Signs of weakness

[Alan Armstrong]

Weaknesses, yours and your opponents regarding martial arts.

Signs of weakness is not only a physical issue, it could just as easily be an emotional problem.

"A chain is no stronger than its weakest link"

How much consideration do you give to your own weaknesses, to use the modern phrase of "patching them up"?

Are you able to evaluate your opponents weaknesses and take advantage of them?

[sensei8]

Study your opponent

Study yourself

Make a plan

Carry the plan out

So, yeah, for me, it's a constant evaluation across the board; being totally honest with oneself at all times.

[Alan Armstrong]

Totally agree with you, with the constant evaluation and being totally honest with oneself.

What prompted this topic was my workout today.

Could have made this topic about strengths and weaknesses, but playing on the weakness with oneself and the opponent, still works.

As weaknesses also implies strengths.

As started a new three hour, daily intensive workout for this week, tomorrow will be day five consecutively.

Finding some gaps in my MA that need attention.

Focusing for now, more on my weaknesses than strengths, a negative approach to improving.

With 20 kilos of ankle weights, thick rubber thera bands and rocks of different sizes.

Getting some funny looks from passersbys in the park with all my workout paraphernalia, also making some new friends by the curious about what I'm doing.

[bushido_man96]

Mine are pretty easy to see, at least the outside ones. Short, slow, not naturally talented. Getting older, not as flexible as I used to be.

I know I'm not going to win with athleticism, so I try to be smarter and conserve my energy against the younger crew.

[Alan Armstrong]

Mine are pretty easy to see, at least the outside ones. Short, slow, not naturally talented. Getting older, not as flexible as I used to be.

I know I'm not going to win with athleticism, so I try to be smarter and conserve my energy against the younger crew.

That's the way it has to be when teaching the younger crowd.

Burning the candle at both ends with workouts yours and theirs back to back cannot be realistically maintained, to a high standard for very long.

[MatsuShinshii]

To thy own self be true. This is a hard concept for some (with large ego's) to understand and accept.

[sensei8]

To thy own self be true. This is a hard concept for some (with large ego's) to understand and accept.

Being honest with oneself isn't an easy thing to do...honestly!! Bruce said it better than me, but you get the gesture.

[Alan Armstrong]

One needs to be a specialist in the weaknesses of oneself.

Finding and focusing on one of one's own weakness at a time, generally the most obvious, with the most room for improvement.

[Shizentai]

"weakness" is an interesting concept when you break it down.

What makes a "weakness" different from a "mistake"? Well, it seems to me that, at least in the context of waza, a decent definition of a "weakness" is a repeated or long-lasting mistake over time, kind of like the negative side of having personality . Weaknesses are part of what makes us individuals. Annoying as they can be, by creating ways to cope with them we pave the way to learned skill, that which can be passed on, unlike natural tallent.

I remember when I was young and first started karate, it was actually because of the word "weak." I heard it a lot said about me at the time, particularly my body, sometimes my mind too. I heard it said so much and in so many ways, that I got the sense most people don't know what strength and weakness really are. I wanted to know. That's the curiosity that carried me through the doors of my first dojo. This time of year I get nostalgic, because it was December 17 years ago that I first started training. what have I learned about strength versus weakness since then? Well, not much to be honest, other than I think they are closer than people like to believe, and that there is more than one way to find yourself suddenly in either state.

[Alan Armstrong]

It is easy to find the weakest link in oneself, to go long enough or hard enough till something breaks or hurts, pushing beyond the comfort zone will do it when exercising.

Or going up against fully resisting people from time to time, is a sure way to see what happens when your not ready enough, due to the lack of endurance/energy or strength.

Accumulating many years of martial art experience and knowledge isn't going anywhere in a fight, if all of a sudden your own weakness come out to bite you.

This is why, to know oneself is most certainly a martial art priority, as opposed to knowing every one else is impossible.

Self discovery, as a well rounded martial artist of stand up and ground fighting skills, tactics and techniques, is always a good thing to be able bodied about, if and when the time might arise, without warning.