Page 23 - Martial Science Magazine August DiG

16. People say the teacher learns from the ing similar when you get into the deeper
student. What is your take on that? teachings. I have also studied the teach-
ings of the sages from throughout the
Do you think others really mean it or they world, the Stoics, the Greeks, as well as
are mostly empty words? I know I learned the great teachers from Asia.
a lot by teaching. When you are teaching
a martial arts class, you learn that there I find that true wisdom is universal, mean-
is much more to teaching than just show- ing it applies to all people no matter where

ing them how to fight or do katas. You they are or how they live. Our schools and
are teaching life and how to live. You are our children would be so much better off
teaching them about character traits and if the schools taught the wisdom of the
how to look at life, spiritually, mentally, sages and the Stoics in class. That alone
and physically. When you teach you rein- would take care of many of the problems
force what you know and learn much from that we have today.
your students in return.
I studied as much as I could get my hands
A lot of people seem to just quote clichés on and integrated it with the martial arts.

and never really internalize the wisdom That is what I do in my books and it has
from those sayings, just like saying the made me well-known. When I started my
teacher learns from the student. Too many teachings, there was nobody else who
martial arts instructors allow their ego to was taking wisdom from the Stoics, the
get in the way of learning from their stu- Greeks, Gracian, Goethe, and all the other
dents. You have to keep your ego in check sages, and integrating that wisdom with
or you will never learn from anyone else. the martial arts.

I learn from everyone I meet. Some people Several people used Confucius, Sun Tzu,
teach me how not to live and how not to Buddha, Musashi, and Lao Tzu, but there
behave, and others teach me to become left out all of the wisdom from the other

a better person. You can learn from your parts of the world. I integrate wisdom from
students if you are willing. Being willing throughout the world into my teachings.
and open is the key. As I said before, you can learn something
from everyone. Each sage has something
17. Where did you look for your philosophi- unique to teach us and they do so in their
cal and spiritual answers? own way.

I have studied wisdom literature for over I studied them all. I took what was useful
40 years. I really got into my studies seri- to my life; and what I did not find useful,

ously after my first bad car wreck. When I simply left behind. That is what each
you have a close call in life, it awakens person should do in the martial arts. We
you. I have studied virtually all religious are all different. Not everyone can do the
teachings, which I might add, are amaz- same things. People have different bodies,
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