Real Python - No crane kicks at the Python gym

Hey there,

A couple of years ago, I'd become quite interested in martial arts.

(Hours upon hours of watching "The Karate Kid" growing up must've taken their toll on me!)

And so, I found myself at this smelly little gym for my first few karate practice sessions, working hard to learn how to count in Japanese and getting my hand-eye coordination under control...

Moments later, I turn left when I should’ve turned right—

And I’m met with a swift kick to the face.

Yeah… My interest in karate waned quickly after that.

Why am I telling you this? Well, this question came up in a recent email exchange: 

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“How does one MASTER the skill of programming Python?”

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And I like to think that mastering programming is quite similar to mastering a physical skill like karate. (Although I've had more success with the former.)

With both, it takes a long time to build up the right foundation. But once "muscle memory" starts kicking in, your progress can skyrocket! 

It's all about making it through that first rough patch of slow learning progress without losing your motivation.

Mastering a programming language means lifelong learning. The topic is fractal—there's always a way to expand your knowledge in some obscure way. One can hit critical mass in terms of knowledge and be called an expert, but it's unlikely a single person will know it all.

There's road maps but no "one true path" to mastery. Learning progress will depend highly on the motivation and drive of the individual, and the peers they surround themselves with. Mentorship and community play the biggest role in becoming successful.

I knew from personal experience the sense of accomplishment, deep satisfaction, and confidence you get through programming mastery.

And I wanted every Python developer to be able to experience the same.

So, after months of hard work, I was proud to introduce the Real Python membership.

It's like a "Python gym" with new classes and expert trainers you can learn from every week.

When you sign up for a membership plan, you’ll gain unlimited access to our vast library of tutorials and courses, as well as a community of experts who will help you master real-world Python skills.

You’ll be on the fast track to programming mastery in no time!

Here are some of the benefits you’ll see with a Real Python membership:

Hundreds of Tutorials and Video Lessons: Get full access to our large (and growing) collection of Python tutorials and in-depth training materials. With new content published weekly, you'll always find something to boost your skills.

Practical, Real-World Python Skills: Our tutorials are created, curated, and vetted by a community of expert Pythonistas. At Real Python, you'll get the trusted resources you need on your path to Python mastery.

Meet Other Pythonistas: Join the Real Python Slack chat and meet the Real Python Team and other subscribers. Discuss your coding and career questions, vote on upcoming tutorial topics, or just hang out with us at this virtual water cooler.

Interactive Quizzes & Learning Paths: See where you stand and practice what you learn with interactive quizzes, hands-on coding challenges, and skills-focused learning paths.

Track Your Learning Progress: Mark lessons as completed or in-progress and learn at your own comfortable pace. Bookmark interesting lessons and review them later to boost long-term retention.

Completion Certificates: For each course you complete, you receive a shareable (and printable) Certificate of Completion, hosted privately on the Real Python website. Embed your certificates in your portfolio, LinkedIn resume, and other websites to show the world that you're a dedicated Pythonista.

No Ads: Read your tutorials and watch your classes without interruptions. With a Real Python Membership, you'll see no third-party ads on the entire site.

Downloads & Bonus Resources: Unlimited, direct-download access to tutorial source code, cheat sheets, and other bonus resources.

Regularly Updated: Keep your skills fresh and keep up with technology. We're constantly releasing new members-only tutorials and update our content regularly.

The Real Python membership is like a never-ending buffet of valuable Python skills that you can apply in your own work or use to shine in front of your team members.

(And if you can raise everyone's profile around you with the new tricks you've learned, you bet this will have a positive effect on your career. Honestly, just take the things you learn from us and teach them to your colleagues, super easy and super effective!)

When you sign up for a membership plan, you’ll get a completely ad-free experience on the whole site, access to the full library and early access to our upcoming written tutorials.

Just click the link below to learn more:

>> Gain Practical, Real-World Python Skills

— Dan Bader