Aha Moment!?

[sensei8]

Possibly, "Aha" should be the new kiai. Aha moments are when a sudden understanding, recognition, or resolution in anything occurs when one is learning, studying, and teaching anything of value to that person, even, or especially, in the martial arts. Once a martial artist has had that aha moment, she/he knows how to proceed from there.

My biggest Aha Moment came when I came to realize just how simple everything in the martial arts was. When did that happen? When I finally understood...

"Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick. Now that I've understood the art, a punch is just like a punch, a kick just like a kick."~Bruce Lee

After that, I no longer made a moutain out of a mole hill, past/present/future, when it came to learning, teaching, and/or studying the martial arts. I didn't allow myself to be so overwhelmed by what 'it' is/was because I believed in myself and I had great sensei's. Sure, when I was learning something new, it was just that, something new, no more and no less because I no longer blew 'it' out of porportion. Effectiveness of the martial arts wasn't subjective to what I couldn't do, but to what I could do!

What was your Aha Moment(s)?

[joesteph]

Whenever I discovered an application within a form, even perceiving more than one application possible by the same move(s) within a form.

There can be a number of "Aha!" moments like this in a single form.

[sensei8]

Joe,

You're very correct when you say...

"There can be a number of "Aha!" moments like this in a single form."

As well as there can be many, many, many "Aha!" moments over the span of ones martial arts journey.

[Pajarito21]

My Aha moment was when I was trying to learn how to punch and finally started to punch the correct way, such as engaging the hip and following through to the end and not shrinking back before I hit the target, also relaxing and not being stiff... and so on and so on. This is the first of my "aha" moments, and the best one because it was the point when I opened my mind to the movements and stopped thinking of what I was doing but just let my body do it. Great posts everybody!!

[Jay]

I have alot of these probably everytime I train.

Its always in my nature to try different things.

For instance was working out on the bag yesterday and was experimenting with different amounts of follow through.

I added a couple of inches more follow through and I have added more power, not alot but definatly gives my strikes more 'shock'

[bushido_man96]

I had several "aha" moments while doing DT at the academy. I had a really good partner, and he had some good ideas that I hadn't seen before.

I love those "aha" moments. Great post, Bob.

[DWx]

Something my instructor said to me when I was mid-way through the colour belts really gave me an "Aha" moment once I figured out how to do it. He said something along the lines of "if you can do it with your arms, then you can do it with your legs". He was talking about the power and snap that's "easy" to do with arms when blocking or striking but, for whatever reason, was really hard for me to get with any of my kicks... got it in the end though

[sensei8]

got it in the end though

That's what's so important...getting it in the end, versus never getting it at all. Sometimes, 'it' takes me a little longer than others, but, when I finally get 'it'...AHA!

[Seija]

I have had SSOOOO many “aha” moments (we call them light bulb moments) over the years that I could write a book. But probably one of the greatest that I can list briefly is that all Martial Arts relate to simple geometry. If your geometry is good your technique will be good if your geometry is bad your technique will be bad, 100% of the time, every time.

[TheKarateKid]

my 'aha' moment was when shihan takahashi spoke to me in japanese and i understood it. that is after i had greeted him and introduced my self the traditional japanese way/ karate way.

mixing Oss with konichiwa. i have never spoken so fluently in my life.