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Received in an email that was forwarded from AR15 and I felt it was relevant:
"Competition, is a crucial part of the process, in the mastery of a chosen art. Its a demonstration, by the practitioner, that his path, his way in the journey of that mastery was either correct, or in need of further refinement.
Classes are fine, their purpose is to suggest the way, through the shared experience of a master. They indicate right direction, encourage discipline, and a process to practice. But in the case of arms, in the end you must take what you see, what you hear, what you read, and what you experience and turn it into your own way. It is ultimately your endeavor, and to stand in the arena before others, and demonstrate your way reveals to all and mainly yourself whether you put your faith in
the truth or just a facade of smoke.
To deny yourself the opportunity to experience such an aspect of the journey is a mistake."
Why we compete
#1
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Posted 04 October 2007 - 08:02 PM
"For those who fight for it life has a flavor the protected never know."
USMC 1965-1968 RVN 1966-1967
"Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -- PJ O'Rourke
USMC 1965-1968 RVN 1966-1967
"Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -- PJ O'Rourke
MultiQuote
#2
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Posted 04 October 2007 - 08:11 PM
That is excellent. Thank you for sharing.
#3
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Posted 04 October 2007 - 08:30 PM
Excellent post! thanks.
A42937
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure." -Colin Powell
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure." -Colin Powell
#6
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Posted 04 October 2007 - 10:17 PM
I like that one. 
Area 5 Championships Jun10-13th Online application and payment
"Time has little to do with infinity and jelly doughnuts" TSM
For the ladies...
"Time has little to do with infinity and jelly doughnuts" TSM
For the ladies...
#7
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Posted 04 October 2007 - 11:04 PM
I like that a lot. Thanks for posting it.
Keith
____________________
Not all those who wander are lost.
TANSTAAFL
Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like.
____________________
Not all those who wander are lost.
TANSTAAFL
Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like.
#8
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Posted 05 October 2007 - 01:08 AM
Excellent!
Bart AKA "Bulldozer"
TY23298
SOB #8 The Selfincriminator
Never argue with an idiot. They'll just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!
TY23298
SOB #8 The Selfincriminator
Never argue with an idiot. They'll just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!
#10
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Posted 05 October 2007 - 04:47 AM
Motivating post! Thanks 
#11
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Posted 05 October 2007 - 08:36 AM
A year ago, a teacher told me that competition was necessary to improve skills in this sport. I didn't want to believe him.
Found out this year that he was absolutely correct. [I suspect he may see this, he lurks around the Forum occasionally.] 'Stand and deliver' time is the true crucible of training.
This is a wonderfully elegant/eloquent post. I may run a copy to stuff in the range bag, a little inspirational reminder for later.
Found out this year that he was absolutely correct. [I suspect he may see this, he lurks around the Forum occasionally.] 'Stand and deliver' time is the true crucible of training.
This is a wonderfully elegant/eloquent post. I may run a copy to stuff in the range bag, a little inspirational reminder for later.
This post has been edited by FranDoc: 05 October 2007 - 11:26 AM
Hold fast to the Great Image, and all the world will come. Tao Te Ching , no. 35
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." attributed to the Dali Lama
"Trust Ivanova. Trust yourself. Anybody else? Shoot 'em." - Babylon 5
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." attributed to the Dali Lama
"Trust Ivanova. Trust yourself. Anybody else? Shoot 'em." - Babylon 5
#12
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Posted 05 October 2007 - 08:53 AM
"How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight??" - Tyler Durden 
Dave Re - A-25626 - http://drperformanceshooting.com - http://re-gun.blogspot.com
SOB #2 - The Envianator
"...we are breaking through all those sacred maxims of our forefathers, and giving alarm to every wise man on the continent of America, that all his rights depend on the will of men whose corruptions are notorious, who regard him as an enemy, and who have no interest in his prosperity." - George Johnstone, addressing the British House of Commons, October 26, 1775
"Of course I can count to three!! For God's sake, I'm already shooting at a fifth grade level!!!"
