Throughout our lives we take in a great deal of information, physically, intellectually and even spiritually, that constructs who we are and what we believe. That information comes at us from every direction and in a variety of ways, with our deliberate intention or not.
As martial artists, we actively seek this information from our instructors and the active experience of the mats. But humans are not one-dimensional; we are complex beings whose lives are created through compound experiences. As a result, we take in information through a variety of exposures, not just books and other media but also via the people we choose to associate with and every dynamic interaction. We continuously absorb information throughout our daily life experiences, not just via our senses but also through the lens of reflection and empathy. We learn from both our own and other peoples experiences, we learn through muscle feedback and our nervous system. Simply put, in one form or another, we are always taking in information.
As we evolve as individuals, our perspective and objectivity changes. Some information, some life lessons, become obsolete while others suddenly become relevant. Where we are in life and the experiences that led us there change how we understand and appreciate them.
It is my experience that the knowledge we obtain throughout our lives does not always come to us at a time when we are ready to use it to its fullest potential. Often the information lies dormant within us, seeping into our unconscious mind until a time when we are evolved and mature enough to grasp its potential and meaning.
I can think of many examples in my own life when dormant knowledge has resurfaced at a pertinent time to become useful to me. When my own growth has allowed old lessons to suddenly become practical or life affirming in a new conscious role; puzzle pieces falling into place.
For years, I was told by my own instructors to relax when practicing my techniques, that my muscles must be soft and my effort and exertion minimal in order to carry out an effective and strong punch. I could never grasp this concept, of soft muscle making a hard strike or a technique becoming stronger with less effort. I believed it to be true, or was at least open to the concept, but I never understand it in practice.
Trying to replicate this concept into reality was beyond my grasp. I tried and tried but was repeatedly left frustrated. That in turn, created scepticism and doubt and I would counter by putting even more effort and strength into my strikes and techniques, trying to make them harder and stronger like my instructors. It wasn’t until many years later when other aspects of my training had developed, and probably even my personality and attitude, that I made progress.
It wasn’t a fast process, but eventually I came to understand that a relaxed muscle can move a limb much faster than a tense muscle, that less resistance creates more power. I understood how breathing affects our bodies and how purposeful, relaxed movement can increase the effectiveness of techniques. It took years, more than I’d care to admit, but always in the dormant part of my mind; the concepts were there. Without that foundation knowledge, seemingly useless to me at the time, I would never have developed those abilities. I would have been a different martial artist, a different person, perhaps more forceful and less flexible, certainly less effective.
I think it’s important to remind ourselves that all information we expose ourselves to, no matter how irrelevant it may seem at the time, has the potential to impact us. When we understand that, it’s easier to make decisions that ensure we have positive practices in our lives, leading us down the right path. Like choosing kind-heated, honest people to spend our time with, exposing our minds to credible and wholesome information or training with energy and good practice.
Because information has such potential to influence our lives and because we have the ability to seek out our own information, we have the opportunity to direct the course of our own lives in a very real, very practical way. The lessons my instructors taught me over many years, and the information I have sought myself, have made me who I am today. The lessons I am learning now will make me who I am in the future. The information we expose ourselves to now, sits with us until we reach the right time in our lives to use it. Whether we recognise it happening at the time or not, respecting and steering the process has the potential to lead us to great things.
When I teach students, I always try to keep this in my conscious mind and aim to push each of them to challenge their own abilities and go beyond their established comfort zones. But I don’t try to push them, not beyond their current understanding, there’s no point. I can give a student detailed anatomical instruction and they will no doubt change their foot position or shift their weigh, but it is not within my ability to make them understand the technique, at least not on a level integrated with their whole self.
Instead, I give what I can, hopefully sowing the seed of knowledge for a time when they are ready to use it. Bit by bit, they’ll take in the information and instruction I give them, as well as from other instructors and every other source of information they expose themselves to. It lies in wait until hopefully, one day, they will be ready and able to understand and use it, even if that’s years away.
As instructors in the martial arts, we can only point students in the right direction, provide the information and opportunity to allow them, when the time is right, to evolve the understanding of the knowledge we give them. Only they can do this and make use of it. Like every one of us, they must use their own physical qualities, their own abilities and their own life experience to bring their own uniqueness to the training hall and into the rest of the world.
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