Be Like Bruce

“All steely sinew, threatening stare and cocky, pointed finger — a Clark Kent who didn't need to change outfits.” That’s how Time Magazine described Bruce Lee several years ago in a profile of the 20th century’s 100 most influential people.

The article continued: “He is the patron saint of the cult of the body: the almost mystical belief that we have the power to overcome adversity if only we submit to the right combinations of exercise, diet, meditation and weight training; that by force of will, we can sculpt ourselves into demigods.”

Demigods? Well, maybe. Most of us would probably settle for having a decent sidekick.

But how should we develop that sidekick? And how can we elevate our tae kwon do from merely decent to demigod-like?

Researchers who have studied elite athletes have some advice – advice that may sound suspiciously familiar.

Psychologist Anders Ericsson and a team of scientists studied expert soccer players, golfers, pianists, writers, chess players, software designers and many other experts to find out what makes them so good. Their observations led to three key insights:

First, do what you love. If you do not love martial arts, you will not be willing to dedicate your energy to perfecting it.

Second, remember great talent is earned, not given. Elite performers are born with a little more natural talent than most of us. But not much more. Bruce Lee became exceptional because he invested so much time in developing his talent.

Finally, practice deliberately. Expert performers practice much more than average performers. But they do not merely repeat a task mindlessly. Instead they practice a specific task and search for immediate feedback on how to improve. Next, they repeat the task, incorporating the lessons learned from the feedback.

At first you may rely on an instructor for immediate feedback (“Pivot all the way, pull in your knee even tighter.”) As you become more proficient, you should be able to evaluate your own performance, give yourself feedback, and make the necessary adjustments or improvements.

So to get on the road to becoming the next Bruce Lee, it is not merely the amount of time (or quantity) of practice that will help you improve. It is also the quality of your practice. In other words, “perfect practice makes perfect.” And that advice should sound very familiar.

Written by Ms. Jennifer Beeson