There are three phases that majority of students go through to reach an optimal and expected state of what I call mental and emotional maturity. These three phases are: 1) Ego-centric phase, 2) Team/Tribal phase, and 3) Hyper-spatial phase——an individual with “a very broad and unusual scope of sensitivity and hyper-awareness” to everything that goes around them in the world”. Their minds have developed a sense of hyper-connectivity to most critical processes related to cause and effect, whether they are material or non-material. They see the beginning AND the end of all decisions and activities through the process of cause and effect.
The first phase (Ego-centric) is generally when a student, consciously or unconsciously is just motivated by his or her own triumph over others. All such a person is concerned with is to look good by possibly making their partner look bad. If his partner is fast, then HE has to be faster. If his partner is strong, then HE must show that he is much stronger. If his partner is resisting a little, then HE thinks he must show that HE can resist harder. At this phase, all that matters to such student is just HIM HIMSELF. If anything troubles the ME (the Ego), then ME must exert one hundred percent force to get my partner feel less superior and less competent in comparison to ME! Most often, this attitude would lead to a very toxic training environment, and would retard the growth and development of whoever gets to train with this person. Also, injuries and negative feelings start to brew because of those who come to the training classes with that type of mental attitude. Everyone has this ego-centric attitude within them, but the difference is, most people have it under control to a greater degree already, and we don’t see that negativity come to the surface unless they train with another egocentric person who doesn’t have the control. But over all, as time goes, those with some inner control become great jewels and mentors to others. But others may need a reminder or two, and most often they learn real quick on how such ego-centric approach would have an antagonistic and even strong regressive effects on personal development. There are also a “rare few” who just don’t have the capacity, nor any desire to change that mental state, and of course, they don’t last long in the gym, and the instructors, after few talks would have to let them go and learn that life-lesson somewhere else.
Sadly, an important element to note here, is that it’s not just a beginner student that may carry this attitude—— strangely enough, even some of the most advanced and well-known martial artists/ fighters may still be stuck at this stage, and we can easily see its disequilibrium effects in the life and character of such individuals. The reason is, either he or she were never corrected by their instructors, OR wherever they used to train at, that type of personality-trait may have actually been expected or even rewarded.
Regardless of its origins, we would expect a quick change in the student’s rational thinking process when working with their training partners. In the beginning, this change should not take place by force, but through the indirect method of the instructor, instilling the realization of its toxic effects in the mind of the student. A genuine change in a person’s character is preferably accomplished NOT through coercion or force, but by tact and wisdom of a good coach. In most normal cases, it is an awakening process in the student’s understanding and rational thought.
Now before you mistake me for a soft instructor, let me say that there have been some rare cases in the past when rougher and more primitive methods had to be used, but then those individuals were too afraid to show up again, and the headache for us wasn’t really worth it! Since then, we have found better, more ergonomic ways to deal with consistently stubborn individuals. In any case, a change by force generally does not account for real, authentic change, because it tends to just curtail or hide the affects, but not fix the actual cause. Such individuals learn to merely hide the problems, out of fear, and never come to a genuine understanding. This, in turn could set the stage for further character weaknesses and philosophical flaws which reinforces the faulty motto which says: ‘the ends justify the means’. That means, any action or decision, no matter how right or wrong, it would all be justified, as long as I can achieve my goal. Such conviction would set the stage for evolution of the philosophical anarchy as it disguises itself in the name of honest self-realization or personal liberation. This mind set does not produce any good and lasting results.
Once the student overcomes the first phase (Ego-centric phase), then, his/her new insight would naturally lead them into the second phase which is the Team or Tribal phase. In this phase, the student would come to realize the childishness, the limitations, and the toxic effects of an ego-centric attitude and begins to see that their own best interests are actually realized in the best interests of the teammates that they are training and associating with.
These students begin to feel at home with their training partners and start to view them as long-lasting, close comrades, rather than heavy bags and trophies. They start to realize that training hard and pushing their own partners to their limits is vastly different than just feeling good about themselves by destroying their partners. It would not be difficult for them to understand that if they lose one partner, because they injured them, then tomorrow they would have one less partner to work with, so they would be hindering their own progress. This is why during this phase the students begin to develop a priceless, close team-bond, a healthy tribal attitude so to speak, which is much more conducive to learning and development than the approach used by those self-glorified training partners. This secondary Stage (Tribal stage) is actually quite therapeutic and even necessary for both physical and mental health. Fact!
After sometime (the duration is different for each person), going through the secondary phase (Team/Tribal phase), a number of students, hopefully all of them, reach a third stage which we call Hyper-spatial phase (an abstract, non material term).
In this phase, the student has already abandoned the Ego-centric stage; has completely embraced the value of his or her own teammates; but then, most students begin to detect a thirst for a deeper purpose in their training; therefore, their-newly-attained insights would propel them into the Hyper-spatial phase where they find a deeper intangible passion to explore principles of connectivity in their trainings, which in turn would lead them to want to know about the dynamics, and the meaningful features and hidden jewels enshrined in various movements, which paradoxically, would be far more valuable and far more interesting than the very movement itself.
Principles found at this point would be the axioms whose prerequisite is the intense awareness of cause and effect processes, through which training becomes a delivery system in objective search for purpose and meaning through the physics of movement.
At this phase, student’s training start to integrate itself in every other aspects of their lives, and they begin to ask deeper, more practical and meaningful questions. Their relationship with their training partners would find a definitely different meaning, and goes far deeper than the usual tribal phase. Its foundation would widen at this point, and traverses beyond a mere close team (tribe) mentality——it would naturally encompass the entire philosophy of life in general.
If I may add something here; no one should interfere with this third stage of development. The students are left alone entirely to wrestle their own inner battles, and unless they like to discuss it with their instructors or friends, no one should interfere, impose, or judge it as being good or bad——right or wrong. This stage is all due to the student’s own capacity and volition!
We would be satisfied, content, and happy to see all students reach the second phase, and help their teammates reach there too. But we cannot remain long at the first stage! No one has ever remained with us if they are not able to overcome the first phase——the Ego-centric phase. In fact, overcoming the first phase is the prerequisite for reaching the second, and possibly the third phase! It’s imperative to get out of the Ego-centric phase, ASAP! Your own, overall healthy development and progress would entirely depend on the strength to overcome and control the animal within.
SHAHRAM MOOSAVI