Have you ever noticed that as students progress through the grades their approach changes?

What I mean is their stances, the way the strike, kick, or perform Kata alters over time to the point that is it less rigid and looks (at times) almost lackadaisical.

My Shinshii sent me an email with a video attached showing him performing Kata with an older Okinawan gentleman (have no idea who he was) and I noticed that the older gentleman performed the Kata in a proficient and fluid manner but it almost looked like he was in need of a good nap. After watching this I also noticed that my Shinshii's performance had changed a bit since the last time I trained with him.

Interestingly enough you really don't notice the change while training with someone. It's only after you haven't seen them for a period of time that it becomes obvious.

The weird thing is I realized that I too had changed over the many years.

I have my theories of the why's but thought I'd pose this to you to find out what your opinions are and if you have noticed this in your instructors or even yourself.

Sounds to me like Shu Ha Ri!!

[No novel from me, either!! I can do a novel on Shu Ha Ri...trust me!!]

I think there are several points to consider here. For one, I think a lot of instructors tend to train alone more than with a class. All too often, they spend their time instructing the class, and not working on their own things. With that said, it can become difficult to really understand what it is your body is doing without a peer or superior rank watching and commenting on it.

Now, having said that, the other side of the coin is that this is improvement and not otherwise. As we perform physical actions over and over again, the movements we do become in grained in us. This is often referred to as "muscle memory," but it probably has less to do with the muscles and more to do with the nervous systems and how the motor pathways affect it through the movement. The more often we do the same movements, the more ingrained it becomes in our body, and thus the more easily it appears that we are able perform a task that we have repeated over and over again.

If we see the same person doing the same thing everyday, we don't notice the incremental changes that take place (like boiling a frog, I guess). After a period of time it occurs to us (perhaps due to some kind of reminder of the past) that there are differences there we did not notice before.

Wow, I thought there would be more comments.

Sensei8 - Solid point.

Bushido_man96 - Solid points.

I have never really noticed the natural progression within myself until watching others and then analyzing myself.

Other than both of your points I think it has a lot to do with efficiency. As you perfect a technique it becomes easier to execute and becomes natural.

When looking at this it looks almost lackadaisical but it's not. After watching instructors in their early years and then later in their older years you can tell their is a commonality and natural progression. It's not lazy or slow it's efficient.

I know this because I have went toe to toe with these instructors and there is no loss of speed nor power. However they have a greater ease in attacking and defending.

I have noticed this myself. When I was younger it was a task to go toe to toe with my students and I used more brute strength and forced speed. As the years went on I find that I do not need to use as much strength or force speed. It comes naturally and I also find that the techniques and combinations of techniques come naturally instead of being forced. I am more relaxed in my approach and I expend far less energy.

Never realizing this, I have to say after watching and then analyzing myself I think this is a natural progression rather that a slowing down with age.

Having said that the older I get the slower I feel.

I feel slow, too. I find when sparring these young guys and girls, I tend to let them be the more active ones, burn themselves down some, and be more precise with when and where I throw techniques. Some days, of course, are better than others.

That's very true. I have good days and then I have great days.

Reminds me of the old bull and young bull parable. I'll stop at that.

It seems that the progression is not to decreased speed or power, but rather towards economy of these and better timing. This is probably why older and more experienced martial arts experts appear to move so effortlessly.

Through training they have reached a superior understanding and control of all the body mechanics used for their techniques. It means that they never use more effort than needed.

In a word, they are just more efficient at what they do because they do not waste any power. This is what is meant in saying that the goal of martial arts is the mastery of oneself. Wisdom and strategy always overcomes strength and power.

It seems that the progression is not to decreased speed or power, but rather towards economy of these and better timing. This is probably why older and more experienced martial arts experts appear to move so effortlessly.

Through training they have reached a superior understanding and control of all the body mechanics used for their techniques. It means that they never use more effort than needed.

In a word, they are just more efficient at what they do because they do not waste any power. This is what is meant in saying that the goal of martial arts is the mastery of oneself. Wisdom and strategy always overcomes strength and power.

I totally agree. Economy of motion becomes the hallmark of the older, more experienced Martial Artist, and I really think it is due to necessity. The older we get, the harder it is to get loose, get warmed up, and generally move the body around. For me, a jumping, spinning side kick has become a switch-foot spin side kick that doesn't get too high off the ground, but is aimed to drive into the ribs and drive that young pup back and away from me. Or, I close in fast and "hook" them on the arm just a bit, and then rain blows down over the top of them with my other hand. Its these little things in life that bring a smile to my face anymore.

It seems that the progression is not to decreased speed or power, but rather towards economy of these and better timing. This is probably why older and more experienced martial arts experts appear to move so effortlessly.

Through training they have reached a superior understanding and control of all the body mechanics used for their techniques. It means that they never use more effort than needed.

In a word, they are just more efficient at what they do because they do not waste any power. This is what is meant in saying that the goal of martial arts is the mastery of oneself. Wisdom and strategy always overcomes strength and power.

I totally agree. Economy of motion becomes the hallmark of the older, more experienced Martial Artist, and I really think it is due to necessity. The older we get, the harder it is to get loose, get warmed up, and generally move the body around. For me, a jumping, spinning side kick has become a switch-foot spin side kick that doesn't get too high off the ground, but is aimed to drive into the ribs and drive that young pup back and away from me. Or, I close in fast and "hook" them on the arm just a bit, and then rain blows down over the top of them with my other hand. Its these little things in life that bring a smile to my face anymore.

That's it in a nut shell. The words escaped me but that is exactly the wording to describe it.

That terminology sticks with me; from reading lots of Bruce Lee material. He was big on it.