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I don't think that Eastern-culture-oriented practitioners would see what we call the "spiritual" aspects of the arts the same way we do in the West. Instead, I think that they see the "spiritual" aspects as very practical: mindsets that get the job done. There might also be an East-West...

Dirt bombs were great. Boom!

I kinda liked DOS. Direct access to what I needed.

I wonder if, in many things that change, the way with which we identify is the norm, while the way before us is too this, and the way after us is too not-this. I'm talking about comedy, music, and probably our martial art. It's like what Carlin said: "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving...

In theory, I think that the "start (this), stop (that), continue (the other thing)" might work if it's applied to more than one individual during the session. Then again, describing the likely effects of actions might make it less personal: "if you do X, here's what's likely to happen. If you...

So much of what we do is in our head. It doesn't exist in the outside world. Expectations don't exist in the world: they are mental constructs that we create in our mind, along with the imagined story of what-will-happen-if-we-lose. I recommend mindfulness meditation, where you focus on your...

I realize that we give words meanings, but focusing deeply into the name of something is not likely to yield much about the characteristics of the thing itself: it can just give us insight into how people came to name the thing.

Exactly. But those are hard to teach, even if the teacher knows them, eh?

Yeah, there are so many moves that are utterly pointless if you're just doing the thing for health. Baduanjin qigong would be better ... combined with Zhan Zhuang, and hip mobility exercises.

Making a broad distinction between "subjective" and "objective" studies isn't scientific. To be scientific, one must look deeper. This type of study is called a "self-report" study, and their validity can be improved by the use of other measures in the study, as well as careful phrasing of the...

Yep, overguards for racquetball, squash, badminton should work. There's a link in post #2.

I use a badminton eye guard when playing squash, because it fits over my glasses. In squash, you don't want a racquet in the eye, and a fast-moving squash ball fits perfectly in the eye socket. Not good. (edit: link added)

Wow. You're so attached to being right that you learned nothing from my post: you spent all your time trying to justify your position. Good luck with your practice.

Add a glove and you're golden.

Ha! I'll check the date next time. Absolutely. Context always matters. Context gives meaning.

You're assuming that the student would not gain any martial benefit from learning patience, possibly discovering more about the art beyond the testing criteria. ... and speaking as a member of the public, I'm not so sure that I would want more impatient black belts running around out there...

I was going to say that your sifu might have been giving you good advice, in that if you do nothing during this time off, you might "empty your cup" and essentially do a hard reboot by staying away. Maybe he thinks that would be best for your practice when you return: new paradigm, more of a...

Benevolent Vampire Tracheostomy.

... and then file the end at an angle. "Sawed-off straw." Done!

I think it's a matter of degree. Some people, given enough of a nudge, will change their paradigm, but others have so much invested in their self-image that they will never admit they don't know everything ... at least in that context. I guess the point here is to give it a shot, and if they...

I think that part of the quote refers to the willfully ignorant: those who believe they do know, and will not be convinced otherwise, no matter how hard you try. They resist enlightenment.

I'm afraid we might need more context, since we all have limited resources, and aren't able to teach everyone what we know. There are plenty of reasons to not teach certain people. So, again ... do you have an anecdote, or specific incident? ... and as I implied, sometimes it's a waste of time...

There's the old "the student's cup is full so the teacher cannot fill it" metaphor, so yes. I haven't really seen teachers (who have the time) refuse to teach someone who wants to learn ... and is of good character. I have seen teachers refuse to teach arseholes who want to learn. Got an...

Aren't we fun at parties? :p

I didn't find the quote here (It's searchable). https://ia800908.us.archive.org/32/items/pdfy-SP1dBDr6xLGrVfF9/Tao%20Of%20Jeet%20Kune%20Do_text.pdf

Finding one to purchase is a bit of a moving target, since they seem to rebrand it so often. (shrug)

Good exercises. But if you're at the computer too often and for too long, you can try one of those dynaball gyroscopic thingies. Mine makes my forearm sore, which one can interpret as a useful complement to the other grip exercises. Caveat: not everyone can get their head around how to work it...

Yeah, not likely to be from Bruce Lee. https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/09/24/knows/ But yes, we should approach learning with humility and an open mind, but to also learn how to apply critical thinking to new information.

Not a stupid question: it's a good one.