Training till now

Yesterday at MAHISS we had a training. although some what surprise the debaters we're still enthusiastic about everything as well as the trainer.

Most of the things a I wanted to do with them was the fundamentals and technical of debate, Faiz (my own mentor) always reminded me how I should go easy and on the basics when teaching debate. You have to understand, it's not a soccer club.

It's been a long while since the last time I came and train them at MAHISS, but alhamdullilah they still remember the basics of everything (including Ulfah) and in that I'm grateful (at least they are not rusty).

In response, I told them my own debate journey, about me going to Hong Kong for my debate tournament, how I utilize my debating experience with my dakwah, and how i live my life.

fundamentals I told them, are like pillars, and anything important in this world needs fundamentals (you'll be called a fundamentalist for following it), including debate (it is important).

the five fundamentals I outlined was:

1. Burden of proof
2. Definition (Characterization)
3. Model (Mechanism/ Tactics and Poi's)
4. Consistency
5. Clash and Response

I told that if you look at it clearly, put the arguments away, this is what it takes for you to have an average debate. (although this is what I think, anyone can differ)

And this is where the training begins.

I really hope I could come and train MAHISS more after this, but alas they have exams till 26th which is the date for the selections.

Regardless of that, I'm pretty sure they'll be able to go through IIU and Musleh in one peace. 

Reminding you just incase you forgot

My debating career has never been more hectic than I've imagined it to be. with all the rifts rafts of my training, my schools training and my studies, it seems I'm getting too intertwined to debate, and I don't like that. Wani once said that I'm married to debate, I beg to differ.

Last night, I had my own debate training at Gombak, there was a lot of yelling and angry phases(faces) from my trainers about how my seniors weren't doing what the trainers asked them to do. In this I wanna remind you all.

I've thought you guys a lot actually, maybe to much even for me to do (I even made a book for you guys) so now the only thing is whether or not you guys want to apply it in debate and improve yourselves. My trainer always told me that the time during training is only the moment to see how far I've improved, the time to improve yourself is during your day to day life.

Before I go to sleep there are always 3 things I'll do

1. Baca Qur'an (Surah Mulk, Sajadah and Waqiah)
2. Go through the daily news (especially the religion section for me)
3. Look into the mirror to see how handsome I look.

the first one is for spiritual matters, the second is for information and the third is just to increase my confidence level. although you guys might see that these things are small but it goes a long way to improving one's abilities to speak. so i ask you all, start doing something about yourselves, you have to have that impetus to improve and be better. I would like to quote from Umar al-Khattab:

 "A Muslim is someone who doesn't fall into the same hole twice"

Learning from that I'm sure we all can improve ourselves for the upcoming debates.

National Novice 2011 - the ability to be independent

Whether you like it or not, losing is always...... always a part of winning

that's what I remember what I told to both Arif and Fattah, although I don't remember if they do. Before embarking on there first debate competition for this year. And what have they been going through? first rounds with university students, RM 130 fees and a hell of motions.

Yep, it seems this will be one of those hectic years in debate for MAHDI. But that is never the reason to give up and quit, it's all the reason to stand up and fight back.

However what we fear most is the inability of our juniors(Arif, Laila.... korang sumea ni lah) to function without us giving a hand to help. The inability to become dependent is one of, if not, most crucial in surviving these type of competitions in life. It's something I picked up while my days with Nafeesa and Asyraf.

You see..... I never liked to ask help from them, especially Azri Asyraf, however I wanted to win. So that's where I did my own research, my own experiments, and as many of you have seen, my own ways of debating (I made a book out of it).

I hope you to do the same, maybe not making your own notes, your own research and your own training, and maybe some day not expecting "big brother" to it for you.

I have to admit, it might be hard at first, but these things, as "big sister" once said, if you have a goal, an objective, a purpose to debate, then anything is possible.

Just like any nation, the reason they are able to gain Independence was because they felt they had a higher purpose than becoming some"subordinate" to other nations, and that's how they strive to success.

 Your first real test, was the taste of defeat during National Novice, hopefully it all gave you a huge wake up call and say to you all: I'm not here anymore, I'm ain't a school student yeah all know?!!!

So my advice, you all know your weakness, so the best thing to do is to train and train some more. Good luck for Distrcit Levels!!!!