![]() |
19 |
The evolution of motivation |
![]() ![]() |
A topic not often addressed, motivation is nonetheless a major issue, since it conditions the practitioner's receptiveness and state of mind during training. Before... Before taking the plunge, the novice must have reached a sufficient level of maturity to pass the registration hurdle. This includes the choice of discipline, club, etc. Often, we sign up somewhere because "it's near me" or "I've heard..." or "my buddy has been there", and many other reasons. But what really triggers this mechanism in the first place? Initial motivations vary according to age, activity and background. Younger people will be more attracted by the myths raised by cinema and the media, while others may have thought things through more thoroughly. There's also the question of "doing what your friends are doing" or following a parent's lead. The young person who is regularly pushed around in the school playground, the young woman who loses her bag in a parking lot, or any individual who has been the object of a more or less aggressive threat, will initially have the idea of wanting above all to defend themselves, rather than looking for the sporting or mental aspect. Even someone harassed or bullied at work may want to find a weapon with which to fight back, even if it's not physical. Of course, playing sport, getting a bit of exercise, etc. are also very common motivations. But what happens to all this afterwards? During... It soon becomes clear that, whatever the initial motivations, they are bound to evolve spontaneously. Not that the teacher imposes anything, but as a function of practice, we gradually come to forget certain short-term goals, and enter into other forms of perception and motivation. At the end of the day, it's by no longer seeking to voluntarily become one with a particular intention that we really become stronger. It is sometimes said that the practitioner has reached the level of the grade above his own when he has finally forgotten the one he is wearing. As the years go by, aspects of health, balance and well-being eventually supplant the desire for strength and performance. This in no way detracts from martial efficiency, quite the contrary. By learning breathing, coherent movement and gesture, release and explosiveness, you can considerably raise your potential level in a critical situation. And above all, the mental progression, over countless hours of effort, concentration and perspiration, takes you into a different world, one from which you'll draw new motivations, and which will offer new perspectives. After? Is there even an afterwards? Well-practised Karate, following sound precepts, is, as the ancients used to say, "for life". In fact, there's no reason to stop training; you just have to know how to adapt it. At over 90 years of age, Master OHSHIMA himself reveals that he now assiduously seeks out "unconscious strength" in his daily training. Whoever we are, isn't this something that can motivate us even more? |
Designed and implemented for GENEVE SHOTOKAN KARATE Powered by Andre Reidel All rights reserved 2021 |