25 years of martial arts and I’m still at it. Thought of many people that I’ve met along the way that said what I’m living today. “I’m going to do this for the rest of my life.” Well, not all of them made it. Probably less than a quarter of those I’ve met back then is still in the game. To be considered a lifer in the martial arts, in my opinion, you’ve got to hit 20 years or more of practice.
So the obvious question is how is this done? The answer is obviously simple but not everybody likes simple. The simple truth is love it. It’s like marriage. Love it for all the good and for all the bad. I’m talking about commitment in the most ideal way. Not like what commitment has been mutated into these modern times where the slightest issue means doom for relationships.
To be a lifer is to have a relationship with martial arts just as you have a relationship with your spouse, career and close friends. Honestly, you’ve got to accept that it’s life. Happily ever after actually means tempering relationships on the blacksmith’s anvil.
With that in mind, I came up with a list of phases that describes the journey for those that want to make it. This was built from my experiences in developing different kinds of teams. After marinating on those experiences, I found it applies to everything else in life.
I think I’ll make an episode on my podcast on this as well.
The 6 Phases of Filtering
- The interested show up or are recruited
- The ones that cannot meet the requirements filter out.
- The ones that cannot maintain the requirements filter out.
- Two different kinds of filtration happen at this phase
- The ones that feel they’ve accomplished “making it” filter out. Ascension is not in their cards knowingly or unknowingly. They “checked their box”
- The ones that feel it’s not for them filter out.
- The ones that find themselves having to push the maintenance of requirements start seeing it as a chore. They filter out. Commonly using legitimate obstacles or an unconvinced ego as their way out.
- The ones that truly make it remain. Fulfillment of requirements become effortless. Power and enlightenment is found here.
“The micro is the macro.” More on this later.
