You know, people ask me all the time, “Sensei Jon, what is your secret to success?” OK, so no one has ever asked me that, but I have had the great fortune of working with many individuals that seem to really excel at what they do, and I would like to share an observation with you. Every student is different; however, I’ve noticed some recurring trends among the students that become Black Belts, not just Black Belts in the martial arts, but “Black Belts in life.”
Black Belts (and future Black Belts) do not seem to be motivated solely by external rewards. It is easy for someone to say, “I want to be a Black Belt one day!” It is much harder to put in the hours of training and buckets of sweat that it takes to reach the Black Belt level. The students that experience the most success are excited to achieve the next rank, there’s no doubt about that, however they realize that excellence is a journey (not a destination). They enjoy training for the sake of training, and do the right thing even when no one is watching. This is how they are able to persevere and put in the countless hours of training required to reach Black Belt.
Now, some people may be more inclined to enjoy their training than others, and I feel that it is the instructors’ responsibility to try to make the classes as enjoyable and exciting as possible. However, as students, we can cultivate our own passion for the arts in many ways. First of all, we can focus on areas to which we feel naturally inclined. Maybe you love to practice your kata, or perhaps you are more at home in the sparring ring. Either way, that is fine. It is important to work on our weak areas, but many of the best martial artists are experts at only a few techniques (quality vs. quantity).
Figure out a training schedule that works for you. Set aside certain times each week for practice at home. Listen to your favorite music or political talk show while banging out your kicks. Start with 5 minutes a day. Once this becomes a habit, you will have laid the foundation for a very successful martial arts career.
Belts and stripes are wonderful things. However, it is only the hard work that goes into said awards that gives them any meaning.
To share a personal factoid, I have been a Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for two and a half years (it generally takes longer to achieve belts in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu than in other arts). My attendance at class has been fairly consistent over that time period. Sometimes I think one of the greatest things my instructor has done for me has been to keep me at Blue Belt for this long. It has taught me patience, humility, and to stay motivated by seeing progress in my skills, rather than external rewards. Additionally, when I do achieve my purple belt, it will be one of the proudest accomplishments of my life. I have achieved Black Belts in several other styles of martial arts, but I have worked harder to earn my purple belt than any of those belts, and therefore it will be more meaningful.
Another point I’d like to add- it isn’t terribly important to me when I earn my purple belt. What is important is that I do earn it. A wise person once said, “Goals are dreams with deadlines,” and generally I think that is great advice, but in this case, I am enjoying the journey so much, that I’m happy to keep training hard, knowing that when I am ready, I will receive the next belt.
WOW! Three years have come and gone extremely quickly. As many of you may know, I started Law School about one year after Maryland Martial Arts opened its doors. It was a challenging experience, a test if you will- A test which has pushed me beyond my limits. I have been a law school graduate for a little more than 48 hours – and a part of me still cannot believe it! These past three years have been filled with sleepless nights, thousands of pages of reading, cold calling in class, and dozens of wild exams. Yet, it has also been a time of growing, a time of learning, a time of taking responsibility and a time of taking the reigns on my own future.
I am writing this blog because most of our students in the dojo are also students in kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, college and post-graduate programs. Each and every single student is a bright, talented and special individual inside of the dojo and beyond. I personally want to congratulate each and every single one of you because by implementing a martial arts lifestyle, you are building a strong foundation to be successful in YOUR education, YOUR future, and YOUR life.
Martial Arts have made me a serious academic student. I started training the martial arts at age 11, like many of our own students, to get an edge in school- and it worked! The parallels between the dojo and the classroom are virtually seamless. Learning complex techniques and strategies in the dojo setting gave me the focus to plow through complex concepts in school. By nailing techniques I never thought I could accomplish, I gained the confidence to write lengthy papers and solve problems head on. By realizing that everyone, no matter their belt rank or age, has something to teach me, I have learned humility, which has kept my mind open to new ideas in my education. Further, it gave me the self-discipline to study hard while others might be indulging in more (at first) appealing activities. Perhaps most importantly, martial arts have taught me balance so that I can manage my time carefully to study, train, work, and have family/friend time. This is of course a non-exhaustive list! These principles have guided me from grade school all the way through law school. It does not matter whether you want to be a writer, singer, doctor, business person, chef, an engineer, a hairstylist, a martial arts instructor or even a lawyer- by being the martial artists that YOU are, you are plowing a positive path towards YOUR future. And for this I congratulate you!
I also want to take this opportunity to thank the Maryland Martial Arts family for all the support and encouragement during these three years. Good luck on finishing up your school year and best wishes for the 2012-13 school year!
Over the past several months we have watched our adult classes grow to their largest size since our dojo opened. It is very exciting to see people of all ages reaping the benefits of the martial arts. We are also very happy to see how much progress our beginner adult students have made in a short amount of time.
