“The more you work towards breaking your negative mental obstacles your mind will become stronger.”
It’s no secret that martial arts are more than just kicking and punching things; whether it’s a traditional or a more modern style, there are obstacles and challenges presented to the student. In persevering through and consistently working on your skills, you form a bond with not only the art but with your body and mind. You may notice you have certain mental barriers built up; ones that tell you to quit, convince you you can’t before you even try, and overall discourage you. Martial arts force you to face all of those negative mental blocks head on as you’re being instructed to do things you never thought you could before. Maybe you’ll never get rid of those discouraging voices in your head, but you learn to quiet them down as you have a whole studio of real voices helping you get through the seemingly impossible. The more you train and work on yourself, you begin developing a counter-mindset, one that gives you hope and confidence.
This is a very important skill you can apply to any aspect of your life. Those halting mental barriers can be present at any and all times, and once you can identify them, you can begin dealing with them in the same way you learned in the studio. Perhaps you don’t feel like you’d excel in the career of your dreams, and you let that stop you from trying. This would be a perfect scenario to recruit your perseverance, discipline, and goal-setting from training, and do everything you can to make it happen. It could even be something as simple as when you find yourself getting frustrated, taking a few deep, centering breaths to regain mental clarity. Maybe you’re afraid to stand up for yourself in a situation regarding a friend or co-worker, and you realize you can push through that self-esteem barrier and be your own best advocate. Even if it’s just for that moment.
It’s a practiced skill; the more you work towards breaking your negative mental obstacles your mind will become stronger. I won’t pretend that it comes easily to all martial artists, and it may be a while before you can truly feel the connection between yourself and your strides in class versus yourself in everyday life. Remember your brain is a muscle, and it begins to get used to patterns often repeated. Be kind to yourself, and believe in yourself.
