- Cosmin Lupu
We love to believe that progress is a matter of learning more moves.
After all, if you can add that spinning back kick, that disarm sequence, or that subtle footwork pattern from some 16th-century scroll—surely you’ll level up, right?
And yet… you might have noticed something uncomfortable:
You’ve learned more techniques over the years, but you don’t necessarily feel better in the art.
That’s because your plateau probably has very little to do with technique.
The real culprits
1. You’re training for memory, not for mastery
If you’re just “doing reps” to remember the moves, you’re building a catalogue, not a skill. Memory is static; mastery is dynamic.
Martial arts aren’t stamp collections—they’re languages. If you can’t improvise in the “conversation,” you’re not fluent. The strikes and defences won’t look as perfect in real situations, so adapting to how each oponent uses them is paramount – this is done in sparring.
2. You’re avoiding pressure
Forms and drills are comfort zones in disguise. They’re predictable, safe, and reassuring. But put a little unpredictability—sparring, resistance, verbal chaos—into the mix, and suddenly your beautiful technique collapses like a wet cardboard sword.
Improvement lives in that uncomfortable space, so train with opponents who are more skilled and experienced than you and accept the pressure of having to deal with this combination of elements.
3. You’re chasing perfection instead of adaptability
Musashi wrote: “Do nothing which is of no use.”
Trying to make every strike, cut, or lock perfect in a static environment might feel noble—but it often creates rigidity. The world doesn’t attack in slow motion with perfect spacing. Adaptability beats aesthetic every time. Observe the slight variations of the principles you have learned and adapt as needed.
4. You’re training the body, not the mind
Martial growth is more about perception than precision. Seeing patterns faster, staying calm under chaos, and controlling your emotional state will raise your game far more than shaving two milliseconds off your striking speed. And yes, make a good habit of training on how to deal with pain, while continuing to fight.
The Shift
- Train fewer techniques, but under varied, stressful, and unpredictable conditions.
- Seek failure on purpose. If you’re not falling apart sometimes, you’re not testing your limits.
- Use your art in conversations, metaphors, and daily situations—your mind should see its principles everywhere.
- Make mental training—focus, emotional regulation, adaptability—part of your practice, not a side project.
Final Cut
If you’re stuck in martial arts, it’s rarely because you don’t know enough moves.
It’s because you haven’t built the internal flexibility to use what you already know in the chaos of real life.
The day you stop chasing “more techniques” and start chasing “more truth” is the day your art truly starts to grow.