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Post by Dod Watt on Oct 15, 2010 10:54:42 GMT
When I started my training way back, my own personal journey was to achieve black belt status, but the more I trained the hungrier I got, it wasn't about receiving my black belt, don't get me wrong I was so proud when I did, but I've always wanted more. The journey for me is to try and perfect my technique and expand my knowlege, but it is a never ending pursuit, and it's great, being able to do something for the rest of my life that I can still keep learning and pushing to reach my next goal on my journey. "The Destination" as I would describe it is "Perfection", something we strive to reach and endeavour to pursue, pushing ourselves to the limit physically and exhausting ourselves mentally, we'll never reach perfection because if we did what would be the point of continuing, we will always find a flaw in what we do, but that's the way it's meant to be, it gives us the drive to keep going So what is your karate journey and how would you describe your destination
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Post by genkaimade on Oct 15, 2010 16:32:10 GMT
Just a quick comment on your use of 'Perfection'. When we talk about reaching perfection in something, we have to be extremely careful with what we mean. Someone once said that "there is no such thing as a perfect being in this world. That may sound cliche, but it's the truth." The average person admires perfection and seeks to obtain it, but ultimately we have to consider what the point is. In karate for example, every one sees the legendary black belt status as the end. They think that with a black belt, an army of armed men can't touch them. But as we all know, even as someone who hasn't reached shodan, it is just the beginning. If something is perfect, then there is nothing left. There is no room for imagination, no creativity. There is no place left for a person to gain additional knowledge or learn new techniques or kata. Is that what we really want?
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Post by Dod Watt on Oct 15, 2010 16:36:55 GMT
That is what I said Alex
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Post by genkaimade on Oct 15, 2010 16:54:19 GMT
XD Sorry, just got home from school and didn't read your post properly
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Post by Dod Watt on Oct 15, 2010 17:03:21 GMT
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Post by genkaimade on Oct 15, 2010 17:14:49 GMT
I'll do a hundered sit ups before getting into bed
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Post by Dod Watt on Oct 15, 2010 17:17:35 GMT
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Post by Paul Bedard on Oct 17, 2010 22:05:29 GMT
With knowledge & experience our perception of what might be perfect certainly changes. When I was an orange belt, I remeber watching a 1st kyu brown belt kicking a heavy bag with yoko geri kekomi & I thought ` oh man that`s perfect, if I could just kick like that`. Later on when I had to take down my heavy bag from the downstairs rafters because the whole house shook & we were afraid that the floor above was going to come down, I was thinking `But I`m just starting to get it`. The same goes with almost anything, when we are looking from a distance it can seem like perfection, but in reality there is always more. We should be happy with were we are in the journey, but at the same time, we should be working towards breaking through the next obstacle, climbing the next hill, going around the next bend etc... Because when we get there, we realize that there is so much more... Osu Paul B
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Post by fujicolt on Oct 23, 2010 14:32:28 GMT
'EXCELLENCE and PERFECTION do not exist....
but the pursuit of achieving them is a fine and worthy journey to take'
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Post by Dod Watt on Oct 23, 2010 14:43:28 GMT
Well put Steve
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Post by tomobrien on Oct 27, 2010 2:42:18 GMT
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Post by grunners4 on Oct 28, 2010 7:34:32 GMT
I like to think that I am imperfectly perfect. Heard a motivational speaker once ask a question while holding up an acorn. He asked "What do I have here?" The answers were naturally "an acorn", he shook his head and exclaimed "No! I have a forest!" A bit corny I know but I feel the same way about my karate and in fact most aspects of life. I might not have a perfect mawashi geri, however I make it work to the best of my abilities, hence it being perfect....for me. Of course I can work on it and improve, enhancing and fulfilling that potential.
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Post by fujicolt on Nov 7, 2010 6:40:30 GMT
I like to think that I am imperfectly perfect. Heard a motivational speaker once ask a question while holding up an acorn. He asked "What do I have here?" The answers were naturally "an acorn", he shook his head and exclaimed "No! I have a forest!" A bit corny I know but I feel the same way about my karate and in fact most aspects of life. I might not have a perfect mawashi geri, however I make it work to the best of my abilities, hence it being perfect....for me. Of course I can work on it and improve, enhancing and fulfilling that potential. Arghhh Andrew your wise approach has an imperfection that is the perfection in your approach you claim - 'perfect for me' and then talk of - 'Work on it, enhancing and fulfilling that potential' and thus you reveal the perfect approach in the contradictory realization of 'perfection does not exist - but recognizing this and pursuing it anyway is the perfect approach'
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Post by jimlukelkc on Nov 7, 2010 16:44:42 GMT
I am a traveller, I just enjoy the ride.
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