AikiWeb Aikido Forums - View Single Post - When did you stop being a beginner in Aikido?

Lyle Bogin · 07-21-2008, 07:13 PM

Saying you are always a beginner is cheating, using a philosophical point. Of course we all strive for shoshin.

But it's such a common thing to do among instructors and traditional martial artists that in and of itself it becomes a form of bragging. How did you earn the right to be so modest? If modesty is an indication of mastery, aren't you just saying "hey look how advanced I am"? Rather than modesty, it's just dishonesty.

07-21-2008, 07:13 PM	#17
Lyle Bogin Dojo: Shin Budo Kai Location: Manhattan Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 588 Offline	Re: When did you stop being a beginner in Aikido? Saying you are always a beginner is cheating, using a philosophical point. Of course we all strive for shoshin. But it's such a common thing to do among instructors and traditional martial artists that in and of itself it becomes a form of bragging. How did you earn the right to be so modest? If modesty is an indication of mastery, aren't you just saying "hey look how advanced I am"? Rather than modesty, it's just dishonesty.