I just received a rejection from a book editor.

Yet, Im smiling, which is the same reaction I have when someone mistakenly makes inappropriate contact with me in sparring.

What else can you do?

Whether you take a hit occupationally or on a mat, its pretty much the same thing.

It signifies that the other party made a mistake. It happens all the time, like someone suddenly turning around in a supermarket checkout line, grazing you as he mindlessly moves by.

It is not a provocation to get mad or to be disappointed.

It is a cue to move on.

Next?

This is the question you should be asking, and not, why?

Why doesnt matter to the martial artist. Why makes you dwell in the past and when you do, you cant focus on the kick or strike that is NOW coming at you, that requires your full attention.

You cant concentrate on your strategy, which is always about a sequence of moves; not one.

You prepare to deal with multiple attackers, simultaneously, if necessary. Theres no purpose to be served by anger, disappointment, regret, second-guessing, or anything else.

Martial arts training teaches you to take hits, when and where they occur, and to have the good sense to recognize that you dont have to make a mistake, simply because someone else has.