How to relearn something you've been doing wrong

[blacknebula]

At training on Monday night one of the Sempais corrected me on something in one of the early Heian katas. Nothing major, just a case of having my fist oriented 90 degrees to where it should be (I had palm facing towards me and it was supposed to be facing down). However, I've now been doing this incorrectly for almost 2 years and even though I now know the way my fist should be, the muscle memory keeps putting it the other way and then I remember and switch. Beyond just doing it a billion times the right way, is there anything I can do to extinguish the incorrect response more quickly?

[sensei8]

Speak with your Chief Instructor, either in private or on the floor, and than do what she/he instructs you to do. Please be respectful but be direct at the same time. Nothing worse than having a Sempai correct/change what the Chief Instructor is teaching.

Btw, in which Heian, and in which movement is the Sempai concerned with?

[blacknebula]

Oh, I've double checked with several different people including my Sensei and I was definitely doing it wrong! It is not a question of the different instructors contradicting each other. Even my husband (who is three belt levels below me) just said "Yeah, I knew that," when I told him about it after class. I just need to figure out how to undo something that has now become habit.

[Evil Dave]

Practice and be conscious of what your doing and ask one of the instructors to keep an extra eye on you. I've been through this, we all have at one time or other, it won't take long to correct this.

[DWx]

It's odd that no-one has picked you up on that before but at least you know now

In my style things often get changed and corrected as different masters decide that we're going to do something a particular way from now on. I just try to make a mental note of what I need to change before I start my form and then consciously force myself to do it the correct way when I come to that bit. It may not be completely seamless to start with but eventually you'll ingrain it and it'll become natural.

[sensei8]

Practice and be conscious of what your doing and ask one of the instructors to keep an extra eye on you. I've been through this, we all have at one time or other, it won't take long to correct this.

Solid post!! Sometimes, habits are hard to break, but not impossible.

[lowereastside]

"At training on Monday night one of the Sempais corrected me on something in one of the early Heian katas. Nothing major, just a case of having my fist oriented 90 degrees to where it should be (I had palm facing towards me and it was supposed to be facing down). However, I've now been doing this incorrectly for almost 2 years and even though I now know the way my fist should be, the muscle memory keeps putting it the other way and then I remember and switch. Beyond just doing it a billion times the right way, is there anything I can do to extinguish the incorrect response more quickly?"

Don't worry it can be done - It's just going to take a little time - I've got students who have 30 years in other Martial Arts - Its not easy to undo something or change to something else - But again it can be done. I had 10 years experience in other arts - Boxing - Karate - and when I started Kung Fu - had to unlearn and relearn many things. Oh! just one thing - make sure the Sempai is doing it correctly - go to the main source if you can.

[kensei]

work through the application and reason for the way it is done in your head and every time you get to that point in the Kata imagine your opponent and your striking him right....again, which move and which Heian?

[blacknebula]

It is slowly getting better - I do it correctly sometimes now, if I'm at medium speed. Still make the mistake when I'm doing it full speed. It is actually in several kata - Yondan, Godan and Bassai Dai. The part where you do an elbow strike into the palm of the opposite hand. The inside hand doesn't actually really do anything, so it is difficult to visualize an application. I just have to remember that it is like a kagi-zuki (hook punch).

[bushido_man96]

At training on Monday night one of the Sempais corrected me on something in one of the early Heian katas. Nothing major, just a case of having my fist oriented 90 degrees to where it should be (I had palm facing towards me and it was supposed to be facing down). However, I've now been doing this incorrectly for almost 2 years and even though I now know the way my fist should be, the muscle memory keeps putting it the other way and then I remember and switch. Beyond just doing it a billion times the right way, is there anything I can do to extinguish the incorrect response more quickly?

We learn new things all the time. Relearning things isn't much different. Just spend time working the reps to get the change in your mind.