I find many similarities between my Cuong Nhu training and philosophy and my own personal career. I am constantly applying philosophies I learn in Cuong Nhu to my work life and martial arts path. Bigger isn’t always better.
I recently read an article about a company that is in “demolition mode”. This company has become too big to efficiently compete in their market. Their cup appears to be too full, their tree too big. They seem to have sacrificed speed, innovation and quality for stability, profit and brand recognition. Dilution of what initially made them great will ultimately lead to their failure. It takes a visionary to be able to trim back a huge oak tree to allow it to flourish to its maximum capacity and maintain its original mandate. If a tree has been growing for a hundred years it takes courage to switch its path and vision to see how trimming it back can ultimately create a healthier and more successful outcome.
This can also be exemplified in the martial arts. If you are feeling weakness in your extremities, think about trimming your branches. Are your higher level techniques lacking strength or precision? Perhaps it is time to get back to basics. There is nothing more refreshing than jumping into a beginner’s class and working on basics (the foundation), deepening the roots instead of adding or lengthening branches. There is a sense of old and familiar yet there is always room for innovations and learning. You may be surprised what you can learn as an advanced rank while working out in a beginner’s class with white belts. Their trees are young spruces just sprouting leaves (1 and two green stripes). They have flexible and yielding branches, small and compact with the ability to change and bend as needed. Their cup is empty and they are not yet stuck in their ways and have minimal pre-conceived ideas. We see the lack of flexibility frequently in more established business organizations. How many times have you heard a manager say “We do it this way around here”. Perhaps washing away a great idea of a younger employee. That manager could benefit from being a beginner again for a fresh perspective.
As a martial arts career matures the tree grows upward and outward. Roots also sink deeper into the ground. It takes deliberate effort to grow roots; an open mind will help deepen roots. The deepening of the roots is both mental and physical. The roots grow by emptying ones cup and learning in a deeper way by exploring earlier curriculum with a different perspective as an advanced rank. The representation of rank as the growth of a tree helps visualize this connection. The young martial artist starts out as a seed, white belt and beginner. As the young martial artist learns he is exposed to the ideas and practices of those that came before him. He can also interpret those in his own unique way to best suit his capabilities and abilities. For example, a smaller person will perform a technique against a larger person in a way to best suit their size. The same technique but applied in a smart way to be most effective.
Like the seed, the martial artist is exposed to the sun (nourishment through learning) which allows the seed to sprout green leaves. It is flexible and full of energy. Thin roots start to grow and help strengthen the young trees hold on the earth. More water and sun will help build stronger branches and deeper roots. Time and exposure to the elements will develop bark (building a harder shell of protection and endurance). With this hardness and maturity comes some absence of flexibility (what the young green spruce white belts posses). But the larger tree is here to stay and will not be washed away. Black belt is the full maturity of the tree but the tree has yet to experience fertility. The larger tree that can’t be washed away also provides stability to the younger trees around it and should strive to protect the younger generation of trees that are less rooted.
Dan ranks signify the creation of new young martial artists and the development of the new Sensei. As one gains rank above black belt and trains and develops the younger generation, the creation of new students grows the style and deepens the new Sensei’s black belt with red stripes signifying their students and deeper experience. Training young students allows a Sensei to maintain contact with the younger white belts and share in their flexibility, suppleness and fresh perspectives. These shared experiences will enable the mature martial artist to stay young at heart and practice emptying his/her cup and maintain flexibility. Practice makes perfect. Teaching provides the opportunity to empty ones cup and grow. It also allows the mature martial artist to stay close to innovation and flexibility. The manager mentioned earlier could benefit from this approach.
Trimming the martial arts tree or business tree can help one reach new goals, deepen perspectives and increase quality. It is a common practice among gardeners to trim back bushes in order to make them fuller and healthier. If they get too big and lanky, the extremities become neglected and weak. They are far away from the source of nutrition and the heart that provides them with what they need. The goal of a Cuong Nhu student is to improve themselves and their abilities in the martial arts in order to serve the people. Improving abilities doesn’t always mean just learning another new technique or creating a new demo. It can mean improving that lower block, weapons disarm or nutritional balance to a deeper level, creating a stronger tree, not necessarily a bigger tree.
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