Authenticity in the Martial Arts

Some days I think about to what end people will go to further themselves. Its absurd to see how far away from themselves they go in order to make others percieve them as something they totally are not. Yet we all do it to some degree. We all sacrifice our authenticity in order to "fit in". People don't like people that are too different than them.

Where does your level of authenticity lie? How far away from yourself are you willing to go in order to paint a beautiful picture for others?

These questions go further than most of us are williing to ask ourselves. But in the martial arts, its these very questions that lie between wasting your time and investing your time.

Too many people worry about how close a school is, or if its a little more money than we think we should spend, or if the facility looks cool, or "they do it on TV so I want to do it too."

Lets face it. Its not the money. Martial arts don't really cost that much in comparison to how finding the right one can change your life.

Whether its a half hour away or a minute away, it shouldn't matter. Think about what really matters. If you find something that changes your life... go for it! Some people are lucky to have something great that's close to them and others aren't. Either way it shouldn't be about what's close. It may be difficult at first to get past this, but in the end, you won't be sorry.

In the whole scheme of things, its the authenticity to our own worth that we should seek. The integrity we keep to ourselves and how highly we regard our time invested that ultimately determines how much we get out an art.

We just have to ask ourselves,"what will mean the most to us in the long run?" And "how true am I being to myself with the choice I'm making?"

Sounds easy right? But the reality is that its not. The idea is more than often too simple for our minds to remain focused upon. Perception of what's infront of us at the time distorts reality.

Unfortunately, people make more choices for the wrong reasons than they do for the right reasons. But its also why mistakes are often the best stepping stones of true learning. So enjoy the ride. Enjoy the mistakes and learn from them. They'll take you closer to your own truths.

But also realize that even asking yourselves the right questions won't solve everything. There's just too many martial arts instructors that aren't true to themselves or their students. there's jsut too many looking to make a buck than to truly help people learn to defend themselves. What's more, these same instructors couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

The truth about martial arts is that you never really know whats right for you until you're already involved with it. So try a few to see what's right. Enjoy the journey finding your own truths. A little luck never hurt either.

Good luck!