Choosing One Path
A comment from Sensei Bob H on my recent introspective Grading For 8th Kyu post got me thinking about what path I am on. In that article, I explain how expectations misguided me and the lesson I learned. Sensei Bob’s comment reveals the shifting sands upon which my karate journey was laid. Here is Bob’s comment:
Bob H Says: Sounds like the test was perfect in retrospect. Now that might not have been the intent. But does it matter? A belt is recognition (by others) and a reminder of your responsibility. You show your wisdom in your introspection. But you have to choose one path. Either you are a 3rd kyu that deserves his belt back or you are a white belt truly starting with a clean slate. If you are really the former, then taking a white belt is just vanity. If you are the latter then taking a white belt is humility. On the second path, you aren’t entitled to any belt or rank despite your own opinion. The flip side is that the belt doesn’t change who you are or what you can do. Osu!
Indeed, the test was perfect, my perception of it less so.
Have I chosen one path?
In truth, I am far from 3rd kyu, nor have I a clean slate: I believed I could train with a white belt until I reached my previous level, then be entitled to my green belt. That seemed to make sense when I started. But for some reasons it did not. It brought confusion instead & I got lost. I became oblivious, blind and deaf. Worse so, I was mistaking vanity for humility!
I was using the correct map but didn’t know where I was. Each time I measured the distance traveled, it indicated the wrong location. Sensei Bob shows me the starting point of my chosen road.
A white belt with a clean slate.
Sensei Bob’s lesson, does not change who I am; it clarifies where I come from & where I am at on my chosen path.
I feel like I just shed a whole lot of unnecessary heavy luggage that gratefully, I do not have to carry any longer. I can stop bumping into obstacles, and learn how to deal with them.
Thank you for your wisdom Sensei Bob; you permit me to travel light.
Osu.
Fred
Traveling light is usually best! Great post Fred
Thank you Sandman, exactly my thoughts now that I dropped the luggage!
Osu!
Sounds good Fred!
It had been so long for me that even though I had attained upper ranking in Judo and Shinkendo when I came to Karate it was so alien to me that I felt like a white all over again.
Indeed – Thank you Mike!‘
I didn’t know you were a judoka; what is Shinkendo? is it related with kendo?
osu!
Osu! A path is certainly necessary to an objective like a black belt. For that, there is only one prescribed route. If you find yourself simultaneously taking other paths, perhaps you have other destinations you are not yet aware of? Instead of starting out from point A with destination B in mind, maybe there is no point B or many, and your progress is outward like ripples in a pond.
Interesting distinction meguro – In fact Sensei BobH did not outline a path per se, but made me realize where precisely was my starting point. From there, I was able to reconstruct the path I have taken so far and locate where I am at on the “map”. (until then, my location was as erroneous as my confusion about my starting point, and of course I was bumping into invisible obstacles)
To link your ripples with the positive and negative that Sandman introduced in his comment on another post, the ripples are radiating away (and this blog is part of it) whereas my inner journey is bringing things in, like gravitational attraction.
Osu!
Fred