Most people know that martial arts require discipline both physically and mentally. But do you think you are as skilled and disciplined as a black belt? Do think you have what it takes to stick with the training that is required to achieve a black belt? If so, you should seriously consider finding a qualified instructor to help you start on your journey.
Achieving your black belt in martial arts is no easy task. As with life, you must be prepared to try and fail many times. It will take dedication, determination, and practice to achieve this high honor. Just like with your professional career, it will take lots of time to hone your skills so that you can advance. There are many benefits that come with dedicating yourself to learning martial arts. Some of the benefits include self-discipline, determination, focus, and self-confidence. When training in the martial arts, you will learn how to set goals and achieve them over the course of several years. Each level takes time to achieve, so when you accomplish a new belt it is a very satisfying feeling. Over the course of those years you will learn not only persistence and perseverance in your martial arts training, but you will be able to apply those skills to your life.
You will learn through your training that you cannot always achieve your goal immediately. You will learn that it may take great focus and long-term determination to achieve the things that you desire . You will also learn how to stand strong in all types of situations when you are standing alone. This lesson can apply in everyday situations in your life. You will learn how to have the confidence in yourself to stand up and act when you feel it is appropriate.
Training for your black belt will not be easy. You will be faced with many physical challenges along the way. You will be hurt, sore, tired, and you may feel like giving up. If you are a good student, you will learn to push through these problems to achieve your ultimate goal. There are not many other sports activities that have as much for you to learn and to teach you as the martial arts. If you are truly dedicated to mastering the skills that martial arts has to teach you, then you will be mastering skills that you can also apply to all areas of your life to help you become more successful and happier.
There are many disciplines of martial arts that are taught in this country today. You should do some research into each style and discipline to determine which would more suit your interests. Once you figure out which discipline is the one that you want to pursue, you should begin searching for a dojo or an instructor that you feel you would like to work with. Once you figure out which location you want to train at then you should do a little bit of background research into the instructor or the school and read any customer reviews that you come across on the internet. Customer reviews can be extremely insightful and helpful when you were trying to determine if the location is the right one for your individual needs. Make sure that your instructor also has their own black belt. Next, you will want to observe or participate in one of the regularly scheduled classes. Being able to see what the other students are doing during the class will help you understand whether or not you are willing to join the particular school or dojo.
There are many reasons people want to earn their black belt. These are just of the few of the benefits associated with training for your black belt. If you are serious and you feel that you have what it takes to become a black belt, then you should begin your search for a good place to train. You will learn so many beneficial skills and techniques that you will carry with you for the rest of your life. If you achieve your black belt, then you can be assured that you will find contentment and fulfillment in more than just one area of your life. And who knows, you just might inspire others to strive to achieve that ultimate goal as well.
Bullying is an epidemic which has been present in the learning experience for many years. However, bullying has also evolved over time and with particular intensity over the last 20 years or so with the invention of mobile phones, the internet, and social media. In fact, bullying has gotten way out of control across schools and online, becoming almost intolerable. Each year, thousands of kids worry about going to school in the morning because they fear a bully. Many children cannot even escape the bullying when they leave school as the bully can now easily reach them online.
The psychology of a bullied child, however, remains the same as it has always been throughout the years. Many children who are bullied either in school or online are afraid to tell their parents or a teacher for fear of reprisal from the bully, because they are ashamed, or simply because the feel an adult will not be able to help. It is, therefore, imperative for kids to develop confidence in themselves which will enable them to counter bullying and deal with being bullied in a healthier way. Martial arts has long been cited as an excellent way to combat bullying, for many years due to the self-defense aspect of the sport. However, as bullying has become more psychological in recent times, martial arts is adapting to teach kids much more than simply how to defend themselves.
The Evolution of Bullying
There are three different types of bullying which have been experienced by children in schools for many years – social, verbal, and physical. However, in today’s modern society children must also deal with a fourth type of bullying – online. Each type of bullying has detrimental effects on the child who is experiencing it:
•Social – Every school has groups, clicks, gangs, or whatever you wish to call them, of kids who can often be quite cruel when going with the group. These groups can torment and tease a classmate by starting rumors or mocking an aspect of their appearance. This can result in the bullied child withdrawing from social activities and events and even lead to depression.
•Verbal – While verbal bullying is not tolerated in schools, bullies can still verbally abuse a victim without an adult hearing or knowing about it. By calling a child names and assaulting them with words in the hallway, bathroom, or other places teachers cannot hear them, the bullied child can suffer regarding their grades and self-confidence, often dreading going to school.
•Physical – The worst form of bullying is a physical assault. Getting punched, kicked, or hit leaves a physical reminder of what the victim is going through and in the worst cases can lead to serious bodily harm to the bullied child.
•Online – The newest form of bullying takes places online via instant messaging, social media, and other forms of online communication. It can be tough to know if a child is being bullied online as they often keep their messages and social media private, however, this form of bullying can seriously damage a child’s ability to socialize and have confidence in themselves.
