Behaviour | ||
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Martial arts
In every traditional martial
arts class around the world, your behaviour is a factor.
Attitude, etiquette and
conduct must be addressed when
learning a
martial art.
The art is simply too dangerous to allow 'outside' attitudes into the
training hall.
Leave your ego at the door
One of the reasons why students bow to the
instructor upon entering the training hall is to immediately
remind themselves
where they are.
They are not at home, at work or out socialising.
It is necessary to acquire new habits of behaviour.
Egotism, vanity,
pride and showboating will be sternly curtailed.
The student has nothing to offer
but an absolute willingness to follow the teacher's instructions and
direction without question or comments or personal improvisation.
(Dave Lowry)
Duty
Modern culture encourages egotism.
When a student demonstrates arrogance in a
tai chi class, it is the duty of the
teacher to quash this.
Many people are unwilling to recognise that they are at fault.
Rudeness, cockiness and selfish behaviour are entrenched and familiar to them.
Letting-go is not an option.
Failing
Many martial arts students falter badly in actual
combat.
The reason why is simple.
Their technical skills may be accurate but
their behaviour is at fault.
Combat
You cannot expect actual combat to be akin to hanging out with your friends or
being at work.
This is hopelessly naive and foolish.
Combat is scary, dangerous and
high risk.
Act the part
The fastest way to gain combat aptitude is to act the part.
This means addressing your behaviour.
It is not an invitation to become macho.
Demons
Your own worst enemy is yourself.
If you want to become a martial artist, you have to make behavioural
changes.
Moods,
disorganised schedule, an unwillingness to set
time aside to train...
this is not how a martial artist behaves.
When you come to the dojo, it is a recognition the
teacher there has something you want. He will give it to you in his own way.
You must accept that. If you do not, you are free to leave. The dojo,
however, is never run by consensus.
The sensei is not a therapist. The goal of the dojo is to make healthy
people healthier, physically and psychologically and spiritually. It cannot
be expected to repair badly damaged human beings. As so if a member exhibits
serious personal problems, the sensei's job is to get rid of him, gracefully
if possible, forcefully and definitively if necessary.
(Dave Lowry)
Excuses
Martial artists do not care to make excuses.
If they cannot do something, they simply say so.
They do not try to placate, manipulate or 'play' people. They speak
plainly and
directly.
Take responsibility
A martial artist takes responsibility for their
conduct.
They do not foist their
problems onto somebody else.
e.g. if you cannot make a workshop or you
have inadvertently 'double-booked' yourself, make a concise, polite
apology for your absence.
Don't ask the instructor to re-schedule
the workshop to suit you or to give you a
refund.
That would be misconduct.
Do not do anything useless.
(Miyamoto Musashi)
Negotiating
One appalling trait occasionally seen with beginners is the desire to negotiate
with the instructor.
This is just plain dumb.
There is no parity. No room to
negotiate.
Respect
Adhere to the ethos of the school
or quit.
An instructor would rather lose a student than have to explain/debate every
conceivable lesson with them.
Don't be a tool
Egotism and selfishness are offensive in
martial arts.
Combat offers no charity, no
leniency, no quarter.
Learn to be strong. Have
integrity.
Cultivate self-discipline.
Who are you talking to?
A martial arts instructor is not a personal
trainer. They are not your mate.
When you negotiate, the instructor is just being polite
with you.
But at the back of their mind they know that you are a
lost cause. You have not
invested in the
art at all.
Upon reaching what is perceived as an ideal goal, the artist
discovers something entirely different. The artist is suddenly confronted
with the fact that what was thought of as perfection of technique was merely
the introduction to it.
An entirely new vista has opened. The artist must be prepared to turn his
gaze from the heights that have so recently been gained, and prepare for the
ascent of the peak suddenly found beyond them.
(Dave Lowry)
Competence
If you are keen, prove it. Become quietly
adept at your chosen art.
Do not expect a pat on the head or any sort of praise.
Even if you're told that your practice is coming along, recognise that it can
always be better. Complacency leads to stagnation, and egotism indicates weakness of character.
Initiative
Don't wait to be told. Step up.
When bowing, bow first. Bow well.
Look for opportunities to demonstrate initiative.
Cultivate necessary combat skills: decisiveness,
focus, precision,
purpose, integrity.
Intelligence
A martial artist needs to be
smart.
Asking playground questions such as -
"Which martial art would win: MMA or tai chi?" - indicates
a notable lack of intelligence. Surely, the answer is obvious?
The art itself does nothing.
It is the individual who makes
manifest the skills and the strategies. This is what determines the
outcome.
Extraordinary life
Being a martial artist is not easy.
It is a way of life that is at odds with
how most modern people live.
To become truly skilled you will need to make many sacrifices. You will need
to become quite a different person. Could you right now deal with an assault from a very
earnest attacker?
What is it going to take to become someone who can?
Too early in the morning? Get up and train. Cold and wet outside? Go
train. Weary of the whole journey and longing for a moment to stop and rest?
Train.
Continue on in the spirit of perseverance.
(Dave Lowry)
Loss of
'self'
Japanese martial arts
classes have traditionally provided an excellent environment for character
refinement.
Usually they are well organised, disciplined and strict.
Unfortunately, Chinese classes are not always like this.
This is an instance where the Japanese way is
better and students could learn a lot from seeing how a
Japanese martial arts student behaves.
Dignity
Traditionally, a martial artist had dignity. They were not selfish,
egotistical, mean or petty.
Dignity is a powerful virtue.
It suggests: proper, decent, fitting, appropriate, ethical, honourable, gravity,
grace, worth and value. How often do we behave with dignity or accord it to others?
Silent power
We take our affluence and freedom for granted and ignore the plight of others.
It is easy to pretend that things do not matter; that nothing can be changed or
that it is somebody else's responsibility.
At the heart of dignity is a quiet integrity; a nobility of purpose.
Without fanfare or outward show, a person can act with courage,
composure and
resourcefulness. They can subtly change things.
Confronted
by limitations of effectiveness, the martial arts of the West responded with
a continuous crafting of superior equipment. Confronted with similar
limitations, the Asian warrior responded by fashioning a better self. The
Asian warrior turned not to technology in making his sword a better tool for
fighting. Influenced by contemplative aspects of Taoism and Buddhism and by
the self-discipline of Confucianism, he turned inward. He fine-tuned his
body and mind in order to better manipulate his sword.
(Dave Lowry)
Worth reading
•
Are you a martial artist?
•
Learned helplessness
•
Standing in your own way
•
Warrior/sage
•
The
Way of the Warrior
•
You make it happen
Page
created 18 April 1998
Last updated
26 May 2001
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