QUOTE
October 5th, 2007
In This Issue
> Back To Basics
> 7 Abilities Needed To Fail Forward
> myGKR Training Tip Sample
In our karate journey, we all experience the highs and lows of achievement. We start out unsure of what to do, flapping around with not much of an idea of anything, other than where we need to put our arms and legs, and why.
The feeling of achievement and satisfaction of getting something right during our first few tentative lessons is amplified by the encouragement of our instructor and higher graded students. And, we feel we are on our way, when we grade to yellow belt - that first magical belt.
Then, as a new yellow belt, we are introduced to a whole new set of moves that take us, to where we feel, is back to the beginning of our journey. Once again, we flap around uncoordinated, trying to come to grips with advanced strikes, blocks and stances.
It is at this point that our karate journey really begins, because it is through the honing of these basic manoeuvres that we will become better at our chosen art.
This is the part where we need to be careful with our mindset
Too often, the higher grade you become, the focus tends to go towards the higher-grade kata and the more shall we say flashy techniques in kumite.
There is nothing wrong in learning new kata, or better yet learning the pattern of a new kata, or practising new techniques in kumite, subject to grade of course. But, remember where you came from, because it is those basic techniques you started to practise as a white belt that has got you to the grade you are today. Not the stuff you are practising now.
Your first couple of years as a karate student are all about learning to put your arms and legs in the right position. While you learn new stuff as well, you do the same things over and over again to get better at these.
The next two years, guess what? As a student, you will learn to put your arms and legs in the right position. While you learn new stuff as well, you do the same things over and over again to get better at these.
Repetition IS the mother of skill. So, to all the students on their karate journey towards black belt I say this, “Do not forget where you started, but look forward to where you are going. Do not be the student that does not grade because their earlier kata or basics were not practised enough! Do not turn up for lessons, turn up to train and get that little bit better each time you attend.”
1. Achievers reject rejection
People, who don’t give up, keep trying because they don’t base their self worth on their performance. Instead, they have an internally based self-image. Rather than saying, “I am a failure”, they say, “I missed that one”. People who don’t blame themselves, don’t lose self-esteem. We must keep the right perspective and take responsibility for our actions without taking it personally.
2. Achievers see failure as temporary
People who take failure personally, see any problem as a hole that they are permanently stuck in. Achievers on the other hand, see any predicament as a temporary situation. We must realise that if we stay stuck, we will stop believing in our own potential.
3. Achievers see failure as isolated incidents
When achievers fail, they see it as a momentary event, rather than a life long epidemic. They don’t take it personally. If you want to succeed, don’t let any single incident color the view you have of yourself. Keep failure transparent.
4. Achievers keep expectations realistic
The greater the feat you are trying to achieve, the greater the mental preparation required to overcome obstacles. And, the setback the long haul is sure to bring. We must anticipate setbacks when trying to achieve anything worthwhile. We must have reasonable expectations of ourselves, but we must not let our feelings get hurt when everything doesn’t turn out perfect.
5. Achievers focus on strengths
Another way that achievers keep from taking failure personally, is to focus on their strengths. The difference between winners and losers is that winners focus on what they can do, as opposed to focusing on what they cannot. If your weakness is a matter of character, then indeed this must become your sole priority to fix. Otherwise focus on and maximise your strengths.
Failure isn’t so bad - if it doesn’t attack the heart.
Success is alright - if it doesn’t go to the head.
6. Achievers vary approaches to achievement
Achievers are willing to vary their approaches to problems. If at first they don’t succeed they change their approach and try again. Failures either keep doing the same thing over and over or simply quit.
7. Achievers bounce back
One thing all achievers have in common is the ability to bounce back after an error or mistake. We must know that at the end of everyday we will have obtained results from our efforts. Some days the results are the ones we want. The answer is, great, work out what you did right. Some days the results are the ones we don’t want. To this, the answer is also great. Just work out what you did and don’t do them again.
The practice of karate is often described as an ongoing journey towards perfecting technique. This self-mastery mindset exists due to the fact that often, the slightest adjustments and modification in technique towards correct form can lead to an enormous improvement in overall ability.
Over the coming months we will be highlighting a number of training topics,
and discussing how making tiny adjustments in technique can lead to measurable progress in your karate.
