Episode 1050 - Sensei Christos Papapanos
In this episode Jeremy sits down and chats with Sensei Christos Papapanos from Greece about the importance of instructors as role models, weapons training, and the manufacture of them.
Sensei Christos Papapanos - Episode 1050
SUMMARY
In this conversation, Sensei Christos Papapanos shares his journey in martial arts, highlighting the importance of mentorship, character development, and the philosophy behind martial arts practice. He discusses the impact of his sensei on his life, the significance of overcoming fear, and the balance between teaching and allowing independence in students.
Christos emphasizes the interconnectedness of karate and kobudo, the importance of continuous learning, and the expression of movement as a core aspect of martial arts. He also touches on his experience in crafting weapons and the lessons learned through this process.
TAKEAWAYS
Sensei Papapanos was inspired by martial arts movies from a young age.
He sought to express himself through movement and martial arts.
Finding a mentor was crucial in his martial arts journey.
A good sensei impacts not just martial arts skills but life lessons.
Character and ethics are essential in choosing a martial arts instructor.
Martial arts is about more than fighting; it's about personal growth.
Overcoming fear is a significant part of martial arts training.
Teaching should balance guidance with allowing students to find their own way.
Kobudo training enhances karate skills and vice versa.
Continuous learning and respect for tradition are vital in martial arts.
CHAPTERS
00:00 The Journey Begins: Early Inspirations in Martial Arts
02:50 Mentorship and Personal Growth in Martial Arts
06:56 The Importance of Character in Martial Arts
09:23 Ethics and Philosophy in Martial Arts Practice
12:40 Facing Fears: Life Lessons from Martial Arts
15:21 Teaching and Learning: The Role of a Sensei
18:28 Family and Martial Arts: Balancing Guidance and Independence
21:34 The Lifelong Journey of Learning and Improvement
23:08 The Value of Guidance: Why We Need Teachers
27:00 Teamwork and Collaboration in Martial Arts and Life
29:33 Power Generation in Martial Arts
32:58 The Importance of Kobudo in Karate Training
36:26 Integrating Kobudo and Karate for Enhanced Skills
39:40 The Role of Tradition and Expression in Martial Arts
42:05 Manufacturing Martial Arts Weapons and Personal Passion
46:21 Finding a Good Sensei and the Journey of Learning
After listening to the episode, it would be exciting for us to know your thoughts about it.
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Show Transcript
Jeremy Lesniak
All right, now keep going.
Christos
Okay, when I was about 10 years old, I see some movies with Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, you know, and I was very enthusiastic about this because I love the way how they move, you know, they express like a dancer, you know, when someone dance.
It's not only the movement, it's how you express yourself. And I wrote, you know, in a paper that I want to express myself with the movement. For me, was easier to express this. So when I see all these movements, I bought some books. You remember the books with the photos, every movement, every step, you know how to do. I had a lot of these books. So I tried to...
Jeremy Lesniak
How old were you when you were reading these books?
Christos
about 13-14 years old. I don't remember exactly, but I think that was my age. About 14. For me, was very... It's like this I wanted so much. So I tried to make it better, better alone, of course. I didn't have a sensei that time.
I always wanted to watch movies. So together with the books and movies, I tried to do my best. You know, when you see someone who is in a high level of movement, you programize yourself to reach this, you know.
When you see something that is, you know, in movies, sometimes, the most of times are not so real things. But when you see this, you try to reach this and to make it happen. You know? So it's like you focus to the moon and grab until the sky, you know? It's like this, I think. So...
This was my first contact with martial arts. I always wanted someone to see what to do, to do what he wanted, to practice with him and of course to know new things. So after some years...
I don't know if you want to ask something, but it's okay to continue?
Jeremy Lesniak
Keep going, keep going. Keep telling, yeah.
Christos
Some years after, I think God helped me to find this kind of person. At first, I was about 21, 22 years old. I met... I involved in a Tang Soo Do. My first Sensei was Antonis Oligotos. And he, he teach me some things for some, some time, for about, I think, two years. And that time it was, you know, when you are young, and your body can do anything you want. It was very easy to follow all these instructions from him and be better for me and for him of course. For some reasons I want some more things and...The big change came in my life with my sensei. He was my, I think that he was, how to say, In Greece we say mentorash and in English I don't know exactly mentor. And that guy was Babis Polychronopoulos. He was, I think, he was my prototype. Can you understand this prototype? Prototype for generally in my life. He was a very high level practitioner in martial arts. He was practicing also with many, with a lot of high level sensei’s, as a master sensei.
