I received the usual questions recently by a reporter from the “Global Times” newspaper in Shanghai: Why do I like practicing Kungfu, Wushu (martial arts), and Karate every day? And why do it for so many years?
I couldn’t think of a good answer. The answer is much deeper than words can say. How to describe a healthy addiction – maybe it’s beyond logic. Finally I came to an answer:
The Pursuit of Excellence with occasional glimpses of Perfection.
I’ve been practicing martial arts almost daily for more than 25 years. Karate, Kungfu, Jiujitsu and other forms of martial arts. I admit it, I’m addicted. When I wake up in the morning, my main goal is to prepare to go to the park and practice some more. Internally, I sense my addiction is to follow the Oriental philosophy of Dao 道 a better way of life, a pursuit of perfection that we can approach but not reach. But when I say “Dao” to most other people, it makes no sense. Puzzling over this, I rearranged my thoughts to a little better explanation:
Pursuit of Excellence, Glimpses of Perfection
Like other high performance people, the pursuit of excellence becomes addictive. Musicians, dancers, artists, craftsmen, athletes, golfers, and martial artists: we all get addicted to mastering the fine details of our art. Finger must be pointed exactly right even at high speed. Toes pointed. Wrist rotation and weight transfer. Balance and hip rotation to get proper power. We must control a myriad of movements simultaneously, without thought. Mastering all these fine details takes a lifetime.
I know many TaiQi players who have done the same few routines (called Taolu or Kata) thousands of times, every day for decades. I do the same, but at faster speed. Most long term martial artists would not quit their art no matter how much money was offered. They know that the pursuit of excellence improves their lives much better than any amount of money.
Golfers are the same type of perfection addicts. They will play the same course day in, day out and never get bored. Why? Because their pursuit of excellence, of superb effortless shots is never simple but extremely addictive. Other excellent athletes: runners, snow skiers, tennis players pursue excellence with the same addiction.
One famous Aikido sensei said that the key to aikido was to flow down a mountain over rocks and logs like water in a stream. A Zen Koan, a puzzle that defies logic. How does this make sense? It makes sense only after we have done thousands of repetitions of a punch, a sword thrust, a kata, a golf swing, or a brush stroke. When we learn how to act without conscious thought, then we can begin to understand the wisdom of the Aikido sensei.
Occasionally we do a move, a golf swing, play a few music notes that approach perfection. It feels fantastic. We have a craving to replicate that brilliant moment. These brief glimpses of perfection – that wonderful feeling – this is why I continue to do martial arts for so many years.
The Way of Mountain Winds 山風道 