These forms of bullying display the evolution in how a bully targets their victims. Bullies are very adaptive and will use one or all of these methods to achieve their goals. For instance, just ignoring taunts in the hallway of school could lead to the bully seeking retribution by bullying a child online. If they continue to be ignored, a bully might even turn to physical assault. For these reasons, it is essential martial arts evolves with bullying and does not become outdated when providing kids with the skills to counter bullies.
How Martial Arts Counters Bullying
Beyond the core training, martial arts equips children to deal with all forms of bullying. The way in which martial arts is taught to kids adapts with the times and provides them with skills such as:
•Development of self-esteem. Children who have high self-esteem are less likely to become the victim of bullying and will learn not to be afraid to stand up for themselves.
•Self-control. While bullies are often hot-tempered and dominant, martial arts teaches self-control, discipline, and respect, which can lead to them being a better person.
•Faster thinking. Martial arts also develops thinking skills which will help a child to respond quicker in troublesome situations.
•Physical fitness. Kids who train in martial arts will gain a better physique, leading to them not being the attention of bullies anymore.
These essential skills develop both the body and mind to help children counter bullies whatever way they try to attack. However, bullies will always evolve new ways of targeting their victims, and it is important that martial arts continue to develop techniques which will help children counter these methods and reduce bullying.
A key component in the teaching of martial arts is respect. This is clearly demonstrated in the respect shown to the instructor before, during, and after the lesson. However, the lessons of respect also spill over into everyday life and lead to kids and adults alike gaining a deeper concern about how they treat their families and loved ones. Showing respect for people is an important skill in life and can lead to a happier home environment and a more successful social life. Here are some of the ways in which martial arts training can promote respect and generate a positive attitude in respect to the family, loved ones, and peers:
A Disciplined Environment
During martial arts lessons, respect is paramount, and the formal environment of a class encourages both the instructor and the students to maintain both discipline and respect throughout the lesson. At the beginning of a class, when the students first enter the room, they often bow to their instructor and their peers, showing both a mark of respect and signaling they are ready to focus on the day’s training. These practices demonstrate respect for both the lesson and the space in which the teaching is being conducted. An agreement to halt participation in outside life while training is taking place is a significant sign of respect.
Aside from the mark of respect shown to the lesson and each other, martial arts also promotes discipline in other ways. Controlled movements, continuing training when fatigued, and holding back force when sparring are some examples of practices which require control. Only showing respect to others in the class also requires discipline. Even if frustration creeps in during a lesson, respect and discipline are to be maintained at all times. These lessons easily spill over into life outside of the martial arts class and increase respect and discipline towards family members.
Engaging with Others
Trying to get along with a group of people in a social setting can be quite difficult at times and respect is essential for maintaining harmony. During martial arts classes, when students interact with instructors, some may not see eye to eye at all times. Perhaps a particular skill is difficult to master, and frustration creeps in and holding back an outburst is necessary to maintain respect for the class. Through training in martial arts and experiencing these frustrations, students learn how to keep their cool in difficult situations despite making mistakes. They learn to find other solutions and ways to improve their skills. Once again, this is transferable to real life situations and can help people treat their families with the same respect as they would show in a martial arts class.
Humility
Everybody makes mistakes at times and everyone loses a match up in a martial arts class. There is always someone who possesses greater skill or strength and so humility is an important trait to possess. Students learn humility in martial arts by understanding they must work hard to reach the level of others, especially those who are very talented. Being humble is an important part of respect and is an essential lesson learned in martial arts. This humility once again transfers out of the classroom and into home life. People who learn humility in martial arts are more likely to show humility at home which will reduce frustrated outbursts against family members and increase respect and the way they treat love ones.
Self-Respect
It is impossible to respect and treat others in a gracious manner if you have no respect for yourself. Martial arts teaches respect not just for your family and loved ones, but also for yourself. Self-respect must be obtained if you are to respect others and true to this, students are encouraged to develop self-respect by taking care of their appearance and etiquette. It is a student’s responsibility to maintain cleanliness, clean their own uniform, and keep tidy both at home and in classes. Students are also encouraged to groom themselves and maintain high hygienic standards. Poor eating habits, smoking, lack of discipline, over consumption of alcohol and other lack in standard indicate a lack of respect for oneself. As students learn to respect themselves they will also learn how to treat their families, elders, peers, and superiors with similar respect.
How often have you started something and told yourself “This time I’ll do it!” only to lose motivation after a month, maybe weeks or even just days. How much of your time do you spend knowing that if you were a little more disciplined and focused you could get to where you want to go? How often do you actually get it and how long does it last?
Most peoples’ typical experience is probably that without external accountability, your motivation toward new disciplines has an expiration date. You can look at a successful person and feel motivated by their success. But what happens when you aren’t able to achieve similar success in short order? Who will hold you accountable to achieving your goals? Martial Arts instruction holds many people accountable to their goals while teaching them the key ingredients to make discipline a part of your daily routine.
There are certain strategies you can apply by yourself in order to stay motivated!
Make the following exercises a part of your daily regimen:
Love the person in the mirror.Every morning provides the opportunity for you to accept who you are! It’s absolutely important to love who you are and what you’ve become. That’s the first step in being self-motivated.
Reaffirm your true love for the person you see each and every morning.
