Anyone who has become proficient at a certain skill, be it playing a musical instrument, perfecting a tennis serve or swinging a baseball bat, knows that repetition is the mother of skill. That is undeniably true, however, there is a world of difference between practicing the skill and pulling it off in a pressure scenario.
Internet entrepreneur and social media phenomenon Gary Vaynerchuk consistently calls the majority of people who listen to his podcasts, read his books and follow him on social media “students,” not “entrepreneurs.”
Why does he say that? Because they read, plan, strategize, journal, make dream boards, order another book, listen to 7 more CDs, write their 10 year goal list and read some more…but do not GET GOING. They do not ACT.
A survey was done that found out 90% of folks who invest in a self-help product such as a book or CD set never even begin using it, and of the 10% who do start, 90% of them never finish reading or listening to it! Whats’ more, out of the 10% who do finish the book or CD set, 90% of them do not implement what they have learned into their lives. Once they have the course or book in their hands or on their shelves, this is where most people stop.
Makes no sense, right? Wrong. Continue reading
“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
When the student is truly ready…the teacher will disappear.”
-Lao Tzu
I am a fan of quotes and I’ve always like that one but it was not until I begin my journey of training in true Wing Chun purely for self-defense and combat skill proficiency that that quote took on a much deeper and profound significance for me.
The most difficult part of Wing Chun training, I submit to you, is not in the hours and hours of dedicated, difficult and at times seemingly fruitless training. It is not the facing of one’s fears and mental barriers, it is not the fear of contact or being hit and it is not developing skill through repetition.
The most difficult part of Wing Chun training is finding a true instructor; someone who can, as Bruce Lee once famously said, act as “…a finger pointing a way to the moon,” guiding you along the way to discover the truths of the Wing Chun system for yourself and showing you how to unlock your true potential.
