5 Bad Habits Sabotaging Your Martial Arts Training
Martial arts are great for exercise, self-defense, and personal discipline. People choose to learn the art of combat for many different reasons, but some fail to see it through to the end. Here are five bad habits that sabotage your martial arts training and how to avoid them.
Poor Nutrition
As with any sport, proper nutrition is vital to martial arts. If you're not eating right your progress will be stunted. To get the most out of workouts and training, make sure to eat a balanced diet and give yourself plenty of rest in between physical activity.
Losing Motivation
The biggest enemy of any interest is losing your motivation to do it. Martial arts is no different, especially given the long and arduous task of actually learning. It can be difficult to keep your desire to learn when day after day it seems like you're not advancing at all. The key is not to give up, though. While it may be small, you're still improving. It can take a while before the results finally begin to show, but it will all be worth it when they do.
Setting Unrealistic Goals
Having a goal to aim for can help you stay motivated along the path to mastery. Having a realistic goal is most important, though. It's unlikely you'll be able to smash cinder blocks with your head after only a few months of training, for example. Keeping account of your progress and basing your goals on what you've already accomplished is a helpful way to stay the course.
Not Having Patience
Relating to motivation, it can be hard to have the kind of patience it takes to become a martial arts master. There won't be any montage where you immediately become a black belt. You'll be working hard for months before you're an expert on even the basics. While it may be tempting to try to cut corners with things like performance enhancing drugs or quit altogether, it's important to keep perspective and discipline your mind as well as your body to avoid these pitfalls.
Forgetting to Breathe
While this is mostly for beginners, it's a crucial reminder for veterans as well. Breathing properly is the key to any martial art. Forgetting to breathe in the heat of the moment or not breathing from your diaphragm wears you out quicker and inhibits your abilities, so stay focused and don't forget.
Conclusion
Now that you know what kind of bad habits to look out for, you can take what you've learned and apply it to your training regimen. Remember these tips and stay positive. You'll reach your goals sooner than you think as long as you keep at it.
