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The Day I Became A Ronin

 

Miyamoto Mushashi

In feudal Japan, there were two types of warriors: Samurai and Ronin.  Samurai were loyal to a particular Master, while Ronin answered to no one.  One of the most famous Ronin in history was Miyamoto Mushashi who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries.  He wrote the masterpiece of swordsmanship known as the "Book of Five Rings." In more recent times, Bruce Lee could be considered a Ronin.  He famously broke from the teachings of his Master Yip Man to create his own unique martial art of Jeet Kune Do.  His conversion from Samurai to Ronin was prompted by his difficulty in winning a fight against fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man. Lee discovered that sticking dogmatically to the Wing Chun techniques taught by his Master limited his growth as a martial artist.  

I had a similar epiphany.  One day I attended a martial arts class and I was asked by my instructor to demonstrate effective defenses against a straight right or cross.  By this time I had trained in boxing for many years.  When my training partner threw the right cross, I instinctively and effectively slipped the punch. My martial arts instructor promptly reprimanded me for slipping the cross, because that technique was not in the curriculum of the style I was studying.  From that day forward, I became a Ronin.  I decided that I would no longer be bound by any particular martial arts style or instructor.

I searched out the best martial arts instructors from various styles I could find and trained with them. I took the best of what they had to offer and mixed it with my existing martial knowledge. I eventually developed my own unique approach to empty-hands combat known as "Powell Combat Arts" or PCA.  My growth as a martial artist increased exponentially when I made the decision to change from being a Samurai to a Ronin.  While I honor and respect all of my martial arts instructors, I remain my own Master.  I love this quote from martial arts legend Dan Inosanto.  He said, "Knowledge comes from your instructor.  Wisdom comes from within."


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