And of course, he was in a very big, high level, like a person. I wanted someone to follow that he will be good in martial arts, but also in life. Because I think that have a connection like family. How is your with your family? How is your
Jeremy Lesniak
Hmm.
Christos
How is with your friends? How are you with your Health life? How are you with your spiritual life? How are you with reading if you read and Making new things in your mind. You have to be always upgrading, upgrading yourself through the reading of course
Jeremy Lesniak
Mm.
Jeremy Lesniak
Mm-hmm.
Christos
through the practice. So, it was a time about 16-17 years. 16-17 years. That sensei, because after he was my son and my daughter godfather. And we were very close, very close. When he passed away, you know, a piece of your life changed because you have someone to grab and one time you don't have this. So I believe it was one of the best years of my life because I have this connection with this guy, with this man.
Jeremy Lesniak
Hmm.
Christos
So, you know, when you want to fight something and you fight this to one person, it's like a big, big bless if you have it. And I can say you, can talk for him because many times people want to speak for themselves. I always say speak for your sensei’s and you'll be a product of them. If you are a good product of them, I think that's the purpose because you see the best and you reach this change through the change of yourself. Can you understand me? Okay.
Jeremy Lesniak
Yeah, yeah, you've got me thinking and that's when I'm quiet, I'm usually thinking. And I've got a pretty good picture of this person. And what I'm hearing is that they were more important to you as a person, not just a martial arts instructor.
Christos
course course
Jeremy Lesniak
But what I also hear is that you knew you wanted a good person, not just a good martial arts instructor.
Christos
Yes, yes, of course.
Jeremy Lesniak
That's not always, at least in the West, that's not always common. People look for martial arts and some of us are lucky enough to find good people who are also teaching martial arts. So I'm curious why finding someone who was also a good person was important to you. Because you were young. And you saw Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee on movies.
Christos
Yes.
Jeremy Lesniak
When I was a teenager. I don't know that I would have cared about finding an instructor that was a good person. I would have wanted someone to teach me what I saw on the screen.
Christos
Yes. It's how is your personality. It's how you want to be. For me, I prefer a person, of course, I want someone to be in a high level, high, high level of something. But if someone reaches this level without a good character, how this reacts to you. Do you know some of... I have some friends, cousins, they take their children to a dojo, anyway, a place to practice Taekwondo, practice anything, not only practice, anything, but they can focus how the sensei is. Like a character. Who is he? How he reacts in difficulties? How is his family? Because for me…they much... Because if I practice, me too practice, I practice karate, this has influenced my kids. You know, sometimes it's like you say, tell me how is your best five nearest friends and I will say you, how are you? Who are you? How you're thinking and how you react to things. So, for me ethics, it's the most important. I don't want just to be a good fighter because I want to send you to review when I say now I am Muken Kan. You know Muken Kan? It's a Hiroshi Akamine Karate. And I asked him now in that, what is the meaning of this? What means Mukenkan? He explained me and his words is... Don't have fist in your heart. Don't have any fighting spirit in your heart. And even if the other person comes at you with fist, like a fighting spirit, avoid it with open hands. And not fighting spirit. You know, some people they say, you can put karate in your life and you have to, when you are in bad times, you have to use it to protect yourself. And that's of course the meaning. But have you ever someone think, feel how is to hit someone? and make him injury very bad. If someone reached the time that some people will fight between them in real life, after when this finished and you won, what happened after? So sometimes it's nice to have the spirit and the character that if you can win without fighting, I believe that's the best way to do karate because it's something from inside you. When you are sure of something, you don't need to show it to say, I am here, I can do this and this. But if you are good inside you, you don't need to show this.
It's like the other guy feel it, sometimes feel it. It's like expression. You feel it and go back and finish there. Maybe sometimes needs to have this fight, but I think that when you're practicing, you don't know how it will be in real life.
If you practice karate, you do some movements, you already know how it finished. But in real life, the only thing you need is to hit some soft points.
Jeremy Lesniak
Mm.
Christos
These soft points can change the way of the fighting. This is the power of karate. If karate and martial arts have spirit behind, you don't need to do it sometimes. Most of the times, I think that you can go back and be nice with yourself and don't feel that you lose something, but to have the freedom and the expression inside you that you didn't lose.
