Martial Quotations for Teaching

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Quotations, meme's, aphorisms and simile's, etc., serve a purpose and like most things have dual "sharp" edges all dependent on how they are used. They are a way to simplify, sometimes over simplifying things, to gain the attention of students then, hopefully, get then to take the information and start digging to find, "the rest of the story." 

The downside is that such soundbites, cliches and gross over simplifications although sound good in and on the training hall floor often are just egoistic efforts of the uninformed who are passing down that which they got from their teachers rather than lead-in's, prerequisites, to additional training, knowledge and understanding that literally mean the difference between grave harm or death depending on so many factors that it isn't very funny. 

One professional of violence and aggression said, "soundbites, cliches or gross over-simplifications that sound great in training, but will get you killed or put into prison if you use your training." 

No where in the last forty years have I ever encountered a sensei, senpai, kohai or other karate-ka or budo-ka who could adequately inform and instruct students on the very soundbites, quotes, aphorisms or simile's with authority and useful information. My experience has shown that when using such martial quotes that the person is often trying very hard to impress others and raise their status in the dojo and in the eyes of those very same students. This is not saying that the person is bad in this and it is saying that what they were taught was pretty much the same and nothing has risen up to bite them causing a shift and change in thinking and therefore understanding. 

When teaching one uses the wisdom of the ancients to inspire and inform of what that "time period, culture and environment" experienced so that today's professionals can analyze, synthesize and create relevant and changed skills and understanding to fit this time, this culture and this environment in this moment to inspire and create and inform relevant, efficient and valid methods and skills that work today, not yester-year. 

When things sound very, very cool...hesitate, consider, contemplate and then "Question, question, question" it to find the gold hidden in the dust of years past. There is always gold in them their hills and you really do have to dig for it. Panning for gold often involves a lot of hard word, sweat equity and considerable effort where constant vigilant removal of debris is removed so the gold appears at the bottom of the pan gleaming and triggering a type of satisfaction that only solid hard training, practice and "research" can provide. 

 “Be wary, be very wary of soundbites, quotations, meme's, aphorisms and simile's !” The bite is often very bad when misunderstood and applied in training, practice and applications. 

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