PRIORITIES

 by Phillip Starr

We all have a list of priorities in our lives, whether it's in writing or not. What's at the top of your list? Is it your family, your job...? That's fine. If you have a family, they should be in the #1 spot and your job, which enables you to provide for them, should be right up there, too. But where is your training, both in and out of class, placed?

Many will allege that's near the top...but that doesn't prove to be true, according to their actual attendance. The may WANT to think it's near the top of the list but the truth is far different. Coming to class twice a month, training outside of class once a month (maybe) indicates that training is actually pretty low on the list. And if one expects to develop any real skill, it's going to have to be moved up. Period.

Most martial art practitioners enjoy their training as little more than a hobby, rather like bowling on Thursdays, or playing golf on Saturdays. “Play” is the definitive word here. “Play” is done for enjoyment and as a distraction from the pressures of work and/or the humdrum of daily life. And there's nothing wrong with that. But just as a weekend golfer can never realistically hope to become a pro on the PGS Tour, so those whose “hobby” is a particular martial art should never aspire to achieve any real level of high skill.

Martial arts were never intended to be practiced as simple”hobbies”, or forms of “play.” They were intended to become lifestyles. So I think it's necessary to consider what you want out of martial arts. Is it just an interesting distraction or do you want more? The more you want, the higher you must place it on your list of priorities.