Monday Miyagi 060809
As we begin our summer quarter and new curriculum I want to remind everyone about the concept of “Quality not Quickness.” The American mindset often focuses on speed over quality. Just look at the popularity of McDonald’s. We all know that fast food is not the best food. There are many benefits to slowing down and focusing on quality over quickness.
Some of the benefits of preparing and eating healthy meals are: nutritional (better meal choices, higher quality ingredients, healthier preparation), economic (lower cost per good calories), social (conversations over food), and environmental (less waste, lower carbon foot print).
In martial arts the benefits of slowing down during the learning phase are huge! By focusing on correct execution (quality) of a technique your best efforts will produce better results. Speed and power come over time. At AMA we focus on the gross body mechanics of techniques during the initial learning phase. Once students have a basic understanding of the gross movements, we then work on improving the details that improve the quality. Those details are often, but not always, fine motor skills.
The “trick” is to work and improve your technique as you learn the details. Martial arts is about applied knowledge. Don’t get so focused on doing things “perfect” that you never do anything. Start with the gross body mechanics. Understand and practice them. As you practice the gross movements pay attention to, and begin to incorporate, the details. Practice with quality and slowly increase your speed and power. Over time, you will develop quality and quickness. Over time you will become a Black Belt.