Sooner, Not Faster

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I'm a pianist and I practice the martial art of Kokikai Aikido. Lately I've been working on speeding up.

Part I - Music

Usually I'll practice a tune till it sounds great when I play it slowly. Then I turn up the metronome. As soon as I do that I can feel my shoulders getting tense, I can't hit any of the notes, I forget what I'm doing and everything sounds like h*ll.

I've come to realize that what's holding me up is not lack of technical ability, but my own mind. My brain is stuck in "slow mode." I'm used to hearing the music slower in my head. So when I play fast, it feels like I'm always trying to catch up. My brain is a half step behind what my fingers are doing.

I realized that instead of just going "faster," I have to think "sooner." I have to think ahead, and then I'll be ready to move my fingers at the right time.

I can tell you that takes a lot of attention to do that. My brain constantly wants to slip back into safe and comfy slow mode. But I'm working on it, and it's helping - there's a lot less tension, and things sound a lot less messy.

Part II - The Martial Arts Connection

A few months ago I attended an annual camp for Kokikai Aikido. One of the senior instructors pointed out that Sensei is able to respond incredibly quickly to attacks without seeming like he's hurrying at all. She said: "He moves sooner, not necessarily faster." Once I noticed this, I could see it every time.

I've started to implement this idea in my own practice and teach it to my students. "Sooner, not faster" is making a huge difference in my ability to stay relaxed, get where I need to be quickly and be able to respond efficiently and calmly - hallmarks of Kokikai Aikido that make it an incredibly effective martial art.

So, now that I've applied this idea to music and to aikido, I'm sure there's some way I can carry it through to my daily life...hmmm.

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