Humility is the most important trait of a martial artist. Courtesy and respect flow from humility.
The other day, I heard an instructor comment that a particular person had an eye problem. I knew the person but did not realize that he had an eye problem.
The instructor continued and clarified his statement.
"... a capital I problem."
Too many times, "I" gets in the way of training. Don't worry about rank or titles. If you have skill, that is more than enough. If you have a good character, what more could you want?
The best use of "I" is simply to say, "I will try my best."
I often think that a Sensei is a person who has "sense" of "i" -- not the capital "I".
In contrast, a foolish person is "nonsense."
Does that make sense?
Respectfully,
Charles C. Goodin
