WISDOM FROM THE MATAW GURO
ANYO/KATAs
Awayan class is not just an evening workout, it is an Art and in order for it to look like an Art, it requires more practice from each student on their own. You can't learn new techniques until the old ones are mastered. Even though it is very difficult to practice new moves away from the dojo, it is possible to practice forms, stances, punches, kicks and blocks at home. Use your lesson plan and practice what you remember.
Forms/Anyo are taught slowly and step by step, but that doesn't mean that is how they are to be done once they are mastered. Your Anyo/Katas should be done with speed, power, breathing, centering, heart and determination. Do not run through them carelessly; use your mind and your body. An Anyo/Kata is a fighting form, not a dance. When they are done correctly you should be exhausted but also have a feeling of accomplishment. The only way you can achieve this is by practicing at home and when you are in the Club before or after class. No one expects your Anyo/Katas to be perfect (overnight), but the additional work you put into them will keep you from being corrected on the same things every time you perform them. It takes a long time before you will do your Anyo/Katas without being corrected.
Remember that once you've passed a test, your work is not over, it has just begun. With the extra time put into your techniques and Anyo/Katas you will be ready for the next lesson. Plan to spend at least a half hour a day on your practice. Remember it is also very important to stretch before and after you practice to condition your body. Self-discipline is something only YOU can work on.
"Everywhere you go, all martial arts basics are the same: how to punch, how to kick, how to block, but understanding the basics is the key to martial arts..." Mataw Guro Andy Sanano
YOURSELF
We are the Masters of negative thinking. We get mad easily, we argue, we lose control, we whine, we feel sorry for ourselves, we become selfish, judgmental, spoiled and want more for nothing. We master this while we are growing up. Since we already Mastered this, it’s time to practice more the Positive Way of Thinking. Deflect the negative way by thinking more positively. Don’t argue, just listen and wait. Be humble not a show off, be helpful not selfish, be grateful not spoiled, be polite not demanding. How can you get mad, get upset or lose control, if we practice and practice the Positive Way. Be a master of positive thinking.
You can stop being self destructive, and become creative. You can be who you want to become. That is why you're here, living now: to learn, to overcome, to grow in to the fullness of your being, to find your power and purpose, and to live it! Your life is your classroom. You will use all the obstacles, negatives and limitations in your life as opportunities to demonstrate your domination. You will have to change, and sometimes new-ness can be frightening. When your eyes have adjusted to darkness for a long time and someone suddenly draws the curtain back doesn't the bright light of normal daylight cause you discomfort, even pain? Just so in some ways your limited self may be living in comfortable darkness. But the rewards of becoming new are great. If you are willing to experience and conquer initial discomfort, you will remember every step of the way that the obstacles and limitations you attack are destined to fall because they were never a part of your real self. As you change, you will be opening up to new opportunities and new challenges.
You will realize who you are in truth and demonstrate it. You will see that your work and your perseverance is rewarded with increasing faith in your self, and in love for yourself and others, and that victory is assured!
"Learn to fight , Not to fight..." Mataw Guro Andy Sanano