New to the Martial Arts – Some Tips on Getting the Most from Your Experience
Have
you or your child recently started taking martial arts classes? There
can be a lot to learn. Sometimes it can be very overwhelming. Here are
some ideas on how to make sure you and/or your child gain the most from
what the martial arts have to offer: ·Have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. For
most martial arts schools, the black belt is the recognized symbol of
excellence. It is the goal most students initially set their sites on.
Unfortunately, few actually achieve it. This is often because they
didn’t understand what their goal should have been. Are you there for
exercise? Then make sure you are taking classes that are physically
challenging and rewarding. Are you there to learn self-defense?Ensure
that the instruction you are receiving meets those expectations.
Perhaps you want to be competitive in that particular martial art
(Taekwondo, Karate, or MMA). If so, make sure you are focusing on
developing the skills necessary to becoming the best competitor you can
be. If you are focused on your true goal, your progression through the
ranks will come naturally. If you are focused only on progressing
through the belt ranks, your training will be less satisfying, and your
commitment to your training will be undermined.
Learn from more experienced students. Whenever you have the opportunity, strike up a conversation with a student who has been ·training
for a lengthy period of time. Find out what was most beneficial to
their training, and what didn’t work as well. Learn what challenges
they faced to maintaining their commitment to the martial arts, and
what helped them overcome those. More experienced students have a
wealth of information to provide, and most are very willing to help. Practice, practice, practice! Similar
to any other endeavor you attempt, the benefits you receive from the
martial arts is directly tied to the amount of effort you put into
them. Don’t just rely on your one-hour, two or three times per week to
turn you into an expert martial artist. Practice at home, during breaks
or lunch while at work, or anywhere else you can find a few minutes. It
doesn’t take a lot of time, but the repetition outside of class will
dramatically improve your performance in class. Your self-confidence
and skill level
will grow exponentially by just taking a few minutes out of each day to
work on kata, a certain kick, or self-defense techniques. ·Learn and follow the expectations of your instructor.Your
instructor is there to help you improve. While no one enjoys a drill
sergeant mentality all the time, there are instances when your
instructor needs to push you to the next level – physically or
mentally. That’s their job. If they have been an instructor for several
years, it probably is a good indication they are pretty good at it.
Listen to what they have to offer, and work on meeting or exceeding
those expectations.
Refer A Friend
The best gift you can give your instructor is a referral
Dear Students and Families,
Each
week Ocasio's has been printing your Weekly Events Sheets to keep you
informed of current and future events in your school. As well as
important information regarding belt promotions etc.
In an effort to reduce paper waste, we have been sending you our Weekly Events Sheets and Monthly News Letter via email.
Please help us cut the paper waste... See your instructor or a staff member today to verify your current email address on file. A huge Thank You to all of you that have been supporting our efforts to reduce waste by reading your emails. Together we can make a difference!
We are aware that there are some blended
families in our schools. So be sure to have all appropriate emails for
your family on file. Also be sure to add us to your address books and/or safe lists in your email.
Should you by chance receive multiple copies of the same email in the same mailbox, please contact Mrs. Ocasio or Mrs. Marsh to correct the matter.
These emails are also 100% internal. Meaning that we generate these emails ourselves. Your information is private and is not available to any 3rd parties.
Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to a "greener" future.
Dear students and families,
We are excited to offer you our monthly email newsletter!
This
newsletter will be filled with valuable information to assist you in
your current and future Martial Arts training. Also included will be
information to keep you informed of current and recent events in our
schools. On occasion we may even place special offers and invitations
for you, your families and friends in our newsletter.
Don't miss out! See your instructor or a staff member today to verify your current email address on record.
If
you have a
Celebration (such as honor roll student, job promotion, marriage,
anniversary, birth, or a story that has demonstrated your leadership
skills and successes, etc.) Please
email Sempai, Marsh with your information. Your news could be published
in our newsletter and/or website. Celebrating your success!