I don't know, but for me it's very important that because I have seen some times that how the life it's going with difficulties and you see some people that they say they are macho men and you know like a fighter with a bad way in real life you can see them that they are afraid of the most easily the most you know not afraid things. Can you understand me?
Jeremy Lesniak
Yeah, fearless.
Christos
Fearless, yes. And for me that's very important because if you can fight your afraid, you're afraid of something. My daughter, some days before, he was afraid how to go to nurse and take some blood, you know, for some exams.
And I always was there with her to be near to her because when he took the blood, he was sleeping. She passed out. And one day came to me and told me, I wanted to give blood. Without me? Yes, without you.
And I didn't pass out. And I said to her, that's a very amazing thing that you're afraid, you didn't afraid to follow. You're afraid? You didn't follow, you did exactly the opposite.
And for me, that's a big winning. Many people, you know, they do a lot of things, but in real life, you can see that afraid, afraid for everything.
Anyway, it's okay, yes.
Jeremy Lesniak
It's okay to be afraid, right? I mean, that's what martial arts is. We're punching each other in the face. We should be afraid of that, but it doesn't stop us.
Christos
And how to handle this? How to handle this? So, you know, for me it's a way of life, it's expression, I said it many times, but this is the real thing for me. I see, I don't see only the movement to the people, I have some, to teach them some karate movements and the kobudo movements, but I always see how they're reacting on this because I'm a very detailed man. I word the details exactly from my sensei, Hiroshi Akamine and Dell Hamby of course, if you Dell Hamby sensei and Kaicho Hiroshi Akamine teach me now and I'm very grateful for this because it's like a continuous for what I have with my old sensei and give me the opportunity. Because when you lose something, you think that's the finish. You think that there's no way to find something else to continue. But I think with about 2018, I met Kaicho Akamine, Hiroshi, Hiroshi Akamine, and Dell Hamby, and I'm very grateful because I'm a part of this organization now and of course to these people, to these two guides for me.
Because now it's the traditional fix. Because I have some conversation, what is the differences from traditional with the, you know, to go to some fight and…
So traditional for me now it's very important because you can see the differences in the movement. And of course, who is the line, who is behind the lineage. The lineage is for me and who is the lineage. Yes. Who is the behind of them. It's very important that because I learned some things about Kaicho Hiroshi Akamine and his history. When he spoke that he told that he was practicing with Taira Shinken sensei, it's very important that when you see that has a sensei like Gushiken and who was a sensei who you couldn't find him, but he was hiding. He wasn't the guy that you can find everywhere, but for me that's very important. I don't know if you understand me, but you know.
Jeremy Lesniak
Hmm. I do, I do. And it is clear that this is how you're raising your family too. Right? To me, to me...
Christos
I tried, I tried.
Jeremy Lesniak
what you said about going your child they're going to give blood. That's martial arts. I'm scared. I haven't done a good job of it in the past, passing out, but I'm going to do it anyway.
Christos
Of of course.
Jeremy Lesniak
and I'm going to trust myself enough to do it alone. I mean, that's the formula. That's what we do. Maybe we don't always do it alone, but we do the other three parts every time we train, or I think good training, that happens every day.
Christos
Yes.
Jeremy Lesniak
and we get better at it.
Christos
Yes.
Jeremy Lesniak
I'm thinking of my question. I've got a few that I'm deciding against. Which question do I want to ask you?
Christos
Okay.
Jeremy Lesniak
when
Jeremy Lesniak
If you…. Do you teach your children? Let me start there. Do you teach martial arts to your family?
Christos
Now, no, but some years ago, yes.
Now, no.
I think that they are in a phase, you know, when you grow up and you are about 20 years old, you have to know first yourself. And I think they need some space for that. For me, it was very difficult that because I'm a guy that don't you see that I smile and I'm sometimes bad character. But I think that...
Sometimes happen things because it's the best way. I don't know how to say it, but it happens. And of course, the reason that the focus of all that is what are you doing? First, I have to see myself what I'm doing and leave the others out. And if they want to follow, it's okay.
If they don't, again, it's okay. For me, my wife is more easy for that because I am a guy that I want to everything I start, I want to finish. When I say that it's right, you have to do it because it's right. But sometimes don't work like this way.
