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Nov
24
Mimic, Master, Create
Filed Under Uncategorized
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I watch too much television, but sometimes I do get something out of it. I was watching the Iron Chef Challenge, a reality show where contestants compete to be the next Iron Chef and earn a spot on the show Iron Chef America. My wife and I were watching the finale and the judges (when trying to decide the winner) kept referring to the skills of the competitors, specifically, the mastery of the basics.
One of the Chefs said something that I believe to be a fundamental truth, he said, “It’s impossible to be creative without mastering the basics.” So, I guess it’s true in cooking as it is in jiu-jitsu, or basketball or tattooing or painting. In order to be an innovator, a trailblazer, a creative genius, you must first master the basics. I’ve been using this equation for a long time: mimic, master, create—in that order. Not too many people–in jiu-jitsu anyway–get passed the mastery part, but the ones that do are doing incredible things on the mat. They are the ones doing the amazing, and even simple things that change the game.
Master the basics.
