Be the Man?

Not a lot of people know this: I’m a huge professional wrestling fan. Yeah, I know that pro wrestling is scripted; it’s fake. As a kid, I was a pro wrestling fan long before the emergence of the WWE. I still follow professional wrestling, albeit infrequently and peripherally.

Although the matches are scripted, their outcomes predetermined, the wrestlers are amazing athletes: their size, strength, speed, and skill are impressive. I’ve trained in martial arts for over 30 years. I can appreciate the physical acumen and pain that these athletes endure in their scripted combat. Mostly, I just enjoy watching pro wrestling. It’s great entertainment for me. My guilty pleasure.

Personally, the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) Pro Wrestler is Bill Goldberg, Da Man. Bill was World Heavyweight Champion several times in his Hall of Fame career. He revolutionized the wrestling game by incorporating his mixed martial arts skills. At age 55, Goldberg maintains his awesome physical condition. He stands 6’4” and is 275 pounds of muscle. In the last few years, Bill has experienced a career renaissance, recapturing World Heavyweight Championship Titles. Goldberg is still Da Man.

Back in the day, The Nature Boy Ric Flair was the World Heavyweight Champion on several occasions. Flair was renowned for his style and profile with his long blonde hair. Ric Flair’s Hall of Fame career spanned for nearly 40 years. In his iconic signature, Ric said, “To be the Man, you got to beat the Man!”

With mad love and respect to Ric Flair; no, not really. No, I’ll never be Da Man like Bill Goldberg. Neither will I be the Man like The Nature Boy. Being the Man was never the purpose. Just saying.

Through my own trials and tribulations, I get that it’s not about beating others, about being better than them. I work on me, not on others. Nor against others. I work at being the best version of myself. Aikido Founder O-Sensei said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” My GOAT opponent shall always be me. In the bigger picture, that’s the purpose of the training.

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The 250-pound man comes to punch my face in. I wait it out. I enter the attack and die with honor. I match his attack in my attack. I take a glancing blow if I have to. It’s one time. I apply the Aikido technique to myself, whether that’s iriminage (clothesline to the head) or kotegaeshi (wristlock). I don’t look at the attacker. He doesn’t matter. It’s only me against me.

In the moment, I choose whether to let the attack pass or end the attack. The attacker chooses whether to take the fall or stand down. I could win or lose. The attacker could win or lose. I invent the best version of me. What happens, happens.

The late Mizukami Sensei said, “Just train.” I don’t have to get somewhere or prove anything. I become the greater version of myself. That’s more meaningful than being the Man. Just saying.

Our Social Media Age is constantly dominated by “I’m great, you suck! And I can prove it.” Ironically, in this Great Comparison Game, it’s me against me. I only compare to mine own self. I compare how far have I come from my zero, my starting point. I think about what I will do next. That’s the meaningful comparison, not in the comparison to others. More than just saying.

According to the Greek proverb: Kindness begets kindness. Along the path be kind to others and be especially kind to yourself. Our comparisons to others don’t matter. Rather, they really make no difference in the bigger picture. There will always be someone smarter than me, stronger than me, better looking than me, richer than me. God bless them.

What makes a difference is working on myself, becoming the best person that I can be. The late Mizukami Sensei said, “Just train. It’s not like you have to get somewhere.” I love myself for who I am and forgive myself for who I’m not. I don’t have to be the Man. I get to be me. Just saying.