Because people have the character and the way how they think and everyone has his character. So sometimes the problem is you. You have to change you, yourself. And then you can see the other things and problems maybe or the good things for the people because you don't need to grab them to keep them near to you because sometimes you need to leave it free. If they want feel, the... It's like you have a student and then you a practitioner, a new practitioner and you give him some advice. You teach him how to move. Now, for now I ask because I have someone to practice, but I always ask if they really want this. And if they really want it, they will stay for many years. I collect, I find someone who is interested for years.
And to like the details. Details sometimes tire you and make you feel that I want some new things and forget the basics. For me, after some years of practicing, always now I'm going back to the first things, the first details and I see how better I am now because the years passed and the knowledge with wisdom came together and you understand the movement better.
So I think that's a way of life. It's how you react in your life, how you are doing things in your life.
He also said to me that if your dreams is big enough, the facts don't count. Okay, so...
Jeremy Lesniak
I have a question.
You've talked about, you said it in there, sometimes people have to find their own way, but you also talked about showing people. How do you decide? How do you decide when someone has to figure it out for themselves or you need to show them?
Christos
Yes, I think always in the beginning you need someone to guide you. You can learn that. I have someone who told me that, you know, someone guide, I'm so many dance. Why I need a sensei?
and
The way of thinking, of my thinking is exactly the opposite. If you are new in martial arts, you need of course someone to teach you the basics. But if your level is high, why you don't need someone to see you and correct you in the level you are. I think that you need more someone to teach you in high level. But I think sometimes the ego and the things like I know this, I know that. If I have all this done, all this knowledge, why I need a Sensei?
I think that it's a life connection. You are a product of your sensei’s, but sensei will be always your sensei. Even if he is 82, 90 years old, he will be always your sensei because he taught you the way, the road of martial arts. And I think it's very equal to say that in that age can’t offer you something because knowledge and wisdom came with the years. If you have the good way of your life, if you teach a lot of people, if you are in the way for karate or kung fu or anything you like, it's a way of life. If you don't show this respect to someone because you have to take something from that, not only for knowledge in martial arts but in life, in real life.
You see the difference. You will see the difference. That's my way, of course. I think that when if someone grow up, he's grown up and he has a lot of things to teach you. If someone is very old age, know, 82, 90 years, 100, I think that he always can give you something.
I think it's a way of life. I don't know why people, they think that they don't respect sometimes. They think that if they are be alone and they will do everything in a better way. I don't think that's right. I think you need always someone to show you the details and when you do something in a mirror exactly, you see only some things. Someone who is many years before you, he has the knowledge. And for me, it's very, very, very important.
Jeremy Lesniak
The best people I know at anything all have a teacher. They all have a coach. The best athletes in the world, martial arts, basketball.
Name it. Anything.
The best writers in the world, they have editors. We all need an instructor or a coach.
When we go alone, there's a, I've said this on the show before, it's an African proverb I really like. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Christos
That's right, that's right. Very good, very good.
Jeremy Lesniak
And it's not just about teachers, but it's also about teamwork. But I used to be someone that would do everything alone. I didn't like to ask for help.
And now that I'm willing to ask for help, I am so much better. It is so much easier. Everything is better.
Christos
I know, I know.
Christos
Of course, course. I think you have right because when you have someone you can ask something because you can see everything yourself. You can see all the movements, you can see all the details. I have a lot of videos of my Sensei and because I go to Okinawa and a lot of places in the world because I like to practice and of course this helped me, of course this helped me Dell Hamby is a say. You need something that when you want to improve, improve, improve, it's necessary I think to have some eyes to look at you very, very, very specific way and in a way that the details change.
And if you have this, you can go better and better in your life. And of course in the martial arts, because it's not only life, it's martial arts, it's how we move, how we do things. it's like when you do Kobudo and you see someone ask me, why someone now practice with Kubudo? know, Kubuto is with some weapons of the old time, like Sai, Nunchuku and all these things. I always say, by the way, the how, how you move. The old times, I think, because they're fighting for their lives, martial arts with empty hands, and weapons. They are too close. It's a way to give each other the way how to handle the fight.
A difference I see in my sensei Dell Hamby and Kaicho Akamine is how now the most important is that they give power to the movement from the hip. A tiny hip, not a big movement of hip. A small, small time of using the hip. And This makes the difference how you can use this when you are doing Kubudo in Karate. It's like you punch something from 10 cm. You can have the distance to have the power to move and hit something. But if you are near to the target, like 10 cm, how can you generate a power in that 10 cm?
