3 Easy Steps For Success In Martial Arts
After training martial arts for a while, you notice tons of people come and go. I've often read that 80% of individuals who start training Jiu-Jitsu quit before earning their blue belt. It's easy to believe a large portion of that 80% exists because students start off in the wrong direction. I believe starting in the right direction will keep more people training and help people get to blue belt.
The three steps in this article will:
get you more quality class time
help you become more receptive to the information
make you a better training partner
create better training partners
build a better training environment
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#1 - Show Up On Time
Showing up on time does not mean walking thru the door at the start of class, then taking ten additional minutes to get on the mat. Showing up on time means, you are ready at the start of class. The upper belts in the room WILL notice this. Being chronically late will also get you noticed.......just not in a positive manner. Everyone in the room relies on their training partners. The best partners are ones you can count on. Showing up on time proves to your training partners that you are consistent and reliable.
Be the training partner that is there for their training partners!
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#2 - Relax
If you are at a good academy you should be hearing this word often, RELAX. Relaxing makes you more receptive to everything going on around you. A relaxed mind is able to process information more efficiently which allows for better learning. Also, you are training your brain to stay calm in chaos, ultimately lowering your anxiety level. The ability to relax will make you a better problem solver and allow you to respond better in stressful situations.
Learning to relax on the mat will transfer into your everyday life. Remember. To. RELAX!
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#3 - Pay Attention. Pay Attention. Pay Attention.
"Watch........pay attention, you might learn something." Our parents were not wrong in saying that, but we can rephrase it to; "Watch, pay attention and you will learn something."
As adults we want a place where we don't have to worry about the stresses of daily life. We also understand the value of time. If we are somewhere to learn, yet not paying attention, wouldn't that be wasting time? Showing up on time and relaxing does no good if you fail to pay attention. Sure, you can progress without paying attention, but you are making everything more difficult by not optimizing your time. Pay close attention to what is being taught, and ask questions if needed. Make sure you understand what's going on in the room. If you are paying attention there's no reason to ask, "what are we doing?"
Make paying attention your job during training. You'll improve much faster by doing so, and you'll feel smarter afterwards.
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How do you start off in the right direction?
Leave your answer in the comments.
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