MEETING MARTIAL ARTS MASTERS

Those who are 'martial arts' enthusiasts are often confused as to certain issues surrounding many who appear in various ways as masters of some particular martial arts, system, or more likely, a variety of such things and so do not make connections that are necessary for them personally....

Schools and training in 'WAY OF THE WARRIOR'  sometimes make extravagant claims or suggest things to students to keep them dependent for a number of reasons and the history of martial arts around the world shows ample examples of these 'conflicts' and 'splits' as well as feuds including 'watered down' arts, 'fraudulent arts', and mish-mashes and other difficulties for those who wish to be 'warriors' and much of this is devoted to outright 'fantasy' or 'multiple fantasies' fueled by media and books and magazines as well as 'masters' and 'systems' as we well know or should realize, but without 'throwing the babies out with the bath waters' or giving up our interests and enthusiasms, if any, for martial arts.

Tenuous or temporary connections with masters are often taken to extremes to bolster claims and contacts, we all do this in many ways, subtlely  or overtly...but the truth is that strong impressions and the like can prove lasting and most significant if you really are awake and aware...

But actually, the WAY OF THE WARRIOR is often a way of solitude and not comradeship. Many cannot endure the suffering and solitude, the loneliness and this is why the martial arts are often connected to THE WAY OF THE MONK or THE WAY OF THE FAKIR and occasionally to THE WAY OF THE YOGI.