Have you ever tried to hit something from 10 centimeters with a punch?
Jeremy Lesniak
Hold on, I have to convert.
Christos
Think about it. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
How can we multiply and generate the power in these only 10 centimeters?
Jeremy Lesniak
It has to be hip.
Christos
Hip, the opposite movement and the legs grab the floor and use this power from 10 cm. If you have the knowledge of that, do you know what will happen if you have exactly the distance you need?
If you have a big distance, the power will be more and more because you use to hit in small distance. I learned this from Muken Kan of course, but I learned it from Kobudo because I always teach my students to hit. I say to them, leave your body move. Leave your hands to go. Without thinking, just move it and when you are finally in 10cm before the target, use your hip to multiply and explode the power.
If I use my movement from the beginning, all the power, the opponent usually see my movements from the shoulder. If I leave the hands to go and to last five centimeters I use my hip and generate the power, you can’t grab it. It's the difference. It's so, so, so, so, so different this in this way.
It's like you hit with the kick. It's more difficult, of course, because kicks need more exercise than hands, because hands, we're using them every day. When we go to kitchen, when we go to artworks, everywhere. And of course, the legs need more exercise.
Last about eight years because I'm practicing a lot of traditional karate. I left a little behind my legs. So now I try to focus to make them stronger, to be in a good way in all my body, not only my hands.
And of course of the health, for my health and for my legs, for all my body. Because we have a big part of our body, needs every piece of our body to be practiced and be more power.
You know?
Jeremy Lesniak
I want to go back to Kobudo if we can, if that's okay.
Christos
okay. Yes, course.
Jeremy Lesniak
Because most people who train martial arts do not do much with weapons.
Christos
Did not do?
Jeremy Lesniak
I think most people have done a little, but they do not train weapons a lot. And they don't train it in the same… with the same intention that they train their empty hand. Most of the people I know who train Kobudo read it as a separate and very important part of their training.
Christos
Yes, I believe that.
Jeremy Lesniak
Can you talk about how kobudo helps your karate and how karate helps your kobudo.
Christos
Can you imagine the people in Okinawa before 200 years ago, in a real fight...They have to use everything, not only the hands, everything.
So it's sometimes the needs that change the way how we move. If I take like a sai and make some punches, punches, tsuki with sai, this because sai, the weight for my sai is about 750 grams.
And when I make the tsuki, it's like to have... I practice my muscle to be more powerful.
It's like you use weights, you know, weights. It's like this. It's like this. I think that it's very important that Kobudo and Karate be together.
okay.
I think sometimes Kobudo is more difficult than karate sometimes because if you start my sensei now, Kaicho Akamine said to me that I read from his interview that when you use sai or nunchuck or tonfa you push, hit, but when you use bo, you pull the bo to generate the power. Can I understand? So if you take all these pieces together, anything you are doing, if you have a stick in your hand, if you have a knife in your hand, if you have a nunchaku in your hand or a tonfa, This helps you to have a complete knowledge of the movement. That's the way I think.
And you have to see that and after you say, I don't want that. But first you need to practice some months, mostly some months to see the difference. And if you want after, you say no to the Kobudo. I think it's very important to be together. For me, that makes the difference.
Jeremy Lesniak
That makes sense. Yeah.
Christos
Because it's some, what to say, how can I say that? It's something like one thing needs the other. Yes, maybe someone told me that it's not necessary that, but for me, I see the difference to my movement through the kobudo. And, you know.
And when you have experience from that because the last about 27 years I practice in that way. I think that in my opinion it's very necessary to use both of them.
And always I ask when I am in seminar, you know, when I go, I was in Mexico, I was in Austria, I was in… anyway, many places and my sensei, Delkhabi said to me, just speak a little. I don't want of course, but anyway, I have to say some things. I always ask why they need to do Kobudo.
Why someone who is doing Shotokan? Why he needs to do Kobudo? Why someone who do any martial arts? Why he wants to need to use Kobudo? Why? It's a question that you have to think and of course you have to do first before you answer in that. And some people are listening, but some they don't listen. That's OK. They can do everyone the same as you. But I think it's a way that you have to do it first, and then you say, I don't care about this.
Have you ever practiced in Kubudo? Are you practicing Kubudo?
Christos
Little? Little bit. Okay. Yes.
Jeremy Lesniak
little.
Little. More when I was younger.
