QUOTE
In This Issue
> Grading Preparation
> The Power Of Self-Learning
> myGKR Training Tip Sample
Many students are very comfortable with their ability to perform their basics and belt grade kata. You can see the confidence on their face as they perform their techniques well. When you mention that you are putting them forward for grading however, you can see the look of fear in their face as they worry, “I’m not ready, my stances are too weak, I’m not as good as Joe Bloggs” etc, the list just goes on.
My advice to them is that a grading class is a lot like any other class. You do not do anything different to the techniques taught, although in a grading class, you are being assessed! The pressure they put on themselves usually comes from nerves. These can be a variety of reasons for example:
Fear of failure.
Being in a different dojo than the one we are used to training in.
Seeing the number of different instructors who are checking them.
As grading is a significant part of karate training, it is crucial to focus on the task at hand. The best way to combat nerves is for you to improve communication between you and your instructor. Find out where you are at with your training and try to gain an understanding of what areas you require work on.
With a time frame in mind, try to attend extra classes. Practice makes perfect and you can obtain further feedback from another instructor.
While at class, make an extra effort to push yourself. In our usual classes we tend to pace ourselves, whereas at a grading we give everything 100% because we want to make sure we perform each technique the best that we possibly can. Pushing yourself in the extra classes will help you build your stamina and cope with the additional physical demands of a grading class. This also means that you won’t be completely exhausted by the end of the session.
Preparation is also the key. After all the training, you don’t want to let yourself down on the day. Eat a good breakfast to fuel your body up and ensure you’re hydrated, by drinking plenty of water beforehand.
Warm up beforehand, as it is essential you don’t injure yourself during the session. This also helps to focus the mind, helps you feel more confident and put nerves at ease.
Try to relax. Your Sensei would not put you forward, unless they fully believed that you were capable. If they have faith in you, then you too should accept this as true.
Most importantly of all, enjoy the experience! With everything going on it’s easy to forget the goal at the end. A new belt to reward all your hard work and effort. I hope that students will take some encouragement from this, and the next time I see you at grading, there will be smiles of anticipation in place of the usual worried looks.
How would you like to multiply your progress in the dojo and improve your technique beyond your wildest dreams?
Impossible you say? Well it’s easier than you may think! To more speedily achieve your maximum potential, you need to develop your ability for self-learning. That’s right, there it is, it sounds simple doesn’t it? The teacher does the teaching, however it’s up to the student to do the learning.
It all comes down to humility, attitude and disciple all great attributes of a karate-ka.
A great karate-ka adopts the attitude that they don’t know all there is to know regardless of rank or years of experience. So, if your Sensei makes a correction or explains a technique, then it’s up to you the student to think, “I must check and make the necessary adjustments to my technique”.
Sound simple? Well it is.
Your approach to this concept will determine the benefit you get from the knowledge being shared with you.
You can either assume that you are already doing the technique correctly and just wait for the class to move on, gaining little if anything from the exchange of information. Or, you can be humble enough in your attitude towards your karate development and assume that your Sensei may be directing their comments/instruction towards you and check and correct your technique.
Even if you’re already doing a good job, this will raise your awareness of the correct technique and thereby enable you to improve on what you’re already doing well.
Some time ago an Instructor told me a story that has stuck with me. I don’t recall who told it the first time so I can’t give credit but I will pass it along to you anyway.
Imagine if the journey from white belt to black consisted of 100 lessons to be learnt (if only), but just imagine for a moment. You make a mistake, your instructor corrects you, you fix the mistake, lesson learnt. You can now move on to the next lesson, or you can make the same mistake 10 times and be corrected 10 times before learning the lesson and moving onto the next.
100 mistakes and lessons to be learnt to arrive at your destination or 1000 mistakes, the choice is up to you.
So, next time you’re holding a stance or technique while your Sensei explains some detail, ask yourself, “Am I doing the best I can right now?”
