Mister Miyagi and Mountain Biking

 Mister Miyagi got things right in so many of his principles in reference to the MTB realm. His eternal cinematic wisdom may be applied in sports realms well beyond Martial Arts if one was to ponder this in their chosen sports pursuits. I've only chosen two of these to ponder in recent months, however I'm certain most of his wisdom is also applicable.

Must Have Balance

 Balancing one's life is wise throughout, being something that will always be necessary in order to live life to the fullest. In the MTB realm, it has many forms. My lifelong desire to explore new places has fueled my life balance on two wheels since childhood. Having a myriad of skillsets on two wheels is essential for this, with abilities allowing me to go places and see things that have a lifelong imprint on my mind. The pigeon-holing of oneself into a media-created realm of a lifestyle such as MTB prevents this, though if this is what one seeks, then one is simply doing what suits their idea and that's fine. Though this may lack balance, some may have other pursuits that balance their lives in lieu of solely identifying as "mountain biker". In my experience, many who hang their hat solely on one aspect of any recreational pursuit while using that as their identity are largely fraudulent and when they do decide to venture beyond the "safety" of their chosen realm can be a danger to themselves, others, and the integrity of the environment.

No Such Thing as Bad Student, Only Bad Teacher

 The term "teacher" in this instance is being utilized to represent those who actually teach, those who have either a self-imposed leadership role, or are the "old guard" and should be setting good examples irregardless of whom they are with or where they are riding. Monkey See, Monkey Do can be a benefit, or a hindrance in the teacher/student relationship. If the student observes the teacher performing proper etiquette on the trail, they usually respond in kind, especially if discussed previously. An example of hindrance would be the teacher stopping in the middle of the trail with their student and effectively blocking the trail to other users, should another trail user happen along. The student may now be under the belief that stopping and blocking a public right of way is acceptable, when it's not and is actually contrary to the vehicle code in some states. This instance is the tip of the proverbial iceberg, practiced by the Indignantly Ignorant, who are largely responsible for the degradation of trail systems around the globe. Bad Teachers creating Bad Students tends to lead to ignorant and destructive behavior such as this ridiculously long skid:

 While I'm alright with those who lack balance and don't destroy public resources, my disdain for bad teachers remains because their students literally destroy public trail systems. Even so, bad students from bad teachers will most likely remain unbalanced and tether themselves to three or four trails, keeping their destructive ways away from the remote places that don't find their way onto bucket lists or the like. If the unbalanced from bad teachers do venture out of the safety of their chosen realm, it's usually to an a-technical marquee trail that bucket listers flock to.

Riders come and go, Kooks accumulate.