Ignoring the Inner Self

When you practice/train, do you make any efforts toward that inner self to bring about change and thus improvement? One of the basic fundamentals of a FMA is its ritualistic base. It is an age old belief that rituals are what form the habits we live every day. In time and with the rituals of life we develop ingrained habits or ways we live, etc.

Aristotle said it, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence,then, is not an act but a habit." We all know that simply performing something in a ritualistic manner doesn't do it. Take performance kata, it is ritualistic in that performance but it does nothing in that way to promote changes nor the ability to defend and protect if attacked.

If we want the ritual of kata to benefit these area's as well as others not mentioned then that behavior must have a "meaning" to the person practicing. If the person does not "believe" nor do they "truly have the convictions" that make the kata work in these instances then they are truly worthless. In reality the benefit or detriment of kata practice is not the kata itself but the person and their inner convictions. Much like the concept of "giri or burden hardest to bear" if you don't feel it, you don't have it; conviction!

Ben Franklin was known for his busyness and his technique which bears out the above is that he would first take a look inward to get the reasons he wanted to change his habits. He looked at both the positive aspects and the negative. Looking only at the positive is out of balance to what needs to be done. Create inner equilibrium that results in absolute convictions. He had to decide and create the inner conviction first before performing the ritualistic behaviors that brought about inner change.

If we wish to accomplish the maximum in our practice then we need to stop looking at the physical first and turn inward toward the mind and brain. Train them first, create the goals we wish to accomplish first, give our selves the absolute conviction of our inner beliefs and then tackle the exterior/physical to achieve the goals.

It is also important to track these convictions and have reminders long after you achieve the goals which is another reason why the ritualistic practices such as we discuss here are necessary. Just saying you will do it does not get it done. Simply going through the motions does not get it done either. Kata also provides through its continued diligent practice the reminders to the mind and brain of the goals set by the convictions of the individual. Ergo, why such things are the "tools to a better way of living."