Phases of learning in the martial arts(the Black Belt blues)

[ShoriKid]

The question was posed a few months back by a newly minted black belt, “Does your learning slow down at a certain point?” This from a man who had trained very hard to reach the rank that he had and was wondering what it was going to be like as his training continued. I offered my opinion and encouragements of course, but the question, and some that followed, was worth considering in more depth than a freshly post workout brain was capable of doing. The more I have thought about it, the more I wish I’d been able to answer the question a little differently. With more detail and better examples mostly, as my general point could be summed up as “Depends on what you mean by slowing down.”

Having had time to reflect on the question, I believe that there is a general pattern to learning martial arts, and perhaps a lot of other skills. And part of the question of slowing depends almost entirely on perspective. The pattern of learning follows some general stages; introduction, breadth of learning, exploration and then depth of learning. These stages are not fixed, in as much as you can repeat stages without necessarily progressing to the next one. The frequency that a student passes through the stages though, and the rapidity, will control his perceived speed of learning.

Introduction, while self explanatory on one level, does bare mentioning. When you begin to acquire any skill set, any knowledge gained seems like a leap of unimaginable progress. Think back to that first well thrown round kick, or correctly preformed kata. You had just done what a short time ago seemed very difficult, nearly impossible in some cases. But, you had no prior knowledge of what was required to accomplish these feats, and looking back on them, seem very minor in comparison to things you now are capable of doing. Any new skill seems wonderful and complex and you can get a real feeling of learning. You can catalog what you have learned, ticking off techniques like running through a grocery list. As that list expands, your knowledge grows in breadth. The physical list of things you can do is getting longer.

As your breadth of skill increases, you are passing the introduction level and begin to see things that though they appear to be difficult, you can spot aspects of them that you know you will be able to learn. A kata, when you watch it in its entirety, seems very complex. As you see it again, you have time to seee the components which make it up and the complexity lessens though the kata hasn’t changed. Breadth of skill continues increasing as you continue to train and advance in skill and rank. Most of the kyu rankings are spend in the introduction and breadth of skill. More ‘new’ technique, kata/forms and movements are learned at this time than just about any other. Whole patterns of movement, ways to stand and even think are learned at this point. While seeming to be part of a continued introductory phase of learning, there is a subtle difference that there is a base of knowledge to work from and, at some point, you don’t see the rapid accumulation of individual techniques. If I were to mark the point where introduction becomes expansion and breadth, I’d say six months into training the transition begins taking place. Even while looking across the vast expanses of material a student is learning they begin to experiment with some things they have already learned, and add on other items/skills that do not fall directly into the skill set they are learning(Think of a karate-ka working on judo throws.).

This experimentation is not just about skills and techniques outside of their style, but in tinkering with, lightly, the things they have already learned. Does the side kick really work as well as sensei said? Can I make this combination work in sparring? What if I turn my foot so, and my hips thus? Does that give more power to my kick? These sorts of questions seem to arise more toward brown belt level. There is enough of a foundation, and enough time to pause from taking the rough edges off of techniques, to being to play with them, to personalize them. Subtle inflections in kata, a slight shift in the way you do a stance. It is the personalizing of the art that before may have been stale and monolithically unchanging. Life is being breathed into technique that had been museum pieces or done from wrote memory. This fiddling continues on after reaching black belt, and will for a long time. Some caution must be used though. Some tinkering is fine, but fundamentally altering a technique or kata without having first understood it thoroughly can, and often does, lead to badly formulated movements. An instructor has to keep an eye on the student at this point because they are starting to stray a bit from the curriculum. Encouragement and guidance, as well as a steady hand, are needed to keep the student from losing sight of what they are trying to accomplish with the experimentation. Customizing a kata in a minute detail is different from grossly altering a sequence. Feel and flow may be a good enough reason, but function needs to be there as well. At some point the experimentation has to give way to gaining depth of understanding.

