KNOWING IT AND WALKING IT

 by Phillip Starr

There's a saying that tells us, “Knowing the path and walking the path are two different things.” It seems that nowadays, there are an awful lot of people who “know the path” and can (and do) “talk the talk.” There are hundreds and hundreds of martial arts books available now, and many use videos on the internet as their “teachers.”

Of those individuals who make the most noise (particularly on the internet), I wonder how many actually “walk the path.” I'm quite sure that their numbers are very few. When I say “walk the path” there's no past tense. You either do it or you don't. If one has walked it for a while, but no longer does so, that's like playing Little League baseball as a youngster and claiming now that one is highly skilled in that sport. Not quite.

I know of some folks who train (in a proper class) only once a week or less and that's the whole of their involvement in their martial art for the week. They're just spinning their tires, not going anywhere. Those who have stopped practicing regularly are no longer walking the path. Many have become “armchair experts” who are only too happy to offer their advice and critique those who still strive to travel further along the path. These are what I call “kuchi bushi” (mouth warriors). Most of them will excuse themselves from daily training, citing various ailments and/or obligations as the reasons for their inability to practice.

I have known (and still know) some of the finest and best-known martial arts instructors in the world (in a variety of martial disciplines) who, although they may suffer some kind of physical ailment, still manage to train regularly. Daily, in fact. Many are older than I am! Some have had various surgeries to repair or replace worn joints and the like, but they continue to train. They are determined to continue along the path.

For those who delight in critiquing regular practitioners, I would ask:

• Who was your teacher and how long had he/she practiced this martial art?

• How often (each week or month) did you practice under the eye of your teacher?

• Do you still practice regularly? How often each week?

There are too many kuchi-bushi nowadays. And I suspect it has always been that way...