# Getting the Most Out of Training



## tonbo (Sep 9, 2009)

Greetings!

I have recently started over in some aspects of my martial arts journey, and have had a lot of good opportunities to remind myself of some things....and I thought that some of these things might be helpful to others.  If they are, great!  If not...well...great!  

All thoughts are just my opinion, not law, not ancient wisdom....just thoughts.....

As a beginner, you are in the best possible spot.  You have gotten the jump on a number of other people who haven't even started on the journey, and may never do more than think "someday I should start".  Congratulate yourself on this fact -- in my opinion, "white belt" is one of the hardest, since you have to overcome a number of fears just to get to that point.

Ask questions.  The only stupid questions are those that are unasked.  Just be sure that you are asking to get answers, not asking to challenge someone else's knowledge ("But I've always seen it THIS way...").  If you are asking a question, in my opinion, you are ready for the answer.

Basics are your friend.  Don't worry about all the flashy moves.  Get the basics down.  They will serve you best if you have them down while you don't have all kinds of other stuff clouding your martial mind.  Never lose the basics -- these are the things all the "cool stuff" are built on!

Take pride in your first rank advancement, but don't rush to it.  Enjoy being a beginner.  It's frustrating, sometimes, but hey....like I said, you've already overcome a TON by just being in class and learning.

Do NOT be afraid to make mistakes.  This is the time to make them.  As people progress, many tend to be more risk averse.  A great number of Black belts don't like "looking stupid", or admitting that they don't know things they should, etc.  As a white belt, you have a free pass.  Make mistakes....just learn from them.

When in class, listen to everything the instructor says about a technique/kata and assume that they are talking directly to you....that way, you get a private lesson in each and every class.  If an instructor mentions something to the class in general, treat it as a personal inside tip, and use it to improve your own techniques.

Write stuff down!  Keep a journal and record the names of techniques/katas, how they work, things the instructor(s) said, how you felt in class, whatever -- it is a good reference as you continue on, and can be awesome to look back at later.

Take your techniques and katas slowly.  Speed and power come later.  Let loose at home or when you practice outside of class, but practice techs/katas slowly to see how they work -- you might be surprised at some of the things you see!

Practice, practice, practice.  It doesn't have to be formal -- if you are watching TV, practice during the commercials!  Work the basics the most -- make sure you get them down.  Pick a couple of things per practice, and work them as much as possible.  For example, work on straight punches for 10 min:  work them from horse stance, work them from a different stance, step forward with them, step backwards with them, do them fast, do them slow....try and do them as many ways as you can think of.  As your punches get better, any techniques that incorporate straight punches get better.  

Above all, realize that the martial arts is a marathon, not a sprint.  To do this right, you will be in the arts for a long, long time....so there is plenty of tiime to get where you want to.  Don't go by the belt/sash color....that's just a general guide as to what you know, not a comment on  your ability.  

Ok, enough for now....these are only the things that have been rattling around in my head for the last few weeks.  

'nuff blabbering on....time for me to get back to my own training.  

Respectfully,

--Tonbo


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## still learning (Sep 10, 2009)

Hello, Very good advice and reminders..........Aloha,


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## TheWellWisher (Sep 10, 2009)

Some very wise words there, friend. And your right, actually having the guts to the first class while watching all the more experienced people and then sticking to it is an achievement in itself.


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## prokarateshop (Sep 10, 2009)

that was my hardest part taking that first class.. Now its home!


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## mj_lover (Sep 10, 2009)

well said! as long as your mind stays open, you will get better!


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## Shaderon (Sep 14, 2009)

Well said!

I agree, I found white belt the hardest rank to hold.  Everyone is above you in rank, you are bottom of the food chain and know very little and everyone above you looks awesome!

It's hard to make your body learn the basic moves and it's hard just getting there to start with.  All scary stuff.

I have ultimate respect for anyone that starts out in a large class and keeps going.  My first class before my 1st grading was three people all the same rank, a little less scary for me so I had it a little easier at first but it was still hard work.


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## jeorf (Oct 1, 2009)

Nice words. 

And, realize that you never stop learning the basics. As my husband (one of my teachers) always has said to me after a test: Now you go back and work on palgue il jang. (The first form.) And basics. (Which is 95% of what I worked on for my recent 2nd degree test.)


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## FierySquidFace (Nov 4, 2009)

good advise. very cool. thanx!


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## sfs982000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Excellent advice.


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## psycosteve (Jan 7, 2022)

tonbo said:


> Greetings!
> 
> I have recently started over in some aspects of my martial arts journey, and have had a lot of good opportunities to remind myself of some things....and I thought that some of these things might be helpful to others.  If they are, great!  If not...well...great!
> 
> ...



A shooting instructor once told me that mastery of a firearm is just an advanced understanding of the basics. This truth has served me well in everything I have learned since then.


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## drop bear (Jan 7, 2022)

tonbo said:


> Do NOT be afraid to make mistakes. This is the time to make them. As people progress, many tend to be more risk averse. A great number of Black belts don't like "looking stupid", or admitting that they don't know things they should, etc. As a white belt, you have a free pass. Make mistakes....just learn from them.



Yeah. We had a guest in who was adamant about not hiding your mistakes. Because then it is easier for him to address them.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 8, 2022)

drop bear said:


> Yeah. We had a guest in who was adamant about not hiding your mistakes. Because then it is easier for him to address them.


A lot of instructors struggle with this. I try to make a point of describing myself early to students as a flawed human who is sharing what he knows and still learning, so they feel more comfortable challenging my approach, and it just makes sense when I make mistakes. And not creating the expectation that I'm all-knowing or infallible makes it easier for me to admit when I screw up. Unfortunately, it's not the strongest marketing strategy.


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## KenpoMaster805 (Jan 8, 2022)

I totally agree


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## Hanshi (Jan 9, 2022)

Good post.  I recall an old saying that everything you need for self-defense is learned by yellow belt.  It means the basics must be internalized with relentless practice.  Anything taught after yellow belt is just cream with the cherry on top.  Black belts should _KNOW_ the basics better than anything else taught.


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## Dirty Dog (Jan 9, 2022)

Hanshi said:


> Good post.  I recall an old saying that everything you need for self-defense is learned by yellow belt.  It means the basics must be internalized with relentless practice.  Anything taught after yellow belt is just cream with the cherry on top.  Black belts should _KNOW_ the basics better than anything else taught.


There's a lot of truth to this. The basics are basics for a reason. The more advanced the technique, the less frequently you will use it. That tornado kick? Really cool. Learning how do it presupposes that you can do a roundhouse or crescent kick properly. And let's face it. You will throw hundreds of the basic kick before you have an opportunity to effectively use the tornado kick.
That doesn't mean the advanced techniques are not worth practicing. They are, for lots of reasons. But they're not going to be your bread & butter moves.


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## KenpoMaster805 (Jan 11, 2022)

Yes the most important in Martial Arts is the basic it’s the foundation of the system. You have to lean how to know your stances block punches strike kick and finger technique parries and foot maneuver then you learn the technique then the kata


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