Sometimes quality is the key but at other times quantity is the more important thing. Realistically though, most of the time it actually needs to be both, but to varying degrees.
Different factors affect whether you might conclude quality or quantity as more beneficial.
The main thing to consider is the actual thing you are referring to when trying to determine what focus works better. When asking the questions regarding quality or quantity you might be referring to any of the following.
As a practitioner and a student:
As a practitioner and a student:
- Training frequency
- Class attendance
- Learning a particular technique, combination, drill or kata
- Perfecting a particular technique, combination, drill or kata
- Knowledge & Understanding
As an instructor:
- Student attendance
- Class duration
- Class frequency
- Business viability
These factors would include, of course, the things you are aiming to get out of your training and your attitude towards your Budo.
For example you might train purely for ‘self-defense’ reasons, you might train for your health and fitness, maybe it is a competitive sport for you, maybe it’s just a hobby/past time or maybe it’s a way of life and part of who you are. For any of these reasons to train there needs to be a balance between both quality and quantity.
For example you might train purely for ‘self-defense’ reasons, you might train for your health and fitness, maybe it is a competitive sport for you, maybe it’s just a hobby/past time or maybe it’s a way of life and part of who you are. For any of these reasons to train there needs to be a balance between both quality and quantity.
If your focus is on self-defense and fighting skill, you need to have practiced realistic situations over and over again with a partner, so it becomes second nature for when you need it. If it’s not realistic and practical then the quality isn’t there and you won’t be able to use it in a real confrontation. If you haven’t practiced it over and over again then the quantity isn’t there and you can’t rely on having the muscle memory for your body to be able to react instinctively. Also, with the lack of quantity, you wouldn’t have built up the confidence from facing similar situations many times.
If your focus is on training for health and fitness reasons, the requirement for both quality and quantity should be clear. If you don’t train often enough then the quantity is lacking and you won’t maintain your level of fitness, defeating the purpose of “training for fitness reasons”. If you don’t put the effort in when you do train and you just go through the motions, then the quality is lacking, you won’t get your heart pumping, you won’t burn fat, tone muscle or improve your body (especially cardiovascular system).
If your focus is on making it competitive sport, then you need to train lots and you need to do it well, otherwise you won’t be a winner and no one will want to be your friend.
If you have read some of my other posts, you might understand my disdain for people that turn an art form and a way of life into a shallow competitive farce that caters to people’s insecurities and misleads them into thinking they are real martial artists.
If your focus is on it just being a hobby or past time then it’s entirely up to you how much or little you want to train and how hard you want to work when training. You have the freedom to make your Budo exactly what you want. BUT - if you want to actually get anything out of your training (other than just something to do sometimes), than both frequency of training and the effort/focus you put in will have a direct influence on that thing you want to get from the training.
If your focus is on your Budo being a way of life and part of who you are; then the balance of both quality and quantity are a vital part of it. A person who lives their Budo trains as often as possible, every day. This person never has Budo far from their mind. You can see the Budo in their actions, it’s part of who they are. The quantity goes without saying, all you need to do is ask the people closest to this person, they live and breathe it. Quality is also just as a vital. This person is absolutely dedicated to the perfection of the art form, they are driven to not only by being the best they can be but also by being the best person they can be. Physical quality must accompany mental quality.
If your focus is on your Budo being a way of life and part of who you are; then the balance of both quality and quantity are a vital part of it. A person who lives their Budo trains as often as possible, every day. This person never has Budo far from their mind. You can see the Budo in their actions, it’s part of who they are. The quantity goes without saying, all you need to do is ask the people closest to this person, they live and breathe it. Quality is also just as a vital. This person is absolutely dedicated to the perfection of the art form, they are driven to not only by being the best they can be but also by being the best person they can be. Physical quality must accompany mental quality.
Of course, the average Budoka is a mix of the above, they wouldn’t simply fall in to one of these categories. The point is through, that no matter what your focus, no matter what your reasons for training, in general a balance of both quality and quantity are a requirement for any Budoka.
When you consider the specifics of when you should be either more quality or quantity focused, you’ll find that it is both that are required, but sometimes one more than the other.
