In Learning Krav Maga it’s Better to Show Up With a Blank Slate Than One Scarred Littered With Old Notions.
I’m usually a ‘cup-half-full’ kind of guy when it comes to life and it’s many challenges, but today I’m going to invite you to show up with your cup fully empty.
If you’re confused, let me explain the context for this statement by sharing with you a compilation of many of the comments/conversations I’ve had over the years with students (which broadly distil down to a couple of themes) who, more than anything else, stand in the way on their own path towards progress. As a teacher, I have been able to identify and confirm what many other more scientifically rigorous studies have also reported. That is, the way in which we approach things and the mental attitude we harness in training, has dramatic effect on performance.
If a student is identified as having an above average struggle with capturing information and leveraging that knowledge for their own sake, an instructor is duty-bound to intervene. It’s during this process that much of the struggle the student is having can be articulated. Here are a few of the most common comments I’ve seen over the years:
- Well, my old Sensei told me…
• Committing to an old paradigm in a new setting is disastrous. Want to ensure you make little progress in your Krav training? By all means, focus on your old Sensei when your Krav Maga instructor is teaching. - I’ve always had trouble learning…
•Ironically, many of the students I’ve trained over the years who made the most progress, were people with diagnosed learned-related challenges. If you allow yourself to recognize that not all challenges are all-powerful and all-consuming, you may find that the mind-body connection in Krav Maga is right up your ally. - I’m just a gawky person…
•I often laugh when I hear this and let the student know that Krav Maga was developed for anyone who can walk and chew gum. The fix, if the student is willing, is to first capture all the information in his/her mind, then walk slowly through that understanding with a gradual building of speed. - I’m just not feeling it…
•The truth is, very little of how you feel will determine the outcome of an unprovoked attack. The fact that you haven’t “felt” it yet will only get you roughed up or worse if you allow your feelings on the matter to guide your actions. - This is not my learning style…
•I love this one. As a baseline, learning styles are often grouped using the acronym VARK – visual, auditory, reading/writing, or kinesthetic. When we teach Krav Maga, are we not visual (demonstration), and are we not auditory (explanation), and do we not write the keys to the exercise on the dry erase board and encourage note taking (reading/writing)? And, do we not use physical repetition in drilling the exercise at hand (kinesthetic)? Does anyone think this is an accident or happy coincidence? It is not. So, what am I missing? Nothing. Use one or more of these tools to capture and leverage Krav Maga.
There are, of course, a myriad of other excuses. My goal with this article is to highlight the training issues associated with mindset. As a general rule, focus on why the task at hand is achievable, not why the task is cumbersome or difficult or outside your personal style. Do this, and your Krav Maga will flourish.
