“Training is everything.…….Good students follow where you practice.” – (end quote) – Masaaki Ikemiyagi 9th dan Goju Ryu
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Consistent practice at the dojo is essential to learn and to improve. Regular attendance and practice outside the dojo is also essential.
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Regular practice at home, helps maintain the learning that occurred in the dojo. Even 5-10 minutes of practice each day improves the ability to remember and improve your skills. Doing something will always be better than doing nothing.
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Live your Art. The truth is, that martial arts practice never ends. The more you practice, the more your Art will become a part of who you are. There is no one correct amount of practice that works for all people. It depends on your goal.
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It is important to find a balance between your practice and your personal life, including your family, friends and job. On some days, these things may prevent you from practicing. When this happens, you need to use your best judgment.
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Create a schedule or routine around your martial arts practice, you’re more likely to keep your training on track. But if you only train when you feel like it, or randomly throughout the week, then it can be challenging to keep up a consistent training program. Make a plan for the days you’ll train each week and do your best to stick with your routine.
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When actions develop into habits, they become automatic, requiring little of the mental energy needed the first few times you attempt the action.
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One of the biggest lessons you learn through martial arts is the importance of self-discipline. Most days, you must rely only on your own accountability and responsibility to ensure that you get your training in. It’s not always easy, but it’s an important skill to develop and use in all areas of your life.
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Do not think of karate as belonging only to the dojo. Your goal should be to train for the rest of your life. The martial arts are very deep with a vast wealth of knowledge. A lifelong study of martial arts is a wonderful goal, since each martial art is an endless road to be traveled as far as you can.
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Your martial arts practice is a long-term journey that requires a lot of patience, persistence, and hard work. Consistent daily training makes all the difference, because there is so much to learn. It is important to make a commitment to practice your martial art, no matter how small that practice may be, every day. ??
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“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”
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? Photo Credit: Masaaki Ikemiyagi & Okinawa BBTV
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