Why are people so afraid of learning something new or different? Even if you have been doing something for years one particular way, there may be a different way, or a better way. Wouldn’t that be interesting and great to know and learn? Why are you so adamant that there is only the way you know how?
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Change. The mere mention of this word may cause some to feel uneasy. We often find ourselves resisting change, perhaps because of the perceived risk or fear associated with it. People resist change because they believe they will lose something of value, or fear they will not be able to adapt to the new ways.
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Learning a new kata, or understanding kata in a different way, learning a new drill, or even changing your style of karate, can seem a daunting task. Change never seems natural. We naturally repel it and often want to retreat back into our comfort zone, just keep on doing what you’ve been doing before. But it is essential to growing as an individual and to becoming a better martial artist. You owe it to yourself, and if you teach, to your students.
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You are fearful of learning something new, fearful of being wrong. As humans we are creatures of habit, some more than others but simply put, people are just naturally fearful of change. It’s because learning something new needs patience, practice, concentration, focus and admitting you might be wrong. Your brain is trained in such a way that it doesn’t want to make any effort and stay in your comfort zone, always.
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As a teacher, the most common reason I see for a student, or instructor, being “afraid” to learn new things, is that they are afraid to fail and nervous about coming face to face with their actual abilities, rather than the talent they wish they had, or think they have. Ironically, the way to develop real talent is to learn, learn deeply, not superficially. Trying new things is good for our psychological health because overcoming the challenge of stepping out of our comfort zone not only builds and increases our knowledge and understanding, but it builds our self-confidence and self-esteem.
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If you are having a problem understanding something, don’t fall back on what you think you know, or even what you teacher has told you. Stop….. Pause for a moment….. Think logically. Put away any preconceptions you may have and try to look at things in a different, changing or challenging perspective.
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The response towards an action (an attack) will be largely based on your expectation of the outcome of that action. You are reacting to your understanding of reality – not necessarily to reality itself.
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It’s not a competition to see who is right. We are all here to learn and the more we do, the more we can apply that knowledge in the correct way. 
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“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.” – Zig Ziglar
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