Find Your Own Martial Art
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 5:39 amBlogged this to stimulate a bit of thought -
Been training for a while and feel dissatisfied? Feel like you're not learning the right things? The martial arts not meeting your expectations?
Meditate - ask yourself what you really want from your training, I don't mean all the usual blanket answers but what do YOU want? What are YOUR individual expectations? This can lead to quite a few surprises because you've probably been taking on other people's expectations without realising it and that's why you have to go deep to discover what it is you REALLY need from your efforts.
Look at what you're doing - having realised fully why you're training, is your current path going to get you there? Look at the end result of what you're training for and start to plot a path towards each bit. You will probably find that you will have take up separate aspects to get them to converge at the right point. I had to study philosophy, Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, and my own culture of Wicca and paganism, the healing arts of reiki and massage and the softer and more internal side of traditional Tai Chi to match the Kickboxing, Karate, Ju Jitsu, Judo along with the Chinese and Japanese weapons arts of Iaido, Jodo, Broadsword, Double Edge sword and Spear to reach the standard that I wanted and had to learn from the top Coaches in each field of study.
Be yourself - Everyone wants you to become what they want. Masters want soldiers and blind followers, students and family want you become what suits them. They will put their expectations on you. DON'T LET THEM! Be yourself! Don't let anyone else put you in a box you are an individual and to be who you really are - and unlike them you have worked it out and plotted a path!
Be discerning - Can these people do what they say? How many top level practitioners and coaches have they produced? people lie, they exaggerate, they don't put in the work themselves, they try and hide their lack of skill with mystique, secrecy and lineages - don't fall for it!
Find balance - work at a pace that you can sustain. Become emotionally intelligent. Any path is only as strong as it's weakest point, so know what your strong and weak points are - discover them for yourself, don't wait for others to tell you! Other people always have an agenda know yourself inside out and find that essential level of balance.
Stick to your guns - have resolve, determination, courage, patience, tolerance, kindness and compassion and simply don't give up. This is a lifelong quest! Fall down 7 times and get up 8. That's the rule of thumb for life. That 1 step forwards through all the trials and tribulations is worth it's weight in gold - it's the winning step, it's what sorts out the winners from the losers.
Do it - do it now - don't put it off. Get your arse in that chair or on that cushion NOW, sit straight, breathe deep, calm your mind down and focus your attention - then ask yourself "what do I REALLY want?"
Been training for a while and feel dissatisfied? Feel like you're not learning the right things? The martial arts not meeting your expectations?
Meditate - ask yourself what you really want from your training, I don't mean all the usual blanket answers but what do YOU want? What are YOUR individual expectations? This can lead to quite a few surprises because you've probably been taking on other people's expectations without realising it and that's why you have to go deep to discover what it is you REALLY need from your efforts.
Look at what you're doing - having realised fully why you're training, is your current path going to get you there? Look at the end result of what you're training for and start to plot a path towards each bit. You will probably find that you will have take up separate aspects to get them to converge at the right point. I had to study philosophy, Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, and my own culture of Wicca and paganism, the healing arts of reiki and massage and the softer and more internal side of traditional Tai Chi to match the Kickboxing, Karate, Ju Jitsu, Judo along with the Chinese and Japanese weapons arts of Iaido, Jodo, Broadsword, Double Edge sword and Spear to reach the standard that I wanted and had to learn from the top Coaches in each field of study.
Be yourself - Everyone wants you to become what they want. Masters want soldiers and blind followers, students and family want you become what suits them. They will put their expectations on you. DON'T LET THEM! Be yourself! Don't let anyone else put you in a box you are an individual and to be who you really are - and unlike them you have worked it out and plotted a path!
Be discerning - Can these people do what they say? How many top level practitioners and coaches have they produced? people lie, they exaggerate, they don't put in the work themselves, they try and hide their lack of skill with mystique, secrecy and lineages - don't fall for it!
Find balance - work at a pace that you can sustain. Become emotionally intelligent. Any path is only as strong as it's weakest point, so know what your strong and weak points are - discover them for yourself, don't wait for others to tell you! Other people always have an agenda know yourself inside out and find that essential level of balance.
Stick to your guns - have resolve, determination, courage, patience, tolerance, kindness and compassion and simply don't give up. This is a lifelong quest! Fall down 7 times and get up 8. That's the rule of thumb for life. That 1 step forwards through all the trials and tribulations is worth it's weight in gold - it's the winning step, it's what sorts out the winners from the losers.
Do it - do it now - don't put it off. Get your arse in that chair or on that cushion NOW, sit straight, breathe deep, calm your mind down and focus your attention - then ask yourself "what do I REALLY want?"