Sunday, December 2, 2018

Practice For Mastery ---- Chief Instructor Blog December 201

I am sure almost all of you have heard the phrase “Practice makes perfect”.    I have also heard people say “Practice does not make perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect.”

 

Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary (Reference 1) definition of perfection is as follows:

 

1: the quality or state of being perfect: such as

a: freedom from fault or defect: flawlessness

b: maturity

c: the quality or state of being saintly

2 a: an exemplification of supreme excellence

b: an unsurpassable degree of accuracy or excellence

3: the act or process of perfecting  

 

If you notice, in my blogs and in class, I do not use this phrase (or try not to, but since I am not perfect, I may have slipped once or twice). 

 

Why would I say this?  And if we are not training or studying for perfection, what are we doing it for?  Why, do I not think someone can perfect martial arts?

 

I believe it is daunting and overwhelming to try for perfection in any physical skill and the end result is simply frustration and stopping.  Who could possibly perfect a side kick and perform it perfectly every single kick, every day, every time it was tried?  And if you feel like you threw one that was perfect and you could not repeat it, what does that mean?  Does it mean you reached perfection or were perfect once and may or may not be perfect again?  How can one possibly be flawless every time? Can one truly reach a state where one can no longer improve because it is perfect?

 

What we really are trying to obtain in practicing and studying martial arts is mastery.

 

Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary (Reference 2) definition of mastery is as follows:

1a : the authority of a master : dominion

b : the upper hand in a contest or competition : superiority, ascendancy

2a : possession or display of great skill or technique

b : skill or knowledge that makes one master of a subject : command

 

Mastery is a process, not a state.  I really like how George Leonard from his book Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment (Reference 3), describes mastery as “the mysterious process during which what is at first difficult becomes progressively easier and more pleasurable through practice.”

 

If we are focused on perfection, we are focused on a state that may or may not be sustainable.   If we are focused on the state, we are not focused on the process, and it is in the process that we learn, improve, and grow.  When we are learning and improving, we are moving towards becoming an authority and possessing a higher degree of knowledge and skills compared to others.  Practicing and studying is how we learn and improve, therefore, practice is that process to obtain mastery.   As George Leonard writes in his book, “The master of any game is generally a master of practice.”

 

So, if you want to achieve mastery in marital arts, practice.  Just practice and focus on the process.

 

Regards,
Kelly

“The black belt is not a mark or symbol of the end of the journey to one’s mastery of the arts; rather it is the mark that one is done packing for their journey and may now take the first step in their true journey. This a journey which cannot ever be complete, only traveled...” ~Unknown

References:
1.  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfection, retrieved 12/2/18
2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mastery, retrieved 12/2/18
3. Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment” by George Leonard