Does Practice Make Perfect
When it comes to karate mastery, a common ideology is that it just requires practise, practise, and even more practise. In many ways this is very true, its takes years of repetition to master our technique, chipping away at the small inconsistencies and developing instinctive muscle memory.
Last week we covered this question on the subject of basics and kata. This week we shall touch on kumite. It became important to separate kumite from basics and kata because the answer can be quite different.
With our basic techniques and kata there is a clearly laid out technical path for us to follow. Therefore, once we are aware of this path it is simply a matter of persistence practise accompanied with focus. Kumite in contrast is not such a taught part of karate and something we often have to nut out for ourselves. The reason to this is many, to begin with, each person is different therefore they should spar differently. Another is that many of the qualities required for kumite are intangible, such as timing and distance and these cannot always be taught but only developed over time. Because of this, many students develop the idea that the only way to become highly proficient in kumite is once again - practise, practise, practise. This of course has many merits but it is not totally applicable.
Ultimately, the statement ‘practise makes perfect’ is false. The truth is practise only makes ‘permanent’ as it creates habits. The number one thing that will PREVENT you from improving your skill sets is practicing the wrong way. Bad practice creates bad results! The problem is that most people think they are practicing the right way with kumite.
So how can you tell if what you're doing is harmful or helpful? Easy - look at your results. If your punches aren't getting stronger with time... If you're getting hit more often or scoring less than you used to...If you've been stagnating at the same level for months or years... then guess what? It might be time to look at alternate methods, to become better educated, to analyze what you're doing now to see where you can improve it.
My point to all this is that if you learn excellent drills, concepts, strategies and
techniques and combine this with practice, practice, practice - that's when you'll see your skills skyrocket. Doing the same old stuff day in day out does NOTHING for growth.
This approach of becoming better educated, analyzing and then practicing is very powerful. People who just practice, practice, practice without analyzing and refining their technique are in for a long, slow, painful, learning experience with mediocre results. People who become better educated, apply their knowledge and then continue to refine their skills are the ones that become exceptional
Try it for yourself.
Learn.
Analyze.
Discard.
Adopt.
Practice
In This Issue
> Back To Basics
> 7 Abilities Needed To Fail Forward
> myGKR Training Tip Sample
In our karate journey, we all experience the highs and lows of achievement. We start out unsure of what to do, flapping around with not much of an idea of anything, other than where we need to put our arms and legs, and why.
The feeling of achievement and satisfaction of getting something right during our first few tentative lessons is amplified by the encouragement of our instructor and higher graded students. And, we feel we are on our way, when we grade to yellow belt - that first magical belt.
Then, as a new yellow belt, we are introduced to a whole new set of moves that take us, to where we feel, is back to the beginning of our journey. Once again, we flap around uncoordinated, trying to come to grips with advanced strikes, blocks and stances.
It is at this point that our karate journey really begins, because it is through the honing of these basic manoeuvres that we will become better at our chosen art.
This is the part where we need to be careful with our mindset
Too often, the higher grade you become, the focus tends to go towards the higher-grade kata and the more shall we say flashy techniques in kumite.
There is nothing wrong in learning new kata, or better yet learning the pattern of a new kata, or practising new techniques in kumite, subject to grade of course. But, remember where you came from, because it is those basic techniques you started to practise as a white belt that has got you to the grade you are today. Not the stuff you are practising now.
Your first couple of years as a karate student are all about learning to put your arms and legs in the right position. While you learn new stuff as well, you do the same things over and over again to get better at these.
The next two years, guess what? As a student, you will learn to put your arms and legs in the right position. While you learn new stuff as well, you do the same things over and over again to get better at these.
Repetition IS the mother of skill. So, to all the students on their karate journey towards black belt I say this, “Do not forget where you started, but look forward to where you are going. Do not be the student that does not grade because their earlier kata or basics were not practised enough! Do not turn up for lessons, turn up to train and get that little bit better each time you attend.”
1. Achievers reject rejection
People, who don’t give up, keep trying because they don’t base their self worth on their performance. Instead, they have an internally based self-image. Rather than saying, “I am a failure”, they say, “I missed that one”. People who don’t blame themselves, don’t lose self-esteem. We must keep the right perspective and take responsibility for our actions without taking it personally.
2. Achievers see failure as temporary
People who take failure personally, see any problem as a hole that they are permanently stuck in. Achievers on the other hand, see any predicament as a temporary situation. We must realise that if we stay stuck, we will stop believing in our own potential.
