Sunday, 17 September 2006
There is a saying that goes “The devil is in the details.” I have come to understand that great success is in the details. As we train in martial arts, we become aware of how important small details can be. Your instructor may tell you to keep your hand up a little higher than you normally do, but it may not seem very important to you. It is just a minor detail. Let me tell you a story about that small detail that hit close to home for me: literally! Many years ago (in the mid-80′s) I trained at the Main Street Boxing Gym in Los Angeles , California . This was an old, but very famous location that drew the very best professionals to it’s old rings and worn out heavy bags. (I got to see Muhammad Ali there, amongst others.) One day my boxing coach put me in the ring to spar with a very large opponent. I weighed about 200 pounds at the time, but this man I was to face weighed 280! He was the body guard of another famous boxer Tex Cobb. As I got into the ring my coach gave me one last bit of advice: “Keep your hands up.” I said okay, knowing that I always had my hands up, just under my chin. The bell rang and we started to circle each other. This large man stepped in with a very fast, extremely powerful jab. I saw it coming, but by the time my hand went from under my chin to protect my face it was too late. Maybe a millisecond too late, but late is late! My head snapped back as the full force of his weight transferred into my head. I bounced off the ropes, and fortunately was able to avoid the huge right cross that followed. At last I understood. Having my hands at my chin did not mean that my hands were up. When a skillful fighter stepped in with a very fast punch, I would have to first have to recognize the striked, then raise my hand up to the level of the punch, and then block it. That is one step too many. If my hands were already at eye-level I could skip the time consuming process of raising my hands. I immediately held my hands higher and have kept them there ever since!I recently released a new set of DVDs that cover the entire range of street combat. I make it a point to go over the fine details of each tecnhinque so the students can actually use the moves with great efficiencey. I don’t want people to just be able to mimic a move against a cooperative partner, I want them to be able to use the technique against someone who is fighting back. A fighter who purchased the tapes wrote to me with the greatest compliment. He stated that the details that I presented on the triangle choke are the best he had ever seen. Better yet, he was able to use those details a few days later at the largest submission wrestling tournament ever held in the United States . He was able to finish two opponents with triangles on his way to his first ever, 1 st place finish. He said that it was the details on the DVDs that made the difference. This is a good illustration of how important the small points can be. This student had entered many tournaments and was an accomplished fighter. Learning and applying a few fine points allowed him to leave as a champion.
The smallest details often make the difference between success and failure. If you are in school the small detail of doing your homework before having fun will make a huge impact on your scholastic achievement. If you are in business, the small detail of returning phone calls and e-mails promptly can be the deciding factor between great success and bankruptcy. The small things that we do every day become the habits that consistently push us ahead in life. The little details that we neglect each day will consistently hold us back. Whether it is in the martial arts or your everyday life, become a master of those details so that you can enjoy the benefits that come with being your best.