Karate, caretaking, and cognition
My karate sensei has never been a fan of mindless, repetitive training. He’s always cautioning us about the risks of practicing advanced katas incorrectly, especially when he’s not around to guide us. Without his watchful eye, we might end up ingraining some pretty bad habits.
Funnily enough, I came across a similar idea in a book my financial advisor recommended to me: 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. They take a swipe at Malcolm Gladwell's famous "10,000-hour rule," arguing that just putting in the hours doesn’t necessarily lead to improvement. In fact, you might just be reinforcing the same old patterns without actually making any real progress. For repetition to be effective, they say it needs to be goal oriented and done correctly.
This whole concept of deliberate practice struck a chord with me. It reminded me of the cow paths I used to see crisscrossing the fields outside my home in the Swiss Alps. The cows follow the same routes to the watering holes, day after day, etching these paths into the landscape. In a way, it’s similar to how we etch patterns into our brains through repeated behavior.
For me, these patterns often show up as over-functioning and caretaking tendencies, which can be really tough to change once they’re established.
That’s where mindfulness comes in. It’s about being aware of the discomfort and learning to sit with it, rather than just reacting on autopilot. I'm learning to set healthier boundaries, to honor my own needs and limits, and to show up for my loved ones in a way that's sustainable.
And that’s precisely why I love training with my sensei. He takes things slowly, breaking down each movement and focusing on the intention behind it. It’s all about creating the right “grooves” in our brains. By being mindful in our practice, we’re not just avoiding bad habits, but we’re actually enhancing the learning process.
Turns out, there’s some science to back this up. A recent study in the Journal of Human Kinetics looked at the cognitive benefits of martial arts. They compared the effect of a typical martial arts class, an atypical class with unfamiliar movements, and a one-hour walk on cognitive performance using the Stroop Color and Word test. The result? Both martial arts classes significantly improved executive function, which the researchers think is due to the complex motor tasks that require more cognitive effort than simpler activities like walking.
So, it seems my sensei’s approach - with its emphasis on mindful, deliberate practice - isn’t just helping us avoid bad habits, but it might actually be giving our brains a boost, especially as we get older. Just one more reason to love my Shotokan karate training.
As I continue on my journey, I'm realizing that the lessons I learn in the dojo have a way of spilling over into the rest of my life. Just as I'm learning to be mindful and deliberate in my karate practice, I'm also learning to pause and reflect before jumping into my old patterns of over-functioning and caretaking.
