"Ah HA!" Moments in Your MA Journey

[bushido_man96]

There's a reason why dojo masters of old used to advocate training in other styles / schools.

We all pretty much learn by rote (even if we think we don't) and sometimes it takes a look from a different perspective to make that penny drop.

K.

I agree. I've had some of these moments in the brief time I was studying Aikido, and also with Hapkido and various defensive tactics and the little bit of BJJ that we do. It defenitely helps to see things from a fresh perspective.

[CredoTe]

The biggest one I can think of was about a year ago right before I got my brown belt. Before that I was like many kyu ranked students and my whole thought process was about getting to the next belt. I wanted that yellow. I wanted that blue. I wanted that green. I wanted that brown. I think we all recognize that it's not an ideal way of thinking, but it is natural and can even be helpful in the beginning when looking at the entire vastness of the art would just be completely overwhelming.

And then one day I was doing a reflection (I kept a written reflection journal for awhile-- maybe it's something I should try again) and out of nowhere it was like I could feel the art just opening up to me and suddenly I could see and feel that vastness. Like I said-- it was right before brown, so at the time I was solely focused on getting that brown-- but in a single instant my focus just completely shifted.

In my reflection journal I likened it to climbing a ladder to the top of a mesa (I think I even drew a picture to illustrate it). At first your only focus can be getting to the next rung of the ladder because those rungs are all you can see against the solid rock wall. But at some point you get just high enough that suddenly you can see over the top and are confronted with the vastness of the mesa and all there is to explore up there. Suddenly it's not so much about the narrow path of the ladder as it is about taking time to wander and explore and learn. It may not be as obvious that you're climbing once you reach that point, but you're still slopping upwards. You're just moving along a broader, less well-defined path.

My "Ah HA! moment" was hitting that point where the top of the mesa was visible to me. Suddenly I wanted that brown belt not because I wanted another step in the ladder, but because I could see that the ladder was ending. I saw brown belt almost as its own wide little ledge just before the final ledge stepping up to dan studies. I became excited to get off the ladder and spend some quality time just exploring without worrying so much about advancing.

And, a year later, I thankfully haven't fallen out of that mindset. I'm still happy to be a brown belt. I'm happy for the nice wide ledge I have to stretch my legs here before having to worry about moving up again and for the width vs. height mindset I'm finding myself developing (aka-- trying to work on developing things all throughout my repertoire as opposed to just looking for the minimum height of knowledge I need to get me to the next level). It's a comfortable place to be.

I think in metaphors.

Great post! Great share!

[sensei8]

The biggest one I can think of was about a year ago right before I got my brown belt. Before that I was like many kyu ranked students and my whole thought process was about getting to the next belt. I wanted that yellow. I wanted that blue. I wanted that green. I wanted that brown. I think we all recognize that it's not an ideal way of thinking, but it is natural and can even be helpful in the beginning when looking at the entire vastness of the art would just be completely overwhelming.

And then one day I was doing a reflection (I kept a written reflection journal for awhile-- maybe it's something I should try again) and out of nowhere it was like I could feel the art just opening up to me and suddenly I could see and feel that vastness. Like I said-- it was right before brown, so at the time I was solely focused on getting that brown-- but in a single instant my focus just completely shifted.

In my reflection journal I likened it to climbing a ladder to the top of a mesa (I think I even drew a picture to illustrate it). At first your only focus can be getting to the next rung of the ladder because those rungs are all you can see against the solid rock wall. But at some point you get just high enough that suddenly you can see over the top and are confronted with the vastness of the mesa and all there is to explore up there. Suddenly it's not so much about the narrow path of the ladder as it is about taking time to wander and explore and learn. It may not be as obvious that you're climbing once you reach that point, but you're still slopping upwards. You're just moving along a broader, less well-defined path.

My "Ah HA! moment" was hitting that point where the top of the mesa was visible to me. Suddenly I wanted that brown belt not because I wanted another step in the ladder, but because I could see that the ladder was ending. I saw brown belt almost as its own wide little ledge just before the final ledge stepping up to dan studies. I became excited to get off the ladder and spend some quality time just exploring without worrying so much about advancing.

