If you’re thinking too much you’re not practicing enough.
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A common problem is students don’t know what to practice or how to practice. To be effective in their learning they need to have small doable goals for them to accomplish, and then are tested on them….. the very next lesson. Unfortunately, when they return to training there is often a decrease in their skill level and memory recall.
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If they give excuses about how they were too busy….. they need to be asked; “did you brush your teeth, eat, take a shower, watch tv”? Usually they respond with “of course I did”, then simply ask them if they are so busy how did they accomplish all those other things? The difference is, the other activities became a habit and not a chore, but something they just do without thinking about.
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The struggle is balancing work (or school) and home life, while at the same time learning the rudiments of karate.
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As teachers, we know that students retain information that is in some way, meaningful to them.
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It is THEIR journey to learn karate, to keep motivated, and enjoy trying to become the martial artist they can be.
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And if a student shows no desire, no progress, if nothing is going to work, and some students genuinely don’t want to practice, then we have to quit teaching those students.
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It’s not about just practicing. Going through the motions isn’t enough. You have to be present (in the moment, and at the dojo) and aware while you practice.
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When you first learn a new skill there’s a lot of thinking involved. You’re trying to get the movements right and overcome bad habits in the process. It takes a lot of thinking, checking and rechecking. As you become more successful with the skill you get to the point of ‘conscious competence’ – the ability to do what you want to do as you think it through.
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That’s not the goal though. At the point of conscious competence you’re not able to give your maximum effort. There’s still a point of holding back, or being overly cautious involved when you’re thinking. The point you want to get to instead is ‘unconscious competence’ – the point where you no longer have to think about what you’re doing, but instead you just do it. At that point you can give 100 percent effort – throw yourself into it entirely.
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There’s only one way to get there – through repetition and deliberate practice under the watchful eye of an experienced and competent teacher. How many times you repeat something varies by the skill and by the person. But it’s more than a few no matter who you are. You’ll know when it’s enough – because you no longer have to think about what you’re doing, You’re simply going out there and giving it your all.
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On the other hand, if you’re thinking too much, you’re not practicing enough.
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Time to get to the dojo!
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