The early part of June of this year, I tuned in on my television to find one of
the premium stations was showing a documentary of old, martial art tournaments
from the early years. They were giving commentaries and showing some of the
great fights and competitions of that decade and mentioned how the Japanese at
this time were superior to all other competitors because of their training. The
commentators pointed out how the Japanese trained vigorously and hard for
these tournaments and the sacrifices they were willing to make to compete at a
level that allowed them to dominate the competition.
As I continued to watch the show, I noticed most of their techniques were
very basic but what was impressive was their execution, precision and timing. I
observed one American fighter getting kicked over a half dozen times in the same
leg above his knee, around his thigh, yet the young fighter still kept a “wide
stance” and the Japanese fighter kept kicking him in the same spot. Before long,
this continuous physical attack on his leg soon found the American fighter on the
floor, crawling in his own pool of pain, requiring assistance from his peers to
even stand. This is when I asked myself, “when do we learn?”
One would think that the fighter should have know after the second kick to the
leg in the same spot, he was doing something which allowed his opponent to
continue brutally hitting him in the same body area “at will”. Some will say
the American fighter did learn because he was willing to endure but I will say at
what cost? Does it take us getting hit by a mack truck, hitting ourselves over the
head or repeatedly banging our heads against a wall to learn that sometimes change
is “good?” Listening to the wisdom of others can stop us from the proverbial banging
our heads against the invisible wall of inexperience if we listen, train and carry out
the instructions set forth by our teachers.
A lot of times, even in my seminars, I see inexperienced students trying to change
my techniques before they have even learned to properly execute what I am teaching them.
When will they learn to understand first that the teacher’s desire is to make the system
work for them before they attempt to modify the technique. These students are so eager
to modify a technique or alter the move so they can then lay claim to the new, modified
move, in their name and stroke their own inflated ego’s that they forget the original intent
of basic instruction.
“When do we really learn?”
I think we are teachable when we learn about ourselves. When we open ourselves
up for inspection and critiquing, then I believe we empty ourselves to the point where we
are willing to learn. To do this, is not easy because in most cases, Americans tend to view
one’s willingness to open up or humble yourself to another’s teachings as a sign of weakness
instead of strength. But, until you learn….“are we not weak?” or do we take “the joy of
learning the hard way?”
When you can still call yourself a student of the martial arts no matter what style, then
you have a working attitude that will let you learn.
“When do we learn?” I guess when we have nothing to prove and willingly
let others inside so we can evolve to another level.
As a rule, in the “parenting” phases of our lives, parents sometimes let their kids fall,
fail or even try different experiences over and over just so long as it is not life threatening.
This is another way we try to learn and it is a normal process of learning. However, as
we face the obstacles involved, we soon come to recognize the risks in these factors but
rather than learn from the experience we charge bullheaded forward and continue to set
out and prove that we are going to attempt to succeed no matter the cost.
This is why I can easily visualize that person didn’t want to learn as I did. The
competitor getting kicked over and over in his leg and because he was unwilling to learn
from this experience, required help getting off the floor because he refused to “change”
his technique which was not working effectively for him. So in the end, he kept getting
hit until he lost the competition and required help off the floor and he missed the lesson.
Some of the easy factors of learning are first, “admit you do not know; second, “see if it
will benefit you if you do know”; third, “find out who does know”; fourth, “take away the
barriers” so he or she can get in to help; five, “make it part of you by training the mind,
body and spirit”. By using this process, it will help stop people from saying, “When will
they learn?” And, instead of you being on the floor struggling with pain, you instead will
be the one helping the others up and saying . . . . .
. . . . . ”When do they learn?”
Edited by Marlena B. Beal, Freelance Writer
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