Chapter 105: Fast and Furious

Martial Artists/Karate-ka all want to get to the fun stuff fast. This is where sensei/senpai teach, "patience." We all want to learn kata; we all want to kumite; we all want to learn how to defend ourselves but we all want that way too fast. We hunt quickly for the satisfaction and gratifications from being at the juncture in our studies and practices only to find, one day, that is not how to master the craft. 

People who read these postings know that the beginner is at such a junction that patience and consistency through repetitive practice with a focus not on actual technique but on principles such as physiokinetic's is critical in laying the foundation for a lifetime of study, practice, training and life-applications. 

One professional who lived and breathed a life facing aggression and violence stated, "Watch this action...see? Now do it. You can do it fast AND do it right, but first, here's how you do it right. Speed will come. (Clint Love)“

I see this as a reminder that to achieve the speed, power and force necessary for self-protection the student must remain patient, slow themselves down and allow the natural flow of nature to build that foundation. People who have done this already know that having patience now, building the foundation that will carry them forever and then adding on the necessary stuff to achieve a self-protection objective is how they achieve mastery, enlightenment and a humbleness that comes across with patience, reliability and achievement we all look to for guidance in our journey. 

When we achieve principles and encode them to proper realistic conditioned responses then the speed comes appropriate to the methodology, the target, the force levels and what speed is required to get-r-done.

Note: I remember my first day in a regular dojo and having to learn the basics, upper and lower body techniques, while watching the other more experienced senpai doing kata and kumite. I was anxious, through the social proof and liking influences I put on myself to belong, to get through the basics and move into the fun stuff. Many years later while teaching it then occurred to me that I scrambled fast through learning the movements that mid range experience levels I discovered how I had caused delays anyway having to go back and correct my practices to reach higher goals. If I had been helped to see, and accepted that, I could have actually gained greater successes in less time. It came to be that old oil filter ad, “You can either pay for it now, or pay more for it later,” type thing. I paid a higher price later, don’t do that. 

Slow yourself down, have patience and let the natural nature of the human mind and body move toward mastery in its own time, with its own rhythm and cadence, to a level you will gladly use later. Don’t let the natural inclinations to belong to the group/dojo, the members and status of membership along with pressures from the authority of senpai and sensei, etc. This learned now, will come to your aid later when you face aggression with violence to get-r-done and go home safe, secure and healthy.