You might be surprised to learn you are the biggest barrier in your ability to become a great KENPO practitioner.
If you find yourself saying “I just don’t have time to practice at home” or “I’ll practice later” or even “I just don’t have the material down like I should” then this might be just the kick in the pants you need to straighten yourself out.
The Truth About Your Training
I hate to break it to you, but you’re the only one in the way of your personal success. I can’t make you practice outside of class. I can only help push you while you’re in class. You have to want to get better AND also have the dedication and desire to do something about it.
While coming to class is a good start, you might also need to work in some more training time in between classes.
How To Take Control of Your Training
Coming to class twice a week for some is all they need to get things down, however, for most, they need more time outside of class to get things down.
The simplest trick is to schedule one 30 minute practice session outside of class each week. As that becomes easier, schedule at least a second 30 minute training session or extend your workout to an hour.
Mark it on a calendar. Put a reminder in your outlook. Add a reminder to your cell phone. Whatever you got to do but just do it so you get into the habit of training at least one additional time per week.
And, if you’re letting other things get in the way and you’re constantly letting something else bump your training time, well, knock it off!
Think of it this way, you already come to class twice a week. Why? Because it’s scheduled. Now, do the same thing for yourself at least 30 minutes a week for personal training. If it’s not scheduled, it’s too easy to let it slide.
What to Practice In Your Training Session
If you’re struggling with a form, practice it as many times as you can in your 30 minute session. Have a hard time remembering the technique names? Read your quick reference journal for 30 minutes and quiz yourself on the names. Maybe even create flash cards to test yourself.
Whatever is getting in your way of feeling confident with the curriculum, start at those places and work your way out from yellow belt on up. Write down a checklist of things you want to get better at then use your time to chip away at those things. Once you feel confident with them, mark them off your list.
Be sure to also read 15 Tips to Help Your Martial Arts Workouts Outside of Class. This will help give you some additional ideas on working out at home.
It all starts with you taking responsibility for your training then doing something about it. Start now so you can benefit later!
About Ryan
After reading the article on “are you the biggest barrier”, I went back and read “15 tips to workouts outside of class” and “training in different environments”. These were all great articles and caused me to think about my own training regimen. It’s sometimes difficult to motivate yourself to work out alone, and I will use the suggestions given in the articles to make my workouts more enjoyable and productive. Keep up the good work! I enjoy reading the articles and comments by others.