I don't remember where and when I heard or read it so I can not give credit where it is due (sorry), but it sure started more wheels turning on a new idea path. It went something like this....
How many words do you have to write before you are an author, how many steps do you have to take before you are a hiker, how far do you have to run before you are a runner?
And so to that I add, how many punches/kicks/stances/grapples/forms/pushups do I have to do before I consider myself a Martial Artist? One? One thousand? One million? Zero?
Here is my quandary...
I have a hard time accepting that I am actually a black belt in the ancient martial art of Kung FU. The sure weight of what that means permeates all my actions and thoughts and I take that rank very seriously. How did I ever possibly achieve this much sought after level of being? Am I adhering to the codes of ethics set forth by my Master instructor? Am I doing everything I need to to honor those before me, and to honor those after me? There are many more questions I struggle with, but I do so willingly because to me THAT is what helps me be a Martial Artist, the struggle with my Spirit. The physical cannot flourish without the mental/spiritual.
A very wise fellow Silent River Kung Fu student (Sihing Jackie Kohut) once wrote a blog about the "partial arts" and this has stuck with me over the years and I constantly asking myself when I train if that was a partial effort or not. Thanks for that Sihing, it motivates me and helps keep me honest to myself.
So I have no answer for you for the question I ponder because it is different for every single person who practices the martial arts. For myself, yes I consider myself a Martial Artist because I believe in what it represents to me. That belief is a cornerstone in who I am. This belief drives me, hones me, reminds me, inspires me, it just plain old makes me a better person. I wasn't even aware of mediocrity before I became a Martial Artist, now I see it creeping in where it is least wanted or expected and I recognize that as a call to action for me.
So just for funzzies, ask yourself, "am I a Martial Artist"? See where that leads you....
Push Ups 4662
Sit Ups 4523
Sparring min 215
1609KM 241.13 km
Acts of Kindness 150 recorded
Hand Form 60
Weapon Form 55
Mastery recited 4
For me the term martial artist is not just in relation to "Kung Fu". It is a way of life. There are always going to be people with better kicks, forms, jumps, flexibility, (well you got the point) than me. But am I always progressing as a person? Am I always being curious and want to learn and grow? Do I learn from my mistakes? This is what defines me as a martial artist.
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