Stepping Back in Order to Go Forward

[Jonathan Randall]

Stepping Back in Order to Go Forward. Right now, as a artist, I've found that, because I was easy on myself and did not spend the long hours doing the basics of oil and acrylic painting, that I have had to face a substantially diminished quality of my finished product (a painting) as I tackle pieces and methods that I skipped in order "to get to the good stuff". As I sit here, in view of my easel with a more complicated, but much less successful painting than I'm used to, I recall the correlations this phenomena I'm encountering as a painter has to martial art's training.

For example, I spent some time during my college years at a commercial TKD school (not bashing TKD, just the limitations of THIS specific school) that rushed students through their forms (those testing fees, and all) and taught advanced techniques the first year. Later, when I entered another Korean style (TSD), I had to spend a year as a white belt relearning the basics correctly. In other words, I had to step back ino order to move forward. Anyone else have the same experience? Thoughts?

 

[Don Roley]

Yeah, I have had the same experience. And I really don't think I rushed through things.

But I think that in my early training I missed things. Only by going back and looking at them again did I pick up some small points I overlooked. This is not just a single case of me taking sucha step back.

And I think that as I get better able to see through experience I will find more need to go back and look at my basics and start over again in order to go forward.


Repeat as needed and/or as long as you are alive.

 

[Grenadier]

Not unusual at all.

Many a good traditional school will start you out on just the fundamentals, and keep drilling those fundamentals into you all throughout your time. They will not teach you the more advanced techniques until you have demonstrated at least a certain proficiency in just those basics.

In my opinion, this is a very effective way to make sure that more of your students end up being a much more polished product than what they might have otherwise been. It also helps bring a greater number of students to that level, when all is said and done.

At the risk of sounding like Pat Morita's character, I'll just simply say that it's the quality of the techniques that should be the ultimate "scorecard" on how well someone is doing, and not the quantity.

 

[HKphooey]

I think this is a common issue for many of us. 18 years later I still learn new ways of looking at the basics.

 

[painstain]

i can relate in both artistry and martial arts. i've been sketching for years, before i spent five years studying the human anatomy i used to work for hours on in on character studies or potraitsthat i wasn't proud of in the end, but after learning about the muscles ,perportion, forshortening, expressions, etc... it became almost effortless.

with martial arts, when i was a green belt in tae kwon do i took the instructors course. i thought i new everything about white belt technique.
the first day of instructors course was 5 hours of disecting white belt technique. i figured out at the end of that day that i new barely anough to start off a class of white belts. now, instructing 3 schools, i'm still learning as i teach, which is a lot of fun.!

with respect,
painstain

 

[Cirdan]

One of my favorite words of wisdom:

"If you rush, the path will be narrow, but by keeping one step back your road will be wide"

 

[Brother John]

The BASICS are the Most important things in almost any art, definitely any art that I've had the honor of studying/practicing!
Therefore I think that the most important lessons should be those you get while you are still wearing white.
If the foundation isn't laid strong and deep....then the superstruction built upon it MUST be weak!

There's no other way, first things FIRST........and first things the most!

Your Brother
John

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

Every Good Martial Artist will and should go through this. That's why the inside of Black Belts are white to symbolize the new beginning or return to basics. We all have to "return to the beginning" at some point. We always have to go "back to basics" to add "one more fold" to our "swords".

It is the continual cyclic process of refinement-new discovery-refinement.

 

[Makalakumu]

When I reached shodan in TSD, it was quite an accomplishment. I had trained in martial arts since I was 11 and I had several years in several different arts. When I started TSD, all of this really payed off because picking up the stuff was a snap. Under any other teacher, I probably would have tested for shodan MUCH earlier.

My teacher, however held me to the minimum time requirements. Why? Because he wanted to instill in me the will to take my stuff to a new level. This required me to re-examine everything I knew and push my previous limits. Five years later, I EARNED my rank.

