In the martial arts it is essential for you to question. Like other endeavors in life do not simply accept what someone tells you, question it. When you learn a kata or some other form or technique understand that it was/is one person’s or one system’s interpretation and that means “an interpretation” or “one specific interpretation”. There are other interpretations as well that are valid. In the martial arts we all walk our own road, find the road that is yours, but to do so you will have to develop critical reasoning of what you are doing. At that point, the martial arts will be your driving force. Before that you are just renting it from someone else. – Dr. Henderson

“That’s were you go wrong. Parroting what others say, copying what others do, this is what fails you. You alone must do it. You must grasp what’s being conveyed and make it your own through your own understanding….Your problem is that you never want to think for yourself, you just want to be taught; this is why you haven’t developed the habit of thinking for yourself…Don’t just swallow what anyone says. You must have your own ideas. You must judge the merits of anything for yourself….Never unquestioningly accept whatever anyone says as the truth. To do so is dangerous because it will make you lose the desire to generate your own ideas. Even when you learn from another, you must engage in critical thinking to develop it further.” Tatsuo Kimura – “Transparent Power, A Secret Teaching Revealed” p.134