Time.
Time is something theses days that no one seems to have much of, always rushing here and there always watching the clock thinking “I need to be there by this time” “I’m running late for…” but when was the last time you head was completely free of thoughts and pressure?.
This is something I battle with daily running two businesses and juggling family life. Everything must attain a form of balance to enable progression whether it be making sacrifices from time to time or indulging in special things to make you feel good.
Over my training years I have been the one training till 3am trying to find that answer on the form, going to extra seminars and meeting up with friends etc. all trying to find answers…
Thing is all the answers are hidden… hidden in where I hear you say?
Time…
Think about it how many times has your Sifu said to you ” try it this way” ” try it that way” but the truth is only after putting in the work and the “time” does the answer appear, either in a feeling or visual or audio stimuli.
I hear my students always talk about light bulb moments!
These lightbulb moments are when you (the student) have trained in such a way that your body and mind are willing to accept the information past onto you therefore becoming your own. It’s then the training starts.
When you begin your training journey your thoughts are always how, when, why, which hand/foot should I use etc. it’s all a bit confusing and pressured. As time goes on you start to realise the lightbulb moments and make the necessary adjustments to make it your own under the guidance of your instructor, as you progress through the grades I would like you to start thinking about it like this, How can I make this simple for myself??
Time spent on training the right way will equal to faster progression, quality over quantity right? As I said in my last article it’s not the years it’s the hours within the years that make a difference.
When you arrive to class next and have had a bad day you go through the motions not focused on the job in hand and feel disheartened take it back a notch and think about gaining clarity before the class starts, empty the bucket as such… this will enable you to take in information normally.
There is a flip side to this, if you come to class after a bad day with focus, when you in the moment of training nothing else matters in the outside world giving you clarity when you leave class, balance… remember.
Should you start to feel frustrated at any point within you training career…time will get you through it, it’s how you a martial artist get through the milestones that shapes the person within.
I still get frustrated from time to time but I feel that it reminds me that I’m only human and things will get easier as I delegate time appropriately. A master is not someone that knows more techniques than the rest a master is simply someone who has made more mistakes and learned from them.
I am also a great believer that someone whom trains martial arts is to train themselves the more you learn about martial arts the more you learn about yourself…
Time will see you right, stick with it and you will see, simplify into time and not fixed motions/techniques and enjoy the journey.
Keep training,
Sifu Russell Benham
wimbledonwingchun.com
