The Way (everybody's Kickboxing journey is individual)
Thursday 06 January 2022
Everybody's kickboxing journey is individual, and we're here to make sure your training matches your journey. But we can also help anecdotally, with signposts along the way, tips and life experiences to keep you on the path to your ultimate achievement. Here is the first.
On any road to achievement, there will be obstacles on the way. How could it be otherwise? Achievement is the overcoming of obstacles, the greatest of which is your own perceived limitations. When you grade for a new belt, the next belt may seem a great distance away. You may wonder how you are ever going to achieve the new techniques and demands on your stamina and skills. These are your obstacles, your challenges.
Some techniques will come naturally to you, others may not. You may fail at some and feel frustrated. But the worst things you can do is to try and walk around them, to avoid them, to 'leave them for another day'. A very successful businessman once said that when he gets up in the morning, he first tackles the problems he least wants to face. After that, his day just gets better and better. So, the message is staring you in the face. This is where the opportunity is. Embrace the obstacle. Cherish it. Work on it. Overcoming it is the pathway of the true martial artist. This is where true achievement is discovered. Pushing yourself to break through those barriers is the path to greatness.
Sometimes you may find that in conquering a difficult technique it still feels awkward, it just isn't smooth. Talk this over with your Sensei. It may be that you will discover how to adapt that technique to suit your own body and mind. This can be very rewarding. Great martial artists have often adapted a well-known technique into something unique to them, which becomes a formidable part of their 'armoury'. If it flows like water, you know you've got it.
But never forget your basics. They're called basics for a good reason. They are the foundation of good martial arts. These are what keep your feet on the ground, physically as well as metaphorically. Practise them often and they will always be there when you need them. The clever, advanced stuff relies on them like an anchor.