Shudokan Black Belt Academy

Bank Holiday Closure

We will be closed on Monday 29th August due to the Bank Holiday. If you would normally train on the monday class don’t miss out on your tag, make it up during the week and take your catch up class.

Holiday Competitions

Holiday Kamai

Time is running out to submit your Kamai Photos. We will anounce the winner on the 9th of Septemeber so get your photos to us by the 4th to enter the draw.

Clic Sargent fund raiser

7 days left to bring your completed Peel 2 Save order forms back to us.The last day you can submit your form is the 31st of August so don’t delay if you want to win!

Do What You Can Do-Perfectly

Pt 1

Most people would agree that one of the best ways to improve in martial arts is to practice hard. But what does practicing hard mean? By performing techniques with as much speed and power as possible, most people would believe they are practicing hard. The workout is vigorous, and they leave sweating, sore and smiling. Although I subscribe to the ‘sweating-sore-and-smiling theory’, practicing hard involves more than just throwing technique with power.

Perform every action with conscious intention

Practicing hard means to do everything that you are already able to do, perfectly. Maybe the word ‘perfectly,’ brings to mind the idea that no one is perfect. This might be true, but everyone can do some things perfectly… every time. Some skills and concepts are quite easy to learn, and having a specific fitness and flexibility level to perform them is not necessary. For example, everyone can stand in a perfect attention stance with heels together, back straight, eyes looking forward, and hands sharply by their side. Each time, when standing in attention stance, everyone can bow deeply and respectfully. Everyone can remember to wear a uniform to class, to line up straight without gaps in the line, to re-cock or chamber the leg after kicking, to make your fist tight when making a fist, to keep your knees bent when they are supposed to be bent, to keep your hands up when they are supposed to be up, and to keep breathing through class. The list of other moments of possible perfection can go on and on. Believing that these are little things and that they don’t really matter is not the correct attitude. Remember the saying, “If you take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves.”

Success lies in the details

As a beginner, this is one of the most important lessons to learn. The essence of practice, and often, the success of any technique lie in the subtle details. If you watch a beginner, an intermediate and an advanced student, and compare their basic techniques, undoubtedly, the differences between them will be in the subtleties, not in the gross movements. To discipline the mind, increase awareness, and develop a strong body and strong technique, you must realize that mindfulness of each detail is crucial.

So, if we are capable of performing specific learned skills perfectly, why don’t we? Because our wandering mind is distracted by other thoughts and is too busy to notice mistakes. We must be aware of mistakes before we can improve them. So, how can a person become more aware? He must develop self-control and discipline of the mind, so that the mind stays focused. At the deepest level, the art absolutely demands total awareness and concentration, helping you to stay in the moment

Quote

“You are not here to try to get the world to be just as you want it. You are here to create the world around you that you choose.”

Rhonda Byrne

Osu

Sensei Matt Thurman Shudokan Black Belt Academy - Aikido Nottingham