THE ENDGAME?

 By Yang Shuangxing

I have been practicing gong-fu now for more than 65 years, and iaido for about 7....and yet, even after training for so long (although 6 years isn't long at all in iaido), I still haven't perfected anything; in any given practice session, I still find small flaws in my technique! More so since returning from China after suffering a stroke! So I continue to practice and polish my skill, enduring periodic setbacks that occur more frequently with the onset of age. However, such things are to be expected – “bumps in the road” – and I am not dissuaded from my continued regular practice. At least the flaws aren't as glaringly obvious as they used to be. They're getting smaller, but they're still there.

I recall discussing this topic with a student some time ago. He seemed a bit disappointed in the fact that after more than two decades of practice, he hadn't really “perfected” anything. He kept finding small flaws. I told him that he had indeed made significant improvement; after all, now he could finally recognize and acknowledge the flaws! I have had students whose arrogance prevented them from acknowledging their glitches and hence, their ability to improve.

At the same time, we must remember that although we seek and strive for perfection, it cannot be achieved in this life. There just isn't enough time. Many of our friends and associates surely regard us as odd indeed! We chase after something that we KNOW cannot be achieved and yet, we refuse to give up. Why don't we do something more “productive?”

And therein lies a good part of the rub; it is this continual striving (for something that we'll never reach) that makes the whole process “productive”! It is what makes us what and who we are!