Hi all,

I'm currently reading a book, "Kodo - Ancient Ways. Lessons in the
Spiritual Life of the Warrior/Martial Artist" that was recommended to me by
MarkT (thanks Mark!). I think it's excellent and I've already learnt a lot
from it. So much so that I typed out this chapter for you to have a look at.
:-) Anyway, I won't say any more and let you make up your own mind.

Cheers,
Gabby


LEARNING IS ONLY THE SECOND STEP
from "Kodo--Ancient Ways" by Kensho Furuya

Many martial arts traditions have grown and flourished in America since the
1960s, but not the tradition that underlies the actual learning process at
work in the martial art. To understand the learning process at work in the
martial arts, it might be useful to examine the typical relationship between
a teacher and a student. The student looks to the teacher as someone who has
mastered a body of knowledge and is willing and capable of imparting this to
his students. The teacher looks to the student as someone with the potential
to receive or master his teaching and possibly even exceed his own skill in
carrying on the discipline.

Everyone has heard stories of how past masters put their students through
grueling tests of patience, strength and courage. One aspiring young
swordsman, for example, performed menial housekeeping chores for his teacher
for two years before he was allowed to pick up a training sword.

Examples like this are extreme. Those incidents are looked at as ways in
which the masters evaluated a student's ego or initiated the student into
the inner secrets of the art. For the most part, this is accurate. But the
real motivation behind these incidents is much more relevant to a student's
actual success or failure in training.

What is a test? No one can really test your skill or ability, but the
teacher can test your sincerity. And to be sincere--isn't that the ultimate
goal of our lives?

The true test is never easy and always comes at the most difficult moment.
Know this about all tests in life.

In the case of the martial arts, teaching an art is much more difficult than
learning for one important reason. In most cases, the student seldom
realizes that learning can only take place when the correct conditions are
present. Past masters prepared their students physically, mentally and
spiritually to properly accept and understand their teachings. Today, when
students receive a first-degree black belt, they often assume that this is
the first stage of mastery. Earning a first-degree black belt, however, only
means that a student has taken the first critical step towards learning how
to learn.

Students need to be prepared to learn before the actual process of learning
can take place. Once a student understands the proper state of mind and an
appropriate manner of behaviour, he then begins to progress at his own rate
according to ability and effort.

Learning is only the second step in training. the first step requires a
student to harmonize himself and try to understand the proper conditions
that will allow his training to overcome obstacles--be they mental or
physical--and to finally bear fruit. If a student is not given the
opportunity to understand this, frustration inevitably sets in. The teacher
may lose a student and the student may lose everything the martial arts have
to offer.

Learn how to learn.
Learn how to learn.

The very first step to learning is to become a completely blank slate. Some
ancients have used the terms "blank sheet of paper," "empty tea cup" or
"uncarved stone," but they all mean the same thing.

The hardest thing for the student when he begins training is to throw away
all of his preconceived notions and conclusions.

Preparing a student to prepare himself to learn may be the most difficult
but most vital aspect of traditional martial arts training. Students
generally approach martial arts training with the same attitude they use in
every other aspect of their lives. In one sense, a student approaches the
martial arts with a mind and body that have been the root of confusion,
fear, anger, desire and ambition--the very elements that led him to the
martial arts in the first place. With the guidance of a teacher and his own
courage, the student must break out of those limitations.

Students new to the martial arts typically make the mistake of deciding
beforehand how they're going to learn their chosen art. Trapped by his own
preconceived notions of what is right and wrong, the student begins his
training by wondering "How long will it take me to get good enough to earn a
black belt?" Questions like this indicate that the student has already
imposed limits on learning an art he knows nothing about. The only thing he
does know for certain is that a black belt is exactly what he needs.

Students must be shown right from the start that before any other training
begins, they must learn how to cultivate a totally receptive, open mind.
Admittedly, this is not an easy task. If the teacher doesn't make this clear
to a student, or if the student never comes to this realisation himself, the
course has been set for disappointment and frustration. The ancient martial
arts masters knew this and created forms and methods with which to bring
this understanding about in a student.

Today, students of the martial arts have what can be called a "TV
mentality," turning off or changing channels whenever something fails to
appeal to them. Instead of facing the challenge of training, they have
become accustomed to simply tuning out or waiting for a better "show" to
air. Veteran athletes sometimes discuss how wonderful it is to be able to
completely "turn off" the world around them by meditation. Along the same
lines, students of the martial arts sometimes use their arts as a type of
narcotic which allows them to turn off reality and enter their own little
fantasy world. The results of this type of attitude are disastrous.

The only real obstacle to learning a martial art is you yourself. Always
keep this in mind.

When we think something is difficult or hard to do, we are not really
thinking that it is truly difficult. We are only thinking that this is
"inconvenient," or are thinking "I don't agree with this personally," or "I
don't like this," etc.

Hard or easy is just your particular frame of mind. Many people with a lot
less than you will accomplish much more than you in their lifetimes. Do not
be defeated by a small mind or poor attitude.

There is an infinite number of ways to understand the martial arts, but we
can begin our training only by tuning in--not turning off--our minds. The
path of learning in the martial arts can be extremely subtle and can come in
a variety of unexpected ways. If progress is to be made in training,
roadblocks cannot be created with egos.








[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]