There is a saying, "You get out of it what you put into it." It is pretty self-evident, however, that is not how I see it. Whatever you put into something the return is not commensurate with what you put in. It is actually less. It is like pressing flowers or herbs for their oil. You have to press a lot of flowers to extract a tiny amount of oil.
Learning martial arts, in my opinion, is the same. You put in a great deal of effort and the result is a smaller amount in return. It is, of course, the correct amount, but it is not equal to the investment. I can be lazy, and squander my time. It is important not to get caught up in the deluge of information and media that is live in 2019. This is one reason I deleted my Facebook account and havent that or a messenger app on my phone in over a year. Youtube, Netflix, Games, Books, Friends, hobbies, News, work, etc. etc. They are all vying for our attention. Our attention is limited.
Attention is a resource that is in deficit due to the over abundance of information
真照
This is a dangerous landscape. How much of your day is spent in mindless scrolling or chatting?
Time is not guaranteed. Tomorrow cancer, or the loss of a job or home. Or maybe a lovely sunset and a delicious warm meal with loved ones. We can't predict what will come our way. Anything can be taken away from us. It is essential to focus on what needs to be focused on. This is one reason I have stopped making videos or wasting my time watching people behaving like fools on the internet spewing hot air about what ninja or samurai or what is correct about koryu in Japan etc. etc. I am also included in the group of idiots. I do not want to add to the drain on your attention. Nor do I want to waste my time. I want to deepen my training and enjoy my life.
A Lot Of Something Isn't Always Good
Too much information is just as bad as none. In my martial arts experience and in the health & fitness industry I have seen this kind of zombie person. They engage in the art of dojo and teacher hopping. They think adding a zillion styles will make them a more well rounded, smarter, and better budo person. Or they take endless workshops without taking time to really learn anything. They have this gaping maw of a mind and they are stuffing it with information. This is just madness and stupidity. I am glad I never got caught up in that kind of voracious zombie mentality. We think information is knowledge so the more of it is the better. It is not always the case. Knowledge can't be jammed into the brain.
My sword school is my own. My practice is my own. I rather focus on that. My time is valuable. If I put in 20% for bujutsu training then I will get back 5%. We don't get out of it what we put in, we get back less in return. We should
Very well said, Sensei. Being someone who takes pride in being studious and learning every facet and every detail of anything I can get my hands on, I am starting to learn that sometimes this information can clutter the brain and feed senseless thoughts.
Thank you for this Saneteru sensei. Valuable information 🙂
True words Sensei! As a matter of fact your graphic depiction is perfect. A jumble of ingredients goes into training which are then synthesized, filtered, compacted and refined under the direction of the teacher and the structure of the school and out comes the result in an orderly meaningful way. Aside from the “more you put in, the more you get out” concept, following the direction and lead of the teacher is paramount to successful progress. It is not unlike searching the internet where we find an immense amount of unfiltered facts and opinions on any subject. The only way to make any sense or learn anything from that kind of chaos is either to have a strong studied background in the subject already or to have a guide or teacher who can separate the truth from fable.
thank you sensei, we only have control on the amount of ressources that we put in, the outcome rate might slightly increase as we gain more skills but is highly subject to change we don’t have much access to this parameter.
Thank you, Sensei; it’s been a mental assault here in the US for the last couple of years, and unfortunately it has become evident to me that the only way to stay grounded and sane at the moment is to be very conscientious of how much information (particularly news media) that I consume. I feel that it is important as a citizen to stay abreast of important developments in my country’s politics and major events, but the current climate is fatiguing and depressing, and in the end becomes a mental drain.
This post also brought to mind two quotes:
“But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them.”
– “Time in a Bottle”, Jim Croce
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
– Bruce Lee
Thank you for these thoughts, Saneteru-sensei. One of the hardest lessons for me to learn has been that I can only do so much in a day, a week, a month, or a lifetime. My time is a precious resource, and it is so easy to waste. The overabundance of information out there–especially in this age–makes it so easy to throw my time and attention away. Goodness only knows how many times I have allowed myself to do this.
I also appreciate your point that it takes time,effort, and focus for knowledge to cement. If we bounce around trying to fill ourselves with facts, we may “know” a lot, but our understanding will be skin deep. In fact, we may be worse off, for we’ll think we know so much… when we understand so little.
Focus is key! But also a hard to build habit in a world designed for continuous distraction. Sometimes we just must learn to know what to say no to.
Thank you, Saneteru-sense, for this reminderi