And, a year later, I thankfully haven't fallen out of that mindset. I'm still happy to be a brown belt. I'm happy for the nice wide ledge I have to stretch my legs here before having to worry about moving up again and for the width vs. height mindset I'm finding myself developing (aka-- trying to work on developing things all throughout my repertoire as opposed to just looking for the minimum height of knowledge I need to get me to the next level). It's a comfortable place to be.

I think in metaphors.

Great post! Great share!

I concur!!

[CredoTe]

...

There's a reason why dojo masters of old used to advocate training in other styles / schools.

We all pretty much learn by rote (even if we think we don't) and sometimes it takes a look from a different perspective to make that penny drop.

K.

And from:

I've gotten a lot of Ah Ha moments -for me these days its more like evolving and refining - I have not reached my peak yet and I'm almost 60. Nice topic CredoTe.

Expanding on these posts, the more "Ah HA!" moments we have, the more we are able to turn rote into internalization. Would the peak of our MA knowledge / experience be that most or nearly all of our knowledge is internalized?

At what point are we considered at our peak for knowledge / experience or in our MA journey in general? Does it take an "Ah HA!" moment to realize we're at our peak? Can one continue to have "Ah HA!" moments and/or internalization of knowledge once one's peak is reached?

Thoughts?

[bushido_man96]

I think "a-ha!" moments continue as we continue our journey, but the more we learn, I think it becomes less and less often that we experience these moments. And when we do experience them, I think they tend to be more subtle than they were when we were knew and young and fresh to the Martial Arts.

I think early on, they are "a-ha!" moments. They are very striking to us, and we really see the difference between what we did and what we now do. As we move up in the number of years and experiences we have in the Martial Arts, they become less like "a-ha!" excitement, and more like "aah," or "oh, yeah..." moments.

This doesn't take away from the importance of these moments, either. Far from it. I think that the higher our skill levels become, then the finer and finer the improvements are. Our knowledge and experience also bring us more into control of ourselves, and our reactions to these moments.

[sensei8]

Even those of high Dan ranks often have Aha moments as well because no one knows everything. In that, a high Dan rank must be willing to accept the honesty in that, and as well, all levels of knowledge have something to offer to all...including those of high Dan ranks, no matter the style of the MA.

Imho!!

[CredoTe]

I just had another "Ah HA!" moment, a pivotal point in my development in Ti, last week. My Ti instructor was working with me on my power generation (gamaku), starting with the simple straight punch (regular and reverse) and basic blocks (low, middle/chest, high/head).

In the middle of the training, something just clicked, and my hip/body/muscle control were able to generate optimal power as it should be.

The best way I can describe the physical feeling of the power/force going from the floor, through my legs and hips and torso, and directed at my targets out the ends of my arms/fists is like this: imagine yourself in a hotrod car of some kind, sitting at a start line, and then putting peddle to the metal; your body is thrust into the back of the seat as the force/torque is applied to the car and your body. In a similar way, that's what it felt like when I applied my gamaku correctly. Instead of the roar of an engine, the air really cracked/popped and my targets sounded like dry tree boughs snapping loudly in the woods when I struck them. I thought I could crack/pop the air and snap my targets before... oh, no...not like this...

Soon, I may actually start to develop focused / destructive power, or atemi, as my Ti instructor has and demonstrated for me. I thought I had power like that before; I've smashed all manner of boards, bricks, etc; I've defended myself on the street with my power. But, no... Not with atemi... that's something different...

[bushido_man96]

That sounds like a great experience! Keep up the hard work!

[Zaine]

My favorite "AHA!" moment was during my Shodan test. Part of the test was bare knuckle fighting and I was fighting my instructor and at one point I miss stepped and paid for it with a punch to the sternum. Needless to say it hurt and it made me realize that I still had a lot to learn.

[sensei8]

That sounds like a great experience! Keep up the hard work!

I concur wholeheartedly!!