Showing Up

​In the martial arts there can be many challenges to deal with in order to keep our training going and reach our goals. These can range from difficulties in learning techniques, distractions, lack of motivation, family and work struggles, illnesses, injuries, burn-out, and personality conflicts to name a few.
The best way to deal with these challenges is the principle of ’just show Up.’ This is simply making a solid habit of getting to the gym/dojo on a regular basis to train. If we can make a routine of throwing our gear in the car and motivating ourselves to get there consistently we will...over time...learn, level-up, master strategies, gain insight, and grow as a person.
This was mentioned recently at ZenQuest by a student who quoted a previous martial arts teacher from many years ago. Sometimes ’just show Up’ might have a colorful word or two added for emphasis. In any case it’s worth repeating here as it is the single most important part of success in any martial arts endeavor.
As we all know things that seem like they would be easy at first can turn out to be super challenging. With busy schedules of school, work, family, and other activities, getting to the dojo a couple of times each week can be difficult at times. However, most of the challenges we will encounter can be overcome with some commitment, self-disciple, and support from those around us.
It can be easy for us to make excuses for skipping training, too. Anything from “I’m too busy” to “I’m too tired” to “I’m not 100%” to “I’ll train at home” are common mental traps to fall into. But, making a habit of excuses instead of getting to the dojo is guaranteed to ruin your martial arts experience. Prioritizing training and shaking off negative thoughts will keep you on track.
With busy schedules, sometimes things come up that cause us to miss class. Oftentimes, though, we can adjust our schedules and simply attend a different class during that week. For cases where we feel physically or mentally fatigued training will actually likely energize us and improve our state of mind.
Once we’ve successfully committed to regular and consistent training the benefits are nothing short of amazing. Attending martial arts classes regularly is essential for making progress. Here's why regular attendance is so important:
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Muscle Memory
A big part of mastering a martial art is creating a situation where it’s techniques and strategies get imprinted into our brain. This is known as ‘building muscle memory.’ The more we practice the 

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​moves, the more automatic they becomes to us. If we attend classes regularly, we will practice and review these strategies often and they will become a part of us on an instinctive level. On the other hand missing classes regularly will delay building that muscle memory, and slow down or stall our progress.
Improving Fitness
Martial arts training is a great way to stay fit. It involves lots of physical activity like footwork, body-weight exercises, kicking, punching, throwing, positioning, isometrics, and stretching. Because this involves technical movement that require us to concentrate and immerse ourselves in the way that we’re moving, we also burn calories using our brain power.
Regular attendance ensures that we are constantly working out and improving our physical and mental fitness. This not only makes us better at our chosen art but also helps us stay healthy and strong. Skipping classes means burning fewer calories, a lower level of fitness, and lessor overall health.
New Moves
Martial arts classes are designed to teach us new techniques and skills over time. Classes also tend to build on what we’ve learned before. Even drilling moves that we ’already know’ will help us master the timing and finer points involved, and gain new insight into their application. Regular attendance ensures that we are always learning and improving. It also means we will continue to learn new techniques and keeping our skill-set up to date.
Mental Toughness
One of the most important traits learned from the martial arts is mental toughness and self-discipline. This means gaining the strength to persevere through challenging situations in the dojo and in our lives. In order to learn this, though, we first need to have enough discipline to get to the dojo regularly. Attending regular classes, even when we are tired or busy, will build this discipline. Once mastered, mental toughness and self-discipline can extend to many other areas of our life. Then we can stick with our commitments and work hard to achieve our goals.
Real Confidence
Regular attendance in classes helps to build our confidence. As we practice and improve, become more skilled and capable, and learn to persevere, we will feel a real sense of confidence in our abilities. Confidence is important in the martial arts because it helps us perform better and stay calm in challenging situations. This will also extend into all other aspects of our lives. It’s always nice to feel good about ourself and our progress, too.
Building Friendships
Unlike many mainstream gyms or activities, the dojo is a great place to make friends and build relationships. With regular attendance, we get to know our training partners and instructors better. This creates a unique sense of community and support for us. Our classmates will help us learn and improve, and our instructors will give personalized feedback and guidance. Skipping classes can make it harder to build these relationships and benefit from this support.
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So, regular attendance is crucial for making progress in martial arts. It helps us build muscle memory, improve our fitness, learn new techniques, build discipline, gain confidence, and build relationships. The more we practice, the better we get at all of it. If you want to excel in martial arts, get yourself to class!