to buy a weird bulb right now?
• Where is the nearest hardware store anyway?
• What kind of man are you? Why don’t you know how to replace that weird bulb?

YIKES! All those years of martial arts training and here I was getting my butt kicked by a burned out light bulb.

That weird bulb brought out the worst in me. Specifically, it raised three horrible feelings…

Ignorance, incompetence, and insecurity.

Heavy stuff. But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that I refused to admit to any of those feelings. I just kept making excuses and ignoring the problem.

I was keeping myself in the dark.

When I finally realized that I was in a fight for my self-esteem and manhood with a light bulb—and losing!—I went on the attack.

No more running. No more hiding. No more excuses.

I grabbed a ladder. With fire in my eyes, I climbed up to confront my foe face-to-face.

I threw a jab and opened the ceiling fixture…

POP! No problem. I jabbed again and took hold of the bulb…

POP! It slipped right out. The fight was turning my way…

Within minutes, I found a hardware store on my phone. Found a matching bulb on the shelf. Asked about the differences between similar bulbs. Brought the bulb back to the dojo and installed it.

POW! Lights out! Or… on, actually.

A little dramatic, perhaps, but make no mistake, the lessons learned from Sensei Light Bulb might just make a dramatic difference in your life. Here they are…

Ignorance can be replaced by knowledge.

Incompetence can be replaced by experience.

Insecurity can be replaced by confidence.

Knowledge, experience, and confidence—the inherent byproducts of the learning process. They are also the keys to personal transformation. To becoming the best you can be.

That’s right. Learning doesn’t just boost your intellect, it alters your emotions and changes your identity.

Looking back over my life, it’s easy to identify many burned out bulbs that needed replacing. The past is a long list of issues that made me feel ignorant, incompetent, and insecure.

• Asking a girl out on a date
• Searching for a martial art school
• Applying for college
• Learning to dance
• Shopping for a car loan
• Doing a backflip
• Finding a new job
• Cooking a lobster

The list is endless! And I’m still adding to it! Why? Because—

There will always be more things you don’t know than you know.

Over time, some of those burned out bulbs have been replaced and some have not. Some issues now make me feel knowledgeable, experienced, and confident, while others still make me feel like a child lost in the woods at night.

The difference? Some issues I have confronted, others I have ignored.

One example is ground fighting. For many years, I trained as a stand up fighter. The idea of defending myself on the ground was a dark corner, a burned out bulb.

Sure, like many traditional martial artists, I had learned a few ground techniques, but in my heart, I knew my skills were limited. I knew my ground fighting skills amounted to nothing more than party tricks.

In my quiet moments, I knew if any wrestler, football player, BJJ student, or even just a big, drunk dude tackled me to the ground, I’d end up clawing and squealing like a cat in a hot tub. But…

I denied it. “If anybody tries to take me down, I’ll knee them in the face.”

I lied to myself. “I’m way smarter than all those grappling oafs.”

I made excuses. “Soldiers on the battlefield don’t roll around on the ground.”

I followed the leader. “My teacher doesn’t practice ground fighting, so why should I?”

I cited scientific fact. “Wrestling is weird.”

I admit it. For years, my ego tried to shout down the voices of ignorance, incompetence, and insecurity. For years, my ego clung to its black belt, refusing to ever wear a white belt again.

But then I grew up.

I was tired of lying to myself. I was tired of being scared. I was tired of living in the dark.

So, I started asking questions. I signed up for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes. I added wrestling moves to my daily routine.

In short, I turned on the lights. And guess what?

Over the last few years, my effort to learn ground fighting has not only added new knowledge, experience, and confidence into my life, it’s also improved my stand up game!

Shocking. But the reason why is obvious…

The more lights you turn on, the more you can see.

Knowledge begets knowledge. The more you learn, the more you can learn. The rewards multiply.

Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is a dark pit that will suffocate your spirit and crush the life out of you. Ignorance is hell.

So, the challenge is now yours. How many burned out light bulbs do you walk by every day?

How many dark rooms do you refuse to enter?

How long are you willing to ignore those nagging voices of ignorance, incompetence, and insecurity?

It’s not always easy to face your fears and attack the unknown. Believe me, I understand.

It’s easier to be a black belt than a white belt.

But that’s the catch. You can’t become a black belt unless you wear a white belt first!

So, don’t wait another minute. The sooner you tie on that white belt and step into the unknown, the more powerful you will become.

And here’s the good news…

It takes far less effort than you might think to shed light on to your darkest fears. You don’t need stadium lighting to win the fight. Even a 15 watt bulb will point you in the right direction and keep you from walking into a wall.

So, the next time you see a burned out bulb, don’t walk by.

Pull out the ladder. Make the call. Sign up for the class. Ask the question.

Step out of the darkness and into the light. That’s the only way you’ll ever see the best in you.