Everyone these days praises the concept of multitasking -- performing more than one action at the same time. Have you ever considered the disadvantages of multitasking in the martial arts?
You probably already know that it's hard to pay attention to other stimuli, when you are, for example, eating food and driving. A common, morning routine for a lot of people who commute to work.
If someone were 'to hammer' your window at a stop light, you could very well miss any warning signs, if you are doing anything in addition to paying attention to the road.
Would you like another example from the world of commuting?
The business man burrowing into his briefcase on the passenger seat would be easy pickings for a criminal. This guy isn't paying attention at all. He has his nose buried in his papers.
At a Disadvantage to Criminals
I am a very honest soul, but if I were a crook, I would actually look for the distracted commuters as my targets. It makes sense that they are easier pickings.
I don't want you to be easy pickings....
Face it, study after study has shown that multitasking reduced the effectiveness of each action by more than the action's participation in the 'multi-tasked' event.
So, if you drive and cell phone, for example, you are putting less than 50% of your attention into each activity. Both activities suffer.
Add a third activity to the mix, like eating a donut, while driving and talking on the cell phone, and you put in less than 33% of your attention into each activity.
(In other words, you don't really enjoy the taste of the donut, AND you could be setting yourself up for a car accident.)
Unaware Multi-Taskers
In this article, I am not talking about the danger of doing the activity, like driving, with less than your full attention on the task. Rather, I am referring to being in a state of mind of
preparedness ... a state of awareness. Aware of self-defense situations.
We are talking about the martial-arts mind.
As a martial artist and an observer of life, I look at all of these creatures running around frantically before work and school, doing multiple activities but doing none of them well.
And to paraphrase Douglas Adams ... "and all of these creatures running around frantically had digital wristwatches, and they still weren't happy."
Don't be at a martial-arts disadvantage with multitasking. Be ready. Be prepared. Be aware.
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Keith Pascal is a martial-arts writer and has taught martial arts for 25 years.
Source: www.articlealley.com
