“It doesn’t work for me.”

Be careful with the excuse “it doesn’t work for me.”  My good friend Steve says “we don’t all wear the same size shoes.” The techniques, tactics, and tools we use for our personal protection need to fit.  Things like training, personal experience, fitness level, and a whole laundry list of details will determine the specifics of our personal protection plan.

As an instructor I have recommended changes or adjustments for students having a difficult time succeeding with a given skill.  Likewise, I have insisted a student stay with one even thought they didn’t seem to be progressing.  Knowing when to adjust and when to persevere can be a delicate balancing act.  Do we need to adjust or “learn” the given skill?

As the instructor, the student relies on me to know the difference.   I have seen both students and instructors go to quickly to “it doesn’t work for me.” Honestly, sometimes the instructor gets tired of battling with the student’s excuses and complaints.  And sometimes the instructor doesn’t do a good enough job passing the information to the student.  Explaining the “why” will help with the student’s context when applying new skills.

Personally, “I am sometimes an instructor, always a student.”  Also, “the mind is like a parachute, it has to be open to work.”  I try to listen closely to the student to determine if they have an excuse or a legitimate issue before I make adjustments to proven techniques.  Remember, any new learned skill takes time to perfect.  Lack of initial success should not cause us to quickly abandon the skill set.  Hang in there, be sure it’s not working before “it doesn’t work for me.”