Seven Habits of Highly SuccessfulMartial Artists

Regardless of how old you are or what rank you have earned, most martial arts students share a common goal… to be the best they can be. Sure, you may never be able to leap five feet in the air, flip, and accurately side kick your target. But, in reality what matters is that you are striving toward your personal potential. Follow the Seven Habits of Highly Successful Martial Artists to help you get there.

Habit One - Be There: Getting to class is important not only to continue your learning but to provide your body with the routine of physically and mentally utilizing your knowledge.

Habit Two - Practice: Reviewing at home what you learn in class is critical if you want to master your skills. Furthermore, home practice makes your class experience more beneficial and comfortable. Practice anything new you learn in class for five to ten minutes as soon as you get home that day.

Habit Three - Eat Right: You are what you eat. Eat healthy and your body will pay dividends when challenged. Good nutrition is a necessity for peak performance.

Habit Four - Stretch Daily: Muscles that are stretched regularly become more flexible and are less prone to injuries. Flexible muscles can help your body perform techniques with an amazing degree of speed, accuracy and power. 

Habit Five - Meditate: Just take five to ten minutes a day by yourself;  close your eyes, relax, and breath deeply. Visualize yourself performing challenging martial arts techniques perfectly. Doing this can help you fine-tune your techniques.

Habit Six - Teach: Help a fellow student or teach yourself. The teaching process actually “hard- codes” information into your brain and helps you learn faster. Stand in front of a mirror and verbally teach yourself how to perform a technique.  Make necessary corrections and positively reinforce yourself. 

Habit Seven - Set Goals: Have you officially set black belt as your goal yet? Have you set a specific time-line to achieve that goal? What are your goals?  A goal set is a goal already half completed.

Follow these seven habits of highly successful martial artists and you’ll achieve your true martial arts potential… and you may surprise yourself at how incredible your potential actually is.