The Secret to Mastery of Martial Arts

martial arts training training Dec 10, 2011

Today, Colin Frye came over to the Kung Fu Room and for one hour, we drilled three techniques over and over and over.

The techniques can be found in the Bagua Fighting Skills section of the website -- Bagua Keywords.

We practiced Threading, Hooking, and Turning.

First we practiced proper form, then one would throw multiple attacks in a realistic way and the other would use threading to deflect the attacks. After a while, we worked hooking in a similar way. Then we worked on turning, which is very effective up close.

This was a satisfying practice because we slowed down, selected three techniques and practiced them repeatedly. There are a lot of techniques on my website, and a lot of principles. But just seeing a video or learning a technique in class and practicing it a few times will not make you good at it. Practicing all the keyword techniques in an hour won't help you to improve.

The key to mastery is practicing each technique thousands of times, solitary and with a partner.

I'm a firm believer in the basics. When someone is learning an art, it doesn't help them if I try to get fancy and explain or demonstrate things they aren't ready to perform or even understand. It doesn't help when your partner is trying to get fancy or trying to show that he or she is better than you. It works best when both partners are trying to help the other become better at one basic technique.

By slowing it down and exploring each technique individually, taking apart the body mechanics that make it effective, then making sure you include the body mechanics when working with a partner -- that's when you begin to internalize this material and are able to perform it when you need to.

I wish we had more time today. I could have spent the afternoon working those three techniques. And if I spent the next few years just practicing these three techniques, they could be the only three techniques I would ever need.

As Bruce Lee said, "I don't fear the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks one time. I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

Whether it's a silk-reeling exercise or the movement of a Chen taiji form or a Bagua keyword like threading, it's the one who practices it 10,000 times who will be able to use it best.

--by Ken Gullette

Try Two Weeks Free and Get Step-by-Step Training in Taiji, Xingyi and Bagua from Basic to Advanced Skills with No Mystical Mumbo-Jumbo

More than 850 Video Lessons and Downloadable pdf documents -- and You Get It All During Your Free Trial!

Click this Button to Learn More and Watch a Video!

Okay! Let Me See More!

Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts

The Secret to Mastery of Martial Arts

Try Two Weeks Free and Get Step-by-Step Training in Taiji, Xingyi and Bagua from Basic to Advanced Skills with No Mystical Mumbo-Jumbo

Author - Instructor

Stay connected with news and updates!

Two Step