All that is now has been lost
...it will NEVER help me get a new belt ...
That which has been designed for the summer is much like finding the missing puzzle piece under the couch after searching for quite some time. Starting even on the second week with delving deep into kata beginning with Taikyoku Sho Dan. Understanding the necessity of realizing others look up to you and that you should hold yourself to a higher standard because of that fact. Knowing how to fall properly throughout the semester. Even if attended the Ukemi at Master's Camp, a one day training session cannot reprogram our minds. If it could school would be much more informative. Comprehending why to step and the simply fact of stepping. The benefit of a day camp is they get these lessons because they have the time to learn more than a once a week student. They get to learn the lessons in Sparring, Kata, Basics, Stances, Blocking, Striking, Kicking, and much more. Only with summer classes do students in a once a week class get this added knowledge. The work on combining multiple levels of movement within a simple movement only gets to be implied throughout normal training due to class structure, but with the summer schedule not worrying solely about curriculum, all enrolled get to become better martial artist and not just better repeaters. Albeit Jesse will go off on tangents not meant for those below her level, and give information that she has yet to comprehend out to others who don't even grasp her vague ideas on a subject, much more is relative to earning a new belt in the classes. If time constraints were not as such much more would even be accomplished as is noted in the lesson plans. The summer is the predecessor to the fall, but not in a bad way, but rather an in depth way. Although many will fail to grasp that which is put in front of them now, perhaps when brought up as a brush up it will make that puzzle piece click in a set up a whole new wondrous picture.
And although tournament week or any other lesson plan in and of itself may not seem as beneficial to ones advancement through the ranks, when properly assembled the summer can make the difference between a new belt and none. With the ability to focus on areas that are brushed upon, ones performance and control will be undeniable come time for the test. Critiques and pointers amongst smaller numbers with more individual advice makes the difference between a haphazard and dangerous partner, and a future black belt.
Even Jesse has failed to grasp the point of many events at tournament. It is unfortunate that one with her possibilities cannot see what is important in many of them. While we all have favorites at everything, unfortunately it cannot be our focus. With a tournament training week, we get that little glimpse of where our techniques should be at power, how to tweak a technique for speed, when to use each. What is important in our Kata regardless of which one. How to be confident without actually being confident. Learning formalities and knowing the why. Escape drill is an event for all belts and I would challenge even the top ranking black belts to be able to compete competently in it. While many of us chase the power to control and conquer our aggressors, escape drill reverts back to the simplest of techniques, but yet teaches that no matter how many ways we learn to compensate for not knowing the White belt self defense, they are still the fastest and most effective techniques when performed properly. Case in point at Day camp students have less than three seconds to escape a pulling or pushing grab of the first four everyday. No matter how much bigger or stronger the opponent, when performed properly the first four are what gets us away.
Over five years ago, the basics and their understanding is what kept to well intentioned friends from meeting the tail end of an incapacitating attack. Had they attempted to grab me even 2 blocks earlier, I'm sure they would have surely landed in the emergency room that night. But with a concept of tiny circles, my stride was not even broken after their grabs. This ability to break and run is what all martial artists should strive for, if not able to merely flee the upcoming engagement. Not to say that all confrontation is without merit, but merely that the majority is not needed, and based on ego. So our ability to do escape drill truly tests our brains resolve to do what we say we should, and that is do as little as is necessary to break free from an altercation and leave with yourself unharmed. Even today a Blue belt took the relearning the basics, because of only one problem with her technique, and that was lifting her elbow when turning her wrist. After her failed fit throwing attempt, and many many wall push ups. She cheerily enjoyed getting the newfound knowledge of how simple, yet effective it was to do the technique correctly.
So I invite a look back:
second week:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/05/week-2-summer.html
third week:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-3-summer.html
fourth:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-4-summer.html
fifth:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-5-summer.html
sixth:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-6-summer.html
seventh:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/07/week-7-summer.html
and eighth:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/07/week-8-summer.html
At any rate as Bruce Lee said with some summarization:
In the beginning I thought a punch was a punch, then I learned so much more about hips, wrists, finger position, target area, and my eyes were opened about the entire world of what was a punch, but then after the acquisition of all that is a punch I came to realize that still a punch is a punch and nothing more.
That which has been designed for the summer is much like finding the missing puzzle piece under the couch after searching for quite some time. Starting even on the second week with delving deep into kata beginning with Taikyoku Sho Dan. Understanding the necessity of realizing others look up to you and that you should hold yourself to a higher standard because of that fact. Knowing how to fall properly throughout the semester. Even if attended the Ukemi at Master's Camp, a one day training session cannot reprogram our minds. If it could school would be much more informative. Comprehending why to step and the simply fact of stepping. The benefit of a day camp is they get these lessons because they have the time to learn more than a once a week student. They get to learn the lessons in Sparring, Kata, Basics, Stances, Blocking, Striking, Kicking, and much more. Only with summer classes do students in a once a week class get this added knowledge. The work on combining multiple levels of movement within a simple movement only gets to be implied throughout normal training due to class structure, but with the summer schedule not worrying solely about curriculum, all enrolled get to become better martial artist and not just better repeaters. Albeit Jesse will go off on tangents not meant for those below her level, and give information that she has yet to comprehend out to others who don't even grasp her vague ideas on a subject, much more is relative to earning a new belt in the classes. If time constraints were not as such much more would even be accomplished as is noted in the lesson plans. The summer is the predecessor to the fall, but not in a bad way, but rather an in depth way. Although many will fail to grasp that which is put in front of them now, perhaps when brought up as a brush up it will make that puzzle piece click in a set up a whole new wondrous picture.