“It’s what we learn from making a mistake that makes us stronger, better, faster.”
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.
What You Don't Use, You Lose
Human nature is a funny thing. Why is it that we always want to do the things we are good at, and try to avoid those things we feel inadequate in? Perhaps the answer just revealed itself, after all, who likes feeling inadequate?
Lets bring that topic over to karate now, and something we all aspire to – our next grading.
A common error people often make is they see each belt grade having one kata. For example, if I asked you what kata would you have to do to get your red belt? Many would incorrectly answer, Bassai-dai. ‘Incorrect’ you ask? Yes, the kata you have to do for red belt is first, second, Saifa AND Bassai-dai.
“Ahhh, it was a trick question” I hear you ask? “Because we already know first, second and Saifa, so that was obvious” you continue. No it was not a trick question.
This is where people can come undone in their journey towards black belt and beyond. They see kata like ticking boxes, “Yes, I have learnt that kata and passed grading with it – TICK”.
Because they see kata this way, they focus all of their energies on getting the new kata down pat and neglect working on their earlier kata. GRAVE MISTAKE!
With every grading, not only are you expected to perform your latest kata adequately, you are expected to show improvement on your earlier kata. For example, a person attempting Red belt is expected to have a much tighter and technically clean Saifa than the person who is attempting Green belt.
This is where the saying “What you don’t use, you lose” comes in.
If you have a fairly tight Saifa and succeed in achieving your blue belt, but then neglect Saifa focusing all your time on Bassai-dai, your Saifa is bound to start going backwards. Think about it, if you stop practicing the piano, will you lose fluency? Yes! If you stop playing soccer will your accuracy for hitting the top corner of the net drop? Yes!
So ask yourself, have you been neglecting any of your earlier kata, by practicing it much less or mentally switching of when you practice? If the answer is “Yes”, then its time to change your focus. Our goal is not to tick boxes on the way up, it is to continually grow and develop in every kata – that is how we become a top black belt.
> Grading Preparation
> The Power Of Self-Learning
> myGKR Training Tip Sample
Many students are very comfortable with their ability to perform their basics and belt grade kata. You can see the confidence on their face as they perform their techniques well. When you mention that you are putting them forward for grading however, you can see the look of fear in their face as they worry, “I’m not ready, my stances are too weak, I’m not as good as Joe Bloggs” etc, the list just goes on.
My advice to them is that a grading class is a lot like any other class. You do not do anything different to the techniques taught, although in a grading class, you are being assessed! The pressure they put on themselves usually comes from nerves. These can be a variety of reasons for example:
Fear of failure.
Being in a different dojo than the one we are used to training in.
Seeing the number of different instructors who are checking them.
As grading is a significant part of karate training, it is crucial to focus on the task at hand. The best way to combat nerves is for you to improve communication between you and your instructor. Find out where you are at with your training and try to gain an understanding of what areas you require work on.
With a time frame in mind, try to attend extra classes. Practice makes perfect and you can obtain further feedback from another instructor.
While at class, make an extra effort to push yourself. In our usual classes we tend to pace ourselves, whereas at a grading we give everything 100% because we want to make sure we perform each technique the best that we possibly can. Pushing yourself in the extra classes will help you build your stamina and cope with the additional physical demands of a grading class. This also means that you won’t be completely exhausted by the end of the session.
Preparation is also the key. After all the training, you don’t want to let yourself down on the day. Eat a good breakfast to fuel your body up and ensure you’re hydrated, by drinking plenty of water beforehand.
Warm up beforehand, as it is essential you don’t injure yourself during the session. This also helps to focus the mind, helps you feel more confident and put nerves at ease.
Try to relax. Your Sensei would not put you forward, unless they fully believed that you were capable. If they have faith in you, then you too should accept this as true.