Christos
So, I don't know how to say this but you have to do it first and to taste it and after reject it. First taste for some practices, you know, some months, years anyway, and after you can say no for that. When I see the movement of now, when I am near to, you know, always I try to focus how the body of my sensei is moving, is moving. You know, when you focus only your hand, you lose all the part. You have to focus to the legs, you have to focus on the hip. When I see Dell Hamby and say the power of his more younger than me, I think, in his movement. But the power... So big power when he moves and finishes, the power is so big.
When you move your bo and strike Shomen Uchi and you can see the edge of the bo to move like this.
up down. When the movement is finished, you can see the power of the bo and that makes me crazy because I want to reach that level.
Anyway, in everything, I think that everything, in everything you can do, you can make it like martial arts, anything. And of course, if you have a sensei who, his father was doing Kobudo and karate and all the sensei’s before him 100 years ago.
150 years ago, you can see that it's very important because all this knowledge going through the son, the, you know, from the... and generate this and make it very, very, very, very, in big level, in high level. So I don't know what to say about this because it's an expression of movement.
Always this. the end, always the expression of movement.
I don't know if you know that, but I have a manufacturer of weapons. I manufacture the weapons. Dream Metal.
Jeremy Lesniak
Oh, tell us about that.
Christos
Yes, I think my wife and me and some more. We manufacture about 15 years now all the weapons, 15 years.
Jeremy Lesniak
Oh, cool.
Christos
And now I give in about 40 countries, 40 countries. And when you make this that you are using, it's the different thing.
Because you can choose the way and what's the best, the best for you and for the others, because you're already using this. My Dream Metal Weapons Kobudo, because I've named it that way, Dream Metal Kobudo. And I think that also makes the difference. Because all the knowledge of my sensei’s and of course, you know, I already I'm already with Kaicho Akamine, he gave me the opportunity to have special weapons only for his with his name on it Seibukan weapons kobudo, so, you know all this knowledge because I took from him all the designs, all the... how the wedge will be and how to make it in... how to make all that and make it real. So now I think a very important thing to show to the people that it's not only the weapons, it's all the things with weapons that matter.
Christos
Can you tell?
Jeremy Lesniak
Where can people find those? Is there a website?
Christos
Yes, is a website www.weaponskobudo.com.
Jeremy Lesniak
Okay. We'll put that in the show notes for people. Yeah. Yeah.
Christos
You can see that and see some videos of course. And if you want to buy something you can buy. I want to show you a side. It's a new side now I make you know. Do you like it?
Jeremy Lesniak
Of course.
Christos
I want to show you a sai. It's a new sai now I make you know. Do you like it?
Jeremy Lesniak
I do. I do with the twist. I like that.
Christos
It's the first time in the world that I make it to have this, you know, design.
Jeremy Lesniak
Pretty. That is beautiful.
Jeremy Lesniak
Really nice. Really nice.
Christos
Because all my life is around all this. From the morning I wake up, my work is to manufacture only weapons kobudo. Only that. And this of course makes me happy. Because it's, you know, all these things, it's All my life is in that.
Jeremy Lesniak
I understand. I do.
Christos
It's how you feel. I've been so excited with all this because if you are in your life doing what you dream to do, I think it's a very, very, blessing.
If you dream something, it is real now and you make it real, I think it's a very, very, very big lesson.
Jeremy Lesniak
It's time for us to start to end.
Christos
Okay.
Jeremy Lesniak
What do you want to remind the audience of? What do you want them to think about after having listened to you today?
Christos
is that I always said, find first a good sensei, a very, very, very good sensei, with history. When I say history, I say a history. You have to understand this. When I say history, I say history. Father to son, know, like this, a good sensei and follow him until the end.
You can do your things, but find someone to correct you and of course to have someone to ask. He's the door, door, doorway door. It's how he walk the path before you.
Leave the ego outside and follow. It will be a very, very exciting trip.
It don't need to be like Bruce Lee because many people think that, you know, they grab a nunchaku and they think that when I have nunchaku in my hand, I can kill 30, 40 people. No, no, Just find someone humble man. A sensei with history, I’ve said many times with history, and then follow him and I think that will be a very exciting and very nice trip in your life.
in your life, not just for some years and in your life.
I always try to be near to some of them. Always. I always try to follow. If I find something good, I want to grab it from the hair, from the body, from everywhere. Sorry, but that's the way how I am. I don't say someone else maybe has his way, but for me, this is the way.