Stewie Griffin
SOB #2 - The Envianator
"...we are breaking through all those sacred maxims of our forefathers, and giving alarm to every wise man on the continent of America, that all his rights depend on the will of men whose corruptions are notorious, who regard him as an enemy, and who have no interest in his prosperity." - George Johnstone, addressing the British House of Commons, October 26, 1775
"Of course I can count to three!! For God's sake, I'm already shooting at a fifth grade level!!!"
Stewie Griffin
#13
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Posted 05 October 2007 - 09:06 AM
Thanks! I'll think about that in the morning while I LAMR. Nothing beats a good match.
Robin
Robin
This post has been edited by gunsablazin: 05 October 2007 - 09:07 AM
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" Turning money into noise since 1970"
PM Meridian Sun Lodge #50 F&AM
" Turning money into noise since 1970"
#14
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Posted 05 October 2007 - 07:31 PM
Thanks for the compliments!
Competition is the blood that keeps some of us (probably all of us here) alive. I've been rode hard and put up wet too many times over a very full life and sometimes getting down the stairs in the morning is an experience. A lot of days picking up a gun to practice is down right painful. But come Sunday morning and that buzzer goes off it all goes away and I can't feel a damn thing but the pull of a crisp two pound trigger. No pain, no recoil, no muzzle blast, just pull the trigger.
Ain't it neat?
Competition is the blood that keeps some of us (probably all of us here) alive. I've been rode hard and put up wet too many times over a very full life and sometimes getting down the stairs in the morning is an experience. A lot of days picking up a gun to practice is down right painful. But come Sunday morning and that buzzer goes off it all goes away and I can't feel a damn thing but the pull of a crisp two pound trigger. No pain, no recoil, no muzzle blast, just pull the trigger.
Ain't it neat?
"For those who fight for it life has a flavor the protected never know."
USMC 1965-1968 RVN 1966-1967
"Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -- PJ O'Rourke
USMC 1965-1968 RVN 1966-1967
"Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -- PJ O'Rourke
#17
- Problem Child...who...Steps on Toes
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Posted 18 October 2007 - 07:35 PM
Thanks for reminding me why I love this sport.
Tls
Tls
SOB #26 "Star Blaster"
Single Stack Elitist Snob Club #39
"POGs,... The first step to a cure is to admit you have a problem"
"With a steely grin... I dust the big spider off of my trusty single stack, and draw it forth from the dark and neglected shadows of my past. RISE UP oh Ernie Hill speed leather...drink deep the oil of preperation and ready thyself for BATTLE" - Gentleman Jim
Single Stack Elitist Snob Club #39
"POGs,... The first step to a cure is to admit you have a problem"
"With a steely grin... I dust the big spider off of my trusty single stack, and draw it forth from the dark and neglected shadows of my past. RISE UP oh Ernie Hill speed leather...drink deep the oil of preperation and ready thyself for BATTLE" - Gentleman Jim
#19
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Posted 18 October 2007 - 09:01 PM
Scout454, on Oct 5 2007, 10:31 PM, said:
Thanks for the compliments!
Competition is the blood that keeps some of us (probably all of us here) alive. I've been rode hard and put up wet too many times over a very full life and sometimes getting down the stairs in the morning is an experience. A lot of days picking up a gun to practice is down right painful. But come Sunday morning and that buzzer goes off it all goes away and I can't feel a damn thing but the pull of a crisp two pound trigger. No pain, no recoil, no muzzle blast, just pull the trigger.
Ain't it neat?
Competition is the blood that keeps some of us (probably all of us here) alive. I've been rode hard and put up wet too many times over a very full life and sometimes getting down the stairs in the morning is an experience. A lot of days picking up a gun to practice is down right painful. But come Sunday morning and that buzzer goes off it all goes away and I can't feel a damn thing but the pull of a crisp two pound trigger. No pain, no recoil, no muzzle blast, just pull the trigger.
Ain't it neat?
Know what you mean, thats why I use celebrex and aleve. Better living tru chemistry. After a hard days competing, vicodin. You may still hurt, but you just dont care.
