The Land of the Dead

When you practice a kata, are you going through the motions, or are you putting your spirit into it?

What can you learn from watching your martial arts teacher?

There is a land of the living and a land of the dead, and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning. - Thornton Wilder

I've written many times of my obsessive approach to learning from my iaido teacher, Yamaguchi Katsuo Sensei. I truly "emptied my cup" in his dojo. Our four years together (and our later training when I returned to visit Japan) were transformative for me. To say I loved my teacher does a poor job of explaining the connection. There's so much shared history and nuance in my feelings for the man who transmitted iaido to me, it's almost impossible to put into words.

MISSING FROM OUR LIVES

The extraordinary musician, the exemplary painter, the best writer, the gifted singer, and the exceptional martial artist share a unique sort of magic. There's a depth to their performances that only a keen eye can see, only a sharp ear can hear. Their notes are not just notes, their brush strokes are not just brush strokes, their words are not just words, their voices are not just voices, and their kata are not just kata. Instead, they're a deep expression of a collection of meaningful experiences, distilled through countless hours of practice and years of reflection.

If you watch, read, or listen carefully enough, you can sense the depth of their technique. If you're lucky enough to have seen their teachers or role models, you'll also be able to see echoes of their predecessors in their art. That's an extraordinary expression of love ... granting immortality to an artist by ensuring that his or her art is preserved in your body, mind, and spirit. The level of your tribute corresponds to how well you internalize the nuance of his technique and how well you understand and give life to the principles he held dear.

Lightweight players dominate today’s martial arts world. By that I don't mean people who are small in physical stature. Instead, I mean people who are small in character, technique, and aspirations. Consider carefully the school you plan to attend. Is the approach all about rank? Does the curriculum change frequently ... is it more focused on variation than on depth? Are the lead instructors out of shape, mean spirited, or simply poor technicians?

THE LAND OF THE LIVING

Life is too short to aspire to mediocrity. It's better to shoot for the stars and only reach the moon. Nowhere is this truer than in the martial arts. To animate your martial arts with the spirit of greatness, choose the most profound role models you can find and follow them with an obsessive devotion. That's your best chance to receive the direct transmission of the deep spirit of your martial art. If and when you receive the direct transmission, keep in mind that it includes everything—the sounds in the room during your training sessions, the rare smile of your sensei, the warm air coming in through the windows, the pain of learning, the salty tears of exhaustion, the crushing pathos of washing your teacher's gravestone, and the incredible energy of great martial arts techniques executed with clarity, energy, and joy. The complexity and emotion of your martial arts should be very profound indeed.

SEIZE THE DAY

It may not be easy to find such incredible role models or to recognize them when you do meet them. One way to hone your skill at discerning greatness is to get in front of it and pay close attention. Make every effort to find it, and when you do, study wholeheartedly with those who exemplify it.
That's it. Thinking back on your training, will you be able to say, "I truly did everything I could to give myself a chance at greatness?”

Start Your Path to Greatness at a National Karate Association

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SMAA is a national karate association, but we offer more than just karate! As part of SMAA, you can also learn aikido, iaido, judo, and jujutsu. To take the first step on your martial arts journey, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here.