Sunday, November 22, 2009

A Continuation of My Last Post...Kind Of

Tonight I was engaged in a nice conversation with Master Safakhoo and Brian over coffee at Panera. Throughout our discussion we covered many topics. A few of those topics lingered with me more so than the others. These topics are included below for continued discussion and observation. They are, in a way, a continuation of my last post "Knowing Your Body...The Greatest Quest"

The first of these topics is "learning how to learn". All new students. I repeat; all new students, struggle with learning how to learn. Without fail, each new student experiences an inner feeling of failure at some point when they struggle with their body. Every new student quickly realizes that although attached to their body, the feet and hands are not always where you expect them to be. Through our training there is constant focus on the position of the feet, hands, head, and overall movement of the body. It is here where the frustration starts. When a new student focuses on the feet, the hands, head, or body is often problematic. The same can be said for each of the other parts. These problems can only be overcome by time and practice. The Nabard Combat style involves total body movements and therefore attention must be given to each part individually and within the collective as well. It is therefore a critical component of each student to learn how to learn. Preconceived ideas and the refusal to submit oneself to the exploration of their body positions and movements are the largest barriers to learning how to learn. I should also note that every new student experiences this issue, and it is for this reason that we are all so willing to help one another. We know how uncomfortable this can feel, and we also know how empowering it is when we make progress within ourselves.

The second topic is "working through the resistance". If a student stays completely within a comfort zone, then their growth is limited at best. Each student has their own set of limitations and while care should be given to prevent injury, the student should be continually pushing their own limits. It is through stretch-goals that a student progresses the most. Each student should constantly seek that next level in speed, weight resistance, stamina, and technique. Working through the resistance is critical for growth within Nabard Combat.

The final topic is "respect". Each student within Nabard must respect one another. Through mutual respect we all learn, even if we are responsible for the teaching of others. Respect is also crucial for trust, which is a requirement for true knowledge sharing between instructors and students. Without respect and trust, growth and progression of the student is severely limited. Respect for oneself is the most important of all however. If you do not respect yourself, how can others respect you?

These are but a few of the things we discussed tonight. I am sure there will be more thoughts similar to this as we move forward in our journey through Nabard Systems.

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