In several blogs, and as recent
as June of this year, I discussed different aspects of improving. In my March
2015 blog I covered “How To Get Through The Plateaus”, in my June 2015 blog I
wrote about “Improving Your Technique Through Targeted Muscles Training”, and in my June 2018 blog, “Why Am I Not
Improving “,
I discuss other reasons you may not be improving (frequency of your training, where you are at on the
learning curve, and even your inner critic). In this blog, I will discuss more tips
on improving.
Be Determined But Be Flexible
It is important to be determined
and to have goals - whether it is achieving a certain rank or mastering a
technique or hyung. Goals are good. However, you should be flexible in how you
achieve these goals. I tell people I
mentor at work all the time that there are 15 paths up to the top of Mount
Everest. 15! While some paths are better than others
depending on the time of year, there are still l5 paths, so be open to how you
achieve you goals.
Never Stop Trying
With that said, never stop
trying. Learning a martial art is not
simple or quick. There are so many aspects
of it physically, mentally, etc. and to master all aspects takes time. And for most of us there is always a
technique or concept that seems elusive and you think you may never master, but
you should always keep trying. You may
need to change your course or try a different path, but never stop trying. Always keep in mind the Japanese proverb "Fall
seven times, stand up eight."
Always Have a Beginner’s Attitude
First off, always have a
beginner’s attitude. Remember when you
were a beginner and you were just being taught the basics and you were open to
all ideas. You asked questions for
clarity, but did not second guess what the instructor was trying to do and
discount the training as not being useful?
There are many times you may not understand why an instructor is asking
you to do something, but you should always keep an open mind that what they are
asking you to do is to benefit you, even if you do not understand it at
first. In fact, it might take years
before something an instructor says clicks for you, but that does not mean you
should second guess or doubt there is value in the exercise or the information
being provided.
And another aspect of a
beginner’s attitude is thinking you have a lot to learn. There is always something to learn. I have been training for almost 25 years and
have been instructing for almost 20 and I learn something in every class. I may learn something about the art form,
something about how I perform the art form, something about how to teach the
art form, or something about how to manage a class better, but I always learn
something. There is always something to
learn as long as you are open to the possibility of learning.
Be Curious
Another way to have that
beginner’s attitude is to always be curious.
Be curious about the physical nuances of the technique or hyung – the
very fine details of each step, each inch of what your body should be doing at
all times. Be curious about why we do
things the way we do and the benefits from performing techniques one way versus
another.
You may have noticed that all
the above tips on improving have very little to do with training the body but
all with your attitude and your state of mind to train. Having and keeping the right state of mind to
your training will definitely help you to improve as much, if not more, than
the physical training itself.
Regards,
Kelly
“Nothing is impossible in this world. Firm determination, it is said, can move heaven and earth. Things appear far beyond one's power, because one cannot set his heart on any arduous project due to want of strong will.” ~ Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659 –1719), a samurai of the Saga Domain and author of Hagakure, a practical and spiritual guide for a warrior.
