Wax On, Wax Off
Anyone who saw the movie The Karate Kid will remember the immortal phrase “Wax on, wax off.”
It has come to symbolize the disciplined practice necessary for success in the martial arts. The phrase has also become a metaphor that reminds us of the importance of adhering to a principle in the face of not knowing where it will lead—in other words, having faith.
In the movie, the student (played by Ralph Macchio) reluctantly agrees to wax a small fleet of vintage cars exactly as his Karate teacher has instructed and demonstrated. In exchange, his teacher (played by Pat Morita) agrees to teach him how to fight. The student is clearly frustrated by the tedium of the clockwise (“wax on”) and counterclockwise (“wax off”) movements of his arms that seem to have no relevance to fighting. Convinced he has chosen the wrong teacher, he decides to quit.
As he prepares to tell his teacher goodbye, the serene, elderly master surprises him with an attack. The student surprises himself even more with the success of his own reflexive parries. He then understands that the purpose of the training has been to prepare him to respond quickly, precisely, and without his conscious brain.
The Karate Kid learns a number of invaluable lessons about training. Perhaps the most fundamental lesson is that opportunities for learning and improving can be found in unexpected places.
At first the Karate Kid saw little value in the movements he was asked to perform, but his teacher knew exactly what movements he needed to learn. Not only was he asked to wax cars, but he also painted a fence and hand-sanded an outdoor deck. There was no mention of fighting and no Karate-specific goal to achieve. The only instruction was to do the movements in a precise pattern.
As a dancer I knew the tedium of training everyday, repeating the same movements over and over. Initially, as a student of Tai Chi, I balked at the tedium. Three years, five years, eight years went by as I continued on a glacial pace toward mastering the precise patterns of Tai Chi.
My brain and body were changing in subtle ways but I could not translate the improvements to my golf game until I could…
I don’t remember the exact moment when the years of tedium shifted from the anxious thought.
” I hope this ball goes where I want it to go,” to “I know where this ball is going.”
I don’t have to crowd my brain with too many swing thoughts, just assess the playing conditions, pick a target, and let the swing happen. Nothing is more satisfying to a golfer than confidence.
Confidence that comes from the tedium of endless hours performing Wax On, Wax Off.
-Edward Bilanchone
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