We always start each practice with basics. But why and what is the value of basics. Wouldn’t we learn more if we always practiced with other people or using equipment like pads and bags?
There are several
reasons to start each practice with basics.
1.
Complete
warm-up
Even though in a real situation you do not have time to warm-up, the
basics do allow time for your body to continue to stretch, warm-up or finish
warming up before more intense practice against bags or with a partner. We always start basics with upper body
techniques since the upper body muscles tend to warm-up faster and the stances
allow the legs to warm-up prior to lower body techniques. For more discussion on whether you should
stretch or not before class, see my July 2011 blog, To Stretch or Not?.
2.
Focus on Mechanics
The mechanics are the
foundations to any art form. Basics
provide an opportunity to practice with complete focus on body mechanics and
body awareness without distraction.
The repetition of
basics allows you to concentrate on one technique at a time and all aspects of
that technique: precision, alignment, motion, transition, stances, eye
positions, etc. to master it. Every
technique has many nuances so it takes a lot of repetition to ensure everything
about that technique is correct so if you ever need to use it for self-defense,
it is body memory and effective.
For more information on
mechanics, refer to some of my earlier blogs:
·
April 2012,
The Importance Of Alignment and Breathing
·
January
2017, Alignment: Critical to Protecting the Muscular Skeletal Body
·
February
2017, Why Linear?
·
June 2017, Be Precise Consistently
·
January
2018, Key Alignment/ Motion Fundamentals
I think Bruce Lee’s quote sums it up the best: "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
3.
Focus on
Breathing
Basics also allows you to focus on your breathing and be effective with your breathing. As noted in my October 2016 blog, the benefits to effective breathing are three-fold. (1) Physically, if you are breathing evenly and smoothly and using as much of your lungs as possible it will improve your endurance. (2) From a physiological perspective deep, smooth, and even breathing will decrease your heart rate and improve your ability to handle the stress of the moment during an attack. (3) If you are breathing, you are flowing energy. For more information on breathing, refer to my April 2012, The Importance Of Alignment and Breathing and my December 2016 blog, Deep Breathing…Could Be A Life Save.
4.
Prepare the
Mind
Even though you should
enter the class mentally ready to start practice (the etiquette of bowing when
entering the dojang should be the means to clear the mind of the day and prepare
for practice), basics allows you to complete that process and ensure the right
state of mind to train against a bag, with a partner, etc. For more on the importance of your mental
state entering the dojang and during practice, see my January 2014 blog What Are you Bringing Into the Dojang? and my May 2011 blog Your State of Mind Matters (and Matters Most).
5.
Train the
Mind
In addition, the basics
allow you to focus on training the mind.
Training the mind is a critical part of mastering a martial art - where
the mind goes, the body follows. For
information on training the mind, see my September 2017 blog Training The Mind by Staying Focused and my October 2017 blog Training The Mind Through Attitude/Intent.
Basics are an important
part of our practice and practicing basics alone will not allow you to master a
martial art, but it’s the start.
Regards,
Kelly
"Train hard, sweat, finish, bow and say thank you for the opportunity to sweat." Shojiro Koyama (1935-), Shotokan Karate 9th Dan
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