Focus Your Efforts

One of The Rifleman's Jiu-Jitsu students relays this story:

A man wished to go see the Buddha. The Buddha was on a mystical Island. So the man dedicated 50 years of his life to meditation. Through meditation, the man learned how to levitate.

When he felt he had mastered the skill of limitations, the man levitated across the water to the island. Introduce himself to the Buddha, and said, " I meditated for 50 years, and learned how to levitate. I use the ability to levitate to cross the water so that I might meet you."

The Buddha replied, "the ferry costs a nickel."


The Moral of the story, of course, is to seek the most efficient way of doing things. The Jiu-Jitsu student in question is a nutritionist. He will meet with clients who have restricted calories and exercise their tails off to lose 30 pounds in a year. He says that's asinine, he can show them how to lose 30 pounds in a month.

"Absorb what is useful. Reject what is useless."
- Bruce Lee

"Maximum efficiency with minimum (required) effort."
- Jigoro Kano

"Only a great fool thinks these lessons only apply to the martial arts."
- The Rifleman