Goals
Setting Goals and Doing the Work.
Often, people watch martial arts videos, professional fights, or movies
with fight scenes and ooh and ahh at the fancy moves and crazy techniques.
But they often forget or don’t know the long road those athletes or
martial artists took to that place. I remember when I started training
Krav Maga and Muay Thai kickboxing at Elite Training Center, I would look into the
Masters Krav Maga class windows like a puppy outside in the rain. I couldn’t
wait to get in there and start hip-tossing huge guys to the ground. Basic
striking wasn’t always exciting enough then, but as I look back now I
realize I wasn’t focused on the right things. It is important to be sure
you always have a big goal in mind in your training, and if getting into
that masters class is it, then that is great. But it doesn’t always have
to be that lofty. Your goal can be to walk into a kickboxing clinic
telling yourself, “ok I’m not going to flare my elbow on my jab even once
today.” Sounds like an easy goal but it can actually be incredibly
challenging if you’re focused on it. It’s important to have a master goal
but to try and set a daily goal too. That will help you progress and never
feel like you’re just going through the motions in any class.
Truly, your goal should always be to be better than you were yesterday,
not better than your classmates are today. Let people inspire you to work
harder, but remember, everyone’s path in martial arts — be it Krav Maga,
Kali, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu jitsu, MMA, or anything else — is his or
her own. Pick one thing each class to focus on and really be careful to
“never burn a bad rep.” Don’t throw punches carelessly just because the
class technique is focused on kicks. Every rep counts and you should take
pride and work on each one. Your progress will speed up immensely, and you
will be much more focused and engaged in class. (And trust me, engaging
your mind can make you sweat more too!).
One last piece of advice for making progress on those goals, particularly
in extreme or conditioning classes: instead of looking at the timer
thinking “when oh when can I stop?!” Think, “how many more reps can I get
in this time before the bell?” The more you view training as a personal
challenge, the more you’ll push yourself and the more fun you will have.
We all have our days where just motivating to get on the mat is a victory,
but if you took the time to show up, make the most of it!
Keep training and keep trying 🙂
– Ashley Martabano
Elite Training Center Redondo Beach
1628 South Pacific Coast Highway,
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 928-6278
Elite Training Center Hermosa Beach
1601 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 170
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
(310) 597-4669
