Martial Arts Frustration
EVERY student I have ever taught and every martial artist I’ve ever known has experienced frustration as some point or another. Its part of the norm. Its part of being a martial artist. The way to face this is to always maintain a “white belt mindset.” Meaning, there is always more to learn, always room for improvement, and always someone out there to humble you.
Whether you’re an advanced martial artist or just beginning your martial arts journey, you’ll have many times where you feel that you’re doing well in your training. Your punches feel strong. You’re confident in your combinations. Your free sparring is great. You feel like the martial arts applications you are learning are being executed almost perfectly. All is well in your little world…for now. However you must also handle getting through frustrating times in martial arts training as well.
Truth told, if you practice anything long enough, continually looking for ways to test yourself and acquire more skills, you will experience numerous periods of frustration. The big question is what should we do when we feel frustrated? Eventually you’ll have a day, week, or even a month or two where you’ll feel like you’re never going to progress as a martial artist. You can’t remember your combinations. Your overwhelmed in free sparring. The form you knew flawlessly the previous month is suddenly confusing you. The mitt drills don’t come easy. The Escrima drills are difficult, the Silat complex and your fellow students seem to be moving ahead of you in their training. Are you really at the end of your success as a student of the martial arts? Have you peaked? Of course not! You’ve simply hit the “wall of frustration”!
So, what do you do now? The way you choose to answer to this question is extremely important! There will be the temptation to take the easy way out and simply give up, to quit. Many do. A devoted student however, cannot give in to this temptation and will never give up. So what are the options that could help you get through the frustrating times in martial arts training and deal with this wall?
Take an honest look at your training. Getting through frustrating times in martial arts involves taking a hard look at your practices. Have you been coming to class on a regular basis before you started experiencing frustration? Have you been skipping classes? Are you socializing in class more than you’re actually training? If you have examined your training, attendance, and dedication and can truly say you have not changed your routine, it may be that your are simply advancing into a newer higher levels of learning and more complex training. This is normal.
Getting through frustrating times in training may mean seeking help from your fellow students. It’s a guarantee that the seasoned higher ranked students have been there before you. Whatever walls you are running into, I bet they will have an idea at how to help you get through frustrating times. Since they may be more advanced, they might be able to tell you about how they overcame the challenges you face when they were in your position. Make sure you are open-minded to what they are telling you. Remember they are there to help you grow and move beyond any obstacles you may have in your training.
If you have set goals for yourself on your path to achievement in martial arts, which all of you should, then you may need to review them. Is your frustration a result of setting goals for yourself that are unrealistic? Have you given yourself too strict a timeline to try to meet your goals? You can’t expect yourself to be Bruce Lee overnight! Your training will take time. It is difficult not to compare ourselves to others with whom we train, but we have to remember that we train to improve ourselves, not to be somebody else. If you think you should be able to achieve black belt within 24 months then you are definitely setting yourself up for feelings of frustration and failure.
