Today, I read another article at the Chiron Blog written eloquently by Mr. Rory Miller. First, go there and read this one. I especially appreciate two parts. The first part is his recommendation to write a little private essay on why you are not an expert. Second, is the end part that starts to speak toward some of the things he feels are related to the first from his perspective. It is about your own "reality-check."
I have in these last years questioned myself about my expertise. I came to the conclusion that I am not an expert about self-defense. I am not an expert in martial arts either. Going into the why is more personal but this admission here is to convey the importance of what I have read today at Mr. Miller's blog.
In the last five years my studies have been wide, varied and most informative. It is this study time that has opened my eyes to the expertise involved in the self-defense, fighting and combatives arena. What I did not know about violence and self-defense could and does fill a book, several books, oh heck a lot of books.
Those books could fill a library and do, my library is not extensive but it is pretty large. Most of the informative books have come from Rory Miller and others like Marc MacYoung (love his site on self-defense). My library extends beyond martial arts or self-defense books simply because it is apparent to me that these things encompass far more than those books.
Lastly, I am not an expert in the sense I have not taken it far enough into the physical practice and training to warrant any designation other than I am knowledgable. I would not now go forth upon the world to open a training facility and teach said stuff. I would want to go to the sources and gain training and expertise there first and only after I could adequately create an essay on why I am not an expert would I even try it. My only roadblock is I am fifty-nine and do I want to make the effort now to go that distance.
Rory Miller, Marc MacYoung, and many, many others make you think. Of all their experience and abilities I feel that this ability to make a person think is probably the most important one they possess. I realize Mr. Millers inference to "are your efforts resulting in other improvement" is solid but even there if you are not making them think for themselves and making them want to think outside the proverbial box then you should think about it.
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