This short, but thought-provoking essay was written and submitted by our teammate, blue belt Mike Mongelli. Please take a moment to read it and reply, whether you agree or disagree with his premise. It doesn't have to be long but I do encourage you to show your support. You can also check the +1 tab or the reaction box at the end of the post if you elect not to write anything.
**Just to make things a little interesting, for all those that post a comment, one of those entries will be selected, by Prof. Mike-Mike Mongelli and myself, and the winner will get a choice of (1) ticket to Asylum Fight League fights on 6/18/11, (1) academy tee or (1) academy shorts, compliments of Cageside at Codella's. Winner will be announced here on Weds 6/15/11 You don't have to log in to the blog but you do have to write your full name at the end of your comment if you're an academy member; non- members can email me their contact info and guest # assigned to post at jaystorm15@yahoo.com
One complaint I frequently hear from practitioners of martial arts is that they often cannot commit to memory the techniques they perform in class. It is certainly beneficial to do your best to remember what your teacher demonstrates, such as by internalizing these movements by working drills, or even by actually writing down what you observed and executed, but it is not the end of the world if one does not retain everything that is shown. Personally I’ve spoken to and read many articles by black belts who believe that once one reaches the so-called level of master that one then realizes that the martial arts journey is far from over; rather that it begins all over again as though once more, one were a white belt. The point is, learning any legitimate martial art is a commitment to undertaking a lifelong journey – it is absolutely impossible to remember everything!
However, I believe that there is a deeper issue at hand here; one that goes further than simply not being able to commit techniques to cognitive memory – and it is not exclusive to beginners. What I believe is the true problem that these martial artists commonly struggle with, a problem that may cripple their growth and demoralize them into quitting if not addressed, is that they place too much emphasis on the intellectual aspect of learning an art over the concept of learning it by feeling. The way that I learn martial arts is by looking for a balance between my mental and emotional approach to them. While of course one strives to know proper technique, or know how to escape sticky positions, obsessing over every detail in order to attain some semblance of progression or “perfection” will place too much emphasis on the cerebral part of learning, and this poses a legitimate risk of stunting the growth of the martial artist. Seldom do these artists realize that the issue is not that there is too little memory in their approach, but rather instead that there is too little emotion in it (outside, of course, of the frustration they feel, no doubt caused by over-thinking). There comes a point where sometimes one must stop thinking about what is happening and just let the body, which has been physically trained and encoded with the knowledge of the martial art, react instead. I vehemently believe that the entire point of martial arts is to protect yourself through finding this balance.
If you disagree with me and believe that mental obsession is a good thing, or that emotionalizing or feeling martial arts is not important – since you value thought so much, then philosophize over this scenario: if someone on the streets points a gun in your face, how much time are you going to have to “remember” what technique you should use? A bullet can travel faster than the speed of sound; your reaction needs to be even quicker. You will not think about what to do; you will just do. That is the emotional part of training; that is the part that feels the martial art. Do not underestimate the value of learning a martial art by feeling it – it may save your life. Once you attain that balance between the intellect and instinct, only then may the boundaries in your martial arts journey – as well as the boundaries in the overall journey of your life – be removed.
Feel it!
