ToastedMaster

People consider getting a teacher in order to learn. Well, this is not entirely true. People get teachers/masters in order to learn quickly. Musashi had little teaching and no master and had to create his learning experience. If you too want to hold power in your hand, you must do like the men of antiquity and not cut any corners. Only by taking the hard road of learning yourself will you realize that there are no masters.

Whenever I think about getting a teacher, whether it be for math or fists, I like to think about what don Juan/Castaneda said. "You say you've heard that the masters of Eastern esoteric doctrines demand absolute secrecy about their teachings. Perhaps those masters are just indulging in being masters. I'm not a master, I'm only a warrior. So I really don't know what a master feels like."

Alright, then, a little history.... A Short History of Dan Capoeira I just want to say a few words about our teacher, one of the greatest legendary fighters since Musashi or Bruce Lee: Dan Capoeira. Dan Capoeira was born the single son of the wealthy Capoeira family in Madrid. Soon after his birth, his father Manolo Bison Capoeira had taken a job in Rio de Janeiro so they moved to Brazil. In Dan's early years, he played about the streets of Rio, eventually discovering his calling--dancing. His father was worried about keeping him out of trouble, so Manolo enrolled Dan in kung fu school. However, more than anything, Dan wanted to dance. His father would not tolerate him missing his martial arts classes, so Dan practiced and practiced until he one day collapsed from exhaustion and had a revelation: Dan would disguise his dancing as fighting.... Dan, excited about his new discovery, the ability to dance and train fighting all at the same time, threw himself whole-heartedly into the art. In time he would become the greatest Capoeirist to ever live. Man, I remember this one time he was mugged by an entire football team and defeated them all with one flying whirl kick. His fame spread throughout the Brazilian underground, and fighters from all over challenged him, but none could defeat his superior foot work and devastating rhythm. His gung fu earned him the title "King of all Badasses", but in time he grew tired of dancing around upstart baffoons, and disappeared, embodying the elusive spirit of Capoeira. His whereabouts unknown, he would search until he could find students worthy of his wisdom...

In today's world, many things are taken for granted. What does it mean to take something for granted? For example, take the "invention" of the wheel. If you did not know what a wheel was in, say, 1000 B.C., well then quite frankly the other people would think you were some kind of retard. Invention of tools and items is just one thing, though. Also there is the pride that comes with the lording of "knowledge" over those that merely do not recall a fact. This is because the knowledge is taken "for granted". Or instead, take something for granted 1. to accept something as true without questioning or testing it. 2. to fail to appreciate the value of something. See also: grant, take

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