Two Left Feet!

[Kirk]

Anyone (newbies I would say) ever feel like your body just
doesn't get it? You're taught something, you wait for your turn
to perform it, and you feel like you're gonna execute the
tech/stance/form with the gracefulness of Fred Astair, and you
do it, and it feels more like Jerry Lewis on drugs! This is probably
the most disheartening thing in my training. I see everyone
else just moving and flowing, and all smooth, and I'm choppy, and
slow and fat :wah:

I'm not lookin' for answers here, just tryin' to whine and moan,
and possibly get a new thread going.

 

[Les]

Hey Kirk,

Seems like you've been watching me train

I have days like that too, abour eight a week.

The thing to bear in mind is that everyone learns at a different rate. Don't worry if other people get it quicker than you, so long as you get it in the end.

Also, while they might seem to be flowing and smooth to you, your instructor may not see that much difference between you. If he does, I'm sure he'll be offering you advice on how to improve.

Just keep plugging away, and you'll get there in the end.

Les

 

[satans.barber]

The other thing to bear in mind is that you will be better than you think!.

I've had days where I've felt that I've been absolute bollocks, but other people down at the club have given me praise after doing a technique. Often what feels wrong to yourself may look and feel a lot better to other people, a great deal of the negative thoughs you have may be in your mind, but not be transferring to your actual physical movements.

Something that would be great, if you can manage it, would be to film yourself doing some movements and then play it back on your TV. You might be amazed at what you can actually do!

Ian.

 

[Scott Bonner]

Originally posted by Kirk

Anyone (newbies I would say) ever feel like your body just
doesn't get it? You're taught something, you wait for your turn
to perform it, and you feel like you're gonna execute the
tech/stance/form with the gracefulness of Fred Astair, and you
do it, and it feels more like Jerry Lewis on drugs!

Only when I'm conscious!

 

[tonbo]

Kirk, honestly......I have *never* been real pleased about my overall performance when it comes to MA. Yeah, there are times I think I have done quite well, but, for the most part, I feel like I am a fool among kings.....of course, I am also quite self-critical and my own worst enemy in that respect.

It has taken a great deal of time and effort on the part of others to get me to a different place, recently. Basically, when I got my Black, I was told by one of the 4th Degrees: "Hey, now you can relax a little. You have nothing to prove anymore. Now, have fun." I have been trying to take that to heart more and more, and realize that I *wasn't* just having fun before.

My advice is this: relax and enjoy the ride. Some people learn fast, others slower. Some are naturally gifted with grace and style, others of us have to work our a$$es off (my "nickname" was "Post" for some time--jokingly, of course, but....). The point is, you look fine. Enjoy it, have fun with it, make it yours. Realize that your attacker on the street won't even notice your "style", whether it is good or bad. If you are training to be pretty for the judges, well, that is a different story; however, I think you are more along the lines of non-flash. In that case, here's another quote we use at our school: "Relax, breathe, and listen to the music". Even if it's in your head.....

Remember: When you are worrying about what other people are thinking, they are usually thinking the same thing you are......



Peace--

 

[KenpoTess]

Hi Kirk,

In our school we have some students that tend to be 'mechanical' when it comes to their techniques and sparring.. I've been working on them to become more fluid in their motion.. having them close their eyes and doing the technique slow motion or isometrically.. over and over and over again before they ever add any speed to it... this way their muscles remember.. Muscle memory recall.. Using large circular movements instead of power and speed.. maybe this is something you might try.. Gracefulness can be learned.. but in the end result.. if you're fighting.. who cares how graceful we are On the other hand there are students who spar and perform their techniques like Ballerinas.. where's their power? Their 'Oomph' as I call it.. I'm working with them to attain that.. These are mostly upperbelts.. they know their techniques.. they have the basics.. now they are fine tuning..They built their sandcastle.. now they are adding the finishing touches.. Martial Arts is not just mechanically learning a technique.. work on your breathing.. your relaxation methods.. Focus .. Black dot white dot.. there's a whole seperate world beyond ..
just my thoughts

Tess

 

[Robbo]

Some days you just move better than others. For me it feels like I have it right about 1 in 4 days. The only way to increase that ratio as far as I know is to train more and more and more.......

Thanks,
Rob

 

[Klondike93]

I was practicing a technique with a person one belt lower than me when he says to me "you must practice alot". I asked why he said that and he said "because you just look like you know what your doing". I'm not real good at compliments so I just said thanks.

My point though, is that I do practice alot just about every day, and that helps me retain the knowledge. That might be what your seeing is that some others have more time to practice than you do and thus look a little crisper.

Like the others I too have many days where, for lack of words, I flat suck! I think it's just lack of work on my part and put more effort into the next workout.

Just practice when you can and work out as hard as you can and one day you too will move like the seniors out there. (at least that's what I keep telling myself)

:asian:

 

[Seig]

Before you decide you suck, have someone video tape you during the course of your class. Last week my sister video taped the class and after watching it I discoered two things. I appear to be moving more gracefully than I thought and the camera does put 50 pounds on you!

 

[Goldendragon7]

do move smoothly....:rofl:

 

[Seig]

and they tend to knock hell out of everything in their path!

 

[Les]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7

Bowling Balls....do move smoothly....:rofl:

Not the way I bowl, unfortunately.

 

[Nightingale]

for something to be truly natural and graceful, your muscles need to be used to the motion. remember when you first learned your neutral bow stance? you were thinking..."toe heel alignment, knees bent, guard up, do I have the correct foot forward..." and now, when you hear 'right neutral bow', you just move into a right neutral bow, no thinking involved. you need to do something often enough to inbed it in your muscle memory. once its there, you usually won't mess it up again unless you start thinking about something too hard. hehe. I can do short one without thinking at all, but when I try to slow it down and have to start and stop in different places to teach it to someone else, that's when I screw it up.

 

[Bujingodai]

Not a Kempoist, sorry. But the left foot thing. I am in a partially acrobatic art, and that isn;t a strong suit for me. So it is really tough when your student base can out jump,leap and flip you. So I get the regular sensation of not being on key.

 

[Goldendragon7]

Originally posted by nightingale8472
but when I try to slow it down and have to start and stop in different places to teach it to someone else, that's when I screw it up.

More repetition my dear........ LOL... I had the same problem...


:asian:

 

[Les]

Originally posted by nightingale8472

for something to be truly natural and graceful, your muscles need to be used to the motion. you need to do something often enough to inbed it in your muscle memory.

This is very true, but we must all bear in mind that the muscle memory must be trained to do it correctly in the first place.

When we practice at home, it's all too easy to make a small mistake and then imbed that, causing us to take even longer to "un-learn and re-learn".

Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent.

Les

 

[Goldendragon7]

Practice doesn't make perfect,
practice makes permanent,
however,
Continued practice with a watchful & knowledgeable eye,
Makes for improvement.

:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

Why is there always time to do it over............
When there is never time to do it right.......

:asian:

 

[Les]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7

Why is there always time to do it over............
When there is never time to do it right.......

Dennis,

I like that one!

Les

PS

Last year you mentioned you might be coming to the UK. Any news on that yet?

 

[Goldendragon7]

but that fell thru..... with 911 and all...... but I am looking to come back and tour. Set it up!

:asian: