Is It Ever Ok To Take Breaks In Training?

 

     There has never been a consensus of opinion when it comes to the topic of taking breaks in your training. For as many people as you can find that say taking breaks in one's training is never a good idea, you can find as many people that say the exact opposite.  I would say from my personal experience as both a student and instructor that I fall somewhere in the middle.

     I think we've all come to a point in our training, whether it be exceeding personal or professional demands where we have asked ourselves the following. "Is it ever ok for me to take a break from my training, if so how long?" What I've found from my 25 plus years of training and teaching experience is that breaks can actually be beneficial if done the right way. 

     I did want to clary an important point when it comes to taking breaks, one that is often overlooked, yet extremely critical. First and foremost, before we can even start to think of taking breaks we first ensure we have established solid training habits. Are we coming to class consistently, is missing class more the exception than the rule, are we making the most of our training time? If the answer to those questions is yes then I think it's perfectly ok to take time away here and there. If on the other hand, your one who struggles to maintain any semblance of consistent training then taking breaks is more problematic. 

     The way I explain it to my students is that each time they come to class it's like putting money in the bank. The more often they come to class the more money or credit they've built up. That money is there for them to draw from on a rainy day or as a splurge, just be careful when and how you use it! Basically, there are 2 different ways in which you can use your breaks. You can either spread it out over time, taking a day or two here or there or you can save it up and take a longer break all at once. I had one family whose kids rarely missed training during the school year but once summertime came around they would take a week or 2 off, come back and train for a few weeks and then go on vacation again. 

     Breaks can be a tremendously beneficial training tool if used properly. They can impact and influence our growth, enjoyment, and longevity of our training.  

               

     

           

         

Proper Mindset When Rolling, To Win Or To Learn?

 

     A question I often hear discussed centers around the idea of what a student's proper mindset should be when they roll and what is going to translate into the most effective use of my time? We've all heard the expression you perform like you train. In that light there seem to be 2 main philosophies when it comes to how a student should view their rolling time with other students. 

     On the one hand, I hear the primary objective of rolling is less about learning and more about conditioning the mind, developing mental toughness, and developing a winning mindset. This view holds that when students roll, their primary objective is to simply win, to implement and execute their game plan, and to outperform their partner both technically and physically. On the flip side, there are those that say the primary objective of rolling is less about winning and more about learning, creating, and refining. Specifically rolling is viewed as a time to take chances with positions and techniques, to create new technical and conceptual connections as well as strengthening their technical base. 

     For me, after 26 years of teaching, training, and competing internationally I've found that using my rolling time as an opportunity to focus primarily on learning, creating and refining has paid the greatest dividends. I've found that through this process I've not only grown technically but developed a degree of mental toughness and a winning mindset. In closing, I wanted to pose a question: What is your personal take on this subject and what have you found to be the most effective for your training?                     

Using The Martial Arts To Help Combat Childhood Obesity

 

      We can all agree that the health and wellbeing of our children are of major importance to us, and ensuring that they grow up healthy, happy, and thriving is the goal of all parents. With that said, I think martial arts is one of the most powerful transformative tools out there.     

     I think we can all agree that childhood obesity is a serious problem in this county which puts a large segment of our youth at risk for poor health. According to the CDC, childhood obesity affects around "19.3%, or 14.4 million children and adolescences ages 2 to 19. Speaking in generalities, the main cause of obesity be it, children, adolescence, or adults is a combination of poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle. The health-related issues facing those children and adolescence who are obese are significant. Again according to the CDC those children and adolescents are at a great risk for developing: 

     1. High blood pressure

     2.  Diabetes

     3. Breathing problems

     4. Join problems

     4. Fatty liver disease, gallstones,

     Along with the physical compromises, obese children and adolescents are at greater risk for developing psychological and social issues as well.

     1. Anxiety and depression

     2. Low self-esteem

     3. Increased incidents of bullying.

     While the exact causes and treatment of childhood and adolescence obesity are complex, we as an industry are in a unique position to bring about profound and lasting change to our student's lives. Martial arts are not simply an activity but a way of life. The physical practice of martial arts incorporates many beneficial elements that when combined together become a powerful tool to combat the detrimental effects of obesity. Things such as...

     1. Strenght training and cardiovascular conditioning.

     2. Increased flexibility, coordination, and balance.

     3. Improved nutrition.

     4.  Discipline.

     5. Improved self-confidence, self-control, and self-respect

     6. Resilience.

     7. Determination.

     8. Dedication.

     9. Goal setting.

     10. Increased focus and contration.

     11. Positive support and encouragement from teammates

     For me, martial arts is unmatched in its ability to offer its students the tools and support they'll need, to succeed, to thrive, to become the best possible versions of themselves! 

     

     

      

     

            

              

Don't Wait To Feel Motivated

 

     I like most of you I was conditioned into believing that motivation was the vital ingredient needed before you could proceed with any goalsetting. That somehow, this elusive feeling, which we often give magical qualities to, had to be present in order for us to find success.

     After years of waiting to feel motivated before I started something, or stopping something when I no longer felt motivated to I had an epiphany! I suddenly realize the reason I was going through life so frustrated and unable to stick with even the simplest goals was my perspective. I realized that it was not motivation itself that was going to allow me to stick with something. Instead, the real deciding factors were the habits and systems I had in place.

     You see what most of us fail to realize is that motivation, and or inspiration, is a fickle and fleeting feeling. It cannot be counted upon to deliver results, as it is subject to so many internal and external factors. Things such as past experiences, the amount of sleep we had the night before, our current environment, our temperament all converge to influence our feelings of motivation. In fact, it's quite natural at times for us to feel uninspired and unmotivated in the pursuit of our goals. In many cases, it is not unusual to feel unmotivated until after we've started  Some of us even view this absence of motivation and or inspiration as a sign that we should give up altogether on the goal, or not even start the process.   

     The important point to remember is that motivation in and of itself will is not sufficient to guarantee success in achieving your goals. While motivation is important, it should be viewed more as a catalyst or starting point. To have any real chance at sticking with and achieving your goals one needs to have first laid down a solid foundation of habits and systems. Good habits and the systems that allow you to develop these good habits are the lynchpins of success They can be counted upon to carry you through even in the absence or lack of motivation and inspiration.