In sports or video games, sometimes in your local social group, a few people will start to show skill above the rest. They soon start to dominate the local competition. It is there they face a crossroads. Stay in their local group and be a big fish in a small pond or step outside their local group and continue to grow by finding people who can challenge and push their skills and make them better.
Martial arts schools can in very insular, very self contained worlds. If you only spar against people who know the exact same moves and mindset as you, your skills are limited and your game will almost certainly contain holes.
Solutions to the problem? Travel and train with others in different arts, from different schools. Find athletic people who are untrained but who are willing to do some friendly sparring with some basic safety guidelines, see what their natural reactions are and how your skills interact with them. If they would have done a "dirty move" at some point, ask them to point out when and what.
Expand your minds. Keep learning. Flow like Water ladies and gentlemen.
Until next time,
Travis Henry
