I’ll be 50 years old in a few months. Next week, the karate school where I train – CNY Karate – is hosting masters from our home dojo in Okinawa City, Okinawa, Japan. Some of these people have been training in karate longer than I’ve been alive. As I was talking with one of the classes a couple nights ago, they asked me what the Okinawan karate-ka would be going over with us. Advanced techniques? Spinning jump kicks? Breaking boards while flying through the air?
No. They’ll be drilling us on the basics. In karate, that’s a small handful of blocks, punches and kicks. These basic building blocks can be put together in nearly endless combinations to achieve a martial artist’s goals. These can range from simple protection, repelling an opponent, causing limited physical damage, serious damage, or even death. Overall, the practice of the physical aspects of karate are really about learning to control your own body, mind and spirit.
So it hit me – these are people who have been practicing and attempting to perfect the most basic of techniques longer than I’ve been alive. On first consideration, you’d think that after a determinant amount of time – certainly less than fifty years – a person could perfect a simple block, punch or kick. They’ve done these techniques thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of times. Why continue to practice the basics?
- Because they work.
- Because advanced techniques are built from basics.
- Because perfection is a process, not an end point.
- Because an internalized understanding of the basics allows you to understand how the whole system works.
- Because the more complex a system, the easier and quicker the system will break down.
- Because again – they work
What are the basics of your profession? I mean the simplest, most basic building blocks that allow you to function? Do you know them? Can you articulate them? Can you teach them to others? Do you practice them on a regular basis?
In marketing, some basic concepts include knowing what you want to say, who you want to say it to, and what you want those people to do once they’re heard your message. Basic techniques include writing, visual design, and personal interaction. You need to know how to craft your message. You need to know the parts that make up an effective offer. You need to know when to communicate, and when to keep quiet.
A chef would need to know how to select food, how to use a knife to cut/chop/peel/etc. They need to know what to cook, how to cook it and how not to over-cook it. They need to know how various techniques change the taste of the food, and how to modify taste with things like spices and herbs. They need to know how the food will be consumed, and how to present it for the best look and the easiest consumption.
Do you practice the basics of your profession, or do you think they’re for newcomers? Do you attempt advanced, fancy techniques and leave the basics to the uninitiated? What are the basic principles of how to do whatever it is that you do? Could you teach those to someone else in an organized way, so that they can work on mastering your shared craft?
Isn’t it time you thought about the basics?
