The character of our martial arts training comes down to our level of focus. Training hours are training hours . . . but are they? Our level of focus during training determines our ability to learn and retain the material presented to us. A focused student can, in 10 minutes, learn enough material for a weeks worth of practice sessions.
Being focused is not the same as “paying attention.” If we are merely “paying” attention, we are only “giving” our attention, and not using that attention for any other purpose. Think about this . . . “paying” for an apple in the store is not the same as “using” it to make apple pie. Anyone with enough money can buy apples, but not everyone can make a really good apple pie from scratch. Learning to buy apples is a simple process, but learning to make the apple pie takes time, practice, trial and error and patience.
Focus requires us to let go of our own perception of the lesson and instead, try to work through the movements with the intention of learning something. We may or may not learn what our instructor intended right away, but we can always learn when we are focused. So often, students have trouble learning because they spend their energy trying to discern what (specifically) they are supposed to learn. What really matters is that they remain focused on learning in general and free themselves from their own expectations.
Mastering any martial art is a great challenge. One of the most important aspects of that challenge is learning to focus on the task at hand for the sake of learning and for no other reason. Focus is not always related to a specific goal or achievement, it is a skill in and of itself. Focus is what separates a professional from a hobbyist, a leader from a follower and a master from a novice.
