Okay people this is getting a little crazy… am I actually “numb?” Darn Straights!   Last night was Mr. Kirk’s class. He started us off with some very unique, yet demanding exercises.   Warm up? Yeah, right.   Everyone was spent just learning a set of each exercise. Then he had us repeat them in sets of one minute intervals for 5 minutes.

 

Then we all worked on an idea of “purposeful compliance” a process of complying with opponents actions to aid in setting up and enhancing your actions.    It was all done on bodies so there was lots of action.

 

Concerning the kids; we had an interesting class for the Yellow Belts. Now please understand this is a double –edged sword.   Resources are extremely important to learning and improving.   However, at the same time, a person’s own ingenuity and initiative is additionally important.   Getting them to understand that is a difficult endeavor.   So often students resolve themselves to the excuse that “no one helped them” or “they didn’t have a guide to read” as reasons they couldn’t work on anything.   Absolutely, there is merit in their excuse but at the same time if they really, really wanted to work on something, there is virtually nothing that could stop them.

 

I couldn’t help but walk into the office and grab an old notebook that I have from 1981 in which I wrote down all the blue, green, and brown belt techniques by hand in my own words and notes.   It was probably the 4^th or 5^th rewrite of information for those ranks. Additionally, I had to show them all the information I am a massing concerning playing the harmonica.   I used them as illustrations that nobody is getting this for me, I wanted or want to know these things so I write it down myself.   In the case of the harmonica, nobody is teaching me, I have to do it by myself by reading tons of stuff about the instrument and music theory.   Eventually, I know I will have to seek out a teacher. I’ve been looking but haven’t been able to contact any that I’ve uncovered.   I know that I can only go so far on my own and to reach higher levels I will need other resources and guidance but getting those again, further verifies if we want something bad enough nothing can stop us from achieving it.

 

I’m hoping they recognize the value and take the initiative to be more accountable for their development instead of having the instructors and parents hold their hands through their training. At the same time maybe us “more mature” participants can be inspired by the progress we see them make?