One of the more frustrating things when practicing the martial arts is being held back. And this happened a lot to me as I was growing and learning. It happens far more than the average person would be inclined to believe and often for good reason. one might be inclined to ask themselves WHY this would happen… Why would a sensei or sifu hold back one of their students? That seems counterintuitive to teaching someone…
In some respects, an instructor may hold back a student for a variety of reasons including health issues, danger of injury, the student’s progress staling or stalling and in some cases, where a student hasn’t mastered the material they already have in hand so the instructor doesn’t want to pile more on until they’ve learned properly. Hell, I remember Sensei once held back someone’s progression because he found out that the student had been bullying other kids at school and didn’t want to teach him further until he could counsel them against such things.
A committed student will often be a fiery tempest of dedication, training outside the dojo environment, pushing themselves and ultimately having a constant and non-stop thirst for more learning. This can be a positive thing. But it’s important to remember that there is a balance to all things. A fiery dedication must be balanced by gentleness and calm. A big part of effective self-defence is being able to respond to one’s opponents as opposed to hammering towards them.
Take the time to study what’s coming at you. It can be frustrating to practice a technique that you feel you may not be getting right but it’s just as important to detach from yourself and become responsive to your opponent instead. once you gain calm and fluidity, you would be surprised how easily you can develop your techniques without all the frustration and discouragement. Let’s not kid ourselves; there WILL be discouragement. You’re not truly committed and dedicated if you don’t occasionally feel that discouragement. As long as you keep pushing at it. ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 