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Ripsaw · 09-25-2003, 11:12 AM

Halx : On ego in the martial arts. We discussed how our own wants and needs affected our training, our perceptions, and other's perceptions of ourselves. You should always be yourself. This is a snip from the middle of the article, and while the author is not a participant in the same martial art, the intent and message are the same.

Quote:

http://www.blackbeltmag.com/archives/kki/1986/feb86/traditions/traditions.html
To better explain the norm as I see it, let's take a look at the life of a fictional character I'll call Joe. Joe Shlomotol. Joe works loading trucks at a cargo dock. He's married; has a couple of young kids. He played football in high school, but since graduating a couple of years ago, he hasn't been especially athletic; heaving 100-pound boxes eight hours a day doesn't encourage a lot of physical activity in one's off hours.
Now it's an unfortunate fact that guys like Joe don't get a lot of attention in our society. Joe's not going to dazzle fellow players with his knowledge in Trivial Pursuit; his occupation isn't one that carries a great deal of respect, even though it's just as honest and necessary as any that do. He's not, to be blunt, the guy Hugh Hefner has in mind when he asks the rhetorical question "What kind of man reads Playboy?" To sum it up, Joe is not that much different from many of us, and like most of us, he knows he'll live in relative obscurity.
But Joe's problem is just that. He doesn't want to be one of the rank and file, you see. He wants to be admired, to be respected, to gain a little of the ego satisfaction he feels is due to him. And he can get it at the local dojo.
When Joe goes to his dojo, he takes off his work clothes and exchanges them for a uniform with a scarlet jacket and bright blue pants. He ties on a red and gold belt and if that isn't enough a sign of his status, the letters "Sensei" stitched across his breast should make it clear. Outside these walls, Joe might be just another ordinary person, but in the dojo, he's Master Shlomotol. His students bow when he enters the room, and address him respectfully. To his wife, kids, boss, and co-workers, Joe's pretty average. In his dojo though, he is Sensei Somebody with a capital S. His rank is so special it can't even be connoted by a regular black belt. Joe's is specially striped. The same is true of his uniform. And, if he's inclined to participate in the tournament scene, even his name will be a standout, complemented by some colorful nickname of his choosing, like "Mr. Speed" or "Mad Man." The showier his uniform and dojo, the more theatrically he presents his arts, the more students he'll attract. Through the martial arts, the nobody is indeed on his way to becoming a somebody.