Memory enhancing tips for the recreational martial artist

DBN Garth (right) of Kuk Sool Won™ of Pukekohe enjoying his training with fellow students

For SBN Caroline and I, our martial art of Kuk Sool Won™ is more than a hobby. It is our job, our passion and central to the way we live our lives. However, for most people, martial arts are a recreational activity. In our experience, students participate to get fit, learn some self-defense skills, build their confidence, and to enjoy the companionship of their fellow students. They set goals around achieving a certain rank and are motivated by the new material they learn at each new belt level. While the practice of martial arts is important, as with any recreational activity, it must fit in around many other life commitments.
 
A recreational martial art usually involves around 2 to 4 hours of structured training a week in a class environment. While this is enough time to learn the basic skills, in our martial art of Kuk Sool Won™ there is a lot of material to learn and perfect, especially as a student progresses towards black belt (and beyond). This invariably means our students need to practice their material outside of class time. This can be challenging, particularly for those students who are time poor or do not have someone they can practice with outside of classes. As well, students may not always have a training partner at the same belt level in their school. For example, my training partner left when I was a yellow belt (after six months of training). As ours was a small school, I never had another regular training partner at my belt level. Having a fellow student of the same rank as a training partner makes training much more enjoyable, helps with motivation, and aids the learning process, as you help each other to practice and remember your material. I know from experience that it definitely makes training more difficult when you no longer have another student at your level to train with.
 
While participating in martial arts as a recreational activity is enjoyable and rewarding, there are definitely some training challenges to be overcome. We have come up with some tips to make your training and practice more enjoyable and effective.
 

1. Take notes to aid your memory: When I learn a new set of techniques, I always write them down in my Kuk Sool notebook. I have done this since early in my training. I have often had to train with someone at a lower rank than myself, so I cannot rely on my training partner being able to remind me of my techniques. I also use the official Kuk Sool Won™ textbook as a memory prompt once I have been taught material by my instructor. My notes jog my memory, as does the textbook. They are an excellent aide memoire for use at home. I also add training tips to my notes as I refine my techniques after further instruction. Even if your memory is excellent, it is a good idea to have a backup, especially as you advance through the ranks. This is particularly true in Kuk Sool, where there are a large number of techniques to learn for each degree of black belt.
2. Walk through your forms and techniques at home: It is important to practice your material outside class. This is hard though, if you don’t have a lot of space and no one else in your household is practicing martial arts with you. There are ways around this. For forms, you don’t need a lot of room as you can practice doing them “on the spot”. Your instructor can teach you how to do this. The idea is to walk through your forms, so the moves become second nature. You can work on your stances for example and finesse the details of the form in class. For techniques, you can walk them through with an imaginary partner. I have been practicing my techniques on my imaginary friend “George” for several years now! Sure, it’s not as good as practicing with a real person, but it is better than not practicing your techniques at all.
3. Go through your forms and techniques in your head every day: I systematically work through my forms and techniques in my head every day. It is a form of meditation for me. It not only keeps my techniques fresh in my memory, but also is a form of relaxation. I use my notebook if I find myself forgetting any particular technique. I am currently training for second degree black belt in Kuk Sool Won™ and I have well over 300 techniques to remember, as well as a number of open hand and weapons forms. I largely focus on the material that I don’t get to teach students on a regular basis, as that material has become very much second nature. We need to work on our memory. It is not just something that happens. We need to regularly think about our martial arts material, inside and outside class. If we turn our mind off the moment we step outside of the dojang (training hall), we will struggle to remember our material. 
4. Take the opportunity to train with as many other students as possible: While it is great to have a regular training partner, it can make us complacent. We quickly become in tune with that other person and know how their body will react when we do a technique on them. It is easy to just go through the motions. While a training partner can help with memory, training with other people as often as you can will challenge your memory. Being outside of your comfort zone puts pressure on your memory, which will highlight where you need to do further work. Also, techniques work differently on everybody, so training with other students will teach you how to apply a technique in different ways. This will add to your depth of knowledge. So actively seek out other students to train with during classes rather than always training with the same person. It might feel less comfortable, but you are likely to learn more.
5. Don’t miss classes: This may sound obvious, but when you are only doing 2 or 3 classes a week, you really can’t afford to miss too many. Your body and mind need regular and consistent training time. You will struggle to remember your material if your training become inconsistent. Also, the more classes you miss, the more you are likely to miss classes in the future. It becomes a viscous cycle. It can be hard to motivate yourself to get to training when you are tired, feeling a bit unwell, or it’s cold and wet outside. While it might be tempting to stay at home or go out with friends and family, martial arts require a certain level of dedication and commitment, even when it is just a recreational activity.

Martial arts training is a fantastic recreational activity. To get the most out of it, you need to be smart about how you train. The tips I have outlined above are ways to maximise the time you have available. Your instructor and other more senior students will also be a great source of knowledge. Ask for advice and be creative in the ways you train so that you can find works for you.
 
JKN Jane Hurst
First degree black belt and school owner
Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero
 
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