A new year - and training continues. It has been said - by myself as well as others, there are two types of people in the world "trained and untrained" - and naturally, I continue to choose the former. Let me offer another thought, there are also the people who make finer and finer distinctions in the course of observation - ad those who don't. Again, I choose the former.
It is said that Eskimos have hundreds of words to describe 'snow' - I imagine they have words that describe the snow that wafts down gently, and other words that describe driving snow - perhaps even words that descrobe the type of snow that sticks to a huskie's behind - I don't know - but I do know that in their world view, the Eskimo's make many fine distinctions when it comes to talking about snow - so where does that leave us?
Well, one of the first distinctions that students of the martial arts have to make is the distinction between 'fact' and 'opinion'. When an instructor says 'this is so' or 'this is the way it is' , many students simply assume this to be a 'fact' and not (what it most often is) - just an opinion (sometimes a very informed one - sometimes not).
I remember a time in Los Anegeles some 15 years back, I was sitting at a table of well known martial artists - one of these people, during dinner conversation says' yeah, when I hit the chest like this or that - it usually bursts the aorta!" Try as I might, i couldn't help but let out a laugh - 'when I asked him how many aorta's he had personally 'burst' - he replied 'oh none personally, but my instructor has done this many times'.
That single incident, although incredulous, is no isolated incident, I am sure.
When fully grown (supposedly mature) adults begin to spout nonsense like that guy at that table - it is time for us to begin to make distinctions between fact and opinion.
I am the first to admit - the older and more experienced I get - the less I seem to know and the less qualified I seem to be to offer an opinion. But then again, as long as my students just realise, that that's all it is 'often just an opinion' then I can sleep well at night.
Fact or Opionion ? Start asking the question - even if just quietly to yourself ...
JBW
Monday, January 23, 2006
Thursday, January 05, 2006
As it is ....
I guess I am mostly preaching to the converted here - but here goes anyways:
Most people, even though they may not see it, are fairly unwilling to change and seriously entertain 'new notions', new paradigms and new approaches to the things we think we understand. Think about it - most of the newspapers in the world still have a daily 'astrology column' but no 'real science' column. Wow - what more evidence do we need to prove that as a species we are definitely into 'holding onto the past'? I am not sure why we are like this - perhaps as long as we are meeting the basics of survival - ie: food, shelter, opportunity to procreate, with the chance for a little fun thrown in - then we find ourselves 'satisfied' enough and we 'settle' right there. Or perhaps it is just the fact that in this age - particularly with the internet at our disposal - we have more information, data and rescources at our fingertips than we have ever had before - and we are just havn't learned to effectively deal with or uitlize that rescorce properly yet - so again, we settle.
I dislike 'settling' - I love the challenge or 'seeing what's over that next horizon - and I have a love and passion for learning.
I am not making any sideways comment on any church, denomination or particular beleif system here - but another example of how we love to hold our beleif systems intact is the fact that in 1054 there could be seen in the sky an incredible light from a supernova outburst in the Crab nebula. This was only reported in societies (at that time: China, Japan and North America) where the Church had not incorporated the Aristoleian dictum that the sky was a perfect and unchanging - created by god that way, for eternity. The easiest response for those unfortunate folk who fell under the sway of the church at that time, was to ignore this incredible phenomenon and pretend it didn't happen. And so in Europe, there was no record of the Supernova. In Asia and north America, there were no religious proscriptions against observing and reporting nature and the supernova was duly noted.
In the same way, it is important for us today, to see the world as it is, and not as we wish it to be. With this in mind - I like to continually look at my training with a fresh and open mind - and not in a way that continues to only verify or justify what i have done to this date.
Food for thought - my apologies if all this is painfully obvious and boring. i shall now hit the mat - for some actual pain.
best wishes,
JBW
Most people, even though they may not see it, are fairly unwilling to change and seriously entertain 'new notions', new paradigms and new approaches to the things we think we understand. Think about it - most of the newspapers in the world still have a daily 'astrology column' but no 'real science' column. Wow - what more evidence do we need to prove that as a species we are definitely into 'holding onto the past'? I am not sure why we are like this - perhaps as long as we are meeting the basics of survival - ie: food, shelter, opportunity to procreate, with the chance for a little fun thrown in - then we find ourselves 'satisfied' enough and we 'settle' right there. Or perhaps it is just the fact that in this age - particularly with the internet at our disposal - we have more information, data and rescources at our fingertips than we have ever had before - and we are just havn't learned to effectively deal with or uitlize that rescorce properly yet - so again, we settle.
