To improve on the ability to learn and innovate

The Chinese invented fireworks but failed to apply it to military use. The Chinese also discovered magnetism but used it only in the first compass. Today, magnetism is applied in credit cards, computers, rice cookers, fridge magnets and much more. Chinese martial arts can be traced back a couple of thousand years but boxing, karate and now mixed martial arts seems to have taken the spotlight. I think we have something great here. How can we avoid past mistakes and work towards success in the future?

• Patience with yourself (as well as others) – don’t expect to get it right the first time, emotions get in the way of learning. Ultimately, during a fight, nobody cares how long it took for you to master that hit as long as it connects. As a martial art school, we are constantly experimenting and evolving. Feel free to ask any of my students that has been with me for a while.
• Develop the passion to learn and to improve, don’t train because I asked you to or it becomes a chore. With passion, you will overcome weak areas on your own through a clear head, hard work and intensity. You will think about it even when you are doodling. You will create time despite the tight schedule.
• Grow the “fail safe” environment – everyone is human and therefore subject to stupid mistakes, nothing is sacred and therefore open to questioning, nothing is too ridiculous to be tried, furthermore, don’t mock others because you don’t want that for yourself – life is a two way street.
• Open your eyes to other sports, arts and studies and develop the willingness to experiment / think through an opposing idea regardless of how ridiculous it may seem at the first glance – still remember how crazy it seems when I say “relax” to get more power? Up to this day, I still pick up books and materials from other styles to see patterns and sometimes even challenging myself to see if I am just opinionated, or did I made a conscious and informed choice. Gymnastics, seemingly from the opposite end, do help me understand and explain mechanics better. Furthermore, I did improve on my martial art through coaching gymnastics.
• Be receptive and experience things outside your norms. As an example, for guys, watch a few episodes of “You think you can dance” (I like the US version more) and appreciate the lines, movement patterns, partner work, lifts and expressiveness or go to a concert out of your normal ‘likes’. You don’t have to like it but keep an observant eye and see if you can see past the obvious. For girls, watch a few UFC fights despite your distaste for blood and hated the idea of two grown man beating each other up – you cannot defend yourself if you cannot even bear to watch it.
• Reduce pre-canned solutions into its fundamental principles so that you can apply a working principle in more places or when the circumstances change, you can adapt / flow into other solutions naturally.
• Synchronize / align how you think and react to the theories behind our skills so that your actions / responses become a simple expression of self. When in danger, the last person you want to be fighting against is yourself!
• Secrecy slows the learning process. Lots of wasted time spent in rediscovery instead of leveraging off each others ideas. Furthermore, if you help your teammates, then you will be amongst a stronger team and you will improve as a result as well. Old kung fu schools attempt to separate out the general public from the ‘insiders’ – lots of information got lost in between generations and also because of rivalries amongst peers.
• Set goals, track progress so that you know you are improving and can make adjustments if it is not leading you to where you want to go.
• Be fact and logic based rather than style, how or he/she says driven – if a concept is correct, don’t worry about its source.
• Be respectful and appreciative – why would anyone share with someone who is disrespectful or unappreciative?

Exercise:

• Look at the above list and identify one that really sticks out for you (or that you need to try) and why.
• Have you ever checked the book list on the sidebar? Don’t have to buy anything but do go through the list, those are ones that I read or think that it can be an interesting read.