Originally Posted by
Jimbo
Lineage can be important to a degree. That is, if you claim to be "X" system, then you should have trained under a competent teacher of "X" system. But from there, what you do with it becomes the really important thing. There are plenty of people who come from authentic lineages yet suck at MA. An authentic lineage does not miraculously turn you into a great MAist. It's more like a treasure map; the directions are there, but you must do the digging yourself, often through hard rock.
Problems arise when some people point to the person who drew the map as being more important than following its instructions and doing the hard work. They want to feel special through some tenuous connection, often indirectly, to some historical figure. Then the focus becomes acting superior and sniping others behind their backs. The really sad thing is that nobody in the real world knows or gives a crap. Unfortunately, this passive-aggressive behavior is more common in CMA than other types of MA.