Chapter 148: Testing is a Distraction

Testing is a misdirection; competition can be a misdirection or at least a distraction; rank is a misnomer, distraction and suggestive influence distracting one from reality; trophies are a distraction and there are other distractions, misdirections and plain old economically driven influences that cause us to misplace our efforts in training, practice and especially in application regardless of it being sport, philosophical or defensive. 

Lets stick to "testing" as a distraction and misdirection. A practitioner of the martial arts has to first and foremost make a decision as to their intent in taking up the discipline. A practitioners of the martial arts has to, second, make a decision as to the importance of said intent and then pretty much set the mind-state that all other things are merely training efforts to train the mind so their original intent of training and practice isn't lost in the glitz and glitter that is and can be modern sport oriented commercialized karate and martial arts. 

It is hard, it is most difficult and it is most unkind when a path is diverted like a beautiful river when a Dam is placed in its path. There is always going to be resistance in the form of stress and stressors where the final path of the river leaves destruction in its wake through the forces unnaturally misdirected by "others." 

Our minds, if intent is self-protection, need to be focused on the reality of aggression and violence with a deeper focus on the pragmatic aspects of the teachings to reach the objective of safety, security and most of all, survival of aggression and violence be it process or resource oriented; be it either socially driven or asocially predatory oriented. 

When you push in testing, grading, evaluations and contests of a competitive sport nature you are refocusing the mind-state to those traits, requirements and necessities of success away from those that are self-preserving in nature. There is no crossover except in a principles based methodology application and knowing when that divergence occurs is important. 

Trophies, winning vs. surviving and other accolades such as ranks, etc., distract the minds focus from what is necessary to preserve, survive and reach safety and security. 

DO NOT:

▪  spend time practicing for tests.

▪  spend time readying for rank.

▪  spend time preparing for competitions.

▪  spending time worrying about what others think and believe.

▪  spending time worrying about coming up with test, seminar and tournaments fees.

▪  spending time worrying about coming up with rank certificate fees.

▪  spending time worrying about meeting the standards and practices of others. 

▪  spending time fretting and worrying about what others think.

▪  spending time worrying about the accumulation of accolades and bling, etc., to meet standards of an arbitrary nature set by others.

▪  spending time trying to reach the standards and beliefs of those who lived in a time and environment far distant and different then those you live in, in the now. 

There are so many things that such trappings set often to the detriment of the true path to proficiency, mastery and enlightenment in the martial disciplines it is hard for people, especially novices, to see the path they need to achieve skills and proficiency in the intended way they choose like self-protection in defense of self and others.