When I was younger, I was basically a perfectionist. I wanted all things to be perfect. I can remember times that I expended tremendous energy attempting to keep things in perfect order.
Then naturally, as I matured and developed in life an in Budo, I was able to see that actually imperfection dominates and therefore should be welcomed.
In a recent conversation with Hatsumi Sensei , we discussed and how this concept relates to Budo, to life and to all the arts. There is no perfect person, therefore there is no perfect Budo and ultimately there is no perfect Gokui.
I like to think of it this way; perfection is something that does not have a long life span. It is perfect for an instant and then is gone again, falling back into imperfection. Perfection is therefore not stable nor reliable and can give a false sense of confidence. If you see perfect technique then most likely it is false and unreliable and will most likely fail to imperfection. If imperfection is not welcome then you will not be stable when perfection fails.
A flower blooms into perfection for only an instant and then will begin to wilt back to imperfection. What is hidden is what is beautiful and that instant it is gone. -Hisureba Hana. -Perfection comes at times when you least expect it and flows in and out depending on luck and-never via control.
Therefore in training, if you strive to allow for imperfection and are mature and realistic enough to accept that nothing will go the way it is expected, then you will have a strong foundation in execution with a solid foundation of Fudoshin. Fudoshin is clearly more critical than technique.
Simply appreciate it for the instant it is there, but know that it will be gone again and cannot be relied upon or controlled.
This is also connected to incompleteness and can be seen as basically the same thing. Incomplete technique allows for imperfection and therefore fudoshin. Complete technique can be seen as fixation, and this mind is dangerous and limiting.
Imperfection is everywhere and CAN be relied upon. Consistency and satisfaction in imperfection will develop a state of fudonshin and calmness of heart.
Bufu Ikkan
Banpen fugyo is, I think, all about being in the moment. To the degree in which we are focused (fixated, more like) on a particular outcome in the future, we are apt to be surprised at sudden changes in the present. I see this all the time in my own training.
Not to say that we don’t focus our intention, but we might let the details leading up to that intention’s fruition be somewhat vague and open to change.
Of course, not all intentions are equall!
“I will complete my task and beat anyone who gets in my way” is one thing, while
“I will complete my task and arrive home safely” is quite another.
Doug, on reading your words, I was struck by the perfect way you describe the fleeting nature of perfection. Oh, it’s gone again!
Doug, I really enjoyed your description. In my classes, I describe perfection as something which gives you direction but not necessarily to be attained. What I mean is that by trying to achieve perfection, you keep on working on whatever you put your mind and body to achieve. However, if someone would always be “perfect” then what would that person be able to work on after that???
“Perfection” also has a different meaning for everyone. A good example is given by Don : “beat everyone who gets in my way” vs “arrive home safely”.
I agree that perfection is present in fleeting moments. When students ask about what is the best technique for a situation, I tell them “whatever got you home safely back to your family”. That, to me, is the perfect technique.
Early in my training I read a quote attributed to Soke regarding the dangers of perfect technique.
Soke described perfectionists as ‘dead people’ and observed that once you have achieved perfection (real or imagined) you have no where to go and will stagnate. He admonished the reader to be an (im)perfectionist; continually revealing your flaws and turning them in to strengths.
While I savor the rare and fleeting moments of ‘perfect technique’, I gain a perverse satisfaction from the ongoing polishing of my daily practice. The process of shaving the excess and massaging the rough spots will never end. I find great comfort in that.
I suppose something that is perfect, is something that fits to produce the “perfect” outcome. Like a cog in a machine, the machine produces the product it was designed to do. But if you magnified the cog, the tolerance may be big enough to drive a truck through.
Saying that – the marvel of gods creations would be “perfect” – IF – they were to exist in a perfect world, where everything else was also perfect-in “pure synchronicity”.
This must be similiar for the term “Expert” – of which I believe none such exists.
Better breakdown of this is “ex” the unknown factor and “spert “a drip under pressure!
I like this article, it reminds of something from the Tao Te Ching (or possibly the Hua Hu Ching), “The most perfect thing will seem imperfect yet it will be perfectly itself.” It’s a strong statement because perfection and imperfection are merely observations of an analytical mind. Take for example a person’s yard, where one person my find an “unruly” yard as imperfect for not be well “manicured” another may find it perfect in it’s naturalness.
Pingback: Recovering from Imperfections - 21 Dragons
Very nicely written. The comments are also enlightening. One thing I want to ask everyone is this: “Believing that ‘perfect’ isn’t possible and thus ‘perfection’ can’t be attained; isn’t this being hopeless and losing faith in oneself and one’s abilities?”