| One of the goals of a good martial arts curriculum is | | | | healthier so you spend more time training and less time |
| progress. Regardless of the style you have chosen to | | | | digesting! You will have to take all that your instructor |
| study, all of them begin with the fundamentals and can | | | | has taught you and incorporate it into sparring or |
| take you to the level of mastery. Success however | | | | self-defense practice. While you've learned many |
| depends on two things: commitment on your part and | | | | attacks and counterattacks, you may find that you |
| a skilled instructor who not only teaches you the art, | | | | only use a few. This is where you experiment with |
| but also challenges you. | | | | what really works. |
| To some, progression in the martial arts is about | | | | Now it's time for your instructor to do his part. A good |
| earning another belt or stripe. The space between | | | | instructor will push you beyond your comfort zone. He |
| these belts and stripes however is where the martial | | | | knows that in order for you to go beyond where you |
| artist makes his real gains. This is where all the hard | | | | are now, he's going to have to make you work. He's |
| work takes place. In addition to learning the new | | | | going to have to mix up the physical training so your |
| techniques required by your style's curriculum, you will | | | | routine doesn't get stale. He may change up a workout |
| be tested physically and mentally. | | | | that you've gotten used to. He may ask you to train |
| Increasing your fitness level will be challenging, as you | | | | with different classmates or to train alone. He may ask |
| push yourself to become faster, stronger and more | | | | you to work on your least favorite techniques or learn |
| agile. You can learn thousands of techniques, but if you | | | | a really hard form. |
| are not physically fit enough to execute them, they will | | | | Don't get upset if one day he walks into class and |
| be of little or no use. This is why it's important for a | | | | turns it all upside down. His experience tells him that a |
| martial arts curriculum to include conditioning exercises. | | | | stale routine stalls your progress. The only way to get |
| Take them seriously because they're part of the | | | | to the next level is to push past whatever is in your |
| whole package. | | | | way. Work diligently on what is asked of you. The day |
| You have to discipline yourself to get to the dojo and | | | | of your test is merely icing on the cake. All the work |
| train hard on nights when all you want to do is go | | | | necessary to progress is done between the belts! |
| home and lay on the couch. You may want to eat | | | | |