Still Learning

In one of the numerous translations of The Book Of Five Rings there is this little throw away sentence. "Oral Tradition: 'Teach your body strategy'."
It's a very simple sentence isn't it? But I'm still learning what it means. It's very easy to intellectualise about some concepts and in fact this can be a good thing as the brain needs to absorb things deeply before understanding appears, then understanding can be thrown away and true understanding appears. But too much intellection does not make instinct. I have been fencing now for twenty odd years and I still can't get it right. I'm ok (sometimes good); but I ain't that good. I have been studying Zen and martial philosophy for many years too and I still can't get that right either. I like to keep this blog secular as I have no right or business to foist my philosophical beliefs on anyone but you'd probably be a bit obtuse if you haven't spotted my leanings by now! My point is that it is actually incredibly difficult to condition your self/mind/body to act so instinctively that it responds correctly to any situation. When I am fencing I occasionally find myself in a mental state that facilitates this but this is quite rare. Most of the time I am actively plotting a strategy, rather than let it manifest itself spontaneously. I have absorbed the words and the intellectual principles behind Musashi's words but I am a long long way from physically and spiritually integrating it into my fencing. When I really consider the reality of what he is saying, the fact that he no doubt did emanate these principles in combat, I realise what a formidable presence he must have been. This presence does not appear overnight; Musashi wrote his book when he was 59. I have a long path to travel yet but this blog is a start....