Path of no resistance
Rannoch - May 15, 2008
So, turns our all that time, effort, energy and money I’ve invested trying to improve my lot has been a waste!
For the sum of $14.99 I’ve become a Ninjitsu Master. And I have the certificate to prove it.
How cool is that! No training required. I was even more gutted to find that the whole RKC thing was unnecessary. OK, it might be a little more expensive that my newly acquired Ninjitsu Master status but for 40 bucks I could have become a Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor.
If I get bored with these newly minted qualifications I can simply log onto eBay and pretty much become whatever I damn well please. The possibilities are endless. I am soooo cool!
My wife spent seven years studying to become a lawyer. As a student she excelled. She proved to be sharper than any of us could have imagined. Now, I could easliy pick myself up a law degree online but tell me, who would rather have representing you at the end of the day?
Someone last night asked what was the point of grading. Was it necessary to have someone judge you ability and decide whether you measure up. Is it relevant when there are others of a similar rank who you know are not as “good” as you?
Well you know what, the answer is a resounding yes. And not because you need the validation of your peers. You do it for yourself. It’s a cop out to say “I know all the drills, I know I’d pass”. You owe it to yourself to deliver on the commitment you have made to progress in a measurable way. Every opportunity to deepen your knowledge and experience should be seized. Otherwise you are simply playing at it.
Here’s another thing. As your confidence grows so should your desire and willingness to help those around you. Whether it’s being a good training partner, offering help with a technique or move, or simply encouraging someone to come back next week and try again. Helping, teaching, these are the fastest routes to personal growth and continuous improvement.
The path of no resistance is a selfish one. It looks only to self aggrandise. It does not excel, it does not innovate. It simply creates a superficial copy and calls it the real thing. It wants to rub shoulders with the exceptional whilst remaining resolutely, blindly average. And as I’ve said before, most people are happy with average. Average is safe. Average is comfortable. Average is better than below average so there will always be someone to look down upon.
The wonderful Art critic and writer Robert Hughes said “A determined soul will do more with a rusty monkey wrench than a loafer will accomplish with all the tools in a machine shop.”
The monkey wrench is in the corner…get to work.
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It is definately sad – you’d be amazed at the number of tatoos I see w. Japanese that’s backwards or just plain wrong…
Great post. Thanks.
Amen!
Perfect illistration with what is wrong with the world–Everyone was everything RIGHT NOW, TODAY. All you see is “gimme that now”
I can’t even hold it against some nut who is selling those–Because someone is buying them.
Great Blog Donald, very smooth design.
Hey Dave,
How are you?
Yeah, I am sure there are plenty people getting taken in every day. One of the biggest problems we having is people “selling” skills the just don’t have. I’ve seen it with a number of so called trainers and I suspect it’s even worse in the Martial Arts community.
Have to say though, every RKC I’ve met so far has been the real deal!
Are you over this way soon?
R
The sad thing is that someone, somewhere will get ripped off by someone who has an eBay certificate of rank at something.
Taikei!
How you doing? Listen, I am pretty sure whoever make up these bcrappy certificates donesn’t give a shit what’s on them as long as people pay up. And seriously, if you are prepared to pay $15 to become a Master I doubt your Japanese is going to be that great!
Great to see all the press you’ve been getting lately. Great job.
All the best
Rannoch
Consult a Japanese like myself when it comes to certificate like this.
The title at the top says Ninja and “Nin” part is a wrong character.
“Watanabe” is a typical Japanese last name (my great grand parent’s last name) Adding “n” in this case doesn’t make another Japanese last name. Merely impossible last name.
The character of Master is named “shujin” occasionaly indicates a master of a house hold meaning a person who feeds his family.
Well anyway, nothing to be this serious. Just a reference.