#20
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Posted 19 October 2007 - 05:12 AM
I have a bad back and some days at the end of the match, it is so painful to bend over I have contemplated leaving the mags where they lie.
I must admit to using performance enhancing drugs.
Aleve and Ibuprofin.
I hope this will not create scandal or tarnish my legacy.
Tls
I must admit to using performance enhancing drugs.
Aleve and Ibuprofin.
I hope this will not create scandal or tarnish my legacy.
Tls
This post has been edited by 38superman: 19 October 2007 - 05:20 AM
SOB #26 "Star Blaster"
Single Stack Elitist Snob Club #39
"POGs,... The first step to a cure is to admit you have a problem"
"With a steely grin... I dust the big spider off of my trusty single stack, and draw it forth from the dark and neglected shadows of my past. RISE UP oh Ernie Hill speed leather...drink deep the oil of preperation and ready thyself for BATTLE" - Gentleman Jim
Single Stack Elitist Snob Club #39
"POGs,... The first step to a cure is to admit you have a problem"
"With a steely grin... I dust the big spider off of my trusty single stack, and draw it forth from the dark and neglected shadows of my past. RISE UP oh Ernie Hill speed leather...drink deep the oil of preperation and ready thyself for BATTLE" - Gentleman Jim
#21
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Posted 19 November 2008 - 02:12 PM
Scout454, on Oct 4 2007, 09:02 PM, said:
Received in an email that was forwarded from AR15 and I felt it was relevant:
"Competition, is a crucial part of the process, in the mastery of a
chosen art. Its a demonstration, by the practitioner, that his path,
his way in the journey of that mastery was either correct, or in need
of further refinement.
Classes are fine, their purpose is to suggest the way, through the
shared experience of a master. They indicate right direction, encourage
discipline, and a process to practice. But in the case of arms, in the
end you must take what you see, what you hear, what you read, and what
you experience and turn it into your own way. It is ultimately your
endeavor, and to stand in the arena before others, and demonstrate your
way reveals to all and mainly yourself whether you put your faith in
the truth or just a facade of smoke.
To deny yourself the opportunity to experience such an aspect of the
journey is a mistake."
"Competition, is a crucial part of the process, in the mastery of a
chosen art. Its a demonstration, by the practitioner, that his path,
his way in the journey of that mastery was either correct, or in need
of further refinement.
Classes are fine, their purpose is to suggest the way, through the
shared experience of a master. They indicate right direction, encourage
discipline, and a process to practice. But in the case of arms, in the
end you must take what you see, what you hear, what you read, and what
you experience and turn it into your own way. It is ultimately your
endeavor, and to stand in the arena before others, and demonstrate your
way reveals to all and mainly yourself whether you put your faith in
the truth or just a facade of smoke.
To deny yourself the opportunity to experience such an aspect of the
journey is a mistake."
ATTITUDE.. is strong in this one my young padawan
#22
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Posted 19 November 2008 - 06:30 PM
Outstanding! Who said/wrote that?
Pride and fear are emotions, which hope for an outcome. Outcomes take your attention from the present, where the shooting happens, to the future. It is totally impossible to do anything in the future, because it hasn't happened yet. The key to shooting your best is to be present as the witness of the shooting. Do not judge, do not give yourself anything to live up to. We can only shoot as well as we have trained ourselves to shoot. To try to shoot only induces stress. Be content with your current ability. And accumulate practice to improve that ability. Consolidate, build strength where you feel weakness. We cannot raise our ability until we accept our current limitations. Practice dissolves limitations. Matches simply define where the current limits exist. The game of shooting is all about redefining our limits.
- Sam
Amateurs do it til they get it right. Professionals do it til they can't get it wrong.
"It's not the will to win that matters - everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters."
- Paul "Bear" Bryant
"The only reason why Everest is the highest mountain ever climbed is because it's the highest. If there was one higher, I bet there'd be people trying to climb it."
