Martial Arts Goals – Realistic and Reachable!
Training and improving one’s martial arts skills is continuous cycle.. As a novice, it may seem overwhelming and you may feel like you’re never going to understand, but this is quite untrue if you show persistence, dedication and make the right kinds of goals. When you begin training in Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu jitsu, you should set clear and reachable goals for yourself.
When setting goals for yourself, you need to take into account a multitude of factors.. Training two or three times a week is not going to get you onto the Medal Stands of the World Championships.. Your chances of winning the Worlds will be slight and it will be up to you, whether the money and time you will spend going are justified.. The serious competitors at my Columbia Martial Arts center are training at least five times a week, doing circuit training, and drilling. The Worlds are a serious competition, so if you want to go and compete and not lose in your first match, you too need to be very serious. It is not fair to yourself to set goals for which your work ethic is not comparable.
The goals you set for yourself need to be realistic. If your goal is just to go and compete, then your training routine is fine; but if your goal is to WIN – then your goal – behavior congruence is off.. You have to look at the factors of your life and decide what is right for you. If you are only able to train two to three times a week, your goal maybe to compete in a local grappling competition like NAGA or a Grapplers Quest.
One’s life outside of martial arts must be considered when planning one’s goals..For instance, the primary reason for getting started with your martial arts training might have been improved physical fitness.. If you are refilling the gas tank with bad fuel (aka eating bad food), you might become discouraged at the lack of results or slow progress you are making towards your goal.. Getting in shape and losing weight is more than just doing physical activity of some kind a few times a week. You need to eat properly in addition to your training. Discouragement is common among new martial artists so goal setting is especially important at that early stage of the game.. The coaches at my Columbia Jiu Jitsu school always told us that for the first three months of training in Brazilian jiu jitsu, you will be lost so dont’ get discouraged.
So, to stay strong mentally, make reachable goals for yourself and follow through with them. Every time you reach a goal, it will give you confidence and encouragement to keep training hard and it will heighten your dedication.