As a student and practitioner of the way you need to understand what is required from your training.
When you consider the specifics of when you should be either more quality or quantity focused, you’ll find that it is both that are required, but sometimes one more than the other.
As a student and practitioner of the way you need to understand what is required from your training.
Training Frequency
What is more beneficial, training more often or better quality training. The obvious answer seems to be ‘better quality training,’ but the quality of the training is what determines a good or a bad Budo school. Having said this, what good is the quality of the training if you only train for about an hour or so every 5 or 6 weeks? Clearly both quality and quantity are important but I think quantity is more important.
If you lack quantity in your own training, you are likely to forget what you learnt and are probably wasting everyone’s time. Whereas a good student might still learn something even from a poor quality style or school.
If you lack quantity in your own training, you are likely to forget what you learnt and are probably wasting everyone’s time. Whereas a good student might still learn something even from a poor quality style or school.
Class Attendance
Is it better to train in a class more often or to have better quality training when in a that class?
To my mind quality instruction and class training will always be more beneficial than turning up to a class all the time. This might seem to contradict my point above about training in general, but it doesn't. You might only train with a master once or twice a year, but if you’re training at home regularly then you have the opportunely to work on what the master taught you and you can improve. If you turn up to lots and lots of classes but the class is of poor quality then you probably won’t get very far.
I have seen this first hand, some people travel to Okinawa and train with the world’s best but only once every couple of years, other people train in a dojo with average instructors 6 or 7 times a week. Which would you choose to learn from? Train every day from the goober that probably shouldn’t even be teaching or train with the master only several times in your whole life (I know what I’d choose).
To my mind quality instruction and class training will always be more beneficial than turning up to a class all the time. This might seem to contradict my point above about training in general, but it doesn't. You might only train with a master once or twice a year, but if you’re training at home regularly then you have the opportunely to work on what the master taught you and you can improve. If you turn up to lots and lots of classes but the class is of poor quality then you probably won’t get very far.
I have seen this first hand, some people travel to Okinawa and train with the world’s best but only once every couple of years, other people train in a dojo with average instructors 6 or 7 times a week. Which would you choose to learn from? Train every day from the goober that probably shouldn’t even be teaching or train with the master only several times in your whole life (I know what I’d choose).
Learning
Quality or quantity when learning is something that academics in the education system have been arguing about for centuries and will probably continue to argue for many more years to come. Of course it’s not just one or the other but a balance of both quality and quantity. Is it better that the child understands what the concepts of the what times-tables are or should time just be spent reciting “2X1=2, 2X2=4, 2X3=6, 2X4=8……..” and so on over and over? Depending on the student and depending on what they are trying to learn, it might be more about either quality or quantity.
The same is true for learning techniques, combinations, drills or kata in Budo. I think in general, start with quantity then add quality as time goes on. For example if you want to learn a new kata, first just learn the pattern and do it over and over. Then learn the bunkai and work on that with the kata over and over. Over time as you correct the techniques you can inject more quality as you work on it, this of course leads to the next point… Perfecting techniques, combinations, drills and kata.
Perfecting
When you aim to perfect what you have already learnt, it must be all about a balance between both quality and quantity. You must be doing it over and over in order to build the skills and make your body more physically able to do it. But having said this, you need to be constantly analyzing and correcting the thing you want to perfect.
You must be seeking to understand what you’re doing and not just blindly do it without consideration.
You must be seeking to understand what you’re doing and not just blindly do it without consideration.
Knowledge & Understanding
Is it better to know 65 different kata at an average standard, or is it better to know and understand just one kata extremely well?
Is it better to read hundreds of books about Budo and hope some facts stick, or is it better to have read only a couple of books and actually comprehend and remember them?
Is it to be able to recite many many quotes from the masters or to know only a couple and actually apply those lessons to your Budo?
When it comes to Knowledge and understanding quality (or depth) is always more important that quantity. It’s the difference between being a ‘know-all’ and actually being ‘wise’.
It’s best to know the one thing really really well rather than lots and lots of crap that you only sort of understand.
