Every martial arts school has their own set of rules. These are the top 5 that you should expect to see no matter where you train.
1. Show Up On Time: Making sure you are on the mat ready to train before the start of class is a must. It’s a sign of respect to your teachers, classmates, and your own training. Being ready, before your class begins, shows everyone that you not only take your training seriously, but you also are being intentional with your time management.
2. Look the Part: Just like showing up when you’re expected to, showing up in a complete and tidy uniform shows preparedness and professionalism. Missing a belt, having a bright neon undershirt, or stains on your uniform all show a teacher you weren’t prepared or are fully invested in your training experience. Having extra uniforms is a sure-fire way to avoid these incidents from happening.
3. Maintain a Student’s Mind: Having an open mind allows you to learn beyond your initial expectations. The more you are willing to learn, the more you are willing to try, the greater your martial arts journey will be. It’s natural to become proud of your skills, yet growth is not possible when we believe we’ve mastered everything. Even masters still appreciate the basics. In the famous words of Bruce Lee, “I fear not the man that has practiced 10,000 [different] kicks once, but I fear the man that has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
4. Be Willing to Fail (Over and Over Again): Success is not possible without trial and error. Failure is not something we should avoid, it’s something we should embrace without a loss in spirit. We learn more from our failures than our triumphs. #5 Study and Practice . This is an important one. Spending time outside of class honing what you learned in class will further accelerate your learning. In case you weren’t aware, teachers can tell (with little difficulty) who practices and who doesn’t. When you practice/study, you are telling your teacher that you intend on wasting no class time and making the most of their time with you.
5. Study and Practice: This is an important one. Spending time outside of class honing what you learned in class will further accelerate your learning. In case you weren’t aware, teachers can tell (with little difficulty) who practices and who doesn’t. When you practice/study, you are telling your teacher that you intend on wasting no class time and making the most of their time with you.