Only You

Since training in the martial arts cultivates self-reliance, it is the self that we should come to refer to as a reliable guide. Trophies, pats on the back, and colored belts are not necessarily reliable indicators of proficiency. In fact, they can and often become stumbling blocks. Occasionally, practitioners become attached to the idea of doing something well, but if someone else has other ideas (as in the form of a derisive remark), it can be a long and painful fall to the mat. Our desire for approval is directly proportionate to our repulsion to criticism; they are fundamentally born of the same seed of fear. The idea is to develop the capacity for self-reflection. This dissipates the need to rely on others for a sense of identity or value, otherwise this shaky sense of self follows us right into the dojo. To further compound the problem, there exists a rigid, almost militaristic hierarchy in virtually all martial arts schools that dictates and reinforce our so-called worth. Line Up! Black belts assemble in the front line, lower ranks in subsequent lines to the back of the deck. Whenever I visit a school, I'll line up next to a white belt, just to see if anyone notices. Humility is a lesson that is best taught without preaching.

A common term used to characterize the classical warrior was mizu no kokoro - mind like water. This is popularly defined as a reposed state of mind, akin to a calm lake. But there's more to it than just that. A body of water reflects back whatever comes its way, whether it's a bird flying overhead, or the vastness of the moon. It doesn't absorb, judge, or inflate itself with the image presented before it. The water doesn't ripple or move, it just is. Be that way. Be like the calm lake. Then whatever comes your way, whatever anyone says about you, you'll be able to take it graciously without it affecting who you really are.