Elite Training Center

At Elite Training Center, like at most martial arts schools, we remove our shoes before coming onto the mat.  Most people who begin training soon realize the importance of this practice; techniques used in Krav Maga, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) involve quite a bit of groundwork and grappling, and inevitably faces end up on the mats.  No one wants to literally come face to face with what’s on their (and everyone else’s) shoes!  Removing them is hygienic and helps keep the training surfaces of the school clean.

Removing our shoes has a symbolic meaning as well.  No matter what worries and stresses we have in our lives, from family to money to politics to road rage, it’s imperative to leave them at the edge of the mat along with our shoes.  Training requires focus and control in order to learn, to improve, and to keep our partners safe and learning as well; we cannot have the necessary mindset when we’re stressed or upset.  Use the time on the mat to be present and focused and give yourself a break from your troubles!  Removing your shoes can be a ritual that helps you…instead of just kicking them off when you come to train, make a conscious choice to leave it all outside, take a deep breath, and bow onto the mat with the proper mindset.  And when you finish training and step back into your shoes, you can choose to pick up that stress again as well.  However, you may find that after the break for training your troubles seem just a bit more manageable.

~Katie

Elite Training Center 
1628 South Pacific Coast Highway,
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 543-1600
www.elitetrainingcenter.net

Elite Training Center