Get A Life!!

By Jay Leslie 6/10/2004

Shihan Goodner asked me if I would write an article on something I felt is important for Bujinkan students to know. I thought about whether I should write an article on a specific technique or observations on kobudo skills. Instead I chose to focus on something I view many in the martial arts\ world don't have a life. What I mean by this is that we can all become so focused on martial skills that we can sometimes forget the more important things in life. When I first started seriously training in the Bujinkan arts, I focused like a laser beam on learning everything I could. I would spend hours studying, training, and traveling to train. My physical skills did get better but I began to realize that I was losing skill in so many other areas of my life. I put my family, friends and other interests on hold to spend every available moment learning martial arts. Martial arts had almost become a dogmatic religion to me instead of an enjoyable aspect of my life. One time while training in Japan, I heard Hatsumi-sensei speak of the importance of learning martial arts for enjoyment rather than for defining who you are as a person. I didn't focus too much on what he said at that time but now I have come to really understand his words. I also have heard stories about another martial arts master who tells his students how "sorry" he feels for them if all they have in their life is martial arts. If all I am is a martial artist, I am limited as a person. We may learn to punch and kick really well but these sets of skills alone do not always enhance our interactions with others. I have a friend who was fortunate enough to be able to go live and train in Japan for 2 years. He had learned many fine martial arts skills but upon talking with him it became apparent that this was all he learned while in Japan. He never really ventured out to learn about the culture or the people of Japan. All he did was go to work, go to training and then go home. He frequently boasted about how he was in class more than anyone else, even some of the Japanese Shihan. The sad thing is that, I believe, he missed out on a wonderful opportunity to immerse himself in a culture different from his own and meet many new exciting, people. The same can be true of another friend of mine who trained and taught so much that his wife would get thoroughly exasperated that he was not home much and when he was home he was too preoccupied with training to help her with the house and their children. She eventually left him and now training is all he has! The main lesson from all this that I would pass on to other Bujinkan students is to have a great time doing martial arts but remember there is more to life than just martial arts. I have re-evaluated my priorities to include many other rich life experiences than solely martial arts. In my opinion I am now a much better martial artist as a result of this. By paying more attention to other things in my life, I feel I can understand my martial art better. As my father has always told me, "you only get one turn on this merry-go-round called life, so grab hold of it and make the most of your turn". I would encourage the reader to do the same.