Bhassler wrote:Streamlining one's system is not the same as streamlining one's practice.
Well constructed systems are not "too big", rather they form a sort of "language" of principles, strategies, and techniques one can pull from for their own practice. Similar to speaking a language, a given individual may only need a couple of hundred words to accomplish their goals in life, but if they are teaching that language to others and they've eliminated the words they don't use, then they won't be able to effectively help those people who they purport to be teaching to have access to all the elements of the language they might need to pursue their own goals, which could be different than their teacher's.
One could also argue that some practices replace others-- so an accomplished person might spend very little time on jibengong, feeling that the basic practice is contained in the more advanced practice of the form (if it's not, there's a disconnect in the design of the system). Or, one could argue that if the system is truly understood, then all the myriad drills, etc. are just tools to practice/illustrate core elements of the system, so it's not that big a deal to organize, remember, and apply them all, because at base they're just expressions of a finite, smaller number of concepts.
It's certainly worthwhile to spend time thinking about the structure of what one practices, and how that relates to one's individual goals, but if the whole purpose is to field strip it for a limited objective or to make a shorter, easier program of practice, then ultimately the quality of the results will reflect those decisions. An ounce of meditation equals an ounce of Buddha.
MaartenSFS wrote:I'm sparring with gloves, but it doesn't look like Sanda/kick boxing. The techniques are totally different. Imagine using the techniques in your forms in sparring (but less exaggerated in most cases). That's what it looks like.
MaartenSFS wrote:My point was for those that have learned four years of French at Uni but can't carry a conversation with a toddler. Their inability to use what they have learned not only reflects their own training, but also faults in the teaching or the system. Not all systems were constructed well. Many famous practitioners that could fight were known for practising and excelling in a limited number of things. They would roll in their graves if they knew that their fighting methods have been turned into martial dances..
I wrote this article to describe how one afflicted by this issue can streamline their training to improve their sparring. My only goal is to set clear goals for my students and me and streamline the way that we train for maximum efficiency.
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