As Martial Artist, our beginning, our early teachings, shall in many instances, stay with us for life. These early teachings, ideals, basics—good and bad habits—will come to be the foundation of the rest of our journey as they are our first steps, our building blocks if you will, upon which all shall be built upon. I found it interesting as even just the other day, my Teacher of 19 years expressed to me this very fact when he stated:
· “You move in some ways like Mr. Rainey…”
· “I do not think there are too many, if any that move as well as him...that is one of the reasons I have stayed/been with him for all these years—he is my Teacher and always will be.”
· “You always will have some of his training expressed through/in your execution as he was your first Kenpo Teacher.”
I was surprised to hear the last bullet, as I had been with Mr. +Todd Durgan for now 19 years—I had never thought that subtle nuances of 1 year of training with Mr. +Ac Rainey would be noticeable/visible after all these years. Not that moving like Mr. Rainey is a bad thing—truthfully, it is great and a compliment to even be thought of to move like him—I just assumed I looked like Mr. Durgan when I moved as he has been my teacher for so long. He, Mr. Durgan, went on to further state, “He was your first Kenpo teacher and thus his teachings will always be with you…”
I had actually begun this piece sometime ago but had yet been compelled to finish and thus share it—the previously mentioned experience proved to be that needed push.
To establish and maintain a strong foundation, we must from the beginning, be sure that not only are our basics correctly executed and remembered, we must be attentive to consistently and often practice these basics and thus maintain and improve our foundation—one must always work upon and enhance their basics.
Though this may for some be boring, or thought to be a waste of time as emphasis, focus upon, and learning the, “advanced” stuff is given more importance, it is from the basics—one’s foundation—where growth and expansion stems, originates, and is derived as execution of even the “advanced” moves/maneuvers/etc., comes from basics.
If your basics or foundation, have weak points, cracks, issues, or execution is incorrect, your advancement shall suffer, if growth is experienced at all. Your improvement shall be minimal and though promotion may occur, one shall sadly come to realize, they are lacking and truly inferior.
Be focused upon the basics and solid rationale thought from the inception/beginning and throughout, or you shall find revisiting them shall be even more frustrating than they are "boring" to have to do. Embrace your basics, love and adore them—spend much time with them through practice, let them take up permanent residence in your mind and think of them often, or you shall regret it.
