Unlearning to Learn

At times, students have approached me with the phrase “I don’t learn that way.” Or “This isn’t how I learn best.” In an academic context, I can respect that. We all process information differently, and for those with genuine learning disabilities, that distinction is vital.

But martial arts, and especially the internal martial arts, aren’t always academic. They don’t fit neatly into a classroom model of logic, structure, and reason. Instead, they move into a subtler realm, where the mind, body and spirit must feel things together that the rational mind alone can not always categorize.

Most people live their entire lives without ever cultivating these sensations. At best, they might brush past them in fleeting moments; relaxation, balance, flow…but not sustain them as a practice. When someone steps into internal martial arts, they’re stepping into a new world…and stepping into a new world requires stepping out of an old one.

That’s why learning styles, while useful at the surface, can also become a trap. If you insist on only learning through the method that feels comfortable, you might never encounter what your teacher is trying to show you. After all, perhaps your teacher once learned the way you do, and then discovered that it wasn’t enough…They had to step outside the box, beyond their comfort, to find what was waiting on the other side.

I often lean on a simple line from Star Wars when explaining this to my students. And as my students will likely tell you, I quote Star Wars far too often. But there’s a reason: as Yoda tells Luke

“You must unlearn what you have learned.”

In martial arts, this is more than a cinematic moment. It’s the reality of growth. You can not enter a different dimension of practice, of balance, energy, connection…by holding on to your old patterns of thought. You must be willing to unlearn them, even if it feels uncomfortable, irrational, or strange.

In the end, internal martial arts isn’t about finding a learning style that fits your old self. It’s about unlocking your true potential…reaching a place where you can feel and express things that is sub-rational in nature. That’s the essence of internal practice.

-Joseph Estee