the most enthusiastic about warfare
are the least familiar with it-Vegetius
my philosophical rant for the month.
i think i've figured out one more aspect to myself and why it is i love martial arts as opposed to sports. and leave it to a fencing site to finally help me realize.
i will admit that part of the reason i'm anti sport is that a majority of sports are played as a team. I'm egotistical and intolerant. I hate the idea of having to put the chance of winning on somone else. I don't tolerate stupidity well. Harsh? Mayhaps. But at least i'm honest. I am intolerant to failure be it with myself or others, especially when it is my goal that is on the line (hence why i never developed the 'team' mindset. On the field, i find it hard to get a team mindset as opposed to a "me" mindset). So, on the one hand, i don't like leaving my victory in the hands of others. Contrastly, if i win i want it to be by my own merits. i do not appreciate riding on someone else's coat tails, despite it being a team effort. if i win, it should be by my hand and fate. not others.
another aspect i love about martial arts is the ability to control variables to a greater extent than you can in sports. too many people to control and account for-again, this goes back to the whole "intolerant" aspect. and again, when it's one on one, better control means less feelings of helplessness which feeds my ego.
but i think that these two characteristics, vices tho they may be in many respects, are the driving force behind martial arts. My intolerance is not limited to external forces, but internal as well. If it was due to my lack of skill or training or experience, then i am least tolerant to my self. as a two year old i was furious with myself for being unable to read bernstein bears. As said before, i don't tolerate failure from anyone. Particularly and above all from myself. But when i suceed, in martial arts particularly, it is myself that benefits directly. Again, we see an ego driven aspect, but this is beneficial. it is self-improvment.
on to the quotes i received from this fencing site.
The goal of a sport is to achieve mastery over others; the goal of a martial art is to achieve mastery of yourself.
In a sport, winning is the end; in a martial art, winning is the means.
A sport is most concerned with the product; a martial art is concerned with the process.
In a sport, victory defines excellence; in a martial art excellence defines victory.
In olympic fencing, the emphasis is on touching the opponent, in Classical Fencing, it is on not being touched
what i gain from martial arts is a better understanding of myself. and through that, others. and through that, the world. I see where i lack and i make efforts to improve so that such gaps in training become smaller and smaller. Self-awareness. In doing so, i gain an ability to see gaps in others. I use this, in combination with my own experiences, to understand their motives and their moves and thus continue improving myself. transcending self. ultimately, i will gain a clear understanding of the world that created the opponent in front of me. What forces influenced his choices, his styles, his life. And the circle keeps moving out further and further, seeing how his life is entertwined in a latice of other lives and so on. Bringing true awareness.
i particularly like the last quote. Classical Fencers fence with the goal of not being touched. anyone familiar with martial arts flicks will have probably heard the old adage, "we learn to fight so that we do not have to." This is so very true! We do not not take up martial arts for the sake of learning aggression. And while many do mistakenly start out on this path (it is unavoidable, i think) we learn very quickly that martial arts is not about the other person. it is about yourself. it is about bettering yourself physically, spiritually and mentally. the point of martial arts is not to learn to "beat someone up" but to prevent it from happening. And the fastest way to avoid fights is to not start them. Self control. Once the basic vestiges of defense have been learned, hopefully, by then the practitioner will be more interested in improving their defense. And the only way to improve their defense is to improve their skill. it is quite the paradox-the skill is sought out of fear for the preservation of self. But the only way the skill is sought is by eliminating the fear (the intense focus on self preservation) and focusing on the situation and one's place in the situation. Improvment is sought for the sake of self and the self is given up for the sake of improvment. And the great thing is, this mindset isn't limited to martial arts but all life! and here is where i think some of my weirdness in life is explained.
This is not meant to be bragging. While it may sound like such, i regret that it is unavoidable and key to what i wish to discuss. There have been several occasions where i received a high, if not perfect mark on a test or assignment for school that i was absolutely infuriated with. My anger stemmed directly from the fact that the professor had either dumbed the test down for the sake of other students or something similar. In other words, i did not feel like the reward i got was deserving of the amout of effort i exerted. many people hav been rather indignant to hear this-but it's true. I think this, the martial artist's principle, explains my "weird" behavior. I was happy to receive the grade. But what did i learn? how to pass a simplified test? how to write a paper that wasd good enough to pass low expectations? what good is this for me and my future? NONE! Slowly i started getting into the mindset that college was just a game-get the A at all costs. And as it turned out, i was blessed with this ability in Academia. But what have i gained? a mastery of college. Learning to be in an environment that will end in the next two years. Absolutely nothing. Much like in sport fencing, all i did was manage to touch my opponent before he touched me. Any novice can trade blows. Even a moron can run into a tree. Any college student can type out a decent paper. any man can shoot someone.
