Mistakes

BY: Tom Callos - www.TomCallos.com

First, let me point out that pointing out what is wrong, bad, or a mistake is one of the easiest things to do in the world. It is a mistake to be a person who regularly points out mistakes. Nevertheless,  every so often you would do well to put on your mistake glasses and go to town, just not too often.

It is a mistake, as a teacher of the martial arts, to:

Think your martial arts training entitles you to any special treatment as a person. The truth is that the awareness your teachers are supposed to lead you to is that you are a servant of others. You are not to be put "on top" --you are to be "on tap" for people in your community.  The next time you walk into your class, walk in with the mindset that you are not the teacher; you are the student. Do that and you may, still, have a chance at becoming the master you once hoped to be.

It is a mistake, as a teacher of the martial arts, to:

Neglect your study of peace and peace education. To be a master that has any value for the world, you must have an equal understanding of both violence and peace. Maybe 1 in 1000 martial arts schools or teachers (an over-estimate) offer any intelligent or semi-comprehensive training in peace education; this is a major part of the reason that the martial arts in today's world has so little perceived value ---and actual influence in the world.  A martial arts school and/or teacher in today's world cannot be counted on to promote peace in any meaningful, well-thought-out, or comprehensive way. 

It is a mistake, as a teacher of the martial arts, to:

Ignore the importance of food --and all things related to its production, packaging, distribution, and preparation --as part of self-defense. Right before our eyes and within reach of each of us, is one of the worlds most significant self-defense issues, something that kills millions as we stand by and stare, that costs us billions, and that we could and should play a significant role in helping other people make the connection to; but because of our lack of self-discipline, of vision, or courage ---we continue to side step the subject.

It is a mistake, as a teacher of the martial arts, to:

To consume without awareness of the cost of what we consume. The disconnect between what we eat, buy, use, and discard, and what it means to the planet is one of the biggest signs of how self-centered and unaware we still are. It's as if the definition of "master" has come to mean so little --as to almost be completely meaningless. When 20, 30, 40, and 50-year old men and women refer to themselves as "Masters," without engaging in anything in-the-world that reflects any kind of master of anything meaningful or important, well ---it's part of the reason that the martial arts is, still, head-to-head with soccer practice, football, and baseball season. It's part of the reason that the "martial arts industry" is so flooded with promises of amazing return with minimal effort. We are not promoting awareness in a way that reflects a kind of mastery worth practicing.