So you are thinking about martial arts lessons for yourself or your kids!
And you have probably heard claims like this…
“Karate will help your kids focus!”
“Karate will give you self discipline!”
“Karate will improve self confidence!”
Blah…Blah…Blah…
The hyperbole of our industry is endless with claims of lives being changed
through the training we do on the mat. And I am here to tell you that “YES!”
these things are true…
Confidence DOES increase
Kids DO focus better
Self discipline DOES improve
BUT…
Will it do these things for you or your child?
Honestly…I DON”T KNOW.
Here is what I mean…
I have been in the martial arts for 25 years and have been teaching for over 15 years now; so
I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to succeed with this stuff.
The question is “DO you have what it takes to succeed?”
The answer is “YES!”
Over the years I have learned that many prospective students love the “idea” of the martial arts.
But there is a dissonance between the “idea” and the “reality” of martial arts training.
This leads many students to give up and quit. Success in the martial arts requires students to reconcile
this difference and stick with the training in spite of it.
The next question is “WILL you do what it takes to succeed?”
The answer is “I DON”T KNOW.”
I don’t know how committed you are toward reaching your goals or helping your kids reach theirs.
I don’t know if you can bridge the gap between what you thought karate was going to be and what it is.
I don’t know how much effort you are willing to put into your training.
“Success in the martial arts requires
the student to reconcile the difference
between their “idea” of karate and
the reality of karate.”
So whether you are thinking about starting lessons or you have been with it for awhile;
consider this…
- It takes EFFORT
Martial arts training takes WORK! There is no magic secret to success.
We just have to DO THE WORK…period! Are you willing to put in the effort
or are you going to bail when it gets tough? I DON’T KNOW. - It takes TIME
We don’t become Black Belts overnight and things like self confidence and self discipline
take years to fully develop. It’s not like the movies where we see a montage of training scenes
over a 2 hour plot theme and magically go from wimp to warrior. It takes time…years.
Remember that I said I have been studying martial arts for 25 years? After all of that time
I am still learning and figuring things out…even with things I first learned 25 years ago.
Are you willing to be in it for the long haul or will you leave when you don’t get immediate results?
I DON”T KNOW. - It takes COMMITMENT
We live in a culture of instant gratification. Information is just a mouse click away.
Our orders can be ready in less than a minute at the drive through and we can send and
receive text messages instantaneously. When we don’t get what we want or see results
right away we move on to the next thing that tickles our fancy. We have lost the skill of
KEEPING our commitments and have forgotten how to be content where we are with
what we have. This will kill any chance of success in the martial arts. The value in training
is in the long term devotion to the development of our skills. Are you willing to make AND keep
a commitment and finish what you start or will you move on to the next new thing when the “newness”
of martial arts wears off? I DON”T KNOW.
Here is what I do know and have experienced myself…
Students who are willing to make the commitment to work hard over time and not give up when things
get tough or they become bored can, do and WILL experience ALL of the benefits martial arts training
has to offer.
“As martial artists; the value in training
is in the long term devotion to the
development of our skills.”
So…
DO you have what it takes to succeed? YES
WILL you do what it takes to succeed? I DONT KNOW.
…only you can answer that.
Take care…
TRB