There are things we could learn from martial arts and we can apply these values in our daily lives. The first thing that we need to consider is determination and it represents the strength of our intent. It depends on our inner drive and motivation to propel us forward toward our goals. We should also have commitment to our mission. We should have the will to succeed and the strength of our inner resolve. We should be rigid in our commitment, but we should still have the flexibility to reach our goals. Courage is essential in martial arts and it’s the ability to act regardless of fear. We should have the ability to analyze and confront risks.
We should be able to seize the initiatives and be proactive. Martial arts athletes need to be committed to their mission. Our ability to measure risks is directly related to whether we can achieve success. Martial arts athletes should be able to embrace any undesirable consequence that is needed to achieve success. They should acknowledge the possibility of failure and still act anyway. They should maintain specific psychological state, such as in control, energized, focused on the present, confident and relaxed. For this reason, they should be able to respond properly to failure. It isn’t a good idea to carry failure forward and an experience shouldn’t be repeated unless it is positive.
Our self talk could be an obstacle to reach success. We should accept mistakes and avoid denying them. It is a good idea to focus on the present and realize that we could learn from mistakes to make improvements in the future. During a match, martial arts athletes may make mistakes that can give an advantage for their opponents. For this reason, it is important for them to know how to maintain a state of relaxation, even when under pressure. The next time we are stressed, we should use five-breath relaxation techniques that are proven to make it easier for us to relax, despite the intense pressure. By being relaxed, we could respond to our own mistakes and try to compensate.
Martial arts athletes are well-trained in the act of centering. However, we could simulate this in our daily lives by breathing normally, feeling rooted and feeling controlled. We should focus all our intention on an area behind our navel. By proper centering, we could shift from instructions and words to sensations and images. Concentration is about controlling direction and by being selective in our attention. We should be able to fed off adrenaline rush that can ruin our concentration and make us reckless. People who have poise are able to perform well while under fire. They are able to multitask, negotiate and make critical decisions. Martial arts athletes often need to these things in very short period of time. They need to quickly see all the bits of critical information. Martial arts athletes should also be resilient and they need to hang tough through difficulty and adversity. They need to persevere despite setbacks, failures and mistakes. Resilience should also help us to recover from serious mistakes.
