Nabard is unlike many other martial arts in any number of ways. To me, however, one of the most important and obvious differences is our point of reference. Through points of reference one is afforded the ability to measure progress. Many martial arts schools offer programs that provide multiple mini-milestones that occur often through one's progress within that program. Belts, stripes, and sparring points are just such measurements which are common to all students within these types of settings. By earning a new belt, stripe, or scoring a point, one can easily measure oneself against another person. The point of reference in these cases are the belts, stripes, and points themselves.
Contrary to this approach is the Nabard way. As a student of Nabard, one quickly realizes that there are no quick points of reference in which progress is measured against others. Progress is measured by one's growth as compared to oneself from the point of beginning. While there is always someone to look up to and see progression within Nabard, each student is a wholly unique and infinitely complex human being. Each student begins the Nabard journey at a different place as compared to others. There are some students who are naturally more flexible when they begin, or quicker with their hands and feet. Some students are also just able to put it all together more quickly than others. For these reasons, measuring oneself to others can give a false sense of accomplishment, as well as a false sense of failure. There is nothing more rewarding than awareness of true progression when comparing oneself at a current level of ability and fitness to previous abilities and levels of fitness.
Remember to review your progress within yourself. You will be surprised by how much you can and have accomplished.
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Very good point. Since martial arts is in no way a strong point of mine, it is easy to get frustrated with my progress. But once I reached my first goal (completing line 1) I was able to say "look what I did that I never could have done when I started." They are personal goals; never something that you feel you need to live up to.
ReplyDeleteSometimes in life we search for the correct manual or codes to follow, but we forget the important aspect of life which is our own individual perspective. All the things we know or understand is based on experience, but if we allow someone to dictated these things, we lack comprehension to stand alone. I am impress that someone has taken the time to recognize the mystery of self. It seems people are always looking for answer somewhere other themselves. To learn is to research, to listen is to understand, to look is to see beyond the limitation of the norm. Good one Keith---John
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