Friday, August 17, 2012

Knowledge vs Understanding




Question:
Is it better to know 1000 applications or understand 10 applications?

Application=Defence vs an attack

Not really a fair question,.. exposing yourself to as many applications as possible opens your mind to other possibilities. Fully understanding 10 applications opens your mind to the body mechanics, the why and the how of the applications.
Both are important.
Right now, I am reviewing all the “Q” belt applications, defences and techniques from our curriculum. When I was grading for my black belt I memorized them all with some understanding but never with enough attention. This time, I am approaching them from the “why” and “how” perspective. I welcome the idea of revisiting the simplest moves for pure technique.

Its interesting to see how I read the application written in the curriculum and how I interpret it. Some of the curriculum I have not visited for awhile, admittedly I have forgotten plenty of detail, I find myself questioning each step. However, this is a good thing.

If something is not efficient or does not flow correctly, chances are, I am not executing the application correctly. This is my exercise in recognition and my exercise to imagine a correct reaction.

Nothing is definitively prescriptive, there can always be some variations in our responses because the attacker may or may not react the way we anticipate but I think the curriculum is built on the most probable response from our opponent.

My goal is not to re-memorize this time but to slow things down, pay attention to detail and fully understand the body mechanics of each move.

Thankfully, I have the I Ho Chuan team to source from when practicing and they can help guide me back to the intention of the application as written in the curriculum.



Knowledge can be an accumulation of information that can get lost over time but Understanding can never be forgotten.



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