One of the few things that can be scheduled is the growth of a person into a master in their chosen field or craft. Be it Kung Fu, martial arts, or any other physical skill, a lack of commitment and discipline in structuring time and practice is almost always a ticket to the sidelines. Even as a lawyer, there is an importance to make your time work for you under the delaware labor laws scheduling.
Take, for example, the relevance of the scheduling regulations under the Delaware labor laws, which can be found in the Delaware Code under section 5111 – Scheduling requirements. For example, Section 5111 (a)(2) states that “An employer who operates a business in a city with a population of greater than 7,000 residents shall do all of the following: (2) Notify an employee of the employee’s scheduled work hours at least 96 hours before the start of the employee’s shift or work period either by the end of the third day of the workweek preceding the workweek in which the scheduled shift or work period occurs or face at least a $100 fine for the first violation.” Section 5111 (b) requires employers to give employees at least one day off following five straight days of work, unless mutually agreed to the contrary by both employee and employer.
To the everyday Delawarean, this allows you to plan your evenings and weekends efficiently, rather than being at the mercy of short notice from your employer. This structure allows you to be somewhat disciplined in your planning of study, work and Kung Fu practice. The growth of one, especially when it comes to Kung Fu, is dependent on the proper investment of time to achieve the desired level of skill, proficiency and expertise.
Consider, for example, the difference between enrolling in a martial arts class once a week, and enrolling in a class multiple times per week. In the latter instance, the structure of the training gives the student more opportunities to practice, spar and learn kung fu. Plus, there is an argument that more time in the school means more interaction with your fellow students and instructors, which is important, as they are the ones against whom you will have to practice for that five minute push-hands session, if you ever get the opportunity during a tournament elsewhere in the country. Also, by practicing more frequently, you may be able to integrate skills from prior classes in ways that you had not expected, enabling you to see success in future classes that you might not otherwise have seen.
Conversely, you may very well run into a brick wall. If, for example, you went every single week, but only practiced once per week, you could burn yourself out. As a result, you might not want to go again because of bruises and aches from the previous night of workout. Plus, repeated exposure to the same moves can leave you feeling stagnated during practice.
What is necessary, therefore, is to mix things up. That is not to say that something like the scheduled immersion that occurs at summer martial arts camps or events is the solution. However, the value of learning new forms and concepts that break the monotony and risk of repetition is extremely valuable. Formal martial arts events bring in masters and experts from all around the world in ways that expose students to concepts, forms and techniques that they might not otherwise be exposed to. Also, this really helps to break the schedule of practice, enabling you to learn new things that you can think about while at work.
Again, if you know when you are going to practice, a greater emphasis can be placed on what you are going to practice. Maybe you can set aside 30 minutes a few times a day to go over your fun forms or punching drills, or visit a gym to work on power kicks. A little variety goes a long way, and by finding new ways to improve yourself while at work or in your off-time, you are only helping yourself in your martial arts journey. Then again, with the Delaware labor laws and scheduling regulations offering us so much freedom, why wouldn’t we?
For more information on labor laws, you can visit the U.S. Department of Labor.