Authenticity in the Martial Arts

By Adam Williss

Some days I think about to what end people will go to further themselves. Its absurd to see how far away from themselves they go in order to make others percieve them as something they totally are not. Yet we all do it to some degree. We all sacrifice our authenticity in order to "fit in". People don't like people that are too different than them.

Where does your level of authenticity lie? How far away from yourself are you willing to go in order to paint a beautiful picture for others?

These questions go further than most of us are williing to ask ourselves. But in the martial arts, its these very questions that lie between wasting your time and investing your time.

Too many people worry about how close a school is, or if its a little more than we think we should spend, or if the facility looks cool, or "they do it on TV so I want to do it too."

Lets face it. Its not the money. Martial arts don't really cost that much in comparison to how finding the right one can change your life.

Whether its an hour away or a minute away, it shouldn't matter. Think about what really matters. If you find something that really changes your life, do it. Some people are lucky to have something great close to them and others aren't. Either way it shouldn't be about what is close. It may be difficult at first to get past this, but in the end you won't be sorry.

In the whole scheme of things, its your time that's worth the most. Its the authenticity we seek.

But how do you find something thats authentic and doesn"t waste your time? The truth is that you never really know until you're already involved with it. People will give you advice as to how to find a good school but most of the time its just plain luck.

Good luck!

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By Adam Williss Some days I think about to what end people will go to further themselves. Its absurd to see how far away from themselves they go in order to make others percieve them as something they totally are not. Yet we all do it to some degree. We all sacrifice our authenticity in order to "fit in". People don't like people that are too different than them. Where does your level of authenticity lie? How far away from yourself are you willing to go in order to paint a beautiful picture for others? These questions go further than most of us are williing to ask ourselves. But in the martial arts, its these very questions that lie between wasting your time and investing your time. Too many people worry about how close a school is, or if its a little more than we think we should spend, or if the facility looks cool, or "they do it on TV so I want to do it too." Lets face it. Its not the money. Martial arts don't really cost that much in comparison to how finding the right one can change your life. Whether its an hour away or a minute away, it shouldn't matter. Think about what really matters. If you find something that really changes your life, do it. Some people are lucky to have something great close to them and others aren't. Either way it shouldn't be about what is close. It may be difficult at first to get past this, but in the end you won't be sorry. In the whole scheme of things, its your time that's worth the most. Its the authenticity we seek. But how do you find something thats authentic and doesn"t waste your time? The truth is that you never really know until you're already involved with it. People will give you advice as to how to find a good school but most of the time its just plain luck. Good luck!