Ego-Based Training

Who are you training for? Who are you blogging for?

Is your training ego-based? Are you constantly comparing yourself to others? Basing your idea of success by comparing your progress to another person is akin to using a snorkel to change a tire. It is not reasonable. 

Our individual uniqueness is the value we bring into the world. Our uniqueness is a product of our genetic code, our upbringing, and our experiences. Our uniqueness is part of the construct of our ego and how we view our reality.

We all begin kung fu for specific reasons. Some want to learn self-defence, some want to get into shape, and others want help managing their stress. Everyone begins training for their own reasons but those reasons are never “I want to compare myself to others.” Yet despite solid proof that we are managing our stress better, we are getting into shape, and our confidence in defending ourselves is rising, we suddenly decide that there is something wrong because we are perceiving other people are progressing faster than ourselves. When did our initial goals suddenly stop being about our own personal progress and become a race and competition with others?

If your idea of success is based upon the accomplishments of others, your training is going veer off track to serve your ego as opposed to serve your goals. Mastery is only found in the journey. If your mastery quest is based upon a destination, a deadline, or any absolute — your training is ego-based and you have lost your way. 

Remind yourselves of why you started kung fu in the first place. It is about incremental progression and becoming a little bit better everyday. There is no time limit. There is no finish line. Mastery is a never ending journey, not a destination.

Jeff Brinker