Why Community is important

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the 4th annual "Batto Camp" in the Poconos. It was a great weekend, with great training opportunities, and a more relaxed judgement-free environment. Not to mention great food. What struck me most though was the community/family aspect of it. Out of everything I got out of the two days of camp, this was I think the most valuable.

Martial arts in general is a difficult journey, and having a great community atmosphere is, in my mind, essential in maximizing everyone's growth and development. There is the support aspect, where even on your worst days, one can be inspired by your fellow students/sensei. Being encouraged to do your best, can help overcome the sometimes self-discouraging feelings one gets from a bad day (or in my case, after recently recovering from an injury).

There is the sharing of information aspect of community. Different viewpoints are always welcome when learning anything. Sometimes a fresh viewpoint is all that's needed to help invigorate your training, or expand on your concepts. Perhaps it just validates what you know. Especially for beginners, your sensei should be your number one source or information, but feel free to learn from your seniors and other sensei...and discuss what you learn. Maybe you'll get to your own truth...everyone is different, after all.

Another very important thing about having a strong community is that it re-emphasizes the feeling of a greater whole that one should have when doing a martial art. It's not just you, your dojo, and your fellow students. There's a whole lot of other people practicing this art and trying to achieve the next level. Consider that next time you decide to have lazy Kata, or you let your fundamentals slide. People are working hard to preserve a martial art passed on through the generations...why aren't you? Have respect for your community by doing your best always, and keeping standards high. You represent not just your dojo, but the whole community, so always show your best.

Batto camp was a great experience because I finally started to feel like a real part of the community, despite having only been training for a handful of months. It inspired me to try even harder to be a better swordsman, be a better martial artist, and also introduced me to some really great people. This is another set of family members who I know I can count on, and who will also count on me.

We're all working towards the same goals, so why not work on them together?