How to set your martial arts goals

[parkerkarate]

When going into this course of martial arts you must have an idea of what you are after. Is it self-defense ability? The physical conditioning, strength and flexibility benefit? Maybe the idea of increased mental and or spiritual powers appeals to you. Do discipline, self-control and self-confidence top your list? Like some people, do you just want to try it and maybe meet some new friends at the studio? Everyone has a different reason, but each has a reason.
- Know what you want
- Have a plan
- Have a success coach
- Take consistent action
- Review your progress and renew your goals
Now let's put these items in the context of your Kenpo goals. Do you want to be a black belt? Do you want all the qualities the image of a black belt inspires? You need a plan and it entails research, decision-making, maybe some soul searching, schedule rearranging, and all the necessary logistics.
Your success coach is not your teacher. With children in particular, the term coach normally refers to a mother or father. They are the one who keep them in class, drive them to ad from class, and encourage and participate in home practice. For adults, the success coach takes the form of a mentor. The mentor can be a fellow or senior student or a perceptive friend.
Finally, review your process. At times you will need to take stock of where you have been and are now. Color belts, tournament trophies, awards, training diaries, measurable skills improvements, etc., help to do this. Talk with yourself and see if you are satisfied. The renew your goals, write them down, or tape a picture of a black belt or that new car to your bathroom mirror where you see it every day. Do these things and anything is possible. It is also important to include the saying "It's the journey, not the destination." It helps prevent burnout too. I hope this helps all you beginners.

[Rob Broad]

Always make small attainable goals on the way to your long term goals.

[ronin6]

Always make small attainable goals on the way to your long term goals.

That has been my approach in my Kenpo journey. I set them and make them attainable to keep me constantly motivated.

[sifuroy]

Setting goals is one of the best ways to start on your Kenpo journey.
However look at some of the averages that others taken to make certain levels. That way you can set realistic goals that you can accomplish. Don't start as a white belt and say you will make Black Belt in one year. It just won't happen. Even if you could learn what you needed to know (and you can't) there is the thing of maturity. My son at the beginning of the year hoped to make Green by the end of the year. He made Brown. He went in 6 days a week to both afternoon classes and night classes and also took a private lesson once a week for what he thought he needed to learn, that was dedication. He has had his Black Belt for 30 years and been in Kenpo for 35.

Our school only has one manditory time for you to hold a grade and that is the time from 1st Brown to 1st Black and that is one year. That is for maturity so you will be ready for the added responsibilities that you will have at the Black Belt level.

I am Most Respectfully,
sifuroy

[Rob Broad]

Every student I teach over the age of 8 has to fill out 2 sheets with short term, mid range and long term goals. the two sheets are identical one copy for me and one copy for their fridge.

[Anoise]

Setting goals is a good thing. We had written goals in TKD, not in Kenpo...but I have them for myself. My long range goal, of course, is getting black belt. Whenever I feel discouraged or would rather sit like a lump and watch tv or think I'm even too old...I remember my goal and know the only way to get there is one step at a time and keep an eye on the prize...I'll watch tv AFTER class...I look at the 76 yo 3rd degree BB and think if she could do it...it's something to focus on when you need a little push.
Great advice!

[hemi]

I think when I started in Kenpo I set my goal a little high right out of the gate. I told my instructor two months after I started I wanted to attain 3rd Dan rank. I could tell by his response that he was very skeptical and I think about it now rightly so. Just in the time I have been going to his school I have seen lots of people come and go. Some show up for every class and try real hard for a few months then I never see them again. Even one lady that started the same day I did, we never missed a class and always worked out/partnered up. Even she has long since gone MIA.

Well long story short I went for almost two years, very seldom missed a class, attended make up classes even after not missing a class, and attended extra weapons classes. I was learning so much new info so fast I was getting brain overload. I felt like I knew so many new moves but had mastered none. So I took two months off from class I told my instructor I was only leaving for two months. One semester, of class a normal eight week block. I think toward the end he was worried I was not coming back as he seemed surprised when I walked back in to class on the day I told him I would two months earlier.

But what I told my self I was going to do was not think about Kenpo for two months. I wasn’t going to stretch, do forms, tech’s, kicks work with weapons or anything Kenpo. Well that lasted about 2 weeks; I started to look at some of what I had learned up to that point. I looked inward at why I love Kenpo and what I hoped to learn from all this time and effort I put forth over the last two years.

I have no easy answer I want to reach 1st Dan then work on my long road to 3rd Dan. I also want to open a school of my own one day. I would like to pass on what I have been learning and will learn over time.

So yeah I have set a high goal but you have to have something to reach for.

[John M. La Tourrette]

Rob,
How about a copy of that?
Sincerely,
Dr. John M. La Tourrette
Ps. It seems like a very valuable propulsion system to me.

[pete]

i used to think in terms of goals, long term/short term, all about the future, then looking back to what shoulda/coulda. well, that kinda keeps you off your here-and-now present tense, even when its good.

so, my goals have become what can i do now to be the my best right now. try to pass that along to the young 'uns too.

pete

[John M. La Tourrette]

Hi Pete,
I read your post and was not really sure what you were refering to, so I went back and read about 50 of your past posts.

I must say that I'm very impressed with your thinking abilities and your "as if" frame of thinking.

Dr. John M. La Tourrette

[Anoise]

Dear Kenpo brothers and sisters:

The goal of any MA should be mastership of his or her chosen style.
I believe that mastership once attained can be lost due to inactivity.
"Once saved, always saved" does not apply in this realm.

Nelson

Reminds me of something I always heard in dance class...if you take a week off of dancing, it will take two weeks to get back to where you were when you stopped.

[tiktok86]

i used to think in terms of goals, long term/short term, all about the future, then looking back to what shoulda/coulda. well, that kinda keeps you off your here-and-now present tense, even when its good.

so, my goals have become what can i do now to be the my best right now. try to pass that along to the young 'uns too.

pete

I have to agree with this, in a way. In terms of hindsight, as we all know it's "20/20". But in my opinion you should never look back on a decision with regret. We all make mistakes, it's a part of life and learning... but once you begin to regret your decisions, you start doubting yourself and become reluctant to make future decisions. Simply realize that you made the best decision you could with the information that was available to you at the time, and learn from it. Live in the here and now!