1. Repetition Studies show that to become a master of anything will take you 10’000 consistent repetitions or hours of any one technique.2. Ask questions Don’t be afraid to ask your instructor questions. At the end of the day your instructor is there to help you. They want you to become as good as possible.
3. Be Consistent with training. It takes 21 days to build a habit and only 3 to break one. To improve in martial arts you need to be training at least 2 times a week. Try to train at the same times and the same days to build a routine. If your routine get s broken start it up again as soon as possible. Don’t allow your self to make excuses.
4. Stretch Flexibility is one of the most important and most overlooked aspects of training. Proper stretching technique will give increased power in techniques and reduce the risk of injury.
5. Respect the limits of your body. You should push yourself during training. This will help you to develop faster and improve your fitness quicker. However, this should not be at the detriment of your body.
6. Have fun The key to learning anything is fun. If you aren’t enjoying what you’re doing, you won’t want to learn it. So have fun with your training.
7. Leave your ego at the door. You’re main goal for every session should be to improve, not to see who is the best, strongest or toughest.
8. Listen to your instructors. When your instructors are teaching stay focused. This can be difficult after a long, hard days work. Try to pay attention to what they are saying, what they are doing, and how they are doing it.
9. Visualise your techniques outside training. Mentally rehearse your techniques through out the day to be able to perform the techniques better next time you are on the mat
10. Consistency with technique When you perform a technique do it the same every time, and do it to the best of your abilities. If you make a mistake don’t focus on it and get frustrated. Instead, correct it immediately and get straight back into your training.
11. make a small Improvement everyday. This is a lot easier than trying to make big changes all the time. For example doing one more press up or one more round is a lot easier than doing ten, and a lot easier to achieve.
12. Set achievable goals. How do you know when you’ve reached your destination if you don’t know where you are going? Most people don’t set well defined goals. For example they’ll say ” I want to lose weight”, but how much weight and by when. A better goal would be “I want to lose 10 lbs in 10 weeks.” Now you know where you’re going and when you need to get there by. You will be much more likely to reach your goal.
13. Diet Diet is one of the most important and overlooked aspects of training. A good diet will help you reach your goals faster and help you get in shape quicker. Here’s a few quick guidelines;
– Drink plenty of water. About 2 litres per day
– Eat lots of vegetables.
– Avoid processed foods. One of my favourite quotes is “If it doesn’t live in a field or on in the sea, grown in the ground or on trees don’t eat it.”
– Above all have everything in moderation.
14. Mindset Training martial arts is often described like being on a roll-a-coaster. Some days everything will go perfectly. Your techniques will be flawless, you’ll have infinite endurance and you’ll be able to read your training partners like a book. Other days it’ll seem like nothing is going right. Every technique goes wrong, your conditioning sucks, and your training partners are owning you. This is all part of the normal learning experience. Learn to enjoy the bad times because tomorrow will be your day.
15. Extra strength & conditioning Martial Arts is a great way to develop fitness and lose weight. However, if you do a little extra work with your strength and conditioning you will be able to progress a lot quicker and reach your goals faster. Our Strength and conditioning classes will help you to develop the attributes you need to become a better martial artist.
16. Work with everyone Whenever you attend class try to work with as many different people as possible. Everyone is worth working with from the brand new beginner to the 20 year veteran. They will all have different attributes, styles, and something to teach you. Working with the same few people will only limit your growth.
Sifu Tony Child
Total Martial Arts