Geeky Programmer Meets the Japanese Warrior

Shu Ha Ri is a term used in Japanese martial arts describing the path a student needs to take in order to ultimately master these warrior skills.

OK, it's all clear how the warrior philosophy matches with geeky programmers, right?

Here are most common links: Shu Ha Ri was used by Kent Beck describing learning in Extreme Programming (XP) and also Alistair Cockburn used this to identify three levels of software method understanding. These level's were then expanded by Barry Boehm in his famous book about Balancing Agility and Discipline.

I have understood the grand Shu Ha Ri cycle controlling one's understanding of agile philosophy as something like:

  • Shu - Believing that Agile Works: Learning the Fundamentals, Following Rules and Imitating
  • Ha - Understanding Why it Works: Breaking the Rules, Mixing Methods for the Situation
  • Ri - Knowing How to Get it Work: Breaking the Boundaries, Coaching Teams by Living the Moment

As this basically is the grand cycle I am experiencing, I still believe that this is an iterative process, and you need to return to Shu in order to achieve the true mastery. At that point you are able to see the original rules from the perspective of total freedom.

"The less effort, the faster and more powerfull you will be." - Bruce Lee

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