Who is a True Master?

By definition, a master is a person in power, having a high rank, authority and control over somebody or subjects under his/her rule. A master may be somebody who has a very high degree of expertise in his field of specialization, consummate skill and power that commands respect and admiration of his/her peers. A Master may be somebody so influential and powerful that subjects his followers a surrender of their will to his control.

By definition, it is no wonder why lots of people now a days gives so much fuss bout being called or accorded a rank of a Master or Grand Master.

We can glean from the definition that being Master is relative. Relative in the sense of criteria and point of reference as a basis of comparison. Hence, it is not simply something that a paper or certificate can attest for people to see and to feed your ego. You may be a master only in a certain field of specialization or in a certain system under certain rules, but you can be a novice in another area, subject or under a different criteria. Why? Nobody has the monopoly of skill, the knowledge, wisdom, strength and power. You may be the best of the best, undefeated, most decorated, the greatest, with all the most and …EST in the past or today. But as history told us, in all probability.. tomorrow, in the coming months, next year, or in the next decades… eventually, somewhere.. somebody else will take away that crown of glory from you and you will end up defeated. (In Filipino street lingo, we say it: “isang bala ka lang!” you’re only good for one bullet)

Who is a true Master then? A true master is somebody who is able to transcend enough in truly knowing himself, that he is able to conquer his need of attention, need of adoration and praise, conquer his pains and fears, even fear of sickness, starvation, bankruptcy and inevitable death. A true Master is somebody who has come to the realization that only God has the monopoly of the greatest skill, the ultimate power, knowledge and wisdom. A true Master is somebody who realized that everything he has is from GOD and he has nothing to boast about himself. A true Master is somebody who has come to the realization that life is fleeting, we are just on a temporary assignment. A true Master is somebody who has come to a realization that in this world of uncertainty, ESKRIMA is not to rule, to maim, to hurt nor to kill but to help build bridges of peace, harmony, joy and friendships, not walls of animosity, isolation and misery. Traditional Filipino ESKRIMA is grounded on the law of man’s survival against violence, injustice and oppression. But the relevance of true “ESKRIMA” in our present time is to skirmish against man’s greatest enemy which is SELF, and that means to bring healing, restoration of human dignity and health as well as prolongation of Quality LIFE. It is of greater challenge now in our generation than our great forebears have faced in the past because it is easier now to kill than to HEAL.

Let that be our common and ultimate quest mga ESKRIMADORES…to be a TRUE MASTER! May GOD Bless us all in that quest… ?