Everyone knows where their comfort zone is. When I get in a packed elevator, I am out of my comfort zone. When I put on my training clothes, grab my spear and hit the mat – I am in my comfort zone. However, I try not to get too comfortable because I know that somewhere else, someone is training hard in an aspect of martial arts I don’t know anything about. If I faced him, what would I do?
Part of what motivates me as an athlete and as an instructor is that I know what I know, and I also know what I don’t know. Seeking out the things I don’t know is a big part of my search for personal development in martial arts. It is much easier to remain humble when I visit other schools and get put in my place by their beginners and intermediate students. The “thrill” of being near the bottom of the class in these other environments helps me stay focused on where I am going in my own career.
Many people become complacent in their particular realm or area of expertise and stagnate due to a lack of learning and an excess of teaching. This complacency tends to soften the mind and body. To maintain his edge, a martial artists must have a heightened sense of others and a breadth of perception which can only be reached through continuous study. Only when we train out of our comfort zone do we acquire a deeper understanding of our own skills.
