Hello cuties,
I just wanted to write couple of lines about this type of philosophy that I started to use when I was 15 and I was used to do aggressive inline than translated in pretty much in every aspect in my life, it seems very obvious but you can be surprised about how many people do not use a similar approach when learning something.
My classical guitar Maestro later in life showed me the same approach in regard of guitar studies and found out I was already doing it, I felt like had a “confirm” of what I was doing which made me understand that I was in the right path.
Around I see so many people that “give up” on harder tricks or simply tricks that do not come out immediately and they stay stuck always on the same level or the same combos even if they would like to get better.
I know how annoying is not be able to do something, but some stuff obviously require a bit more care and a bit more study to get a proper result, so the easy way to say that is “never give up” but I think I can go a bit more inside than a simple old catch phrase.
When I meet a trick or a combo that I am not able to do instead of give up immediately or get angry and leave it I decide to “try” instead.
The first part of the process is divide the trick/combo in various easier chunk, every trick we do is more or less a series of basic movement that we learn at the beginning, divide the trick in easier and easier section, master every section before move to the next one (in case of a trick, understand the movement, the body position, the finger position, slow mo as much as you can), you need to have the trick clear in your mind and all the basics down your fingers.
Do not even perform it entirely before learn the chunks, master every little chunk that you setup and then slowly slowly start to play the whole combo or trick, if you do a mistake, go back and repeat that part until is in your muscle memory, do not “leave” the mistake thinking that it will “fix itself”, it never work and you will start to feel “tension” when reaching that part, the tension will make you do the mistake.
Once you slowly get the whole combo all together without mistakes than you can work on details as flow and speed that can slowly slowly increase, if you increase speed or flow and start to do mistake, stop and practice that part until the mistake get fixed, do not leave it behind.
This process require obviously lot of patience and dedication but I seen it works all the time and everytime in every side of life.
Always remember when you play to breath properly and do not “shrink” your shoulders, keep your body and your breath as much relaxed as you can, so many people start to take the breath while concentrate or tension the whole body, this will disrupt the flow and will bring you to mistakes, try always to stay as natural and neutral as you can, if you feel like you being tense and keeping your breath, stop immediately, relax and start again slowly slowly your body will learn how to stay relaxed all time while performing.
Never and ever think “it’s too much for me” or “I am not good enough for this” instead with yourself use the words “I can try” and you will see that things are much easier than you think, be brave and do not feel discomfort in what you do not know to do, instead use it as a little challenge and the fun of learn something new.
I believe that talent is about 2% and the rest 98% is hard work to whatever artistic stuff you want to do in your life, I am very sure that everyone has pretty much the same chances to become amazing at something, the only difference is really believe in it or not.
So my friends, when you approach every new trick or every new combo or whatever thing life throw at you use the word “try” and never “I can’t do this”
I leave here a little old picture of me doing an handstand in my hometown skatepartk quarter pipe!
.ʕʘ‿ʘʔ.