Inspiration

Mr. Rory Miller provided a wonderful quote today on the animal list. Those who read the list will recognize some terms, etc. here that come from that quote. I had to take this quote because once again

Mr. Miller puts to language, written, an important aspect of today's martial system training environment where dogmatic adherence to a so-called tradition of performing and practicing and training only as originally intended by the master only teaches them a mindless and uninspiring system of karate. If I have it correct this is a critically important aspect of finding a good dojo and getting good guidance.

We must remove the inference the title "teacher or instructor" provides. It might better suit the martial systems to refer to Sensei, one who has come before, as a mentoring program where we try to inspire practitioners to inspire themselves to continuously learn and create.

Isn't a mentor one who inspires, one who helps others to see and one who helps them to experiment and play? I am over emphasizing and believe it appropriate here simply because of its importance.

Seek knowledge, let it inspire you to think with a creative spark toward seeing and hearing from every possible point - physical and mental. If a person in the position to pass along knowledge falls into a controlling self aggrandizing mode they are not doing the system or their participants any good - stop it. 

It must be an environment of inspiration, creation, and experimentation to be a true dojo. The systems of martial origin can only continue to grow and evolve if we remove any obstacles such as the dogma of so called "traditional practice."