A Quiet Strength, a Will to Endure: The Strength That Waits Within.

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on JUN 22, 2025

A Quiet Strength, a Will to Endure: The Strength That Waits Within.

(Approx 2 minute 30 second read)

The dojo has a way of revealing what you’re really made of. It strips away excuses, exposes your habits, and tests your resolve. But it also offers something deeper – an opportunity to see what’s inside.

Marcus Aurelius once wrote, “Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.” I think there’s a kind of truth in that which every martial artist eventually comes to understand.

Aurelius suggests that this strength lies within us, quietly waiting. But we have to go looking for it. That means turning inward – taking time to reflect on how we think, how we react, and what drives us. Only then can we begin to understand what we’re really made of.

I am Welsh, born in Wales. And I believe something of that land stays with you no matter how far you go. Maybe it’s the hills that never seem to end, or the wind that doesn’t back down. Maybe it’s something in the blood. There’s a resilience in the Welsh character – quiet, often underestimated, but stubborn to the core.

The Red Dragon on our flag – ‘Y Ddraig Goch’ in Welsh – has always meant something more to me than just a national emblem. It’s a symbol of survival. Of never giving up. Of digging deep, again and again, even when the odds are against you.

This image of the dragon – fierce, unyielding, and proud – has become a shorthand for the spirit of the Welsh. The dragon has its origins in Welsh mythology and legend, particularly the tale of the red dragon battling a white dragon – often interpreted as a metaphor for the ancient Britons (Welsh) resisting Saxon invaders. In the story, the red dragon eventually triumphs, symbolizing the survival and eventual resurgence of the Welsh people.

That’s the kind of strength Aurelius was talking about. And it’s the kind of strength I’ve drawn on more times than I can count.

It’s not always easy to find, of course. Especially when life’s been heavy for a while. But it’s there. You just have to look inward and keep looking.

You might not like everything you find – self-reflection can be uncomfortable – but it’s necessary. Because that’s where you’ll uncover the stuff that really matters.

The dojo teaches us this in its own way. Anyone who trains with intent knows that the lessons aren’t just physical. They seep into how you deal with everyday life, they’re easy to overlook – but they’re there. And they’re real.

Progress takes work. Growth isn’t supposed to be easy. There are setbacks, frustrations, moments when giving up feels like the simpler option. But that’s when we have to lean on what’s inside us. That quiet voice that says, “Not yet. Get up. Go again.”

Looking within doesn’t mean just noticing your strengths – it also means facing your weaknesses. Owning your flaws. And from there, deciding to move forward anyway. That’s where the power is. That’s where your Red Dragon lives – somewhere behind the bruises and doubts and fear.

You might find courage. You might find clarity. You might just find a kind of determination that refuses to quit.

Perhaps my own background has shaped how I see this refusal to give up. But I believe the lessons in the dojo is universal: that within each of us lies a strength waiting to be discovered. We get knocked down. So what? We learn. We get up. We go again, tapping into that inner resilience that sees us through.

Whatever it is, it’s yours. And you don’t need to look anywhere else to find it.

Written by Adam Carter