- Jack Barnes
- Sam
Amateurs do it til they get it right. Professionals do it til they can't get it wrong.
"It's not the will to win that matters - everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters."
- Paul "Bear" Bryant
"The only reason why Everest is the highest mountain ever climbed is because it's the highest. If there was one higher, I bet there'd be people trying to climb it."
- Jack Barnes
#23
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Posted 19 November 2008 - 06:34 PM
Duane, I honestly don't know. If I ever find out I'll let you know, right after I shake his hand!
"For those who fight for it life has a flavor the protected never know."
USMC 1965-1968 RVN 1966-1967
"Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -- PJ O'Rourke
USMC 1965-1968 RVN 1966-1967
"Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -- PJ O'Rourke
#24
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Posted 19 November 2008 - 06:44 PM
Great post and a fantastic definition of why we compete, or why we should compete.
Personally, it is the competition that drives me. That's the part I enjoy most. I've read in a couple of books that society today has a distinct lacking of challenge and effort because for some living is in fact effortless. And that as a result there are a number of souls out there that through no fault of their own, because it is their instinct, they thirst for adventure. For competition. For tasks and challenges that stretch them further.
This reminds me of that type thought process for some reason. It comes as no surprise to me that I feel whole when I'm walking where most have not, where I'm seeing what most have not seen, or when I'm tasking myself to demonstrate what skill I've got - risking the chance that others are in fact more skillful than me and that I must do more to achieve more.
Feels good to be hungry!
Thank You for the post!
Jack
Personally, it is the competition that drives me. That's the part I enjoy most. I've read in a couple of books that society today has a distinct lacking of challenge and effort because for some living is in fact effortless. And that as a result there are a number of souls out there that through no fault of their own, because it is their instinct, they thirst for adventure. For competition. For tasks and challenges that stretch them further.
This reminds me of that type thought process for some reason. It comes as no surprise to me that I feel whole when I'm walking where most have not, where I'm seeing what most have not seen, or when I'm tasking myself to demonstrate what skill I've got - risking the chance that others are in fact more skillful than me and that I must do more to achieve more.
Feels good to be hungry!
Thank You for the post!
Jack
"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins . . . not through strength but by perseverance" H. Jackson Brown
"If a picture is worth a thousand words, than an experience is worth a thousand pictures" Unknown
"The goal is not to be the best of the best, but to do what only you can do" Jerry Garcia
"If a picture is worth a thousand words, than an experience is worth a thousand pictures" Unknown
"The goal is not to be the best of the best, but to do what only you can do" Jerry Garcia
#25
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Posted 19 November 2008 - 06:48 PM
Quote
...you must take what you see, what you hear, what you read, and what you experience and turn it into your own way. It is ultimately your
endeavor, and to stand in the arena before others, and demonstrate your
way reveals to all and mainly yourself whether you put your faith in
the truth or just a facade of smoke.
endeavor, and to stand in the arena before others, and demonstrate your
way reveals to all and mainly yourself whether you put your faith in
the truth or just a facade of smoke.
Either I'm misreading something or this quote doesn't speak for me at all.
My ultimate goal is to be a better shooter, not prove "my way" of practicing/learning/shooting is better than your way. I don't need to "reveal to all" that my way is better. Maybe "your way" IS better? I want to be open to that, not prove it wrong or me right. My "ultimate endeavor" is to keep improving, not to prove something.
It's like this quote is saying "put up or shut up" with regards to your technique. All competition does is point out flaws in my technique (mental or physical). The "path" is whatever set of directions you take to remove those flaws. Sometimes you take the long way, sometimes you get off the path. The point is you keep walking the path and realize that if you are at the end (stopped learning) then you definitely got on the WRONG path somewhere....
or I'm nuts.
-rvb
edit for clarification... yes the goal is to win. But that's not the same as proving "my way" is better. The two goals are not the same. There are top shooters out there who teach different technique than they use (weak finger on front of trigger guard comes to mind).
This post has been edited by rvb: 19 November 2008 - 06:54 PM