The beginners mind

Martial arts of all kinds is one great way of keeping fit, both physically and mentally.

This is all great, it allows us to create goals, strive for improvement and in doing so attain levels of skill and stamina in our chosen field that far exceed others (in some cases, almost appearing magical…. Of which of course they are not).

But with this there comes a very real problem… in our pursuit of improvement, we often forget the beginners mind….

That wonderment that started us in the very first place, the student then will often do one if two things, lose interest and quit, try something else, or they will rush, attempting to ‘learn‘ everything they can in as quick a time as possible, but never truly focusing on the basic technique that is required to complete complex stuff correctly…

In Iai and Kenjutsu, it is easy to see when sombody has rushed ahead on their journey, they will appear sloppy, as they have lost the beginners mind, believing that the basic stuff does not need to be taken seriously enough..

We all need to focus on the basic stuff so that the complex stuff is easier to complete correctly….

Remember a short cut often leads you to a different destination, but doing Iai correctly involves no shortcuts…

Please always keep your beginner’s mind, enjoy all of your martial arts, and don’t give up on the basics!!