How to Learn Martial Arts: Beyond Technique, Movement, and Physical Training

How does one learn the martial arts?

At every training session there is the chance for real self-improvement and discovery if one knows where and how to look, if one understands the transmission operating in each class.

To an observer outside the dojo watching a training session, things seem pretty straightforward with the teacher or a senior student demonstrating a technique as the class watches it, following pairing up with a partner and working on the movement.

Watch and do.

Yet, there is more depth to this, and a transmission running parallel, yet unseen behind this.

Physically copying the movement is an important starting point, as with the martial arts being physical in nature this is the foundation for learning. At this point of learning the teacher will make corrections and adjustment and point out your mistakes- which is a good thing.

Correcting mistakes is a good thing in the martial arts when done correctly.

Corrections to eliminate openings, correct distance and balance, adjustments to keep one safe.

However, the layer under this is found in the transmission between the teacher and the student.

Often a teacher will demonstrate a technique on a student so they can feel it, experience it first hand how distance and balance is taken, experience first hand how the timing feels, being done so the student can capture the feeling of the movement.

In turn this feeling of movement allows the student to get a glimpse of what is beyond just the movement, giving them a chance to develop their own feeling of movement from the experience.

In every training interaction there is both the visible and invisible, and it’s important to train with an awareness of both of these aspects.