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Idealism and Patience
By Steve Zalazowski
In the 21st century, we
have instant breakfast, drive through lunches, and if we don’t like the program
on TV, we can change the channel to any one of 25+ others that might suit our
fancy. Capitalism and progression move us ever forward into the next, newest,
greatest thing and often times push us forward without regard for the
consequences. The up side to constant progression is that the concepts and
ideals that don’t stick with society are weeded out within a relatively short
period of time.
The Martial Arts are no
different than everyday society. Every few years the “newest, greatest style” is
born and those that last are the ones with ideas that make sense and actually
work. There has been a recent trend away from true self-defense towards
acrobatics and flashy multiple kicks and hand striking combinations within some
segments of the martial arts. Once you’ve learned how to kick with the basic
flavors, the advanced variations come with further practice. Again, a parallel
to society. Master how to talk to people and talking to groups of people
eventually becomes second nature down the line. In this regard, it sounds like
Martial Arts training and society have a good deal in common. And they do!
However, they differ in one very key concept; time. People these days want it
NOW! They want instant gratification. In Martial Arts, this simply isn’t
possible, so the concept of instant gratification and instant achievement must
be modified and codified into a different representation.
Patience is the key to
learning. The late, great Sigung Bruce Lee once said, “In the beginning, a punch
is just a punch. As you train, it becomes more than just a punch. And when
you’ve mastered it, a punch is just a punch.” What he was talking about is the
core fundamental to successfully learning Martial Arts, no matter what style or
system you choose to study.
As you begin your training,
you’re shown the Basics. How to stand…how to carry your arms…how to make a fist,
etc. What looks simple becomes invariably complicated when you learn the subtle
nuances of what you are doing. To break down Lee’s philosophy to an even simpler
term…how many variations on just the simple act of making a fist are there? Just
for reflection I thought for five seconds while looking at my hand and I came up
with six of them in that span of time. There are plenty more. What are the
benefits and weaknesses of each style of wrapping your fingers into a striking
surface we call a fix? What targets are these applicable for? After enough time
and proper guidance in learning the nuances and variations, these concepts
become trivial and no longer must be thought of and codified before use. The
fist is now once again, just a fist; a tool for accomplishing a purpose that is
automatically selected for the right use through trial and error and conditioned
response that is accomplished with time and training.
Taking a slightly different
approach, but keeping the same concept in mind. Each strike, block, lock, throw,
constriction, etc. has a set purpose and a set, specific means to accomplishing
your goal. Much like when back in grade school you were assigned projects to
make designs out of construction paper, and your teacher provided the materials
and the tools for the job. In our youth, we all had to learn through trial and
error or guidance which set of scissors would cut through how thick of
construction paper. Which glue or rubber cement would hold the materials
together and which ones would fall apart. This is the same concept as a seasoned
Martial Artist who reacts to his/her opponent with the proper block, check,
strike, footwork, etc. to accomplish his/her task at hand.
In order to understand what
tool will fit the task at hand, proper guidance and time spent learning the
material is crucial to accomplishing the goal.
When written in Japanese or
Chinese characters, the term Martial Arts literally translates to the Art of
Stopping War or Conflict. This is certainly a practical definition for today’s
world as practitioners learn to defend oneself against people who would do us
harm. To reach a reasonable level of competence it goes without saying that
learning to defend one’s self will take time, effort, and above all patience.
Some of the basic concepts, principles, techniques, etc. will come very easily,
but some will take concerted effort and in all likelihood quite a bit of blood,
sweat, tears, and frustration to understand. A block that doesn’t block is the
same as nailing your foot to the floor before you start a race. Good enough to
defeat yourself and completely not worth the effort. It is possible to approach
mastery in most endeavors given enough time and patience – this is the mindset
the true martial artist must have.
(Steve Zalazowski is Head
Instructor of the United Martial Arts Self Defense Academy in California)
Donn Schucker, Executive Director
P.O. Box 2171
Florissant, MO 63032-2171
Phone: (314) 606-7306
Email: ds@smaa-martialarts.com
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