Ous! Bowing
Hello all Wow, That is a lot of love and respect given to this young man Sensei McCarthy. I have read a lot of your work sir in my own quest for knowledge. The time it took to actually prepare your last post is a pure demonstration of commitment to supporting others in being in integrity so thank you sir!
What I just read in this thread reminded me of being on the mat in Judo and being thrown over and over again until I was light headed from my brain rattling around in my skull by a Rokudan from the Kodonkan when I was 26. I had no idea at the time what an incredibly fortunate person I was to have him toss me around.
Sam I am going to point directly to something that is at the heart of this for me and before I do let me first say the only reason I can see it in you is that I have been guilty of it myself.
Seriously Sam I am going to point to it with out the educated intellectual structure, or the research that Sensei McCarthy, has used. In laymen’s terms it simply called ego! This is what is in the way. Yes you have conceded that you made a few mistakes but you have not conceded fully to your innermost self that is clear in all of your post. It’s like apologizing then giving a reason why you did it. The reason negates the apology.
When you really do get it, it will be crystal clear for all of us to see.
I am going to go out on a limb and say if you where not a military man and a passionate student of the Budo Arts you would not be given the time of day by the older sensei. They can see clearly you’re a student but be a student your not a master yet. When its time for you to be a master no one will dispute it, and it will occur as if the rocks agree even the dirt in the street will say you’re a master. Then it won’t mean so much to you that you are one by the way.
It is much more important to be a student any way and it doesn’t, matter one little bit how talented you are. You are absolutely correct about one thing the secret to the martial arts is in continuing to practice every day.
On the topic of the thread I don’t think keeping some thing a secret and not continuing to test it by openly engaging in interaction with others in our field can be anything but disempowering. My Sensei used to say if it can’t be tested it can’t trusted.
Chris McLean
Martial Arts student