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What is Tae Kwon Do?What Tae Kwon Do Can do for youAbout the American Taekwondo AssociationHow do I find the right martial arts school?
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BLOG
Why do we teach sparring?You need these two elements if you want to work out consistently as a lifestyleRethink New Year's ResolutionsDo these 5 things instead of reaching for your phone in the morningWhy should I sign my kids up for martial arts 2Mindful SummeringNew Mindset for Martial ArtsCan Buy Me HappinessWhat does Roman have to do with itDon't Start Any Resolution Till You Do This One Thing
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IT'S ALL IN THE ATTIUDE

What Is The New Mindset For Martial Arts Instruction?

By now, everyone knows about fixed and growth mindsets. Carol Dweck, the researcher who presented these ideas, has brought another type of mindset: strategic mindset.

In a paper she co-authored : A strategic mindset: An orientation toward strategic behavior during goal pursuit published recently in The Proceedings of the National Academic of Sciences offers up strategic mindset as a reliable predictor of success, especially in progress toward challenging goals that are long-term, important, and unfamiliar.

Long-term, important, unfamiliar:  I can’t think of words that are more timely than these as we face the third surge of COVID-19.

Martial arts instructors have had to pivot quickly since March. We created the best alternative we could, meeting needs in ways that we wouldn’t have thought of before and worked much better than we could have imagined.

In the short term, we filled a gap left open by the absence of in-person classes but no one involved in the teaching or learning martial arts is convinced this is a valid replacement in the long run.

One pivot is not enough.

A picture of a room repurposed as teaching studio

So, strategic mindset. What is it?

photo of an old typewriter with the word "verb"

According to the study, it is an approach that questions and tweaks the standard way of solving a problem or achieving a goal, one that explores and experiments with alternatives. 

What? A way of thinking.

Why? To solve a problem or to achieve a goal.

How? Seek alternatives .

Question. Tweak. Explore. Experiment.

What do all these verbs have in common? They are about not sticking to the status quo.

On the surface, this goes against the grain of the practice of martial arts, which values traditions, compliance, conformity. But appearances can be deceiving.

The practice of martial arts has been evolving since the beginning. How many practitioners today are monks protecting their temples? How many devote their lives to serve a master who assumes complete responsibility for their lives in exchange for unquestioned loyalty? How many use martial arts in hand-to-hand combat to protect their country?

The current state of martial arts practice in most of the world does not resemble any of those.

shaolin monks fighting in ancient monastery
a class of karate students wearing masks

Most training today takes places in groups that meet a certain number of times a week. These classes are part of a lifestyle that includes families, careers, formal schooling, and other pursuits.

Kids are sent by parents to acquire discipline and confidence. Women train to learn self defense skills. Athletes train to challenge themselves. Stressful adults train to manage their health.

Do all the changes mean that today's practices can no longer be considered martial arts?

No.

While the way martial arts is practiced and how it fits into the practitioners' lives are different, the core of the practice remains tied to traditions. Movement, mental focus, respect: these are the enduring elements that continue to prevail.

IT'S ALL IN THE ATTIUDE

What Is The New Mindset For Martial Arts Instruction?

By now, everyone knows about fixed and growth mindsets. Carol Dweck, the researcher who presented these ideas, has brought another type of mindset: strategic mindset.

In a paper she co-authored : A strategic mindset: An orientation toward strategic behavior during goal pursuit published recently in The Proceedings of the National Academic of Sciences offers up strategic mindset as a reliable predictor of success, especially in progress toward challenging goals that are long-term, important, and unfamiliar.

Long-term, important, unfamiliar:  I can’t think of words that are more timely than these as we face the third surge of COVID-19.

Martial arts instructors have had to pivot quickly since March. We created the best alternative we could, meeting needs in ways that we wouldn’t have thought of before and worked much better than we could have imagined.

In the short term, we filled a gap left open by the absence of in-person classes but no one involved in the teaching or learning martial arts is convinced this is a valid replacement in the long run.

One pivot is not enough.

A picture of a room repurposed as teaching studio

So, strategic mindset. What is it?

photo of an old typewriter with the word "verb"

According to the study, it is an approach that questions and tweaks the standard way of solving a problem or achieving a goal, one that explores and experiments with alternatives. 

What? A way of thinking.

Why? To solve a problem or to achieve a goal.

How? Seek alternatives .

Question. Tweak. Explore. Experiment.

What do all these verbs have in common? They are about not sticking to the status quo.

On the surface, this goes against the grain of the practice of martial arts, which values traditions, compliance, conformity. But appearances can be deceiving.

The practice of martial arts has been evolving since the beginning. How many practitioners today are monks protecting their temples? How many devote their lives to serve a master who assumes complete responsibility for their lives in exchange for unquestioned loyalty? How many use martial arts in hand-to-hand combat to protect their country?

The current state of martial arts practice in most of the world does not resemble any of those.

shaolin monks fighting in ancient monastery
a class of karate students wearing masks

Most training today takes places in groups that meet a certain number of times a week. These classes are part of a lifestyle that includes families, careers, formal schooling, and other pursuits.

Kids are sent by parents to acquire discipline and confidence. Women train to learn self defense skills. Athletes train to challenge themselves. Stressful adults train to manage their health.

Do all the changes mean that today's practices can no longer be considered martial arts?

No.

While the way martial arts is practiced and how it fits into the practitioners' lives are different, the core of the practice remains tied to traditions. Movement, mental focus, respect: these are the enduring elements that continue to prevail.

Martial arts practice has endured for thousands of years
not only because of its strong tradition
but also of its ability to keep adapting.

What does it mean to adopt a strategic mindset in martial arts instruction?

Which assumptions do we question? Which practices do we tweak? What are the new ways we haven't yet explored? How can we experiment?

These are difficult issues. So far, we have questioned one fundamental belief: that instructor and student be in the same location. We have tweaked the process of teaching to fit the medium of delivery. We have explored technology to enhance the learning experience.

Success has been achieved in limited and specific ways. But have we really invented anything new that ensures traditions of martial arts will endure?

I don't believe so.

I wrote this article with two purpose:

  • to provide hope, because some days, our options seem limited and our futures bleak if lockdowns become necessary or maybe even normal for the foreseeable future.
  • to ask questions and initiate discussions on examining and challenging what we consider unchangeable that in fact, can have viable and even better solutions. The martial arts community rallied together quickly, putting aside all the differences that have been around, to support each other, sharing ideas and resources. We can do it again, even at this much deeper level.

My requests:

  • Join the conversation.
  • Share ideas, even if they seem outlandish.
  • Consider every idea beyond your initial reaction.
  • Avoid the temptation to accuse others of not being true martial artists.

I would love to hear from you either via email: yychong@axontkd.com , on FaceBook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

We can do this.