Hope this finds everyone safe and happy during the holiday season. 2008 is coming to a close (NSA will be closed for the holidays beginning Friday, December 19th), and the year has been filled with ups and downs, new lessons and reminders of old ones. This'll probably be the last official post of the year, so I'll start by wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season and New Year celebration.
While the pun in the title of this post is intended, I'm not going to run down a list of what I think makes someone a good student. I will, however, focus on one thing that I feel separates some martial artists or athletes from their peers, regardless of genetic gifts. One of the most useful things a student can have, and therefore one of the most important things I feel an instructor can provide for his/her students, is/are conceptual model(s).
Many of us cross-train in at least one or two different martial arts. And very often, those arts themselves (sunch as Jun Fan Gung Fu) are made up of combined tactics from several systems. The thing that ties these elements together, and also helps to classify and categorize them, is a conceptual model. You can think of the model as a map, so that even and especially if you find yourself exploring unfamiliar territory, you still have a guide to finding your way around.
One of the most common conceptual models that has been around in martial arts is the 4 Ranges model, that asserts that empty hand fights take place in kicking, punching, trapping, and grappling range. Many of those who subscribe to a sport/MMA type of training have shortened this to the Stand Up/Clinch/Ground model.
It is also helpful to have models within each area that you train. For example, on the ground, the positions commonly identified in most grappling systems, as well as the "position before submission" mantra are both examples of conceptual models.
Having trained with several different grappling instructors, I've found that while some instructors may be very talented and knowledgable in terms of technique or grappling ability, far fewer have a clear-cut conceptual model to hand over to their students. However, what distinguishes some of the more exceptional grappling coaches out there, like Roy Harris, Matt Thornton, Erik Paulson, John Will, and Nathan Leverton, is that they can teach their craft in the simplest of terms. One of the quotes I've heard recently that sums this up came from grappling great Rigan Machado, who said, "Jiu-Jitsu isn't complicated...it's the people that make it complicated."
One advantage of having a conceptual model is that you are able to tap into your own intelligence and problem-solving ability, rather than being a technique junky. What I mean by that is that you can use the models that you have, along with some personal exploration, to solve some of the problems you encounter on the mat, rather than always having to learn a new technique or run to your coach to get the answer. At a recent seminar with Guro Dan Inosanto, we were training some tie-up and clinch material, while Guro explained to us that the techniques themselves came from personal exploration on the part of himself and his Sifu (Bruce Lee), and not from formal grappling training. I was struck by this quote from him:
"People ask me, 'Did Bruce Lee teach you that?' and I say, 'No. He taught me the method I used to figure it out for myself." That is instruction at the highest level.
Some great examples of conceptual models are found within both Jeet Kune Do and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For example, JKD has the 5 Ways of Attack, which are a great way of organizing your offensive tactics and helping to discover what your particular "style" is. Also in JKD, though slightly less well known, are the 6 modes of defense:
1. Defend using distance (i.e. footwork)
2. Defend using evasive tactics (ex. duck, slip, bob n weave)
3. Defend by covering/blocking
4. Defend by parrying or deflecting
5. Simultaneous attack and defense
6. Intercept or Stop Hit
In grappling, conceptual models help take some of the guesswork out of various positions or situations. For example, despite all of the different variations of guard passes, there are ultimately only 3 ways to pass the guard:
1. Under the legs
2. Over the legs
3. Around the legs
And, from the guard player's perspective, there are really only three attacking options as well (often referred to as the 3 S's):
1. Sweep
2. Submit
3. Stand up (or Sit out)
But, before I go crazy spouting all the different conceptual models I've accumulated in my training, let's get back to the general topic.
As I mature in the martial arts and as an instructor, I seem to find myself spending less time thinking about specific techniques, and more and more about conceptual models or ways of organizing those techniques in my mind. I do this both for personal reasons and because I feel it makes me a more effective instructor.
It's so easy to get lost in a sea of all these different tools, techniques, and tactics, and lose sight of what they are all for. It's like being in a kitchen stocked full of food, but not having any recipes.
So, both as a challenge to students and to myself, I highly encourage all of you to try and take a step back every now and then in your training, and look beyond the techniques. Try to see the conceptual structure behind what you're learning. And, if you don't think you have it figured out, feel free to ask your instructor. I know that in my case, if I don't have an answer on the spot, the question will challenge me enough to think about it and get my head around it in my own time, and eventually you WILL GET an answer. That way, we can all challenge ourselves and each other to become "model" students.