Most importantly of all, enjoy the experience! With everything going on it’s easy to forget the goal at the end. A new belt to reward all your hard work and effort. I hope that students will take some encouragement from this, and the next time I see you at grading, there will be smiles of anticipation in place of the usual worried looks.
How would you like to multiply your progress in the dojo and improve your technique beyond your wildest dreams?
Impossible you say? Well it’s easier than you may think! To more speedily achieve your maximum potential, you need to develop your ability for self-learning. That’s right, there it is, it sounds simple doesn’t it? The teacher does the teaching, however it’s up to the student to do the learning.
It all comes down to humility, attitude and disciple all great attributes of a karate-ka.
A great karate-ka adopts the attitude that they don’t know all there is to know regardless of rank or years of experience. So, if your Sensei makes a correction or explains a technique, then it’s up to you the student to think, “I must check and make the necessary adjustments to my technique”.
Sound simple? Well it is.
Your approach to this concept will determine the benefit you get from the knowledge being shared with you.
You can either assume that you are already doing the technique correctly and just wait for the class to move on, gaining little if anything from the exchange of information. Or, you can be humble enough in your attitude towards your karate development and assume that your Sensei may be directing their comments/instruction towards you and check and correct your technique.
Even if you’re already doing a good job, this will raise your awareness of the correct technique and thereby enable you to improve on what you’re already doing well.
Some time ago an Instructor told me a story that has stuck with me. I don’t recall who told it the first time so I can’t give credit but I will pass it along to you anyway.
Imagine if the journey from white belt to black consisted of 100 lessons to be learnt (if only), but just imagine for a moment. You make a mistake, your instructor corrects you, you fix the mistake, lesson learnt. You can now move on to the next lesson, or you can make the same mistake 10 times and be corrected 10 times before learning the lesson and moving onto the next.
100 mistakes and lessons to be learnt to arrive at your destination or 1000 mistakes, the choice is up to you.
So, next time you’re holding a stance or technique while your Sensei explains some detail, ask yourself, “Am I doing the best I can right now?”
“It’s what we learn from making a mistake that makes us stronger, better, faster.”
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.
What You Don't Use, You Lose
Human nature is a funny thing. Why is it that we always want to do the things we are good at, and try to avoid those things we feel inadequate in? Perhaps the answer just revealed itself, after all, who likes feeling inadequate?
Lets bring that topic over to karate now, and something we all aspire to – our next grading.
A common error people often make is they see each belt grade having one kata. For example, if I asked you what kata would you have to do to get your red belt? Many would incorrectly answer, Bassai-dai. ‘Incorrect’ you ask? Yes, the kata you have to do for red belt is first, second, Saifa AND Bassai-dai.
“Ahhh, it was a trick question” I hear you ask? “Because we already know first, second and Saifa, so that was obvious” you continue. No it was not a trick question.
This is where people can come undone in their journey towards black belt and beyond. They see kata like ticking boxes, “Yes, I have learnt that kata and passed grading with it – TICK”.
Because they see kata this way, they focus all of their energies on getting the new kata down pat and neglect working on their earlier kata. GRAVE MISTAKE!
With every grading, not only are you expected to perform your latest kata adequately, you are expected to show improvement on your earlier kata. For example, a person attempting Red belt is expected to have a much tighter and technically clean Saifa than the person who is attempting Green belt.
This is where the saying “What you don’t use, you lose” comes in.
If you have a fairly tight Saifa and succeed in achieving your blue belt, but then neglect Saifa focusing all your time on Bassai-dai, your Saifa is bound to start going backwards. Think about it, if you stop practicing the piano, will you lose fluency? Yes! If you stop playing soccer will your accuracy for hitting the top corner of the net drop? Yes!
So ask yourself, have you been neglecting any of your earlier kata, by practicing it much less or mentally switching of when you practice? If the answer is “Yes”, then its time to change your focus. Our goal is not to tick boxes on the way up, it is to continually grow and develop in every kata – that is how we become a top black belt.
Any comments or thoughts?
