One Skill Away...

One Skill Away…

Over the years with my growing lack of leisure time I’ve found that I read a lot less for enjoyment and what I normally find myself doing is turning on an audio book or lecture on my mp3 player in the car. You would never imagine how much time you spend in a car listening to the mindless drone of crappy music and idiotic talk radio, when you could be expanding your thinking. During one of these many listening sessions a topic was mentioned about being one skill away. This really made me reflect on where I am in my life and where I want to be. Where I want my professional career to evolve to, where I want my family to be, what social skills I want to develop and finally, where I want my understanding and physical application of the martial sciences to evolve too.

The question is then are we all just “one skill away”? Is there an area of development (broadly speaking) that if changed or developed could facilitate the elevation of your skill within your life or the martial arts? Have you ever been at the cusp of a breakthrough only to give up not realizing you were just "one skill away" from attaining your goal? If that was actually the case you’d probably never know...Such is the curse of life and quitting. You don’t get to see that answers to the test to see if you got it right.

In my brief 25 years of experience in the arts I have had the pleasure of meeting many martial artists of various styles and systems. Their levels of experience have run the gamut. From my own students, to peers, to acquaintances and up to master level operators. I have watched, listened, asked questions and learned. I've discussed and felt applications in meridian manipulation, pressure points, physical and mental execution, timing signatures, breathing signatures, timing drills, structural integrity, animal mannerisms, methods of execution, power principles, footwork, maneuvers, various martial concepts (empty hand and with weapons) and the list goes on and on...

Steadily, I have searched and searched, and searched some more. But what is it that I've been searching? I believe that what I had been looking for is my pot of gold at the end of the proverbial martial arts rainbow, you know "it", that "thing", that "thing" that make you see a person move and say, "what was that…" and then stand these speechless with a sheepish grin on your face as you wonder if it is even humanly possible for lowly YOU to get there, what one of my good friends calls the "x factor". It's what I saw when I first saw Mr. Parker on video, and have since seen from half a dozen or so other amazing individuals whom have surpassed that “one more skill” level in my opinion, but are still on their own journey searching for their potentially unattainable level of mastery…whatever theirs may be.

So the next question is how can you develop "it"? How do you get on the path to get “there”? That is a very difficult question to answer because people differ in their needs, desires and over all goals. What’s important to you isn’t necessarily important to me. From my experience that basic formulas for true success in the arts seem to be….

1- Get great instruction – Note I didn’t say get “good” instruction. You get out what you put in. Every chance to get to work with a master level operator is one more chance for a little of that shine to rub off on you. If that means making road trips, taking flights, getting out of your comfort zone and asking for personal instruction outside of your “lineage” do it.

2- Chop Wood – Be willing to put in the work. There are a lot of high ranking under skilled advanced belts out there. One can stand around and pontificate on just how awesome Kenpo is and wait for your next promotion, but that ain’t doing it. That’s talking about it…get on the mat.

3- Practice what you’re not good at. I got that one from Mr. Bob White. Why stand around doing what you already know your good at. Work on your weak areas and let your ego sit on the side lines

4- Develop a support system – You need someone to bounce ideas off of, to push you when you won’t push yourself and to pick you up (physically and more so mentally) when you stumble and fall.

5 - Practice, practice, practice, practice…every chance you get. It doesn’t happen overnight, but over time development is attained.