I think what i have been trying for all this time is perfection. In most everything i attempt. Granted, i know which aspects of life i'm better suited for and so will make my leanings towards those aspects to better feed my ego, but can i be faulted for this? is it cowardly for a man to use a car instead of pulling it? is it wrong to use a shovel instead of hands or an ax instead of a herring (monty python ref)? I think it only common sense to want to improve upon things which one is already suited for. BUT with every hobby that i indulge due to the fact that i have a better grasp at it, i see more hobbies that are similar but not the same. These new hobbies provide interesting and unique challenges all their own but can be built upon previous skills which i picked up while attempting a pursuit that i was already inclined towards. And those new hobbies bring about more hobbies and so on. And why do i seek perfection? Because it's the only thing worth pursuing. What else is there to want besides everything? But this comes with a grain of salt. Perfection is not an end. It is an ideal. Ideals are like stars. You will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you reach your destiny.
- Carl Schurz
other ways i have heard it phrased come from the manga, Battle Royale. One of the children's uncles was telling his son how perfection was the only goal to shoot for even tho it was unattainable. He made references to Gershwin and how the famous composer always hated his works. They were never good enough and he was always striving for the perfect composition. And what did it get him? Nothing but a string of failures. Spectacular failures. But failures none the less. And each failure brought him that much closer to his goal of perfection, but he was always that much further off from the mark. Another way i like looking at it was something i over heard one of my instructors telling another student. He was talking about how he wanted to get back into the olympics since he was denied going for the UK way back when since he wasn't a citizen. He seemed skeptical about it happening given that 20 years had past since he was UK champion. but this is what he said. In so many words, "Well, I shoot for the stars and hit the moon. I know i'm going to miss, but i'm happy with my progress."
And that comes right back to what was said about martial arts. It's not about the product or the end result. It's about the process. It's not about the end, it's about the means. You abandon immediate gratification (the scoring of a point) for the deferred gratification (knowing you were skilled enough to NOT be scored upon). Broaden your horizens to see that it's not jsut a match, but life itself. What good is it to score a touch if you're scored upon as well? That passes for sport, but not for life. What good is it to be able to write a paper in college but not for your job? That works for college but not for life. Remove the immediate self for the future self. And then remove the future self for the overall self. Then remove the overall self for true transcendence and true understanding. Remain fixated on a leaf and you'll miss the whole tree. Remain on the tree and you'll miss the forrest. Remain fixated on the forrest and lose sight of the world. But never forget the importance of one leaf. Knowing thyself means knowing one's place in the universe. But transendence does not necessarily mean forgetting one's place.
i think i've figured out one more aspect to myself and why it is i love martial arts as opposed to sports. and leave it to a fencing site to finally help me realize.
i will admit that part of the reason i'm anti sport is that a majority of sports are played as a team. I'm egotistical and intolerant. I hate the idea of having to put the chance of winning on somone else. I don't tolerate stupidity well. Harsh? Mayhaps. But at least i'm honest. I am intolerant to failure be it with myself or others, especially when it is my goal that is on the line (hence why i never developed the 'team' mindset. On the field, i find it hard to get a team mindset as opposed to a "me" mindset). So, on the one hand, i don't like leaving my victory in the hands of others. Contrastly, if i win i want it to be by my own merits. i do not appreciate riding on someone else's coat tails, despite it being a team effort. if i win, it should be by my hand and fate. not others.
another aspect i love about martial arts is the ability to control variables to a greater extent than you can in sports. too many people to control and account for-again, this goes back to the whole "intolerant" aspect. and again, when it's one on one, better control means less feelings of helplessness which feeds my ego.
but i think that these two characteristics, vices tho they may be in many respects, are the driving force behind martial arts. My intolerance is not limited to external forces, but internal as well. If it was due to my lack of skill or training or experience, then i am least tolerant to my self. as a two year old i was furious with myself for being unable to read bernstein bears. As said before, i don't tolerate failure from anyone. Particularly and above all from myself. But when i suceed, in martial arts particularly, it is myself that benefits directly. Again, we see an ego driven aspect, but this is beneficial. it is self-improvment.
on to the quotes i received from this fencing site.
The goal of a sport is to achieve mastery over others; the goal of a martial art is to achieve mastery of yourself.
In a sport, winning is the end; in a martial art, winning is the means.
A sport is most concerned with the product; a martial art is concerned with the process.
In a sport, victory defines excellence; in a martial art excellence defines victory.
