Wisdom Hidden is Wisdom Wasted

I read somewhere that “Wisdom hidden is wisdom wasted.”  For the true martial arts students I feel that it is wasted knowledge to hold back on techniques and one of my fears is to go to my deathbed with knowledge of martial arts that I have not given to my students.  This does not mean that all my techniques or things that I know should be given to all martial artist just for the asking but should be given when they are ready.  To find out if one is ready it is just the same as climbing a mountain; one must start at the bottom and then take the first step toward the top.  To do otherwise and take shortcuts such as ride a car or even and airplane toward the top one would still achieve the same goal but think of the experience and all of the sights that would be missed.  Another way of putting this is the different between a seed and a flower.

If I sometime seem to be reluctant to give away knowledge of certain martial arts techniques it is because I don’t feel that they will be cherished or appreciated the way I do or even partially.

I say that I teach something new every day to my students.  I hope that my students look for and receive more then just techniques, if not I have failed.

-Master John Dowdy