Mastery

As part of our school's training for black belts, we are asked to read Joe Hyams' Zen in the Martial Arts. It's a great book for aspiring martial artists, and has helped many people over the years at the school.

However, I think I am going to recommend that our black belt candidates (especially the adults) also read this book by George Leonard. My main training partner for my second degree lent me his copy, which he had been given by a friend of his whose father had trained with George Leonard in California.

George Leonard was a pilot in WWII, an instructor in the US Air Force, a writer, editor and educator as well as being a fifth degree black belt in aikido. He wrote several books on education, psychology and the martial arts and died in January 2010 at the age of 86.

Mastery lays out, in a few short chapters, some fundamental principles for the development of successful traits, and lessons on how to deal with the ups and downs of a life devoted to mastery. I think its a great book not just for martial artists (although it is directed mostly at that audience), but to anyone who is interested in dedicating themselves to a lifetime of personal development. I said a lifetime of personal development because (as this book points out quite well) that's a wonderful definition of mastery.

Mastery is not a destination you get to, but rather a path that you walk. A 'master' is not accorded the respect they deserve because they can do things that others can't, but rather because they have committed themselves to achieving all that they can, and devote their lives to doing so. They also recognize that there is always something to learn, and are always willing to change and evolve.

The book illustrates the central problem of mastery -- the plateau. Everyone who has ever trained at something, or tried to improve at something eventually encounters the feeling that they are no longer getting any better: they've hit a point where they keep going at the same level, and can't seem to change or improve. They have plateaued. The book makes the argument that how different people deal with this situation is what differentiates masters from dabblers, hackers and obsessives.

I really enjoyed the book. It's not the answer to everything, and doesn't pretend to be. But for someone who is interested in walking a path that will go on for the rest of their life, it is an interesting perspective on the challenges that you will face on this journey.