It's been a while since I posted last, and I wanted to share something I've been thinking about. Today I read a post from someone in the Bujinkan I respect, Carl Lagerberg, and he wrote something I've heard and read in different words before, but resonated with what I've been thinking on: "it's your path, no one can walk it for you."
I really enjoy training with and teaching every person in our dojo, the ones that reguarly train. Every so often someone shows up to train and states how much they want to do this art, or they call or email and are excited to find an actual Bujinkan Dojo in the treasure valley and commit to wanting to train (it is amazing how few actually come to the dojo after professing their strong desire to train in this art over the phone, but not surprising). Most who do show up to training show up to train regularly and work at home on the things they need to improve on so they are better the next time they come to the dojo. There tends to be one person every so often who pays for tuition, gets a Gi for training, sometimes they even buy some training weapons, but they only show up to train about two times per month. A person cannot learn Budo being only a weekend warrior, or a twice per month warrior. It takes real dedication, real effort, and regularly showing up to learn and train. We have students who regularly show up to training nearly every class who live in Caldwell, Homedale, and Wezer. It is possible, it can be done.
This is your path in life and no one else can walk if for you. If you want to walk the path of a Budoka (a person who studies Budo), you need to walk it, it isn't something you will get very far on if you only take a few steps every so often. Even if it isn't our dojo you choose to study at, whatever that path is you chose, commit to it and study it whole-heartedly. If at some point you decide it isn't for you, get off and go to another path, that is fine. But don't just take a step here, a step there, and never committing fully to the path you truly desire to be on.
No one will walk it for you, it is your path, your journey. I'm already on the path, I'm willing to share my knowledge with those who want to join me on the Budo path, but you have to be on the path to receive it.
