Step into the Circle and Shake like we Do

The other evening, I was sitting in the living room while one of my roommates was watching television. The name escapes me, but it's the show in which they measure the science of fighting, in terms of physics and physiology.

In this show, they were talking about concussions and grappling. Naturally, of course, they used exclusively Mixed Martial Artists from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

This was alright, as I certainly have respect for what they do. To say that Ultimate Fighters are not skilled is untrue. Their bodies are in peak condition as a result of disciplined training and they are good at what they do. That's not really a diverging point.

However, in this show's conclusion, they referred to Ultimate Fighters as "elite warriors" and I was bugged. I said "they're fighters, not warriors. There's a difference." Presumably, Master Lee is getting inside my head.

Anyway, it led me to ponder the obvious question: "What defines someone as a warrior?"
At seminar, Master Lee asked if anyone knew the expression "a sharp blade dulls quickly" and its meaning. Everyone thought so, but apparently we were wrong. Apparently it's an expression used to suppress brilliance, innovation, and excellence. It says "don't excel, because you'll burn out if you do." None of us got that out of it. We all thought it meant "one must always work to better oneself and improve. A continual sharpening of the blade, as it were."

Here's what I believe: the defining characteristic of a true warrior is NOT the application of martial skills toward another human being (infinitely moreso when done for sport or fame); it is an attitude, an approach, a way of seeing the world. A warrior concerns him/herself always with striving to keep sharpening their blade. They may never enter into combat or even conflict, but they are not robbed of this virtue for this lonely reason.

A warrior does not need to be in the front lines of battle, though he could, and for only the right reasons, he would.

Ultimate Fighters are not warriors because they're not fighting for anything.

These are my thoughts.