I want to talk about how to succeed at something that’s long term and seems daunting (starting a new habit, diet, martial arts, etc.). Because faced with this reality, most people give in and secede defeat rather quickly.
Back in high school I was a runner for a couple of years (before realizing that long-distance running isn’t so great for you). … (Read the rest)
We just had a “belt test” tonight. Over 35 of my students went to demonstrate what they’ve been learning. They didn’t go to make an announcement that they’ve been their current rank for 3 months or that they’ve attended 26 classes since they were awarded their last belt.
At the end of the day, achieving a new rank is about … (Read the rest)
Too often, kids see getting a new belt as a reward for good work. I’d rather them not see it that way, mainly because the belt has no inherent value and they start to miss the actualrewards of training.
Sometimes, I wish there were no belts.
If you watch a group of 50 martial arts students training and sparring, … (Read the rest)
Succeeding in martial arts is about engaging in quality training consistently over time.
It’s all of those things together, not any one separately.
A single act of training does not make you a successful martial artist.
Inconsistent acts of training spread out over long periods of time does not make you a successful martial artist.
Consistent engagement in low … (Read the rest)
The best football players are those that study game film and the best quarterbacks want to see the images from the play that happened 30 seconds ago when they hit the sidelines.
When you’re inside of the game it’s hard to see everything that’s happening. That’s why, when the game is over, it’s study time.
Athletes that study the game … (Read the rest)
I decided to get outside of the box with fitness and personal testing. When I heard about the Spartan Sprint race I knew I had to try it. On March 10th I’ll be participating in the 4 mile, 10 obstacle Spartan race with my team. I wanted to get a solid two months of training in, so training starts today!… (Read the rest)
Most owners/managers of martial arts studios focus on what and how their instructors are doing on the mat. But I’m far more interested in what they’re doing OFF the mat as it gives me a lot more information about their long term value.
What they’re doing away from the school shows your true colors. If you’re looking to slide to … (Read the rest)
You’re probably expecting that this list will have at least something to do with the actual study of martial arts. It doesn’t. Martial arts instructing is more about teaching (how to teach), emotional intelligence, attitude, and the knowledge inside your brain (on relevant topics) than it is about specific martial arts related concepts.
While I’m a big advocate of reading … (Read the rest)
This is a totally anonymous poll; I’m interested in knowing what you think the minimum time to achieve Black Belt (in Taekwondo) should be. Obviously, the actual amount of time it takes a student is dependent on the student, but what do you think the minimum should be?
Voice your opinion below.
[poll id="2"]
If you want to share any … (Read the rest)