Remind yourself that you’re here for a bigger mission of which you might not yet be aware.
Restore the peace of mind that comes with self-acceptance. Doing this every day allows it to be engrained in your soul.
I’m reminded of something a student told me. He said that every morning he would look in the mirror and say to himself, “don’t you go dying on me you good looking son of gun, you’ve got important things to do”. What a great way to remind yourself that you and what you are planning to do are important!
Accept your stage in life.Believe that you’re exactly where you should be at every moment. Your ability to accept that things happen in their own time will make you comfortable with what you’ve already achieved.
Bear in mind that being comfortable where you are doesn’t mean you can’t strive for greater success.
Knowing that you’ve done your best to get where you are is enough to keep pushing you forward.
Every few days, write a list of things you’ve achieved, whether big or small. Combine them at the end of the month and take an overall look at your awesomeness!
In Martial Arts training, those that learn that you will get there if you don’t ever quit often are able to apply the same thinking in all aspects of their life
Surround yourself with positive energy. Positive energy can come from the things you choose to do. It can also come from the people you surround yourself with. When you’re surrounded by positive energy, you can’t help but maintain positivity!
Watch movies that empower and uplift you.
Do things with your friends that build encouragement.
Put yourself in situations where you’ll come out the other end smiling.
Let’s face it, at some point your motivation will wane. Having people and things around you that will help you get over those hurdles will be important to making discipline a habit in your life.
Help others from the goodness of your heart. Avoid helping for personal gain or recognition. When you help others and see the positive impact, you naturally feel better about yourself.
One helpful act with a positive outcome is usually very inspiring. Seeing the difference you can make in others’ lives proves that you’re pretty awesome!
Knowing that you’re important to someone else’s well-being can make you feel worthwhile. It encourages you to keep helping.
Focus on smaller goals. Reaching for and missing broad, unrealistic goals can be very de-motivating. When you’re unreasonable with your capabilities, you end up feeling disappointed when you miss the mark.
Why not break your major goal into smaller, tangible ones? You’ll be able to focus on one part at a time, with each part being another step closer to success!
Celebrate whenever you achieve a goal – large or small. Proving to yourself that you can do it motivates you to keep going.
In Martial Arts we have short range, mid range, and long range goals built in as you progress toward your Black Belt.
Approach this daily regimen in the same way a professional sports player approaches training day. What are your goals for the day? What can you achieve when you hit each target? What do you focus on when you feel like giving up?
You are your biggest supporter. In order for you to achieve success, you must learn to discipline yourself! It’s not cheating, to have others help point you in the right direction on the occasion that you get sidetracked. Tell yourself you’re worth every bit of success that comes your way.
No matter how impossible you might think something is to accomplish, there’s someone out there getting it done anyway. Most often, excuses are a way to justify fear of failure, fear of success, or a lack of resolve. Excuses get in the way of success and living fully.
By overcoming your excuses, success becomes much more likely!
Avoid letting these excuses sabotage the life you desire:
I don’t have the right education. A surprising percentage of the most successful people never completed high school. It’s true that education is required to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer, but education isn’t required in many situations.
Our society places a high emphasis on education, but it’s not always necessary. Motivation and commitment are far more valuable than education in most cases. How committed are you?
I don’t have enough money. Many of those wealthy in the present were poor in the past. Some of the biggest companies were started in a one-car garage. Money certainly makes things easier, but it’s not always necessary to get started.
A lack of financial resources is a convenient excuse to stay stuck in your current situation. The world is full of money. If you don’t have enough money to move forward, find a way to acquire more.
I don’t have enough time. With careful planning, you can find time in your schedule for your priorities. How much extra time do you need to achieve your goals?
You might need to eliminate some of the activities that aren’t as crucial to making your dreams come true, such as club meetings.
If you regularly overextend yourself by saying Yes every time someone asks you to do something, practice politely saying No until you can sometimes make that your answer.
Delegate some of your responsibilities.
Cut down on watching television. You’d be surprised how much you can get done during the time you usually spend watching shows on TV or the internet!
It’s too late to get started. Do you think life has passed you by? An 80 year-old man climbed Mount Everest successfully. People over the age of 60 have graduated from medical school. Is it really too late? It’s possible that your age or life circumstances can make success more challenging, but it’s unlikely that it’s too late.
What can you do today to take that first step?
I don’t know how to get started. There was a time when Tiger Woods didn’t know how to play golf and Warren Buffett couldn’t even spell “stock.” It might be true that you don’t know how to get started. That just means you require some education.
There’s never been a time in history when more free information was available. You can find anything you need to get started online or at the local library. And there’s no law that states you can’t sit in the bookstore all day and read to your heart’s content.
If you feel that success is eluding you, thoughtfully consider the possibility that you might be making excuses. You might discover that what you thought was stopping you all along was really you! Now that you know, you can get past your excuses and on the path to success.
Most people know that martial arts require discipline both physically and mentally. But do you think you are as skilled and disciplined as a black belt? Do think you have what it takes to stick with the training that is required to achieve a black belt? If so, you should seriously consider finding a qualified instructor to help you start on your journey.