I dislike 'settling' - I love the challenge or 'seeing what's over that next horizon - and I have a love and passion for learning.
I am not making any sideways comment on any church, denomination or particular beleif system here - but another example of how we love to hold our beleif systems intact is the fact that in 1054 there could be seen in the sky an incredible light from a supernova outburst in the Crab nebula. This was only reported in societies (at that time: China, Japan and North America) where the Church had not incorporated the Aristoleian dictum that the sky was a perfect and unchanging - created by god that way, for eternity. The easiest response for those unfortunate folk who fell under the sway of the church at that time, was to ignore this incredible phenomenon and pretend it didn't happen. And so in Europe, there was no record of the Supernova. In Asia and north America, there were no religious proscriptions against observing and reporting nature and the supernova was duly noted.
In the same way, it is important for us today, to see the world as it is, and not as we wish it to be. With this in mind - I like to continually look at my training with a fresh and open mind - and not in a way that continues to only verify or justify what i have done to this date.
Food for thought - my apologies if all this is painfully obvious and boring. i shall now hit the mat - for some actual pain.
best wishes,
JBW
Sunday, January 01, 2006
2006 - You are the Ultimate Survivor!
I would like to wish everyone all the very best for the New Year. Think about it ... by the end of this year, you will be a completely different person - most of the cells in your body will have been replaced by new ones - so physically you will actually be 'brand new' - the new experiences both negative and positive that you will have this year will gently shape and mould your new world view and perspective - a lot of these things are not in your control - but how you react and deal with them definitely is!
To this point we have all demonstrated amazing survival characteristics - we are still here, and we all live in extremely fortunate cicumstances and times.
Think about this ... every single one of your ancestors, going back millions of years, survived, against all the odds, until the time they were able to procreate and give birth. More than likely, they were able to survive and prosper beyond that time, until their children grew up to the age where they could give birth the the next generation - and so on. So you are the product of this incredible family tree, consisting of amazingly resilient and adapative ancestors who all successfully survived in a harsh and unforgiving environment. Further ... you are the end product of all that genetic material - the odds are definitely all in your favour!
I think we have a genetic imperative to improve our circumstances, create amazing lives for ourselves and our children, and live our lives to the fullest. So, with this in mind, what is it we are resolving to change or undertake this year?
Personally, I like to get clarity on those things I would like to do or achieve or change - and then reverse-engineer the stepping stones right back to where I am now. Then my path is clear and obvious. I also reserve the right to change my mind along the way - as the person I will be half way through this year will be slightly different and slightly more experienced (and hopefully wiser) than the person I am right now - and that more experienced and wiser person just may well have a better plan than I.
All the best my friends - have a great 2006.
regards,
JBW
To this point we have all demonstrated amazing survival characteristics - we are still here, and we all live in extremely fortunate cicumstances and times.
Think about this ... every single one of your ancestors, going back millions of years, survived, against all the odds, until the time they were able to procreate and give birth. More than likely, they were able to survive and prosper beyond that time, until their children grew up to the age where they could give birth the the next generation - and so on. So you are the product of this incredible family tree, consisting of amazingly resilient and adapative ancestors who all successfully survived in a harsh and unforgiving environment. Further ... you are the end product of all that genetic material - the odds are definitely all in your favour!
I think we have a genetic imperative to improve our circumstances, create amazing lives for ourselves and our children, and live our lives to the fullest. So, with this in mind, what is it we are resolving to change or undertake this year?
Personally, I like to get clarity on those things I would like to do or achieve or change - and then reverse-engineer the stepping stones right back to where I am now. Then my path is clear and obvious. I also reserve the right to change my mind along the way - as the person I will be half way through this year will be slightly different and slightly more experienced (and hopefully wiser) than the person I am right now - and that more experienced and wiser person just may well have a better plan than I.
All the best my friends - have a great 2006.
regards,
JBW
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