Sometimes in our martial arts practices we can focus on the things we have difficulty with or that we are unable to do as well as we want. Although it’s good to always realize there is room for improvement and that we should never believe that we are “good enough”, it’s also important to not be too hard on ourselves.
This is where celebrating the little wins is so important. At Zone Martial Arts we work with the students to set goals for their martial arts journey to help them realize that martial arts is about more than just the next belt. These goals are important as these are an example of the smaller wins we have while training.
Other examples of small wins are getting that kick out the way you wanted, nailing that section of a pattern that has been troubling us or getting that woosh sound with a good cut in Haidong Gumdo. Maybe you broke a board for the first time, maybe your partner or instructor pointed out a particularly good technique in class. Whatever it is, celebrate that small win. Those small wins add up and keep us focused on the bigger picture.
Then if you start doing it in class, maybe you can start finding the small wins in other areas of your life, at work, school or maybe resisting the donuts at the shops. No matter what it is, if you start to celebrate the wins you have in your life and at martial arts, maybe you might find something that’s missing.
Mark Underwood
Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia
