All of my GM's, Master's and Instructors who have taught me or changed my opinion about certain aspects of the MA's. To all the friends who have different outlooks and theories of the MA's and my classmates who keep me in line. I take what is useful and apply it to myself and hope to be a good Instructor and Friend to my students. Thanks D2
I've heard that before and can probably understand the viewpoint. For myself it has been rewarding to know that there are folks who have actually lived the values---even under extraordinary circumstances--- that most folks just talk about. In an odd way its a bit like the Philosophical version of "does this work on the street" arguement. IMHO. Best Wishes, Bruce
I think that ends up with one treating 'values' as an accessory to life. Having a "philosophy of life" is somewhat childish and limits one's ability to understand events outside a particular epistemological viewpoint. Perhaps to put this in an analogy with a kuk sool; one starts off at white belt with a relatively simple approach to training; you learn techniques, forms, kicks and punches, etc, but by the time you're a black belt you need to be able to understand how everything fits together and how you can apply the knowledge outwith your classes. Likewise, with philosophy you may need to have some initial concepts but eventually they will become restrictive. Say, for example, your "philosophy of life" is to never give up, then at some point you are faced with a situation where simply trying harder can never succeed. To not give up risks wasting time, effort, resources, etc, which could be better spent elsewhere. No matter how hard I try, I will never be able to bench press 300kg; my frame and body are simply not built for it. Thus, values may be useful in certain situations but, in my opinion, should never be held solid and should be open to adaptation (although I am aware that this could be construed as a value in itself). As such, a hero who embodies a specific set of values also embodies a restriction on understanding.
I think I would have to agree with you from that POV. For me a hero is a kind of snapshot of Values practically applied. I've found that talk can be very cheap and sometimes terms like "Honor", "Tolerance", "Courage" etc etc tend to get thrown around like buzzwords. When a person actually conducts himself in such a way as to embody the essence of such terms with exemplary behavior, it seems worthwhile to sit-up and take notice. FWIW. Best Wishes, Bruce
What you are describing simply reads to me like 'respect'. I can respect a person for a particularly narrow area of their life whilst simultaneously disliking them. Hero worship doesn't account for this nuance. Essentailly I feel WeeGinger phrased it perfectly. The idea of having a hero seems to me to be an unnecessarily restrictive modality for personal growth.
I would just like to say that my concern is not only for the restriction on personal growth but also how one's personal growth may affect others. If I were to become too fixated on Kuk Sool Won then I believe my attitude to political action and civic responsibility could be compromised. If I were to only pay attention to those who are physically and/or intellectually superior to me then I might end up becoming disgusted by those less fortunate such as the infirm, homeless or victims of drug abuse. It's only a feeling I have, but many martial artists have a certain aloofness and arrogance about them. I wouldn't say that I have met many of these in Kuk Sool Won, fortunately, but some of the people in an MMA class I went to one time made me feel a bit uncomfortable. They were obviously very skilled but also had what I saw as quite a despicable attitude towards the less fortunate.
you will probably find that is more a low-BS tolerance....i doubt you spent enough time with them to get to know their socio-political beliefs I also think you are making a massive leap of logic there which does not stand up to any level of scrutiny
seems like a valid concern. I think that's just people and martial arts has nothing to do with it really.
Do you think it might be a particular kind of energy that you associate with the term "hero"? What if instead, I asked if there were a person whose conduct of their affairs you would like emulate? Would that make a difference? Thoughts? Best Wishes, Bruce
