Take it slow

Folks,

I know that this may sound a little odd, but today I urge you to slow down. Not in your amibitions, but in your training. I know it may seem counter-intuitive, but many of the fastest, most agile practitioners in the world take it easy in training. Dont believe me? Well, lets investigate shall we?

In Thailand, Muay Thai boxers are lauded for their toughness and powerful striking techniques. And they should be. They pound bags, trees, and tires relentlessly, making their bodies into lethal instruments. Oddly enough, when they spar, they dont beat each other half to death like you might imagine that they would. They take it rather easy on each other. They know that their living is made in the ring, and they try not to damage each other too badly before then.

Now, in Kenpo, or any other art for that matter, slow sometimes works better. Whether doing kata, kumite or self-defense techniques, I ALWAYS recommend that you start slowly. A lot of people think that true value is found in cranking out endless repetitions in class. After all, practice makes perfect right? WRONG!!! PERFECT practice makes perfect. Imperfect practice merely ingrains bad habits. I would always recommend that the first 100 techniques be done slowly and smoothly. Let your body get the feel of the movements, so that you can understand them and develop muscle memory.

Trust me on this, it works. Next class, when you are working a new technique, take it easy. Focus on your breathing and I guarantee that your training will progress more smoothly. That is it folks, I have a Subway sandwich (sammich to some of you guys) that requires my attention. Peace folks, and be good to each other.