When Did I Realize What I Was Doing was WRONG?

It was a moment when I trained with this guy around 1984 or 85 and after I suddenly realized that what I was doing, training and applying was just wrong. It worked in that moment but it was glaringly apparent that what I was doing and teaching was wrong. Since I had trained it that way for some time it has taken all this time since to move away from what was wrong -  AND I still have a long road to go. 

It just goes to support the often unrealized perspective that training has to go right at the start. It is very apparent to me now that although intentions were stellar that my sensei had not completely grasped what was right. Don't' get me wrong, he had a better grasp than most because he tried to make it work in the streets and in combat via his tours in Viet Nam. But, at the same time he missed so much because those who came before him were not fully aware of what it takes to achieve fight readiness (like combat readiness but different because it is not combat). 

I feel confident that in most situations if confronted with conflict and violence I will survive. It is more a mind-state than martial arts but some of my practice is more appropriate but until I get to test it in a real life situation I have to believe it will work from training. Luckily I am one of those who now lives in a society environment where avoiding situations that produce conflict is fairly easy. In addition, my age is entering the winter years and although I don't feel limited by my age I want to pull back from what it really takes to achieve effectiveness. It is just what I want as I enter into retirement in 2015 from my day job as a IT specialist. 

One of the reasons I now write a lot. I want to try and convey my philosophy so that others may, hopefully, find it of value to what they are doing - at a much earlier stage then mine at age thirty-one in 1984. That was about eight years of developing bad habits and another twenty-eight years trying to correct things wrong. 

In addition, much of the information I needed was actually not available until the last six to ten years. Those were the years that those who had the experiences and knowledge and a willingness to express their views, theories and war stories to us who have not traveled the path of a professional. 

I am still learning after thirty-seven years doing this stuff, i.e. martial arts, etc. and I still don't have it right yet. Working it, working it, yea still working it.