A few months ago a fellow GKR instructor enlightened me with a quote via text message.  The full quote was “We do not practice to get it right; we practice until we cannot get it wrong”. Does that get you thinking?  This quote intrigued me as I started to analyse all the areas in my karate, and even life, where I practice at something.
 

How you approach this quote gives you an indication on where your “thinking” is taking you. Our thoughts create the attitude towards our actions, which leads to the development of your character and ultimately your destiny.

I guess most people adopt the approach of ‘practice till it’s right’. It makes sense, after-all, once something is right…it is right! The problem is that getting something right once doesn’t make you a champion!  Many people in their training will practice a move or kata for some time and eventually they start to get it right.  However, all too often they then stop practising and eventually slip back to where they were.

When we ‘practice till we cannot get it wrong’, it implies we are going to the next level. We start to get it right but then continue in our practice till the mind body connection is perfected. It becomes entrenched in our subconscious so we no longer even have to think about it. The ‘right way’ becomes the only way we know.  All time basketball great Larry Bird once shot a TV commercial where he had to miss a basket.  It took him eleven attempts to miss even though he was supposed to.  He had practiced shooting baskets for so many years that the only way his body knew how to throw a ball was the right way.

All the top karate-ka have gone beyond the level of practice till they get it right.  They continue to train their mind and bodies so that they end up with near perfect technique.  And the principles of practice work in every area of our life. As a university student, how would you feel if you consistently obtained marks of distinction? You would feel great right?  As a parent, how would you feel to have the ideal family relationship and environment?  As an employee, what rewards would there be if you have a dependable reputation for getting the job done well every time?

By adopting the principle of practice till you cannot get it wrong will almost ensure success in every area of your life. It is about going beyond, constantly improving and defining good habits.  We, as motivated humans, look for constant challenges to test ourselves against. We say to ourselves, “It’s good, but not good enough”. Those that are successful are so because they are addicted to improvement. They push until they feel they have mastered a specific task. Then set another task to accomplish.

I leave this to you to ponder and hopefully remember this quote. May it encourage you to create better habits for yourself. If you take this challenge, you may find yourself on a path towards reaching your full potential. It won’t be easy, but it will be exciting.

Sensei Alex Pereda
Regional Instructor - Australia