SMAA Says "Practice Doesn't Always Make Perfect"

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Oct. 16, 2024 - PRLog -- What do you think of the phrase "practice makes perfect?"

How confident are you in your martial arts skills?

Koryu study is basically this: you break down bad habits and try to institute new ones, hopefully better ones. It takes years of training, but training without thinking or self-correction produces no improvement. You are simply reinforcing bad habits and making them harder to break. I think it was football coaching legend Vince Lombardi who said something like, "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

Even the best teachers I know are never satisfied. Of their own kata, they would say, "Mada, mada." ("Not yet, not yet.") They were constantly polishing their skills. These were men and women who were superb in their arts, yet they were never satisfied. And that dissatisfaction was what, perhaps, caused them to excel as far as they did.

Finally, going back to your mental approach: You also need the ability to self-evaluate. That means you have to see clearly whether or not you are doing things right for yourself. You need to tame your body and ego so that they do not get in the way of a truthful, honest feedback.

A teacher may guide you along the way, but a teacher can't carry you to the end. He or she is only a guide, who points the way. It's really up to you to walk that road and get to your destination yourself. The really hard work has to be done by you, as in other aspects of your life.

Read the full article on SMAA's website: https://www.smaa-hq.com/articles/article/practice-does-no...

Work Towards Perfection at a Japanese Karate Association

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SMAA is a Japanese karate association that also offers aikido, iaido, judo, and jujutsu. To get started, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here: https://www.smaa-hq.com/contact

About Shudokan Martial Arts Association: SMAA was founded in January 1994 by a group of martial artists concerned with promoting and safeguarding Nihon budo and koryu bujutsu—the traditional martial arts and ways of Japan. SMAA is a non-profit that aims keep the spirit of traditional budo alive in the West. Anyone can become a member, even if you aren't a martial artist, and SMAA members are from multiple countries across the globe. For more information, visit https://www.smaa-hq.com/about