mDuo13

Thoughts, Words, Works

A Universal Theory of Difficulty @

I just finished a rank test for orange belt in Shaolin Kempo. The test was much easier than I expected, and that got me thinking. There's a Chinese proverb, which our instructors tend to like, that is often quoted, "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle." I'm beginning to realize how broadly this idea applies.

The test I took to earn my yellow belt was probably twice as hard as this test. I mean, this wasn't a walk in the park (and in fact, my legs were shaking uncontrollably from about halfway through the test) but last semester's test was something special. See, the thing is, martial arts tests are not generally made to test whether or not one has learned the proper techniques. Instructors won't even put people up for the tests unless they know the material. These tests are, as my sensei put it, "to test your heart. As long as you don't quit, you should pass." Which means that they'll push you until you don't think you can go on any more, and demand more of you, and keep asking you to go on without breaks, while you hurt all over. As long as you keep trying, that proves that you have the heart to pass.

Last year's test was unbelievably hard. It was a private test for just my college class, and only 3 people could test. Two out of those three people (I being one of them) threw up during the test. The worst part was at the very end. We weren't allowed water breaks, so our sensei gave us cups of water, and told us to hold them in outstretched arms without drinking. In the end, my arms collapsed and I spilled the water everywhere. I quit. But my sensei told me not to, and gave me the belt anyway, under the justification that I had tried hard through the workouts through every class and hadn't quit yet. I still don't think I earned that yellow belt; I felt like I had proved that I wasn't the strong-hearted kind of person that could pass a test like that. But I took the belt, and promised that I would work even harder the next year to deserve it.

Well, this semester, I did exactly that. I pushed myself through every workout, and even though I'm less fit than most other people in the class, I always tried to do every exercise properly through to the end. This semester's test was a group test at the studio, with students from several other studios in the area. And it was not nearly as hard as the yellow belt test I took. I kept my breathing deep and slow, my mind clear, and I made sure to kiai loudly, keep my horse stances low, and never quit. We did probably half as much exercise as last year's test. I screwed up on Pinion 1 the second time I did it, but I kept going. When the test was over, I was ready for it to go on, maybe even twice as long. And I thought about that saying, which one of the instructors quoted during the class. The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle. And I realized that that was what had happened here. After putting so much effort into the last test, when this test came around, I was more than ready for it. It was weak, because I had prepared for something stronger.

I realized a long time ago that this is one of the fundamental training techniques in Shaolin, probably across almost all disciplines of martial arts: the class is brutal because that way, if you ever need the skills outside of class, it won't be as bad. Granted, a lot of studios will slack a little in this regard because if they're too harsh, they won't have many returning students, but I can see where the philosophy of the ancient monks shows through.

I also realized that this applies outside of the martial arts. It's an explanation for why people like video games to be difficult. Falling off some ledge, failing at some point, dying repeatedly at the same spot... it's frustrating. But when you finally do it right, you feel accomplished. Some people will quit, unable to make it past the most difficult parts. I've felt this, myself. I still can't beat Raining Blood on Guitar Hero 3. But beating a game on a harder difficulty is often worth it for that feeling of achievement, when you realize that you've developed so much skill as to make easy - or just possible - what was once a challenge. Granted, you need a balance in a good game so that the frustration of a particular part doesn't overwhelm the other aspects of the game... but it all fits.

I think of it the difference between "literature" and "porn" as something similar. In the ideal porn, nothing "bad" happens. Everything goes exactly the way you want it. There are no challenges to overcome. Conversely, that's what literature (in any media) is all about. The characters face difficulties and setbacks, and surpass them. They work hard to get where they are - they don't just get their desires satisfied at every turn. The tougher the villains, the more exciting it is when the heroes defeat them. At the end, the farther you've come, the more obstacles the characters have overcome, the better. There are a lot of variations, but I think that's the core of it. The more you don't want the main character to lose something important, the more meaningful it is when he loses it and then keeps going.

That said, it's time for me to go accomplish some challenges called "finals".

 

User Comments

ININ @2008-12-19 00:10:54

Good luck on your finals! Congrats for the yellow belt last year. You EARNED it and proved it working and pushing yourself harder.

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