Theme of the Week: Calm

Martial arts is problem solving.  The problem is often a punch, a kick or a grab.  The specific solution varies with the attack.  The state of mind most conducive to problem solving: being calm.

If a student gets angry (hey!  why are you kicking at me!) often they have trouble finding the best solution to the problem.  If a student enters a state of despair (he’s so much bigger than me) they will find it hard to imagine a solution to the situation.

How do we encourage calmness?  Find it.  Push the envelope.  Lose it.  Back down a bit and find that state of calm again.

One thing to note that comes up very often is the difference between calmness and lethargy.  Students often make the mistake of going limp, losing posture and even letting their eyelids get heavy when told to “relax” or “stay calm”.  Going to sleep won’t help solve the problem either.  One can be calm while delivering a counter kick or applying an arm bar.  Calmness is mental state in which the student can react spontaneously without emotion clouding their abilities.