shaolin news & inspiration

There’s a sign in the back of the dojo that reads It doesn’t get easier, you just get better. It sits among the plaques recognizing the over 100 students who have earned Black Belts at the studio over the last 20+ years. It’s a sign that I think about often. 

As we practice, we want things to become easier. And certainly some things do. We begin to find a sense of ease in the moves we’ve repeated hundreds or maybe even thousands of times. The muscle memory we develop makes them feel like a fitted glove. We’ve gotten better. Things have gotten easier, right?  

But there’s always a way to improve, and getting better means recognizing not only what you know, but also what you don’t know. When we admit that we don’t know everything, we open up a world of possibilities where we can learn and grow, a world that is ever-expanding as long as we stay curious and humble. We start to ask ourselves new questions about “simple” things: how can I make that punch more effective? How can I target that kick better? How can I move more fluidly from one thing to the next? 

In my own journey, answering questions like these has meant not only focusing my martial arts practice on improving the basic execution of something, but also exploring things like strength training, cardio fitness, and flexibility that will support my ability to improve. To throw a better front ball kick, I build core strength for balance and power; flexibility to keep my muscles and joints safe when targeting at various heights; muscle to both push the kick out and quickly rechamber; and mental focus to accurately assess and strike a target (or to accurately assess and not strike, as the case may be).

The more we learn and the more we practice, the more it opens doors to being able to do new things, different things, and more challenging things. It opens up new ways of considering the things we already “know.” We can challenge ourselves to never stop learning, exploring, and improving. It’s a philosophy that can apply to many aspects of life, and our martial arts practice is a great place to start.

It doesn’t get easier. You just get better. 

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