Way of the Warrior
Older Son took a test for his next belt color in Ninjitsu yesterday, so I hauled Demon Baby with me, and we went to watch the test. And the end of the exam, he got his new belt, and a patch for his uniform. The patch says, in Japanese, "The Way of the Warrior," and over Christmas break, I will sew it on his uniform over his heart.
As a Buddhist, I get that most martial arts is about avoiding conflict. Having the inner confidence so that you do not need to fight. When my son decided to take Ninjitsu, I was very pleased, and after seeing his test, I am even more so. There's a quiet strength to the Way of the Warrior.
Which brings me to writing. No, I can't take a samurai sword and slice this manuscript into submission. But there's a quiet forging ahead in the work I do. A quiet strength. So I wondered what the Way of the Writer Warrior would look like.
I've decided it's about rising before dawn to hit the keyboard. About going within to search for inspiration. About perseverence even when writing seems hard. About modesty and humility in the face of other talented writers--never, ever looking down at a white belt, honoring the black belts among us, the Sensais. It's about training for years and years before even thinking you can wear a black belt. Being humble. Having a strong spirit.
I don't know what I would put on a patch on my heart. But it's enough to know that it's a path and a journey.
What would you say is the Way of the Writing Warrior?
20 comments:
LOVE this post, Erica. I definitely feel I'm a warrior. I guess perseverence is the big one. And not stubborn perseverence (although stubburnness helps), but keeping at it because I know this is what I should be doing.
Hi Edie:
Yes. What we should be doing--or even NEED to be doing. It's a soul-nurturing thing.
E
Old man say:
Be brutally honest with yourself, grasshopper. Treasure that which works. Cut that which does not.
JVZ:
I like that. :-)
Wax on. Wax off.
E
Can I tell you a story about one of my old students? He was an ten year-old black belt at the time, and he was on the playground playing football. Well, one of his playmates got royally pissed for not winning or some such thing, put his head down, and started barreling towards my student.
My student (I heard from another student), just calmly stood there, then took a single step to the side. The angry kid, having no target where expected, ended up flipping on to the ground and getting cut up by the rocks on the ground.
I just love that story. :-)
And I love the martial arts model for writing. Lower belts are treasures, anyway. They never let your forget how much you love your art, whatever your art is. To be around their enthusiasm is a privilege.
You gotta wake up pretty early to get in Pat Moriarty/Kung Fu jokes before 10 a.m. :)
I think the Way, or the Natural Path, of the writer lies through perseverance and surrender. Perseverance to push through the awful moments of doubt and get past the myriad obstacles. Surrender to the idea that this is what I am called to do ... even on the days when I don't want to admit it.
spy:
That is the coolest story. In yesterday's test, he got swung at with a wooden sword three times, and each time had to do a small move to avoid it--stepping to the side, crouching down, etc.
E
P.S. And yes, that enthusaism is infectious.
Ok, JVZ, you and me . . . up at dawn with our respective Demon Babies, cracking Karate Kid jokes. Ahh, the paths our lives take.
All kidding aside, yes. I actually have had to work on surrendering this year. I wanted to quit writing altogether once or twice.
E
My son started Taekwondo back in May, and I'm amazed at the changes I've seen in him since then. He's more humble and respectful toward adults and his peers; and, as his skills improve, so does his confidence in other areas.
I think that's the way of the writer warrior as well.
Respect for all.
Fear of none.
Confidence to move forward with mastery of craft.
Hi Jude:
Good words to live by.
Way of the Writing Warrior?
For me, it is acceptance of my own particular writing process, rather than fighting it. This isn't to say being passive; rather, softly honoring and blessing whatever shows up.
I have struggled a lot with how deliberate and particular I am when I write, but it's only way that seems to work for me. Therefore, I have to let it be.
Tena:
Interesting . . . you know my son is in a lower belt, and so they work on the deliberateness of it all, of doing the moves perfectly, and worrying about speed later.
E
Way of the Writing Warrior?
When I was a white belt I thought writing consisted of sequencing words. Now I know it's more about cutting than anything else. Samurai indeed.
Hi Stephen:
Slicing and dicing. Like the old John Belushi sketches. I cut a lot more than I used to. Thanks to JVZ, who recently popped in to say hi. I take a machete to my work now.
E
Lovely post, Erica... I taught Shotokan karate to wee ones for 9 years, and loved every minute of it.
Karate is interesting on so many levels. I ran a university club, so I had many wealthy kids in my class, but we also took a few kids every term from my sister's school - students who couldn't pay, and who were at risk for violent behavior.
Karate works for many kids, especially boys and girls who are too small, or not motivated to play team sports. So I had some really interesting youth who didn't always fit in well with their peers at school, but who loved the martial arts philosophy, and thrived in our class.
Of course, there are many lessons to learn. The martial arts are about perfection. Not that you can ever reach it, but there is nobility and honor in the effort. It's also about developing the strength of will and moral courage to stand up for others who might not be able to stand up for themselves.
And it's about kindness, about respecting your classmates, about showing patience and encouragement to others who may take a little longer to learn the drills.
And it's about facing your fears, about accepting challenges.
It sounds like your son has a great teacher.
I have had many. Our emblem is the Shotokan Tiger, which most people think refers to the decisive attacks that karate-ka can unleash.
But in truth, our style's founder was also a teacher and a poet, who would travel to the Mountain of the Tiger to write and meditate. Shotokan refers to the winds there rustling through the mountain pines. And so it's about peace and serenity.
The Canadian master for my style came from Guyana, a South American country which has areas of crushing poverty and unspeakable violence. He first learned to fight by avoiding the wild dogs that roamed his shanty-town home.
And here he was, in one of our instructor seminars, telling us that we needed to learn kindness and gentleness. The athletes will stay with karate, he was saying. But we need to reach the kids who have so little going right in their life. We need to give them the strength and encouragement they need to find happiness, show them a way of honor and respect. Every time we lose one of these students, we have failed them.
He ended by telling us to become like the Shotokan symbol — as fierce as a tiger, and as gentle as a pussycat.
Given the rich symbolism that percolates throughout the martial arts, it's little wonder that the protagonist in my first (teen) novel is a youthful black belt. If I ever get the chance to write more than the three chapters I now have, I will feel both lucky and blessed.
Osu!
Richard
Hi Richard:
My son's school is called The Meditative Warrior. How appropriate, I think. And yes, my son doesn't play team sports, and to be honest, I never encouraged them . . . I saw too much insanity of parents and coaches and Little League and so on. So this . . . this speaks to him, and it speaks to me as a parent.
Your teacher sounds amazing; you were very lucky to have studied under him.
E
Erica, I just noticed that you linked to my blog. Thank you!!
Hi Tena:
I love your blog--and your art! And I hope to someday read your book when you are a world-famous author. :-)
E
Hi Tena:
I love your blog--and your art! And I hope to someday read your book when you are a world-famous author. :-)
E
1)Thank you!
2)I hope so too;-)
T
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