Time to Learn
Time is often considered a relative concept, forever fleeting. Yet we chase it with steadfast determination. We all know when it’s time to learn. In the world of martial arts, it is a paradox that is both vexing and humbling. Simply put, martial artists have a skewed notion when asked to quantify measurements concerning the time regarding proficiency. The problem lies in the paradox of the martial arts and the lens through which we interpret these systems. Inevitably, the martial arts are often viewed into three separate categories or a combination of all three: sport, a system of self-protection, or philosophical lifestyles. These warring sectors always seem to be at the heart of many problems in the martial arts. However, the philosophy of the martial arts tends to hold greater sway when we think about time. But how does philosophy affect our concept of time?
Two Instructors
Well, to answer this question let us start with a thought experiment. Let’s say we have two instructors who are good friends. Each instructor wants to test their students against outside competition. One instructor runs a traditional school and for the sake of this experiment, we will just say it is a karate school. The other is an instructor at an MMA gym. So, the instructors pair up their students accordingly beginners with beginners and so on. We will say the students are of similar age, height, weight, builds, and athletic ability. Also, we can say all students have studied the same amount of time with no other outside instruction or experiences. This is strictly a measure of the student’s performance with the knowledge they have. Both instructors decide to use sparring as their measuring tool, as this is common practice. To keep everything fair this will be striking only.
Now logic would dictate that the students should be fairly comparable to one another. Both practice similar skill sets and have been training for relatively the same amount of time. However, if you conducted a real world experiment, you would find that the MMA student will out perform traditional students. Even scarier, MMA student will likely out perform those who have studied three times longer in the traditional community. So now here is the big question, why?
Philosophical Perspective
This is the paradox as the traditional community will fire back with a laundry list of excuses and philosophical ideals. Some of these excuses may sound like this: “Oh the rules are different. I train for the street. I’m too deadly for competition, the martial arts are not a sport, etc.”. It is much easier to come up with excuses than to just admit that the training may be flawed. Now the reason that everyone is getting ready to bite my head off over that statement is the philosophical brainwashing that is prevalent in the traditional community.
Let me state clearly that my intention is not to bash or take away from the traditional martial arts community. My intention is to merely highlight the skewed position we take on our training methods when they are tested. Logic tells us that the methods employed for training should be determined by the goals in which we have, not the philosophical ideals that we adhere to. One of the biggest advantages combat sports have over the traditional community is that everything they do moves towards a single objective. To meet their goals. However, in the martial arts community, we are constantly moving toward multiple objectives without a clear path to reach them. Constantly accompanied by heavy doses of misdirection.
Distractions
To put this in context let us explore some of these philosophical notions. A cliché, Confucius-style proverb that gets thrown around when discussing time and goals is, “The journey is what’s important not the destination.”. This is a notion you will often hear as a means to dissuade one from becoming fixated upon a goal. While it does hold some merit it is also a clever piece of distraction. The quality of my journey along with the skills developed to meet my goals go hand in hand.
Here is the problem when we think about time and grade in the martial arts. Because we think of martial arts as this lifelong pursuit, we inevitably and unnecessarily draw out the process of teaching valuable skills. If we look at a tier rank system such as the belt system of karate. The black belt is often seen as the goal and top of the mountain. However, once you obtain a black belt this notion arises that the black belt is not the end it is merely the beginning and now your true learning begins.
Sounds mystical, like some sage wisdom being dispensed from the mountain, right? But think about it, you have probably spent around five years maybe more working your way up the ranks. You have learned techniques, katas, and general self-protection. You have probably done lots of sparring, competed in tournaments, and probably held your own. So why should you not have a firm grasp of the material and be proficient in your art?
A Set of Skills
A common analogy sees Kyu ranks, beginners in karate, equaling grade school with the Dan ranks, advanced, being college. Which, in a way, makes sense until you start thinking about this in terms of numbers, that’s roughly 20 years to learn a set of skills. Because when you boil it all down past the philosophy that is what the martial arts are, a set of skills. Think about how crazy that sounds.
