Organizer to competitor
Two weeks after his first spur-of-the-moment technical Thai-boxing match, YD, in his signature red chest guard, found himself back in a match. This time, the stakes were slightly different—a three-hour drive, a five-hour wait, and an opponent in his natural weight division who was taller and longer—a first for him. YD's corner consisted of two of his training comrades supporting him through another new experience.
Self-regulation plus self-direction is faster
YD is a long-time organizer who has recently developed a passion for kickboxing and perhaps competition. Just seven months ago, he was only doing cardio kickboxing for fitness. Since then, he's been coming to the LMA Learning Lab three to four times a month. This frequency of training amounts to about a month of classes in a commercial gym—a relatively short time to cover much ground. However, we don't have to go over everything since LMA's self-directed approach allows practitioners like YD to learn and grow on their own. Self-regulation and self-direction empower us to be in charge of our own progress rather than leaving it to some higher authority.
In fact, self-learning is the fastest way to learn anything. It engages the practitioner's consciousness rather than treating them like a mindless storage box. Constantly being told what to do and what not to do isn't learning; it's memorizing commands and imposing limitations. This approach confines people to those orders. Colonizers turned capitalists favor this method because it's how they enslaved people and conditioned workers. This process begins in childhood so that by the time we're adults, it becomes the air we breathe—invisible and normal.
If we're concerned that robots with consciousness might learn too quickly, why aren't we harnessing that same potential in ourselves? Why are we treated like unconscious zombies and AI as conscious self-learners? It's a colonial approach to both technology and human dignity, yet too many view this method of learning as "natural."
Ease
Since LMA is designed for radicals, organizers, marginalized individuals, and those with trauma and chronic pain, we initiate self-direction through self-regulation. Trauma, the colonial model of learning, and oppression often shut us down, hindering our ability to function effectively. LMA seeks to restore executive function so that practitioners can move with ease. Once at ease, they naturally discover their Way. Our approach is centered on nurturing and fostering this process.
I tell my five-year-old that he's most true to himself, not when he's happy, but when he slows down. Being happy, sad, or mad are all part of his truths. But I remind him that the decision-making part of himself can only take charge when he takes his time. Slow is fast, and fast is slow. When you slow and cool your thoughts, you only have to do things once. You're adaptable and fluid. When you rush, and your thoughts are hot, you have to do it again. You are tense and rigid.
Punching up and above
Given that LMAists like YD will only face opponents with more experience—since we have so little—the strategy isn't to win exchanges where the opponent is strong but where they are not. Since everything is a fun game to us, we solve the game through composure, decision-making, and problem-solving, not hyperaggression. We see, seize, and close opportunities. Over time, this approach will make LMAists strong in all areas. Yet, despite our limitations, we're punching up and above our weight class.
