“When the student is ready, the master will appear”
“When the student is ready, the master will appear” Chinese Proverb
I have to admit it has been difficult to write an article for the newsletter, which focuses in on personal improvement, when I am in need of so much practice myself. When I have been pulled away from the dojo so much with the needs of my daughter, I can feel the difference in the connection between my body and my mind.
Karate is like a language. On order to speak a language fluently it requires a great deal of practice. I am hoping that an experience that I had during the last month can illustrate an example to show need a continual need for basics and continual practice. The intrinsic truth is, when it comes to Karate, practice makes perfect.
Though I have retained all of the knowledge that I have learned through studying karate, without practicing technique my form has begun to suffer. Sensei offered an opportunity for me to practice the Black Belt Kata chin to with him. We broke the Kata down step by step. Sensei gave a critique of each movement beginning with stances. Essentially this exercise left me with a very obvious understanding of what I needed to fix.
For example, Sensei noted that my arm was not completely straight when I executed a middle punch. He told me to extend my arm so that it was completely straight almost to the point that you would lock your elbow. This would produce a punch that was in the proper position for correct technique.
My middle punch was just one of many things that required adjustment. It is important to remember that just because you have all of the movements in a Kata memorized, there is no substitute for continual practice. It is imperative for upper level students to practice Kata with Sensei so that he can guide you through the ongoing improvement that can only come from continued practice.
Though Sensei took time to break down and critique my form, and was able to point out just a few things that needed improvement, he had just covered the tip of the proverbial “iceberg.” The best way for advanced students to make progress is continual practice and an effort to retain an open beginners mind to practice. There is always something new to learn regardless of how much you think you know. That is the key to improvement.
I have to admit it has been difficult to write an article for the newsletter, which focuses in on personal improvement, when I am in need of so much practice myself. When I have been pulled away from the dojo so much with the needs of my daughter, I can feel the difference in the connection between my body and my mind.
Karate is like a language. On order to speak a language fluently it requires a great deal of practice. I am hoping that an experience that I had during the last month can illustrate an example to show need a continual need for basics and continual practice. The intrinsic truth is, when it comes to Karate, practice makes perfect.
Though I have retained all of the knowledge that I have learned through studying karate, without practicing technique my form has begun to suffer. Sensei offered an opportunity for me to practice the Black Belt Kata chin to with him. We broke the Kata down step by step. Sensei gave a critique of each movement beginning with stances. Essentially this exercise left me with a very obvious understanding of what I needed to fix.
For example, Sensei noted that my arm was not completely straight when I executed a middle punch. He told me to extend my arm so that it was completely straight almost to the point that you would lock your elbow. This would produce a punch that was in the proper position for correct technique.
My middle punch was just one of many things that required adjustment. It is important to remember that just because you have all of the movements in a Kata memorized, there is no substitute for continual practice. It is imperative for upper level students to practice Kata with Sensei so that he can guide you through the ongoing improvement that can only come from continued practice.
Though Sensei took time to break down and critique my form, and was able to point out just a few things that needed improvement, he had just covered the tip of the proverbial “iceberg.” The best way for advanced students to make progress is continual practice and an effort to retain an open beginners mind to practice. There is always something new to learn regardless of how much you think you know. That is the key to improvement.
posted by Jake Richtsmeier at 10:51 AM
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