Advice for a slow learner

[terryl965]

Originally Posted by Tez3

That's exactly how I was when I started! I promise it does honestly get better. It really is a case of practice, practice and more practice. The moves become more and more instinctive until it actually gets quite funny when a friend taps you to catch your attention, you go to block then punch! If you can, have a look at a much newer beginner than yourself, you will surprise yourself by how much you do know (sometimes when you are feeling discouraged it helps to see how far you have come, it's not putting down beginners, it's just a reminder) don't worry, do relax, you will make it!

I can only relate to what she and the others have said. It will get better it does for everybody

[searcher]

michaeledward has stated it best. Right now you need to be focusing on your basics and your set self-defense techniques. I teach what is called my "base 20." It is twenty self-defense sets that I use to build off other, more advanced sets. My students have to know these without thinking before they are allowed to move to the advanced. After they have the advanced, then they get to improvise. I have had so many say, what if? This is similar to what you are going through. Right now you have no what ifs and no place improvising sets. JMHO.

[donna]

Hi mijemi, I agree with what has been said. Try to relax more and enjoy the moment while you train, as you relax more you will find things begin to stick in your memory better. It does get easier as you go along, and looking at people "newer" than yourself does indeed help your self confidence a lot.

[Tez3]

Looking into the future too these difficulties will make you a better teacher! I'm an instructor now and because I can remember exactly what it was like (still is to be honest when I have to learn new things) I can take beginners through things and find ways to help that I wouldn't have known otherwise. I used to envy a fellow student who whizzed through evry movement with ease and was sparring long before me but oh dear if he has to teach, which isn't often, he loses patience and gets a real strop on through lack of understanding the difficulty that other srudents have sometimes.

[Cirdan]

I think Anko Itosu said it best.

"Karate cannot be quickly learned. Like a slow moving bull, it eventually travels a thousand miles. If one trains diligently everyday, then in three or four years one will come to understand karate. Those who train in this fashion will discover karate."

[exile]

Originally Posted by Cirdan

I think Anko Itosu said it best.

"Karate cannot be quickly learned. Like a slow moving bull, it eventually travels a thousand miles. If one trains diligently everyday, then in three or four years one will come to understand karate. Those who train in this fashion will discover karate."

I like the one from Musashi Miyamoto:

I know that it seems difficult at the beginning. But what you must remember is, EVERYTHING seems difficult at the beginning.

And ain't it the truth....

[IWishToLearn]

I have a student who has termed herself "co-ordinationally retarded" heh. She told me that when she started in June that she didn't think she'd ever be able to grasp the basic stances because she just cannot get her body to do what her brain tells it to do no matter which sport or exercise she tried. I agreed to give it a shot with her, and off we went. This is now November, and she's got all of her stances down, all of her blocks, 3/4 of her strikes, and half of her maneuvering down for her first belt rank. I pulled her aside last week and mentioned - yanno for someone who claims to be co-ordinationally retarded, I have to say you're moving very well and you understand what you're doing, which is even more important. She lit up with understanding.

Where I'm going with this is that all of us learn at different paces. Thus far I've never met anyone who simply cannot learn to defend themselves through the martial arts. It merely takes a teacher competent enough to use methods of instruction that will match how the student learns, while simultaneously ensuring they receive enough material for the given moment and planting the seeds for future comprehension.

You'll get it - stick with it and bug your teacher for more information - look for the How, the Why, and the What of anything you're doing so your body will ingrain it. Then, several months, actually probably several years down the road it'll be so ingrained you won't have to conciously think about your reactions and responses to stimuli, they'll be there.

Good luck with your training!

[Jade Tigress]

With the all the good replies already given I don't have anything to add other than to reiterite that it does get easier. Don't be too hard on yourself, we've all been there (and I'm still there most of the time).