Wouldn’t it be great if reality and our expectations were the same? We’d all be superheroes, geniuses, and saints!
If the karate journey was a straight line up from white belt to black belt then everyone would be a black belt.
but…
The karate journey has hills and valleys through out it. Take a look at the image below. We may expect to be great at everything we do and to remember everything, but the reality is that it takes work. Some times it’s physical and sometimes it’s mental. Winning a tournament or getting a new belt is fun and exciting and makes that line swing upward.
But it can’t always be unicorns and rainbows. There is hard work involved. Sometimes you don’t win or you could feel discouraged. That means sometimes coming to class when you don’t feel like it. You have to push through the slumps because there is another great day ahead, but you won’t see it if you quit.
Things to do to help you keep motivated:
- Set Goals
- Remember why you started
- Talk to Sensei
- Do a private class
- Invite a friend
- Get involved & help others
One of the best things about a dojo is having a community that you are a part of. Be active in your community. Make friends and participate in events. Be a coach. It’s not just for kids, adults can also be coaches! Learn to Teach, Teach to Learn is a powerful concept.
Kids need your support. In our past Blog “Pay Attention To Me” we talked about being involved in your child’s training. This is huge in helping them stay excited. Remember, that kids have a hard time changing activities. It is totally normal for kids to not want to drop what they are doing to go to class. Remind them of how much fun they have. Set time lines and stick to them. We don’t use long term contracts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t set a goal for your child:
- Give it your all for 6 months
- Set short term and long term goals
- Challenge them to get to a certain belt
- Join them! Kids love that they can help their parents start karate & it goes back to that Learn To Teach Concept!!