Life Lessons from Kendo - Basics aren't just for martial arts

*Image from kendo-guide.com

When I joined my first lesson and we went through the basics over and over again, and then continued to do this almost every session for weeks, I wasn't surprised. Having done martial arts before I understood the value of basics and why you needed to get them as close to perfect as possible. A flaw in your basics can have an impact on everything else you do.

What I failed to realise when I was younger is that this approach to basics doesn't only apply to martial arts. It applies to everything we do. Basics is essentially what our core beliefs and habits are.

Do you believe that honesty is the only option? Then your basics are to never lie. Do you refuse to eat meat? Then you don't.
These are built from everything you believe in and what you stand for.

It's not exactly an earth-shattering realisation or lesson in truth, but looking at it from a different perspective made significant differences in my life. It helped me realise that my basics were highlighting things that I was doing that weren't aligned with what I believed in and who I saw myself as. Either my perception of myself was wrong, or I wasn't being true to myself.

Your basics allow you to identify where you're not being true to yourself, and if your perception of who you are and how you are acting aren't in alignment, and give you the opportunity to correct this where needed.

I've used this realisation to regularly review what I believe and how I am acting to ensure that they're in alignment. It has also helped me firm up what I stand for and what I believe in as well as who I am.

I suspect everyone already does this, each in their own way, maybe just framed in a different way, and this perspective helped me understand this, and myself, better.