Repetition and Complacency

We can become complacent in our practice and training. We can assume we know something and fall into the false sense of assurance we know and can use something so we let it fall by the wayside in our efforts and intentions toward martial practice. Dangerous territory.

We use repetition in training and practice for a reason, to learn and encode. What we tend to forget is that repetition is also a means to remove complacency from our training and practice. In this instance I do not mean doing it over and over and over again but rather returning to things like the basics of a system and especially those fundamental principles. To return (repetitively) to such as basics/fundamentals to repeat and learn anew - repetitively over our entire life in MA.

I write, I read posts and I practice repetitively to both encode and to reintroduce idea's, concepts and abilities that might fall away and atrophy from disuse. When I participate in blogs, forum's and in dojo practice I constantly or repetitively remind myself of things that may disappear unintentionally and then find their re-introduction creates greater proficiency, understanding and ability not to forget to mention a wholly new perspective on older idea's.

When you hear the word "repetition" don't just assume we mean go do the upper and lower techniques ten reps for thirty minutes to work up a sweat. Take it as a message to review and remind yourself of some more mundane and very important aspects of the martial arts for they just may make a difference in your following of the path.

The more you do it, the easier it is to keep it frosty. The idea if repetition is to foster new thoughts, idea's and plans-strategies-tactics :-)