Practice makes perfect?

[Alan Armstrong]

Practice makes perfect or should it be perfect practice makes perfect.

Doing the same thing incorrectly time after time is not productive. Alternatively practicing correctly for short amounts of time is more productive.

Each martial art uses body mechanics differently, what is correct in one style is wrong in another. At times moving contrary to the way one believes that they should move. Nothing is more evident than with styles that need to use relaxed muscles.

With internal martial art styles, without the key ingredient of relaxation of muscles, no matter how many years that person practices, it will never be perfect.

Choreographed katas can also be a practice makes perfect trap.

One to one training is a way to perfect a student more rapidly. Techniques done correctly or perfectly put less strain on the body and clearly improve a student's abilities.

I am not against group training but some one to one tuition should also be considered for everyone, otherwise they will be only practicing to make perfect and never succeed.

[bushido_man96]

Reps are essential in any kind of training, but the quality of those reps are just as important. One-to-one ratios is a great way to go, but it just isn't always feasible. Having a few extra instructors to go around is helpful.

[sensei8]

Reps are essential in any kind of training, but the quality of those reps are just as important. One-to-one ratios is a great way to go, but it just isn't always feasible. Having a few extra instructors to go around is helpful.

I wholeheartedly concur with Brian!

I don't know how to do anything perfectly because, and by nature, I'm not perfect at all; not even close. I strive for it, but I already know that it's not ever going to happen.

Having said that, private lessons aren't for everyone due to costs and the like. Group lessons are more affordable, and less taxing than private. Many do much better in a group because they don't want to be the only one on the floor; camaraderie comes to mind. Yet, on the other hand, other prefer the solidity of what private lessons bring; having the CI all to themselves in quite appealing.

I've done both. I've no preference of one over another. It's an individual choice, and in that, there's no wrong answer at all, imho.

Go to class, listen to the CI, practice WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TAUGHT by your CI once you're home, and strive for that perfection.

[DWx]

Reps are essential in any kind of training, but the quality of those reps are just as important. One-to-one ratios is a great way to go, but it just isn't always feasible. Having a few extra instructors to go around is helpful.

This is so true. Quality and consistency are so important for training.

But I would also say don't be afraid of training if your form isn't 100%. I think people can be scared off progressing to the next level because they haven't perfected all the minute details.

[Alan Armstrong]

To strive for perfection if it is attained probably not.

Many years go while attending a TKD school, I had fellow students telling me that they are not in to martial arts as much as I am.

It was if this was a way to excuse themselves for their martial art inadequacys. They obviously didn't feel as if they were good enough, to be black belts.

The TKD school had some serious internal issues, with students not feeling confident enough to defend themselves on the street.

So the instructor started throwing in some simple self defence wrist locking techniques during class.

Also held a Saturday morning self defence class to appease those that felt inadequate.

I believe that the students actually growing up in martial arts that joined at a young age was their parents choice. So martial arts for them was a type of sport like soccer or baseball.

My parents didn't pick martial arts for me, I consciously made my mind up, this is what I want to do.

To be a martial artist; parents choice or personal choice, which one out of the two will strive for perfection and which one will not?

[Nidan Melbourne]

To strive for perfection if it is attained probably not.

Many years go while attending a TKD school, I had fellow students telling me that they are not in to martial arts as much as I am.

It was if this was a way to excuse themselves for their martial art inadequacys. They obviously didn't feel as if they were good enough, to be black belts.

The TKD school had some serious internal issues, with students not feeling confident enough to defend themselves on the street.

So the instructor started throwing in some simple self defence wrist locking techniques during class.

Also held a Saturday morning self defence class to appease those that felt inadequate.

I believe that the students actually growing up in martial arts that joined at a young age was their parents choice. So martial arts for them was a type of sport like soccer or baseball.

 

My parents didn't pick martial arts for me, I consciously made my mind up, this is what I want to do.

To be a martial artist; parents choice or personal choice, which one out of the two will strive for perfection and which one will not?

Specifically to the bolded point above in your qoute. I was enrolled into Karate by my parents because they wanted me to learn how to defend myself and also allow me to make friends at the same time.

As such I have always seen my train on multiple fronts, that way I remain interested and not quit when my interest on one of those fronts lapses.

Originally up until the point I got my black belt i didn't think much about what it was I was really doing and why i was doing it. When I moved clubs I realized that there were a lot of things i was missing out on and changed that; therefore my training changed for the better.

I know a few people at my club that aren't as into Martial Arts as I am (I've been dubbed a Karate Encyclopedia or Karate Nerd by some), and thats ok. But if they don't train hard and with an open mind they may struggle when it comes to a Self-Defence Situation because they weren't putting themselves in difficult situations in the dojo.

[bushido_man96]

Reps are essential in any kind of training, but the quality of those reps are just as important. One-to-one ratios is a great way to go, but it just isn't always feasible. Having a few extra instructors to go around is helpful.

This is so true. Quality and consistency are so important for training.

But I would also say don't be afraid of training if your form isn't 100%. I think people can be scared off progressing to the next level because they haven't perfected all the minute details.

This is another good point, Danielle. "The perfect is the enemy of the good" at times.

[bushido_man96]

To be a martial artist; parents choice or personal choice, which one out of the two will strive for perfection and which one will not?

This is going to depend on each individual. Some might get drug along for a time because of the parents, and then it will click for them, and they take off. Others will go right off the bat. Some never will. You just never know.

[Alan Armstrong]

There is an understandably, mostly Japanese bias towards martial arts on this site.

"I know what I like" standpoint, that interprets in to "I like what I know"

There is much 'organized despair' in martial arts; to quote Bruce Lee's words and perspective.

As Bruce Lee was searching out the truth in what works and what doesn't.

He was training with all intensity and in all honesty to be as perfect as possible physically as well as to express himself as a human being transcending race or style.

Sadly these higher levels of understanding are very difficult to grasp as a young martial artist but not impossible.

(Perfect training will result in higher results)

Martial artists in the past trained diligently like today's Olypic athletes. This is how Bruce Lee transcended martial art mediocrity.

Personally I no longer spar with individual or play fight...

I train to win fights.