Discipline: Beyond Novelty

In his excellent book on parenting, “Superpowers for Parents”, Dr Stephen Briers discusses the definition of the word “discipline”:

“ is now generally associated with correction and punishment, but the original Latin root of the word disciplina implies a mentoring relationship: the pupil or ‘disciple’ submits to instruction in order to hone his skills and realize his potential”.

Many of our ideas surrounding the term discipline stem from the ancient methods of religious institutions and the military. In fact, up until the 1930s many of our ideas regarding the training and motivation of industrial workforces came from these two sources. Most educational establishments continued to take this approach up until at least the 1960s. Therefore it is not surprising that when we look up the word discipline in a quick thesaurus we find it defined as regulation, order, control, restraint, authority and obedience. However, there is more to discipline than simply doing as we are told. Discipline is the powerful underlying support needed in any form of education if we are to realize our full potential, particularly after the novelty of learning a new thing has diminished.

As a coach it is my job to find the self-coach in all those who train with me. I do this by taking away as many excuses as possible. My club is an open school. Any respectful person can train there and, most importantly, anyone can return. I have had students that left my school for years and then come back as if they had never left. The progress of the students is seen in their skill levels and their innovation and grasp of personal responsibility. It is not a case of leaving others behind just because they know more sequences of movements. It is a personal sense of achievement, at least until you begin taking the official coaching qualification. CCMA classes start and end in a circle, in the fashion of the Knights of the Round Table or the Quakers, designating that everyone is equal and no one is above scrutiny. Hierarchy develops organically and there is no room to rest on your laurels. It is this sort of environment where discipline becomes more of a personal thing. Such an environment grows self-discipline.

To develop self-discipline we need to be willing to go over something ad nauseum, go through the many instances when it feels like we are either not progressing or actually regressing, go well beyond our comfort zones both mentally and physically, and – most important of all – get through the boredom. Of course, boredom sets in once interest begins to wane. Without interest how can one make any progress? We can develop routines, set up schedules and try quick-fix motivational tricks, but such cosmetic approaches won’t develop the long lasting results truly effective discipline can deliver. This is why there is little emphasis placed on learning set-in-stone prearranged forms or drills. Anyone can accumulate a databank of movements, but they are superficial if there is no emphasis placed on learning hard principles. Principles take a lot of time and patience to fully understand, but they are also robustly constant and transparently evident in a successful person. However, in order to work on principles you need a real love for what you want to do. Therefore, I would argue that passion inspires discipline. Without passion for a project or purpose, we can only become disciplined for the sake of being disciplined.

It is easy to think of self-discipline as a commodity or a natural predisposition. No doubt there is a genetic or environmental reason that makes sticking to routines easier for some and for others. However, just as everybody fears, everybody wants to give up when challenges mount up and most people naturally desire comfort over discomfort. We are all tempted by comfort and lured by easier short term solutions in life, even when we know that taking the uncomfortable and harder route will ultimately provide us with the rewards we want. I can only speak from personal experience when I say that I don’t have a natural predisposition to be disciplined and most of the people I know who are highly disciplined don’t seem to possess this genetic or environmentally conditioned predisposition either. They just made a tough choice to achieve the things they wanted and live the life they dreamed. All of them, including me, love our treats and our comforts. In fact, I would say that many of us have an intense romantic attachment to self-indulgence, but this is because our discipline that turns such indulgence back into a real treat. Hard training, focus and abstinence makes you appreciate the finer things in life tenfold. Simple things even taste and feel better, and you certainly learn to value your rest time more.

However, it is very easy to separate ourselves from those who have worked hard to develop apparent iron wills and rigid self-discipline. It is another comfort to delude ourselves that they got what they wanted and behave the way they do because it comes natural to them. I am tempted by any amount junk food that comes my way and I mean real junk. No word of a lie, if I unplugged my conscious mind I would probably eat the cheapest most fat laden piece of confectionary I could lay my hands on. I could and have eaten foods that have so many preservatives, artificial additives and chemicals inside them that it is amazes me I didn’t need a prescription to buy it in the first place. I lapse and so do those I have placed on iconic pedestals. I once witnessed one brilliant model of determination and discipline of mine caught in a tough spot when he needed to eat and there was nothing particularly healthy or in line with his current strict diet. He adapted by ordering the healthiest sandwich he could, requesting it contained no condiments. When it arrived, however, there was a side order of crisps. He could have just ignored the crisps… No chance! They went with the same determination this very dear friend applied to any of his ambitious projects!

So, let’s not kid ourselves. There wasn’t a single time that I wasn’t sorely tempted to put up my feet and watch a favourite TV show rather than either trudge over to a freezing barn to kick a bag with bare feet or make the car journey over to my regular martial arts classes. I grew up right out in the sticks and the best clubs were always situated long distances from my home, so legitimate excuses were dead easy to come up with and at times I succumbed to these excuses, but most of the time I drove myself on in the knowledge that I wanted to live the life I desired and to achieve the things I dreamed.

In conclusion discipline is a process of teaching, learning and retaining information driven by passion. At Clubb Chimera Martial Arts we keep rituals and other cosmetic forms of disciplinary control down to a bare minimum. In its place we cultivate self-discipline by creating activities that promote responsibility and self-teaching. Students take on mentoring roles with each other, encouraging a more one-to-one style of tuition even in a class with numerous students training at the same time. Discipline is understood by the level of the demands given to the students. This is more than being part of an order or being ordered around, this is about creating your own inner-order.