3. Achievers see failure as isolated incidents
When achievers fail, they see it as a momentary event, rather than a life long epidemic. They don’t take it personally. If you want to succeed, don’t let any single incident color the view you have of yourself. Keep failure transparent.
4. Achievers keep expectations realistic
The greater the feat you are trying to achieve, the greater the mental preparation required to overcome obstacles. And, the setback the long haul is sure to bring. We must anticipate setbacks when trying to achieve anything worthwhile. We must have reasonable expectations of ourselves, but we must not let our feelings get hurt when everything doesn’t turn out perfect.
5. Achievers focus on strengths
Another way that achievers keep from taking failure personally, is to focus on their strengths. The difference between winners and losers is that winners focus on what they can do, as opposed to focusing on what they cannot. If your weakness is a matter of character, then indeed this must become your sole priority to fix. Otherwise focus on and maximise your strengths.
Failure isn’t so bad - if it doesn’t attack the heart.
Success is alright - if it doesn’t go to the head.
6. Achievers vary approaches to achievement
Achievers are willing to vary their approaches to problems. If at first they don’t succeed they change their approach and try again. Failures either keep doing the same thing over and over or simply quit.
7. Achievers bounce back
One thing all achievers have in common is the ability to bounce back after an error or mistake. We must know that at the end of everyday we will have obtained results from our efforts. Some days the results are the ones we want. The answer is, great, work out what you did right. Some days the results are the ones we don’t want. To this, the answer is also great. Just work out what you did and don’t do them again.
The practice of karate is often described as an ongoing journey towards perfecting technique. This self-mastery mindset exists due to the fact that often, the slightest adjustments and modification in technique towards correct form can lead to an enormous improvement in overall ability.
Over the coming months we will be highlighting a number of training topics,
and discussing how making tiny adjustments in technique can lead to measurable progress in your karate.
Does Practice Make Perfect
When it comes to karate mastery, a common ideology is that it just requires practise, practise, and even more practise. In many ways this is very true, its takes years of repetition to master our technique, chipping away at the small inconsistencies and developing instinctive muscle memory.
Last week we covered this question on the subject of basics and kata. This week we shall touch on kumite. It became important to separate kumite from basics and kata because the answer can be quite different.
With our basic techniques and kata there is a clearly laid out technical path for us to follow. Therefore, once we are aware of this path it is simply a matter of persistence practise accompanied with focus. Kumite in contrast is not such a taught part of karate and something we often have to nut out for ourselves. The reason to this is many, to begin with, each person is different therefore they should spar differently. Another is that many of the qualities required for kumite are intangible, such as timing and distance and these cannot always be taught but only developed over time. Because of this, many students develop the idea that the only way to become highly proficient in kumite is once again - practise, practise, practise. This of course has many merits but it is not totally applicable.
Ultimately, the statement ‘practise makes perfect’ is false. The truth is practise only makes ‘permanent’ as it creates habits. The number one thing that will PREVENT you from improving your skill sets is practicing the wrong way. Bad practice creates bad results! The problem is that most people think they are practicing the right way with kumite.
So how can you tell if what you're doing is harmful or helpful? Easy - look at your results. If your punches aren't getting stronger with time... If you're getting hit more often or scoring less than you used to...If you've been stagnating at the same level for months or years... then guess what? It might be time to look at alternate methods, to become better educated, to analyze what you're doing now to see where you can improve it.
My point to all this is that if you learn excellent drills, concepts, strategies and
techniques and combine this with practice, practice, practice - that's when you'll see your skills skyrocket. Doing the same old stuff day in day out does NOTHING for growth.
This approach of becoming better educated, analyzing and then practicing is very powerful. People who just practice, practice, practice without analyzing and refining their technique are in for a long, slow, painful, learning experience with mediocre results. People who become better educated, apply their knowledge and then continue to refine their skills are the ones that become exceptional
Try it for yourself.
Learn.
Analyze.
Discard.
Adopt.
Practice
Any thoughts?
Here`s one to start :-
QUOTE
Do not turn up for lessons, turn up to train and get that little bit better each time you attend.
I thought this was the whole point....... Certainly when I train ( or work even) I like to think after every session, I`m getting better. Or is that just the mindset of hopeless optimism?
What do you think?
