I am a fool.
By Bob Hubbard


Over the years, I've bought into the fantasy.
What fantasy?
The one that says that martial arts training is a path to self improvement, personal discovery and hopefully enlightenment.

I've spent the reasoning years of my life, 30+ of them believing that one trained in the arts to learn such things as discipline, honor, integrity, self control and maturity. I've had instructors push those very ideas as core components to their arts, and I foolishly believed them.

I have stood on their floors, and said those words myself..and I believe them. I thought they meant something, for otherwise we would not have said them.

I've read biographies on ancient warriors who in their later years gave up their swords for paint brushes, and who wrote classic works studied today in the highest levels of business, and I believed.

My mother, who while not a martial artist was still a warrior in her own way taught me manners. To say things like "thank you", and "please" and "you are welcome". She taught me to not interrupt conversations, to wait my turn, to be polite and respectful of my elders. She taught me that kindness was more powerful than meanness.
She too was a fool, and I, her student.

Over the years, I have had many mentors. People who insisted that honesty was the best policy. That thinking for yourself was important. That honor, honesty, valor, integrity, politeness and more were not just words, but were traits to be developed and admired.

That you can get everything you want in life, if you just help enough others get what they want.

Fools, all of them, I see now.

Why should I treat people with anything but contempt? Conversations aren't possible today without profanity and insults unless you are weak. Success goes to the arrogant, the aggressive, the bully, and those who buy into the fantasy are beneath them. Hiding behind a keyboard makes one a man!

That is what it really is about isn't it?

No, I bought into it all.

And I was a fool.

But.....

Did you ever notice......

....The Fool.....he is laughing.

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Bob Hubbard is an administrator of the popular martial arts sites MartialTalk.com and KenpoTalk.com. He is president of SilverStar WebDesigns inc., a web site design and hosting company specializing in affordable solutions for martial artists as well as a professional photographer. More of Bob's articles can be found at rustaz.net. Please contact Bob if you would like him to review your martial arts product.

Copyright ©2007 Bob Hubbard - Copies of this article are free to distribute, provided all text is retained intact.