Humans can be easily impressed. I have practiced karate-do for about 35 years. One guy said, "Wow, that is impressive. I bet your good and have a high rank!"
Truthfully, just because I have practiced for 35 years DOES NOT MEAN that I practiced correctly. It does not mean that I am good and it does not mean that I have a high rank. It sounds impressive maybe but really?
I hear of folks professing that they have multiple black belts in multiple systems. Sounds impressive. Is it really? I have walked by a local dojo in my town and observed many trophies and many accolades in writing on the walls with pictures. Impressive isn't it? Is it really?
What is impressive regardless is anyone who follows something over a long haul. In that light my statement of 35 years is impressive but it does not mean anything more than I am persistent, diligent, and highly motivated toward my system. It does NOT mean I can fight, defend, instruct, etc.! If you had been under my tutelage for all 35 years and knew me and my training personally you might be able to say I can do this or that but that is still subjective.
I can post with the best of them. I can post stuff that sounds correct and applicable but it does not mean that I am capable of applying it. There is only one way anyone can determine that and that is to train and practice side by side with me for a considerable period of time. I can impress the dickens out of someone with one or two visits but does that really mean anything and is it really impressive?
I can look good doing kata and you may be impressed yet can I do anything else? Impressions and impressive actions and deeds are subjective for if I were impressive to you the next guy might say, not impressed.
It use to be that a person said he was a black belt that it WAS impressive. Today, the way McDojo's and so many other systems push out black belts that when someone professes to be one I am not impressed one bit but will get that way if they can get out on the dojo floor and demonstrate to my idea of black belt over a period of time, that then impresses me.
Is being impressive or conveying an impressive thing really impressive or just posturing to be special and god like in the eyes of the uninitiated, i.e. an ego trip. If I say I am a certified expert instructor would you be impressed or would it impress you more to have experienced my instruction and come away satisfied with what you learned?
We humans are easily impressed.
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