Failure; Mistake; Blunder

Failure is the learning tool of life - especially in martial arts as a self-defense system. Why? If we had no failures or mistakes then what would we or could we learn. It is the accumulation that breeds right knowing and right doing. It is that gradual gathering of mistakes, flaws, blunders and failures that provide us a means to learn, grow and prosper as humans and especially as martial artist of self-defense. 

To achieve mastery in martial arts we must be self-conscious of all our failures. Self-reflection and self-analysis is hard but diligent use of these tools provides us the ability to learn from our mistakes so we can make corrections, updates and changes necessary to improve.

"If there is nothing to learn because we know it all, what is the challenge, why would the effort matter, what would be the point?" - unknown

The basis of why humans are fallible and why we need to make shippai or failure a more accepted and positive feature of life that is embraced as what is truly is, a learning tool.

How can we self-reflect and self-analyze, we have to question everything even if it is success because every success has its own flaws, errors and failures. There is always room to improve. Evolution is about change. If we all remained constant then we all would be living in caves and dealing with the original human condition - the predator-prey relationship and condition.