Finally, here it is the conclusion of this series of articles in which I disclosed all my secrets to win Iaido competitions.
As you could see yourself, if you were patient enough to follow along this journey, there is really no secret here, but just a great desire to practice and a lot of fun from doing it.
I’ve always loved competitions, I’m a competitive person, I’ve always been so. The adrenaline rush makes me feel alive, the emotions coming from a competition are beneficial for me.
As I always say (and it’s not just me) competitions must be a means to improve ourselves and not the ultimate goal. Getting involved, being judged, is part of the road to improvement. Closing yourself in your own world by rejecting the judgment of others is not, in my opinion, helpful in any field, not just in martial arts.
Please note that I do not intend to convince anyone to compete, these are just my personal thoughts and those who have followed this series probably already realized that all these, in the end, were only my personal opinions and beliefs, which contributed to help me obtain some good results, including the 7th dan. However, this too is not an end result but only a small step, the real goal is to keep practicing until I have the strength, hoping to continue having fun practicing.
So the last secret I want to reveal is:
have fun
have fun practicing in the dojo, have fun at the seminars and have fun in the competitions: if you win, celebrate, if you lose, drink an extra beer and relebrate anyway.
And don’t forget: see you at the sayonara party!
Translated by Gabriele Gerbino