While I do not mean to imply that depth of understanding comes last and that it is not something lower belts/newer students shouldn’t strive for, it is often the last thing to come. Springing very often from experimentation, depth of knowledge is something all skilled martial artists will possess. But, it is the thing that takes time and separates the true novice from an advanced practitioner. The depth of understanding and use of technique comes slowly. Often when there is no ‘new’ material to cover, no increase in breadth. The refinement of kata and movements are a primary example of depth of learning. Timing, combinations a little better, getting them to land is another example. Learning that if you turn the wrist a certain way or torque the shoulder another, the lock comes not only easier, but is stronger. Subtle adjustments that you find through time and repetitive application and small alterations are made over time and ramp up the effectiveness of what you have already learned. One of the most easily accessible examples of increasing depth of skill is working on kata bunkai.

These steps of learning lead back into one another. Introduction to another art may add not only new technique, but a wholly different way of applying old ones. And, in turn, through that re-examination of what you already know, greater depth of understanding as you experiment with what you already know. Now this does not mean that I think I have a handle on how the human brain processes information and the body burns skills into memory. So in the end, I think that even as you advance, you may not see the progression in skill that you once did, while the introduction and breadth phases, but that increase in depth and experimentation phases add to your abilities just a much. Think of the first two as establishing a two dimensional growth, and the third and forth phases as adding a third dimension. So, while it may not be readily apparent on the surface, there is learning going on. It requires more time to step back and examine what skills and advancement you have made than it initially called for.

So the point of all this is a way to step back and look at what learning is going on in your training. Do not get discouraged if you think you’ve stopped progressing. That is a normal part of martial arts training. It’s then that you have to question why you train and search for motivation in order to push on and train more. It can also provide a chance to look at what you’ve learned and perhaps decide on a direction for your training to take in the next months. Whether that means concentrating on a particular aspect or finding a new school is up to you.

[bushido_man96]

Very well written. In any kind of physical training, we reach plateaus. Your discussion of the depth and breadth of learning are a great way to attempt to refocus and get past these plateaus.

[ShoriKid]

Thanks sir. The original way I was going to frame this was in terms of 'peaks" and "plateaus" in learning. What you got was the result of too much thought and a body immobilized by a lack of sleep and pain meds for a tooth ache.

[ps1]

Very good. Thanks for posting this.

[ShoriKid]

Thanks ps1. The thing I've been thinking about is that a lot of people I know how make it to black belt level and get, not so much burned out, as discouraged. They feel like they aren't learning anything any more. Not in an egotistical fashion, that they have nothing left. They just can't see the progress any more. They feel like all they do is train and they don't get any better. What the above is, is a way for me to lay out my own thoughts on the sort of progress they can expect. A detailed way to look for that progress and stay up beat and motivated. Feed back on how to put this sort of thing into words and keep those higher end students from getting down on their progress would be very welcome.

[pittbullJudoka]

Vey nice piece. I wanted once achiving shodan was go back and break down the material down step by step and polish it if you will to met my own exspectaions. Also taking a diffrent look at the techniques I've trained for the last few years. And dabbling in this it has been fun. Sometimes not learning new stuff does get frustrating but I feel I should be finding the deep technique now. I also like comparing notes and picking the brains of those that hae trained longer than myself and thus my learning never stops or at least I get another point of view.

[ninjanurse]

There should come a point in your training were you no longer look to external gratification, i.e., praise, rank, trophies, etc., but rather internal gratification as you let your ego go and turn to self-actualization, i.e., your own progress measured by others successes.

[Senseimurphy]

Ninjanurse, your signature is exactly what I was going to post when I was this topic! "A Black Belt is inly the beginning!" Thats the way it was for me. I thought I learned alot in the Kyu grades but since entering the dan grades my phisical skill has improved greatly and I am more eager to learn. So many things start to make sense and so many more options present themselves. I think "plateaus" are only a mental block. If you really think about it there is no end to martial arts training and learning.

[white owl]

I am on my last step before shodan(brown belt). My sensei told me that shodan is only the begining. as was said above. I believe it is what you make it to be you are always learning exspecial by teaching others.

[bushido_man96]

There should come a point in your training were you no longer look to external gratification, i.e., praise, rank, trophies, etc., but rather internal gratification as you let your ego go and turn to self-actualization, i.e., your own progress measured by others successes.

I agree! There are few things as rewarding as teaching.