Now to be clear obtaining a high level of knowledge, skill, and mastery absolutely takes someone a significant amount of time. There is no disputing that. What I am disputing is the idea that it should take twenty years to be marginally skilled. To provide an example of this type of delusion I have seen someone in the comment section of a Facebook post claim that only after fifteen years of quality instruction can someone understand a punch and deliver it with accuracy and effectiveness. That is insane there are no two ways about it. While yes it may take someone fifteen years if not a lifetime to understand every little nuance of a punch, in no way should that be the benchmark for determining effectiveness.
Bruce Lee says in his book, Tao of Jeet Kune Do, “Before I learned the art, a punch was just a punch, and a kick, just a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick, no longer a kick. Now that I understand the art, a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick”. As martial artists, we are constantly on this journey of seeking knowledge that we often overlook the skills and wisdom that are right in front of our faces. Much of this distraction can be laid at the idea that the only benchmark in which to measure progression is mastery of a skill and lifetime commitment in the traditional community.
Other Perspectives
In doing some research for this article I wanted to see what science might be able to offer when it comes to establishing benchmarks and quantifying skills. Oddly enough though the data for learning a new skill is all over the place. Different sources claiming a variety of timeframes ranging from ten thousand hours to as little as twenty. But an interesting point that was established in all the studies I read is the amount of time is directly related to the level of skill looking to be achieved. Which makes sense if we think about it logically. So, if your only criteria of measuring skill is mastery it is no wonder instructors expect these lifelong commitments.
Ryan M. Frischman in his article Learning Skills: How Long Does it Take, says, “The idea of ‘mastering’ a skill when you’re just getting started is counterproductive: it can be a significant barrier to exploring a new skill in the first place”. Imagine you told an average little league team they couldn’t play their next game because they couldn’t compete against major league teams. That they needed to practice more until they reached that level of skill. Seems crazy right? They only need the skills necessary to play the game well at their level for their upcoming game. And while playing at a major league level may certainly be the goal in the long run, why should that idea consume and alter their training in the short term?
Progression
“Martial arts are not a sport!” See there is one of those excuses again. Whether you can tolerate the idea of a martial art being a sport or not, the data is still relevant. After speaking with a couple of boxing coaches, asking how long it would take for an average person to be ready for an amateur boxing match, most stated around a year time frame. Notice how I did not say become a boxing master. Just be good enough to handle an amateur bout which is no easy task. Again, this is with consistent practice and dedication. Now you may try to argue that after a year in a martial arts school one could handle sparring at a competent level. But is that truly an accurate comparison?
I am sure by now I have hit the boiling point, and everyone is ready to lash out in the comment sections, but that is precisely my point. Because many of us, myself included for a long time have been indoctrinated into a certain way of thinking that only one path can be the correct path. We fight venomously to defend ideals no matter how flawed they may be when challenged. However, while tradition and history are important aspects of a martial art that should be preserved, that alone should not determine the methods in which information is presented to students. Unless of course students simply want to be a history professor walking around with a belt and no skill.
Conclusion
As an instructor, I feel it is our obligation to look past our philosophical ideals and establish quantifiable benchmarks to evaluate students. We have to objectively look at our curriculums and ask ourselves, how are we spending our student’s time? Are we developing skills that are in line with our goals? Is there a way for me to be more efficient? These seem like simple questions, but they should be the driving backbone of your curriculum.
Studying the martial arts can be a beautiful lifelong journey. For some it is merely a small story along their journeys. But regardless of the amount of time spent on that journey, the training students receive should be worthwhile. So how are you going to make it so? Can you objectively look at your curriculum and see where you may lack efficiency? Now, I am not saying that combat sports have all the answers as I have done quite a bit of comparison. I just feel they have much to offer. Just because a source of knowledge conflicts with your own does not mean it cannot be embraced.
Again, logic tells us that the objectives of our training should determine the methods used to transfer knowledge efficiently. Do not let artistic expression warp your perspective. The martial arts take a lifetime to appreciate, but it should not take a lifetime to be skilled.
Check out other articles here on Martial Journal, including reviews and discussions.
- Time to Learn: Why Is This Taking So Long? - February 15, 2021
- Post-COVID 19: Backyard Schools and Online Training - May 22, 2020
- Barriers to Evolution: Karate’s Struggle to become a Sport - May 11, 2020
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