Now, I carry this philosophy forward. Every time I test for a new rank, my goal is to take everything I know to a new level. In this way, I ensure my growth in the art. The bottom line is that all art, including martial arts, is a reflective process. The minute you stop doing this, you stop growing as an artist.

 

[terryl965]

Every single person has to take a step back and re see what has already been done so they can move forward.
Terry

 

[Brother John]

This reminds me of TS Eliots poem: Little Gidding

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

That's what you're doing...
you've been through the course, and now you come again to the basics, the most crucial step.
OFTEN we hurry in the beginning, not realizing that the BEST comes First... we want to get to the "Advanced" things, techniques....etc...
But once we've matured, we realize where the meat is...and we go back, and KNOW it again for the first time.

Your Brother
John

 

[Dark]

Well I don't know about rushing through things, but I've had to go back and remember things I thought I knew. When I was in the Army I was invited to join this training group, nothing big just a few soldiers with martial arts training from different styles, allot of TKD and BJJ.

Setting through these "meetings" I was faced with two realities, 1) I didn't know as much as I thought I did and 2) I overlooked allot concepts applied to those basics. I found myself watching other soldiers practice techniques and applications of their training and kept thinking "I see it, I know it, I've done but I don't now." Thats life as an adult we will go back to our childhood to relearn the things we forgot...

 

[Bigshadow]

I believe this is a continual process with those who are progressing in their training. With each degree of knowledge gained, one also develops the eyes to see things they missed before or the things that are perceived as basic now are new and have different, often subtle, and many times fleeting differences that only experiences allows you to see and grasp.

I honestly believe, that if this is not happening to someone every so often, they are not progressing in their training.

 

[IcemanSK]

I've had times in my MA career when I've wanted to "jump ahead to the 'good stuff'" & skip the basics...Only to return to the basics. I got a good understanding of this watching the 2 karate programs at the places where I teach TKD. The class run by the 4th Dan (student of the other instructor, a 7th Dan) is all show, tournament fighting prep & pizaz. The other class (run by the 7th Dan) is basics, basics, basics. He'll run a hour class on 1 form for both kids & adults attending. While the 1st class is more "entertaining" there is little substance. While the other isn't flashy (some who say boring) the folks in it are really understanding the art better. All because of basics.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Another point of view.....when looking back on all your training...and think about your begining.....and what took to get you where you are today......."My have you grown and improve!"

Stepping back and looking at yourself today.....is the best way to know how you are doing......just my thoughts here.......Aloha

 

[MJS]

Stepping Back in Order to Go Forward. Right now, as a artist, I've found that, because I was easy on myself and did not spend the long hours doing the basics of oil and acrylic painting, that I have had to face a substantially diminished quality of my finished product (a painting) as I tackle pieces and methods that I skipped in order "to get to the good stuff". As I sit here, in view of my easel with a more complicated, but much less successful painting than I'm used to, I recall the correlations this phenomena I'm encountering as a painter has to martial art's training.

For example, I spent some time during my college years at a commercial TKD school (not bashing TKD, just the limitations of THIS specific school) that rushed students through their forms (those testing fees, and all) and taught advanced techniques the first year. Later, when I entered another Korean style (TSD), I had to spend a year as a white belt relearning the basics correctly. In other words, I had to step back ino order to move forward. Anyone else have the same experience? Thoughts?

Basics are probably the one thing that people get bored with the easiest. For some reason, some people do not want to take the time to really get the fine points of the movements. However, its those movements, that build the foundation for the more advanced moves. It would be interesting to know how the advanced moves at the school you mention, look, after rushing the students through the basic moves.

I've always felt that its good to go back and revisit the beginning material on a regular basis. Its amazing how easy it is to forget some of that basic stuff while we focus on more advanced things.

Mike

 

[stone_dragone]

I have gone backwards to start the basics over again so many times I feel more comefortable in reverse. When ever I feel I'm getting nowhere, getting bored or just plain not learning anything, I always go back to the basics...they never fail to give me new information, insights, and outlooks.

It took me a long time to realize that basics aren't something that you do to get to the good stuff...basics ARE the good stuff!