Read an article in Black Belt magazine about how to get the most out of training. The basic premise was this: If you’ve been practicing martial arts for a long time, you’ve probably got way more techniques than you could ever practically need in your life. Since we all have a limited amount of time to train each day/week, we should focus on the most basic/effective techniques in our arsenal.
I definitely agree with this philosophy. Even as a full-time martial artist, (which means that MA somehow fits into every one of my days), I cannot possibly practice all my stuff, all the time. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. And here’s the real kicker for me…no matter how often or how long I train, I always feel I should have done more. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but it’s the way I am in all aspects of my life. How many of you are like that?
Just like any part of life that’s in the “important, not urgent” category, there are often so many excuses to put things off. Then we feel so guilty for putting them off, we figure we might as well quit. Sound familiar?
So…the advice I would give my students is to not get frustrated with not being able to train on everything all the time. Pick the techniques and basics that fit their needs and focus on those most of the time. That way, they will always be available if the need arises. But don’t neglect all the rest. I tell them to be patient with themselves. Martial Arts can be a lifetime journey and there’s no rush to get to the end.
Books I am currently reading:
“Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence” by Rory Miller
I will provide a review of it when I am done.