Having said this – quantity is still important.
Even though it’s definitely better to just know the one kata really well, it can be beneficial to also know many others to provide scope and add to the understanding of your primary kata.
Even though it’s definitely better read only a couple of books and comprehend them, having lots of varying knowledge to deepen you own ideas an understanding is good too.
Even though it’s definitely better apply the lessons of the masters, it’s also helpful to expose yourself to as many ideas and points of view as you can.
So really, it's not one or the other. In most cases it's about the balance between quality and quantity
As a budo instructor the consideration of either quality or quantity (or the balance between them) is also important.
Is it better to read hundreds of books about Budo and hope some facts stick, or is it better to have read only a couple of books and actually comprehend and remember them?
Is it to be able to recite many many quotes from the masters or to know only a couple and actually apply those lessons to your Budo?
When it comes to Knowledge and understanding quality (or depth) is always more important that quantity. It’s the difference between being a ‘know-all’ and actually being ‘wise’. It’s best to know the one thing really really well rather than lots and lots of crap that you only sort of understand.
Having said this – quantity is still important.
Even though it’s definitely better to just know the one kata really well, it can be beneficial to also know many others to provide scope and add to the understanding of your primary kata.
Even though it’s definitely better read only a couple of books and comprehend them, having lots of varying knowledge to deepen you own ideas an understanding is good too.
Even though it’s definitely better apply the lessons of the masters, it’s also helpful to expose yourself to as many ideas and points of view as you can.
So really, it's not one or the other. In most cases it's about the balance between quality and quantity
As a budo instructor the consideration of either quality or quantity (or the balance between them) is also important.
Student Attendance
I have said for many years now “I’d rather have 3 students training with me that are learning, growing and becoming better Bujin, than to have 30,000 ordinary students training that are no more than numbers in an attendance report”
It might seem counter intuitive, but the less students you have the better your school can. Less students means less split focus and you can truly help them learn the way. Isn’t that the point of teaching Budo?
Class Duration
When it comes to how long a typical class should run, it depends on your students. Obviously longer classes means more time to do more or spend more time on a particular thing, so quantity would be the priority.
But, if most of your students are under 12 years old, then a 4 hour class probably isn’t going to very beneficial for anyone, so quality training in a short time works better. At the end of the day, you need to know your students and find the balance of both the quantity of time and quality in that time that works best for them to learn.
But, if most of your students are under 12 years old, then a 4 hour class probably isn’t going to very beneficial for anyone, so quality training in a short time works better. At the end of the day, you need to know your students and find the balance of both the quantity of time and quality in that time that works best for them to learn.
Class Frequency
On the surface it seems clear, more classes more attendance more students paying fees and more chances for them to work on things, but as I said before, Is it better to train in a class more often or to have better quality training when in a that class?
It’s difficult for people to respect you if you’re too available for them. You’ll find your teaching will become a product that can be bought whenever is convenient, rather than knowledge that is valued and worth more than mere money.
Having said this, if you have too little amount of classes available and people will possible loose interest and seek out something that is more available. Once again it’s about balance between frequency of classes and the value of the teachings in those classes.
Having said this, if you have too little amount of classes available and people will possible loose interest and seek out something that is more available. Once again it’s about balance between frequency of classes and the value of the teachings in those classes.
Business Viability
This is the tricky one. If you’re trying to make a living out of being a Budo instructor then you need to have a certain amount of people training at a certain amount of classes. The problem is, as I’ve already stated, lots of students means you can’t deliver good instruction and lots of classes will cheapen your knowledge and worth as a master.
Lots of people in this situation end up sacrificing something to make it work. Unfortunately my own observations have led me to believe that the bigger and more successful the business, the more shallow, vague and weak the standard of the style is as a whole. There are exceptions to every rule and some rare people have found the formula to make it work and still teach quality Budo.
Once again – it’s about finding the balance between quality and quantity that makes it something special.
My advice to any student or instructor is to be honest with yourself and see if the balance is there.
A real Budoka always has the Quantity, but never at the expense of the Quality.
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. J
Thanks for reading.
Derm
ϾDerm
