We know through gymnastics how important it is to have the foam pit and crash mats – a physically ‘fail safe’ environment protects the participants. More importantly, a ‘fail safe’ environment help reduce the ‘fear’ factor and therefore foster learning. I love outdoor training but there are lots things that is not safe to practice on concrete and therefore the move from outdoor parking lots to the Nikkei Center was huge.
If we want to take martialgym to the next level, we need to extend this ‘fail safe’ concept even further. Yes, I am going beyond just having the right mats, the foam pit or protective gear, I am talking about having a ‘fail safe’ environment where everyone feel free to ask without feeling dumb, to be able to make guesses despite the possibility of being wrong, to be able to experiment and discover various approaches to a problem, to make mistakes and be able to laugh at it together, to lose in a contest and yet feel good because you see it as an opportunity, or you can shed tears and still be respected. That is type of team that I want and am striving for.
To make that happen, everybody has to pitch in with the right attitude.
- Being overly anxious to win or to impress become a roadblock to yourself as well as your team. Giving up or just being careless is just as bad.
- Lead by caring and by being supportive and not by controlling and over-powering
- Develop an easy going (but hard working) attitude is just as important as to be physically ‘relaxed’ and yet stable
- Be patient with yourself as well as others. Having a drive is good but frustration gets in the way of learning
- Be a good partner, you learn more by taking AND delivering, not just one way
- Develop generosity to help your partners grow and improve because you do grow with better ability from your partners
- Be sensitive to each others’ feelings, listen, observe, ask and confirm
- Willingness to learn and pick up new things even if it is from the most unlikely source.
- Work as hard as is possible in-between classes to ensure steady improvements of yourself and team. (Visualize when physical practices are not possible).
Exercise:
Most of you have the right attitude already but mingling more and having more consistencies will help. How can you categorize all these attitudes or mindset? (Hint: relate back to last blog)