Martial arts are about self-improvement on different levels. It can either be for a competition or just the desire to achieve some goals, which can be personal or professional. But most of us get little demotivated or run low on boost at times.
It is completely normal and there is nothing to worry about. Either you are feeling stuck in the same position for a while or not feel like you used to we have a solution. This article is about how you can get better at martial arts and be better as a mortal artist. So, get your martial arts gear and essentials and let’s get started with the tips and tricks.
Table of Contents
Things to Do at Martial Arts
Training on your own
There is so much more to do before and after class. If you haven’t already been doing it then let’s have a look. Devote some time to training either before or after class. You can watch videos, practice moves, spar, ask your instructor questions, research, or read articles.
A few minutes or even an hour won’t hurt. Imagine how better you would be at kicking if you practiced it daily than someone who just does it in the class.
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Sparring and sparring partner
First do not be afraid of sparring. Second, be wise when choosing your partner. Choosing someone below your level is a waste of time. Choosing the same partner every time means you both can predict the next move. The purpose of sparring is not to get through it but to test and put your knowledge into action. So, you can know the weak points and become better by correcting them. Train with someone who can:
- beat you so you can develop better self-defense
- challenging so you know your abilities
- be beaten so you can perfect your techniques
There are so many ways you can challenge yourself to become better and improve your game.
Setting goals
Long-term goals like getting a gold medal, perfecting a technique, or reaching the next level are a must. But you should also have short term weekly and monthly goals. These will lead the path to long-term goals. So, you will know that you are on the right path.These keep on reminding you that progress is ongoing regardless it is small or big.
Keep these goals realistic and reachable in the given time. They don’t have to be huge or crazy difficult. It can be anything like keeping your attention and focus throughout, improve your choke, prefect the guard, etc.
Read: Martial Arts Fitness
How to set goals
Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, in a specific time, either they are short or long term. General or bad goals don’t have any timeline or sometimes they are not achievable so working on that wastes your time and after some time you figure that you are not progressing. Conversely, specific goals let you track it properly and adjust your effort accordingly.
Seek inspiration
Inspiration is one of the best things that keep us going. You can either hope and work to get up to that mark someday or just be inspired by someone to walk your path. The things are to become a better martial artist one day.
On another note, your inspiration doesn’t have to be from the profession or field you belong to. But when we talk about martial arts Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, and Ip Man have become a source of inspiration for many martial artists.
Read: Best Martial Arts for Fitness
Open yourself to learning
Opening yourself to learning means you seek new ways to learn or improve the one way you like. Use the tactics you followed to learn dates, geometric formulas, and lessons in school, to learn martial arts. For instance, first, you hear or see the technique, visualize, and then perform it. Or you just start doing it then better and perfect the technique over time.
There are many ways you can learn and become better. Like asking your instructor questions, watching videos, sparring before and after the class, recording yourself while performing or sparring then notice the mistakes.
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Take a break
Trying and repeating until you get it right approach is good. But it is not the only way, in fact, sometimes it can the reason that is holding you back. Overtraining can lead to burnout or even worse. So, take a day or two off in a week. If not, you can take a few days off after a while. getting your mind off it will help you rethink and get back with a fresh approach. However, don’t extend your breaks that getting back on track gets difficult.