In olympic fencing, the emphasis is on touching the opponent, in Classical Fencing, it is on not being touched
what i gain from martial arts is a better understanding of myself. and through that, others. and through that, the world. I see where i lack and i make efforts to improve so that such gaps in training become smaller and smaller. Self-awareness. In doing so, i gain an ability to see gaps in others. I use this, in combination with my own experiences, to understand their motives and their moves and thus continue improving myself. transcending self. ultimately, i will gain a clear understanding of the world that created the opponent in front of me. What forces influenced his choices, his styles, his life. And the circle keeps moving out further and further, seeing how his life is entertwined in a latice of other lives and so on. Bringing true awareness.
i particularly like the last quote. Classical Fencers fence with the goal of not being touched. anyone familiar with martial arts flicks will have probably heard the old adage, "we learn to fight so that we do not have to." This is so very true! We do not not take up martial arts for the sake of learning aggression. And while many do mistakenly start out on this path (it is unavoidable, i think) we learn very quickly that martial arts is not about the other person. it is about yourself. it is about bettering yourself physically, spiritually and mentally. the point of martial arts is not to learn to "beat someone up" but to prevent it from happening. And the fastest way to avoid fights is to not start them. Self control. Once the basic vestiges of defense have been learned, hopefully, by then the practitioner will be more interested in improving their defense. And the only way to improve their defense is to improve their skill. it is quite the paradox-the skill is sought out of fear for the preservation of self. But the only way the skill is sought is by eliminating the fear (the intense focus on self preservation) and focusing on the situation and one's place in the situation. Improvment is sought for the sake of self and the self is given up for the sake of improvment. And the great thing is, this mindset isn't limited to martial arts but all life! and here is where i think some of my weirdness in life is explained.
This is not meant to be bragging. While it may sound like such, i regret that it is unavoidable and key to what i wish to discuss. There have been several occasions where i received a high, if not perfect mark on a test or assignment for school that i was absolutely infuriated with. My anger stemmed directly from the fact that the professor had either dumbed the test down for the sake of other students or something similar. In other words, i did not feel like the reward i got was deserving of the amout of effort i exerted. many people hav been rather indignant to hear this-but it's true. I think this, the martial artist's principle, explains my "weird" behavior. I was happy to receive the grade. But what did i learn? how to pass a simplified test? how to write a paper that wasd good enough to pass low expectations? what good is this for me and my future? NONE! Slowly i started getting into the mindset that college was just a game-get the A at all costs. And as it turned out, i was blessed with this ability in Academia. But what have i gained? a mastery of college. Learning to be in an environment that will end in the next two years. Absolutely nothing. Much like in sport fencing, all i did was manage to touch my opponent before he touched me. Any novice can trade blows. Even a moron can run into a tree. Any college student can type out a decent paper. any man can shoot someone.
I think what i have been trying for all this time is perfection. In most everything i attempt. Granted, i know which aspects of life i'm better suited for and so will make my leanings towards those aspects to better feed my ego, but can i be faulted for this? is it cowardly for a man to use a car instead of pulling it? is it wrong to use a shovel instead of hands or an ax instead of a herring (monty python ref)? I think it only common sense to want to improve upon things which one is already suited for. BUT with every hobby that i indulge due to the fact that i have a better grasp at it, i see more hobbies that are similar but not the same. These new hobbies provide interesting and unique challenges all their own but can be built upon previous skills which i picked up while attempting a pursuit that i was already inclined towards. And those new hobbies bring about more hobbies and so on. And why do i seek perfection? Because it's the only thing worth pursuing. What else is there to want besides everything? But this comes with a grain of salt. Perfection is not an end. It is an ideal. Ideals are like stars. You will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you reach your destiny.
- Carl Schurz
other ways i have heard it phrased come from the manga, Battle Royale. One of the children's uncles was telling his son how perfection was the only goal to shoot for even tho it was unattainable. He made references to Gershwin and how the famous composer always hated his works. They were never good enough and he was always striving for the perfect composition. And what did it get him? Nothing but a string of failures. Spectacular failures. But failures none the less. And each failure brought him that much closer to his goal of perfection, but he was always that much further off from the mark. Another way i like looking at it was something i over heard one of my instructors telling another student. He was talking about how he wanted to get back into the olympics since he was denied going for the UK way back when since he wasn't a citizen. He seemed skeptical about it happening given that 20 years had past since he was UK champion. but this is what he said. In so many words, "Well, I shoot for the stars and hit the moon. I know i'm going to miss, but i'm happy with my progress."
And that comes right back to what was said about martial arts. It's not about the product or the end result. It's about the process. It's not about the end, it's about the means. You abandon immediate gratification (the scoring of a point) for the deferred gratification (knowing you were skilled enough to NOT be scored upon). Broaden your horizens to see that it's not jsut a match, but life itself. What good is it to score a touch if you're scored upon as well? That passes for sport, but not for life. What good is it to be able to write a paper in college but not for your job? That works for college but not for life. Remove the immediate self for the future self. And then remove the future self for the overall self. Then remove the overall self for true transcendence and true understanding. Remain fixated on a leaf and you'll miss the whole tree. Remain on the tree and you'll miss the forrest. Remain fixated on the forrest and lose sight of the world. But never forget the importance of one leaf. Knowing thyself means knowing one's place in the universe. But transendence does not necessarily mean forgetting one's place.