Way back when I used to judge the importance of a friend by one simple test, did I know their phone number? Not stored in my phone, or written down, but in my head. This leads me to this simple statement. We don’t store information in ourselves anymore, and that is bad for martial arts skills. Yup, seen it on Youtube, did it once, seen it…sure, but can you do it?
Having run into this a couple of times while working some seminars it started to become a little more frequent in, say the last year, now I not getting all judgmental here, just observational. I think information is good, especially when it is transferred into wisdom. But just having information, just having seen it, just being familiar with it is not the same as ingraining it into your fiber.
Ask any person who ever wrestled, “Did you ever drill sprawls?” and the answer is going to be some form of, “Yes” follows by a grin, moan, or eye roll. But follow-up with the next question, “It worked for you right?” And the answer is, “Yes” again. They didn’t just look at the sprawl and say, “Ok, got it” coach made sure they worked it, over and over. Ask any judoka about uchikomi, ask a karateka about kihon ido. It is all the same.
So the question this, do you know the phone number of your best technique, or is it stored elsewhere.
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Actually, this is Rory on Kami's account.
Stretch the metaphor a little further: there have always been some numbers that I have to think really hard to recite, but that my fingers do automatically when I get near a phone. Kami's number when we were dating; my library card number (how's that for a geek medal?).
That's where your ukemis and counter-ambush skills have to be…
Rory
Like riding a bike. I had gone to an Aikido school in downtown Spokane a few months back – threw on a white belt and jumped in at the end of the line.
I had not done Ukemi in about a month, so I was going in cold, was afraid I'd get hurt, but when it came time, I just jumped in and rolled, forward, backward, a few mishaps, but that is alright.
It is not only that something is drilled to the point of dialing instantly, but that one can do it cold.
Granted this was a Dojo environment.
It was a fun little forray, have not gone back to the school since, but it was fun.
Met this old Japanese guy who had decided late in life to start training, awesome character.
His name was Tony. How is that for off the top of my head? Took a minute.
As for old library card; this is from fived years ago, code was my oldest son's DOB. That was easy.
Wonder if I'll remember that in a couple years?
This was an interesting post, brings up an interesting exercise proposal! One that really should be more common than it is.
Cell phone age – lack of mental exercise. All of us are guilty from time to time.
I used to practice writing forward and backward, left handed and right handed.
For me it was a good workout, others might think it is wierd, or some kind of special skill.
We live in a lazy-boy era, and those lazy-boys are comfortable, but try to get up and move after sitting on a lazy boy every day after work instead of doing something, not fun from what I have seen, and the cracking bones I have heard.
Slow creaking, weakened joints under gaining weight, not a good combo.
I think the brain itself does the same thing – grows useless, numb, cumbersome when use is required of it.
I like those DS Brain games when I do finally sit down.
Might be worthwhile to look into this approach for training with certain people.
A flashcard method, random little things, shake things up a bit. Speed dial in a sense. hahaha.
Agreed. Oddly I can remember the Salem cigarette jingle and my PO Box number as a kid.
The thing I hate more than anything is if I'm using a technique from Asia, I always have to dial 011 plus the actual number to get it.
Takes forever, I tell you.