And although tournament week or any other lesson plan in and of itself may not seem as beneficial to ones advancement through the ranks, when properly assembled the summer can make the difference between a new belt and none. With the ability to focus on areas that are brushed upon, ones performance and control will be undeniable come time for the test. Critiques and pointers amongst smaller numbers with more individual advice makes the difference between a haphazard and dangerous partner, and a future black belt.
Even Jesse has failed to grasp the point of many events at tournament. It is unfortunate that one with her possibilities cannot see what is important in many of them. While we all have favorites at everything, unfortunately it cannot be our focus. With a tournament training week, we get that little glimpse of where our techniques should be at power, how to tweak a technique for speed, when to use each. What is important in our Kata regardless of which one. How to be confident without actually being confident. Learning formalities and knowing the why. Escape drill is an event for all belts and I would challenge even the top ranking black belts to be able to compete competently in it. While many of us chase the power to control and conquer our aggressors, escape drill reverts back to the simplest of techniques, but yet teaches that no matter how many ways we learn to compensate for not knowing the White belt self defense, they are still the fastest and most effective techniques when performed properly. Case in point at Day camp students have less than three seconds to escape a pulling or pushing grab of the first four everyday. No matter how much bigger or stronger the opponent, when performed properly the first four are what gets us away.
Over five years ago, the basics and their understanding is what kept to well intentioned friends from meeting the tail end of an incapacitating attack. Had they attempted to grab me even 2 blocks earlier, I'm sure they would have surely landed in the emergency room that night. But with a concept of tiny circles, my stride was not even broken after their grabs. This ability to break and run is what all martial artists should strive for, if not able to merely flee the upcoming engagement. Not to say that all confrontation is without merit, but merely that the majority is not needed, and based on ego. So our ability to do escape drill truly tests our brains resolve to do what we say we should, and that is do as little as is necessary to break free from an altercation and leave with yourself unharmed. Even today a Blue belt took the relearning the basics, because of only one problem with her technique, and that was lifting her elbow when turning her wrist. After her failed fit throwing attempt, and many many wall push ups. She cheerily enjoyed getting the newfound knowledge of how simple, yet effective it was to do the technique correctly.
So I invite a look back:
second week:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/05/week-2-summer.html
third week:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-3-summer.html
fourth:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-4-summer.html
fifth:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-5-summer.html
sixth:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-6-summer.html
seventh:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/07/week-7-summer.html
and eighth:
http://hillcrestclass.blogspot.com/2008/07/week-8-summer.html
At any rate as Bruce Lee said with some summarization:
In the beginning I thought a punch was a punch, then I learned so much more about hips, wrists, finger position, target area, and my eyes were opened about the entire world of what was a punch, but then after the acquisition of all that is a punch I came to realize that still a punch is a punch and nothing more.
posted by Ev|Gen|us at 22:22
1 Comments:
Ok, so now that I've been completely scolded, I will not change my thoughts, but clarify them. Also, I want to say, I do respect that YOU are the teacher and what YOU say is how it is, because ultimately, you are better trained and you DO know more about it than I do. I'm not sucking up, I really mean that.
I see the POINT to most of the stuff we've done this summer, and even in tournament (actually, I do see that better AFTER this weeks class). I learned I really suck at kicking. I know HOW to kick in general, but in specific, I can't judge my distance well, I am NOT accurate, and I'm just not too good at it. However, I feel I learned a lot and did much better with hand techniques. Seriously, I noticed the difference just tweaking a few things.
Awhile back, I couldn't understand the practicality of the reverse roundhouse (and still think it's use would be rarely used by me in most situations), but I can't remember what happened, but you used it randomly and it all clicked together.
Now, here's where I disagree with you. You say that starting in the second week, delving deep into kata... Well, that's true in that we did do that with taikyoku sho dan, but that's all. I haven't done a kata in class since then and that's the only kata we did in the intermediate class and the advanced class only did red belt katas, so there were a ton that were skipped over (and I understand everyone benefits from katas they know and those they don't), but we haven't done a kata since then in class. (Trust me I'm TRYING to do them on my own).
Also, I agree about the importance of falling and you are right, it doesn't reprogram our minds that fast. If I went back to the same session that we had, I would still line up as a beginner, because I KNOW if it all came down to it, I'd fall and still get hurt if I wasn't thinking ahead of time about it.
Sadly, I'm too old for summer camp and I don't really like to go out of town, although I will for master's camp because it's fun and interesting.
Oh, and I can promise you there is at least one parent grumbling about the kids not knowing what the stuff on the curriculum is. I tried to explain some of the benefits of summer to her, but I won't go into that. Anyway, I do believe you are right, and the only thing I will take back is the word never. I'll say it will be hard pressed to help me NOW in going to orange since I still don't know the katas I need, but like you said, it will help.
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