Perpetual growth. Not every martial artists will consistently seek for an expansion of knowledge, drills, philosophies, and experiences. I have been on that journey since I began training at Larry Davenport Karate in 1997. However, the desire to grow and expand my knowledge and experiences has ebbs and flows. About a year ago I bought a Wing Chun Wooden Dummy. I’ve ordered ‘how to use it’ DVD’s in the last year, I’ve looked at usage on line via youtube, and I’ve even sought individual one on one instruction from Kung Fu martial artists. Sadly, it is tough to watch a video, learn it by watching, then walk to my garage and try to implement what I viewed. The Kung Fu route has bared no fruit, as no one wants to teach Kung Fu to a school owner that practices Karate and Krav Maga. Back to ebbs and flows. After six months or so of fumbling around with my wooden dummy through self teaching, I gave it a rest. Recently, after being hit too easy by very experienced martial artists I am once again motivated to find someway to make the wooden dummy a part of my training, growth, and improvement. I used to be very difficult to hit in sparring as I was extremely defensive minded. Recently, I’ve tried to become more offensive and attack minded, and I am taking shots I never received in the past. So, instead of resulting to my past successes of defensive fighting, and sticking with my comfort spot, I’m seeking new drills and new training to help me become a better attack minded fighter whom is tough to hit. Perpetual growth. If a martial artist truly pushes himself for self evolution and improvement the world of martial arts will dictate the ebbs and flows of seeking knowledge. Right now, my sparring brothers hitting me more often than I like to be hit is dictating my desire and passion to improve. Ebbs and flows. Lastly, I sensed some staleness in my karate program both for myself and my students. Thus, I’ve spent countless hours scouring the internet seeking new drills, new thoughts, new philosophies. The result is a new energy in club, and a broader base of knowledge, and the commitment from us all to get better and improve. The day a martial artist thinks he has all the answers is the day he should stop training and close the doors if he owns a school.
“In training is where the battle will be won.”
Jett
