Hi everyone,
One of the things we like to talk about is a word or phrase that epitomizes the philosophies of kung fu and the martial arts. This week, I would like to talk about a concept called Shou Po Li, which translated means: obey, break, leave. The idea is that this is the road to mastery. Before you can master anything, you have to be able to follow the rules and traditions of what it is you are doing, whether it be the martial arts or learning how to keep up with social media for your business, among other things. First, obey. Do what is asked. Learn the techniques as they are taught to you. Perfect them even. Then, as you have perfected them, you can change them. Alter how they are used. Not necessarily the technique itself, but when and how you use it. Finally, leave. This doesn’t mean to leave the school, it means to leave behind what you have learned and forge a new path, essentially creating your own system that works for you.
There is a lot more to this concept, but suffice to say that mastery is not a one and done thing. There are few masters who willingly accept the title, but they are masters all the same. It is perhaps hubris to think that you have mastered something until you actually have. One idea to think of is an old phrase: If you think you know something, explain it to an eight-year old. Something to think about.
In other news, we plan to restart doing words and thoughts of the week and at some point, once we get the new tech figured out, we will get back to videos for our Patreon friends, including a couple of free ones for those who have not yet made the decision to join us. Stay tuned for more as we go along.
Train hard,
Head Instructor Shawn Morris