Did you know that martial arts originated from the Xia Dynasty more than 4,000 years ago? Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor introduced the fighting system in China. The Emperor was described as the famous general who wrote lengthy treatises of medicine and martial arts. Since then, martial arts has spread around the world with different techniques incorporated not only to train one how to defend themselves but to improve their self confidence, cultivate self control and improve coordination.
A wide variety of classes are offered; from TaeKwonDo to Tai Chi with each lesson designed to evoke discipline, honor and respect among the trainees. Furthermore, it helps to cultivate focus and teamwork among the students.
To ensure success, every martial artist is inspired by different concepts which help them to be successful in the training and life. Here are 5 of the concepts you need to know about.
- Humility
Yes martial art imparts skills to help defend yourself. You can learn how to block punches and kicks from your opponents. One attribute that you get to learn from martial arts is humility. Okay you get to train with others as a team but there comes a time when you will be required to step onto the mat, ring or cage to face them as an opponent. Regardless of your mastery in the art, it is wise never to underestimate your opponent. You may originate from the ring or mat a winner or loser but what you need to know is that failure is not the end of the road. Failure is normal and it reminds you to stay humble. Never let your ego blind you from reality.
- Goal setting
At the start of the year, every person gets to make resolutions. They are centered on one’s life, health or economic situation. The end goal is simple – to improve every aspect of one’s life for the better. Martial arts is the same, once you enroll for training, you need to stick it out till the end. One way of doing so is setting goals for yourself. Start by writing down your goals. This will act as a guide and eliminate random resolutions which may fade away quickly. Your goals need to be clear and concise. By setting goals in your life, you will get to separate the important stuff from the unimportant.
- Discipline
Martial art helps you to cultivate self confidence and to attain all levels; you need to be disciplined too. For starters, you have to attend training each day. Second, respect your team mates and other trainees. Your social status is irrelevant inside the dojo; you are all equal. Lastly, it is important to follow the rules and processes of the dojo. This includes respect for your instructors. To be successful in martial arts, cultivate discipline. It helps to differentiate between the successful trainees and unsuccessful ones.
- Passion
Passion is an intense energy or a powerful feeling. It is also when you put your energy into something with the purpose of succeeding. True passion is needed if you want to become a successful martial artist. Passion allows you to put your mind, heart and soul into what you love to do. This is how you become successful. First and foremost, sit down and reflect about your goals. Next, come up with strategies to help you attain your goals. Lastly, keep checking your strategies to ensure they are in line with your goals.
- Patience
Rome was not built in one day so you cannot learn everything about martial arts within a short time. Patience is an important virtue and very helpful in day to day life. Since success rarely comes overnight, then you have to persevere and be patient. You will face many challenges in life plus the path to success is long but if you are patient, you will overcome your obstacles finally attaining your goals. This is how you become successful.
Final Thoughts
Life is full challenges but hey, that does not mean that one cannot enjoy it. Everyone has goals they would have to achieve especially martial artists. Not only do they need to learn the skills vital to face their opponents in the ring but they need to be successful at it too. The only way to achieve this is by incorporating different concepts. They include humility, goal setting, discipline, passion and patience. With these at heart, success will be in your hands within no time.
Are you planning to get into martial arts training? Well, you need to read this article first to get a clear picture of what to avoid. Martial Arts are not as regulated as other professions. That means that there are things you have to evaluate and check out to stay safe. Remember, Martial Arts are not just about punching and kicking your opponent, it is also about commitment, discipline, responsibility, safety, and incentive. You can only learn about those qualities if you are being trained by professionals and in the right environment.
Watch out for the following 5 Tips That May Ruin Your Training
1. Professionalism
Do your prospective martial arts teachers teach martial arts as a hobby or are they teaching it as their way of earning a living? It’s great for someone to teach martial arts because of the passion they have for it. In fact, most martial arts teachers have at least a black belt. What you need to avoid is being taught by teachers who teach martial arts as a hobby instead of a career. You need someone who will guide you or your child for a couple of years at least. Martial Arts is just like any other training program.
You don’t want someone who will stop offering their martial arts program abruptly. That can happen if your teacher gets posted to a different location in their day job. What you need is a professional Martial Arts training school. You need a trainer who will help you attain your martial arts qualification by training you or your child through every phase of training.
2. Training Facilities
When looking for a hospital, school or college, you always look for one that has the best training facilities. That is because you recognize the importance of having such facilities in aiding the overall learning or treatment process. The same approach applies to martial arts training.
You do not need to train in someone’s basement or backyard. You need a professional training environment complete with change rooms, washrooms, and other amenities.
3. Trainer Qualifications
Most people attain a training rank, which is a black belt in martial arts. However, they do not have an actual certification that indicates they have been trained to teach. The best trainers are those who have a certification in education. Professional trainers are trained on how to pass their knowledge and skills to their students. They also know how to evaluate their students to identify the weak areas they need to work on.
That is the kind of martial arts training you will get from professionals. You would not take your child to a school with untrained teachers or a medical facility that is run by quacks. You should also not take martial arts training from instructors with no educational training or coaching certifications. It’s not safe for you or your child.
4. Junior Classes
In sports, academic institutions, and even health facilities, there are special sections for children and minors. You will not want your child to get trained or practice their martial arts skills with adults in an unstructured environment. Children are still growing, and their needs differ from those of adults. You should only take your child to go for training if the school or martial art trainers have facilities structured for children’s needs.
5. Reliability and Insurance Cover
How long will the training facility you are about to enroll in be around? Is it one year, two years, a just month? Those are questions you need to answer so that you won’t fail to achieve your goals. Martial Arts require you to connect with the trainer. As the trainer’s student, they need to know the best way to train you. The trainers observe you as your train and learn how best they can help you to overcome your weak points. That is going to become difficult to achieve if you keep changing your trainers.
Does the training school you go to have liability insurance? You need to have such insurance to get full protection in case you or your child hurts someone while training. Accidents do happen, but there has to be someone to pay the cost.
Bonus Tip: Honest Ranking
If you are training to become the best, you are doing yourself a great favor. Some schools may promise you quick progression through the ranks. That is not a guarantee of quality in their training; it is just a way of saying that they have low standards of training or none at all. You cannot be sure of a person’s physical abilities until you have evaluated them and gauged their abilities.
If you need to achieve martial arts black belt, then you should be ready to earn it. It is the martial arts skills you gain that make the title meaningful.
We hope this guide has been helpful and you will enjoy your journey to becoming an accomplished Martial Artist.