This photograph of Sifu Rob Moses was taken in Ventura, California in early 2000 during an on-location photo shoot aimed at illustrating an article about the artist's hybrid kung fu style - Nine Psalms System Of Praying Mantis Kung Fu. It’s blog time again. This one’s a think piece and is about seeking perfection in our techniques all the while knowing perfection is not achievable. - FB
Sifu Rob Moses, tai-mantis kung fu master and friend of TAK, and I once got wrapped up with the notion of perfection and how it relates to martial arts. We spent a good deal of time hammering out a simple theory about perfection that made some sense to us and which others could hang their hat on as well. Following is our theory:
Martial artists seek to perfect their techniques, but like a mirage, the closer they get, the further it moves away. The burden or problem with perfection in technique is that all laws of change and expansion become squished into stillness resulting in hardened and not fully expressed technique. In other words, if something is as good as it will ever be, then that’s it. Training, life, and things change – and they are real – while perfection remains an illusion. This presents a dichotomy.
The key for the martial artist to get past that roadblock is love. (It’s funny how love is so often the answer.) The uniqueness of love is that love is perfection – and love is perpetual perfection. Since love is perpetual perfection, it is in unity – Love and Training – that the martial artist, training, change, and perfection may all perpetuate in harmony and remain in balance with the laws of nature and the universe.
There it is... You must love training, and, you must put that love and training into action/work. It’s reasonable that sometimes you won’t like doing the work at the time, but still love and hold it dear. This theory works for different art forms and other areas of life as well. It works for a parent, spouse, white or blue collar worker, spiritual believer, etc. All you need is love…so, love (or learn to love) whatever is dear to you and reach-out-and-touch-the-stars. – Sensei Floyd Burk
Sifu Rob Moses, tai-mantis kung fu master and friend of TAK, and I once got wrapped up with the notion of perfection and how it relates to martial arts. We spent a good deal of time hammering out a simple theory about perfection that made some sense to us and which others could hang their hat on as well. Following is our theory:
Martial artists seek to perfect their techniques, but like a mirage, the closer they get, the further it moves away. The burden or problem with perfection in technique is that all laws of change and expansion become squished into stillness resulting in hardened and not fully expressed technique. In other words, if something is as good as it will ever be, then that’s it. Training, life, and things change – and they are real – while perfection remains an illusion. This presents a dichotomy.
The key for the martial artist to get past that roadblock is love. (It’s funny how love is so often the answer.) The uniqueness of love is that love is perfection – and love is perpetual perfection. Since love is perpetual perfection, it is in unity – Love and Training – that the martial artist, training, change, and perfection may all perpetuate in harmony and remain in balance with the laws of nature and the universe.
There it is... You must love training, and, you must put that love and training into action/work. It’s reasonable that sometimes you won’t like doing the work at the time, but still love and hold it dear. This theory works for different art forms and other areas of life as well. It works for a parent, spouse, white or blue collar worker, spiritual believer, etc. All you need is love…so, love (or learn to love) whatever is dear to you and reach-out-and-touch-the-stars. – Sensei Floyd Burk
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