Levels

There are two levels to a martial artist's practice. The first level is practical, physical, and readily demonstrated and observed. This is usually what draws someone to learn an art in the beginning. Whether it is the flash of fancy technique or the need for practical self-defense, people usually come to an art because of technique. The second level is deep, difficult, and not readily grasped. This is the spiritual level of which all developed and mature martial artist speak and to which some others are drawn to practice an art. It is not easily understood through words and must first be experienced to be fully understood.

There is no dishonor in practicing just for technique. Just ensure that as proficiencies in technique are achieved, an ethical foundation is built to ensure their proper use. This is simple to say, but many will feel tempted to show off their newly found skill. This temptation is very dangerous. If one is practicing just to gain proficiency in technique, they must be constantly aware of this dangerous, ego-driven potentiality to use their skills in a manner that is at best inappropriate and at worst very dangerous.

For those who wish to seek the deeper levels of understanding which the arts offer, then rigorous, daily practice and refinement of technique is needed to build a solid foundation in the art. Dedicated and hard work is required. Gaining technical proficiency will take time and challenge the patience of most students. Some will quit, disillusioned with what they thought would be a rather easy path to some sort of mystical knowledge or understanding. But great and deep understanding requires dedication and hard work. There is no short cut even in this day and age of "fast" everything.

As one progresses in their physical training, they will begin to understand that an equal amount of dedication and hard work needs to be put into mental training. Daily meditation and contemplation is needed to complement and to continue to develop a person's physical skills. Meditation should be practiced to learn how to capture and still our easily distracted minds. Once the mind is stilled, contemplation into one's self is then practiced to identify weaknesses and flaws of
character so they can be rooted out and eliminated. To become aware of one's flaws is the first step to their elimination. The second is to become aware of the behavior those flaws initiate and to then begin to change that behavior over time. Patience and diligence is needed as behavior will not change overnight and old habits we desire to eliminate will creep back into our daily behavior if we are not diligent in watching for their emergence.

How to conduct and be patient with this process of iterative personal refinement we learn through the process of iterative technique refinement while we are on the mat. The frustrations you face with yourself on the mat while trying to master a technique are the same frustrations you will face in your daily life. Through rigorous daily practice, we develop the strategies we need to eliminate these frustrations and to eventually become "frustration-less" by blending with every situation that faces us and resolving it easily to the benefit of all involved. This is the ultimate goal of our practice. Not only will you gain a deeper insight into yourself, you will gain a great and deep appreciation and understanding of the interconnectedness of yourself to others and the world as a whole. This is a very powerful and penetrating personal insight and leads to a feeling of immense
personal responsibility for your actions and their consequences. This level of understanding of the world is immensely
gratifying to finally see.

I challenge every student to strive for this deeper level of understanding. Its worth cannot be overestimated.