There's no getting around it, martial arts requires repetition. You have to practice your techniques over and over again to get good at them, whether you train in aikido, iaido, judo, jujutsu, karate, kendo, or kyudo. That's probably why, in the long run, the people who get to be best at martial arts are those who enjoy the practice for its own sake. Some of the benefits of repetition are: conditioning, learning, meditation, and spiritual forging.Conditioning: one of the obvious benefits of repetitive training is conditioning. By repeating physical techniques over and over, we strengthen our limbs, improve our cardiovascular systems, and cleanse our bodies by sweating.
Learning: by practicing over and over, we gradually come to understand how techniques work. This is true on a technical level - repeated practice allows us to think about our skills and refine them - but it is also true on an intuitive level - repetition allows us to develop a "feel" for how to move in certain techniques that helps with strength and efficiency.
Meditation: repetitive practice helps to calm the mind. This may be because the material we practice is limited, so our mind can relax, or it may be that there is some direct relationship between physical exercise and mental calmness. Whatever the case, experience has shown us that long-term, repetitive practice leads to greater calmness.
Spiritual Forging: dedicated practice over a long period of time has many benefits when it comes to making us stronger in spirit. Our weaknesses can be gradually overcome (if we practice with the right positive spirit, always trying to get a little better every day). Our strengths can be developed. Our intuition can become sharper. Our will to succeed can be honed.
Practice, practice, practice! Always enter the dojo with a feeling of pleasurable exhilaration. Strive to improve yourself in every training session, keep at it for years, and you will be delighted with the results!
The Japanese Martial Arts Center would like to thank the many Ann Arbor businesses that support this blog, both martial arts-related and others, including: Network Services Group, Art of Japanese Swordsmanship, Shudokan Martial Arts Association, Budo Mind and Body, Art of Judo, Iaido Dot Com, Lorandos and Associates, Oxford Companies, Bluestone Realty Advisors, Portfolio Ann Arbor, Invest Ann Arbor, the Law Office of Nicklaus Suino and the ITAMA Dojo.
5 comments:
Your duty as a student is simple.
Listen...
Remember...
Do...
(wash rinse repeat)
Remember, the journey is the reward.
The study of martial arts is a process, not something you simply cram for quickly and get down in a few sessions. Through this process several benefits, above and beyond learning techniques, can be experienced. The successful student of the martial arts is the one who recognizes this and puts his heart, mind, and body into his training, reaping the rewards as time goes on.
Considering the major benefits of repetition: Conditioning, learning, meditation, and spiritual forging, I think of building a physical foundation or infrastructure that prepares the individual for long-term development. An improved muscle and skeletal foundation, with improved breathing technique, enables a process of freeing up the mind to concentrate on forging the spirit. Physical repetition is the experiential process of improving muscle condition and develops ‘muscle memory’ to condition the right feel. However, strength and stamina have to be considered and how it effects breathing. Getting beyond improper or inadequate breathing that is coping with less than ideal physical conditioning seems to be a significant milestone in our journey. Proper breathing then becomes the basis for the intellectual and emotional aspect of the technique as physical balance and muscular-skeletal control no longer remain as a distraction, but rather frees the practitioner’s mind to focus on the ‘opponent’ and visualize the scenario.
Repetition is an important part of waza study for me. I have run into one problem, however. While practicing a few techniques at home, I was repeating incorrect movement. It took several weeks to undo the bad habit, even though it was new. This reminded me that it is perfect practice that that makes perfect, not just practice.
Repetition helps me not only learn the forms, but in doing something multiple times, I find myself analyzing and re-analyzing each form. From constant analysis, I gain a much deeper understanding of martial arts.
Post a Comment