ZENQUEST Martial Arts Center
  • HOME
  • FOR CHILDREN
    • CHILDREN'S KARATE
    • CHILDREN'S JIU-JITSU
    • KID'S PARTIES
  • FOR ADULTS
    • UECHI-RYU KARATE
    • BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU
    • MUAY THAI KICKBOXING
    • STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
    • MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
    • LAW ENFORCEMENT JIU-JITSU/ LEJJ
  • JOIN US!
    • GETTING STARTED
    • CLASS SCHEDULE
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • FAQs
  • NEWS
  • FOR STUDENTS
  • KID'S CORNER
  • ABOUT
    • CLASS SCHEDULE
    • INSTRUCTORS
    • CONTACT US
  • Online Store & Enrollment

Kaizen: Always Improving

2/15/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Studying a martial art presents several different challenges.  There are learning technical strategies, coordinating our bodies to perform the movements, keeping up with the cardio-vascular requirements, and developing strength to make things work.  But beyond the more obvious, there are also some mental and even emotional challenges to overcome.  Some of the non-physical pitfalls that we need to be aware of include:
 
·   The feeling of not making progress or stagnation
·   A lack of patience or frustration with promotions
·   Arriving at a place of “knowing everything” with no need to learn more
·   Failure to maintain a training schedule
·   Failure to plan financially for training
·   Allowing relationships with training partners or instructors to fall apart
 
Most of these problems can be avoided by following the principle of ‘Kaizen.’  Kaizen is a word that comes from Japanese culture meaning “constant improvement.”  Essentially, it means that every time we enter the dojo or gym, we should do our best to be better than the last time we were there.  This is no easy task, because it means improving on each aspect of training including the technical aspects of our art, our focus and concentration, our strength and conditioning, and even our energy and enthusiasm! 
Just doing these things well all at the same time can require some effort.  Improving on them in a constant and gradual way can present quite a challenge.  To do this we need to immerse ourselves into our training.  We need to try to focus mentally, minimize distractions, and make improvements happen. 
It’s normal to have ups and downs from day to day, or week to week, but over time this approach will lead to improvement and progress.  Sometimes we will feel like we’re making huge improvements, sometimes smaller ones...and sometimes we’ll feel like we’re actually going backwards.  But, over time, we WILL make progress.  In reality, we are always improving, even when we think we’re not.  “Baby steps”  forward should be the goal.  Minimizing distractions and focusing on training will keep us in a healthy place.  We need to make training and improving a priority.
The most import aspect of the Kaizen approach is that it will help us stay positive about our training.  Probably the most common path to failure in the martial arts (or possibly any activity) is mental frustration and negativity.  If we feel like we’re not progressing at all, we will likely get discouraged and give up.  Instead, we need to stay positive, and work towards constant and gradual improvement.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Calendar


    'ZenPress'
    Newsletters

    March
    February

    January '23
    December 
    November
    ​October
    September
    August
    July
    June
    May
    April
    March
    February
    January 2022​
    December
    November
    October
    September
    August​
    July
    June
    May
    April
    March
    February 
    January 2021
    December '20
    November '20
    October '20
    September '20
    August '20
    July '20 
    June '20 
    May '20 
    April '20 
    March '20 
    February '20  
    January '20
    ​December '19
    November '19
    October '19
    September '19
    ​August '19
    July '19
    June '19
    May '19
    April '19
    March '19
    February '19
    January '19
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

ZENQUEST MARTIAL ARTS CENTER
55 PITTSFIELD-LENOX ROAD LENOX, MA 01240 | (413) 637 0656 | TRAIN@ZENQUESTMAC.COM
Site Design: Caroline Correia