Although I began my martial arts training as a child, I rededicated myself to my training during my college years, and I found that while the benefits I reaped as a child were outstanding, the impact that the martial arts had on my life as an adult were even more profound.
At first I started training because I wanted to be able to defend myself, then I continued training because it was fun, and I began spending more and more time and effort practicing. As my skills grew, I realized I could improve in other areas of my life if I would invest the time and effort. It was really an empowering feeling. For much of my life, I had believed that success was largely a matter of luck or genetics. I believed that hard work certainly played a part, but it wasn’t until I really immersed myself in the martial arts lifestyle that I realized how important of a part. It was a very empowering feeling, to have some sense of control over my success in life.
The only possible downside, it could be argued, was the sense of regret I felt for not applying myself in other areas of life. I felt like if I had worked harder and practiced or studied more, I could have done better in sports or school (although my grades were fairly strong in college, if you’ll pardon my boasting). But even these feelings were quickly appeased, when I realized that now I had an activity in which I could dedicate myself, the martial arts! I couldn’t go back to high school and practice harder before trying out for the team, but I wouldn’t want to, because now I had an activity that I could still practice, regardless of my age or the opinion of any coaches.
As an adult, if I didn’t have the martial arts, I feel that there would be precious few moments to break the monotony of the routine of everyday life. Every time that I enter the dojo, I view it as a big event, a challenge, to see whether I can perform better than last time. Training helps us to stay physically and mentally fit. The techniques of the martial arts depend upon skill, not mere strength or athleticism, so students don’t simply get older, they get better.
This is why I feel like the martial arts provide the greatest activity and personal growth opportunity to both children and adults.
 Adult student, Dr. Dan earning his BLACK BELT!
As many of you probably know, we are very excited for our first annual in-school sparring tournament, coming up in a few months! This will be a fun event that will allow our students to showcase their talents and hard work, as well as become familiar with the scoring systems used in most jiu-jitsu competitions. Since the announcement of this tournament, our students have been working even harder than usual, and I cannot wait to see them in action! Each student that enters the tournament will earn a trophy, in recognition of their efforts. We will also be awarding special trophies for many different categories, including but not limited to: best takedowns, best defense, best control, best sportsmanship, and many more!
Competitions are prevalent in many styles of martial arts, and some schools place heavy emphasis on tournaments. Is this a good or bad thing? Well, if a student told me that they were interested in entering competitions, I would ask them why. Is it because they feel it will help motivate them to train harder? Is it to force themselves to endure a challenge which can be extremely nerve-racking? Is it to win a medal or trophy?
Regarding medals and trophies, if I may paraphrase a quote from John Candy in the movie Cool Runnings: medals are wonderful, “but if you’re not enough without (a gold medal), you’ll never be enough with it.”
I believe that entering jiu-jitsu competitions can be an effective and legitimate source of self-confidence. But I believe that the true confidence comes from being able to say, “I overcame the challenge, got up there even when I was nervous, and gave it my best,” rather than thinking, “I won, I’m the greatest!”
Some students may choose to compete, while others may have no desire to do so. I respect, and understand, both viewpoints completely. I have gone through periods of my training where I felt competition was important, and at other times I had no desire to compete.
Perhaps the biggest question we should ask ourselves before deciding whether to compete is, “How will this help me grow as a martial artist/person?”
See you on the mats, OSSSSS!
On Friday we were extremely fortunate to have a guest instructor for our jiu-jitsu seminar, my instructor, Mr. Lee Synkowski. It was a lot of fun, with countless rounds of sparring, and everyone (including me) learned a lot that will help us to take our training to even higher levels.
At the seminar, I was reminded of the importance of maintaining a “beginner’s mindset.” I first began studying under Mr. Lee almost 4 years ago. At that time, I had already been training in different styles of martial arts for almost 15 years, but I had never had the opportunity to formally study Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I knew that this was an art I had to study diligently to become a complete martial artist, as it places heavy emphasis on defending one’s self on the ground, an area in which I had little knowledge.
In my first class, it was clear that my prior experience meant little in a jiu-jitsu match. I was routinely taken down, swept, controlled, and otherwise dominated by students with as little as 1 year of experience in jiu-jitsu. I experienced a range of emotions at this time. One the one hand, it was very exciting to be learning this art that was clearly very effective and a lot of fun. On the other hand, I kept thinking to myself, “I already went through this process of being the new guy and getting beaten by everyone like 3 times (when I studied Ninjutsu, Kung Fu, and San Shou), it’s not fair that I should have to pay my dues again!” It was a frustrating and humbling experience.
Thankfully, I continued my training and started working my way through the ranks, attaining my Blue Belt over 2 years ago. I wish I could tell you that I was able to gracefully drop my ego and learn to be a beginner again, and certainly I was forced to swallow my pride somewhat, but I think that the main thing that got me through those first couple years of feeling like a fish out of water was the fact that the classes were just so much fun. As humbling as it was, I couldn’t wait to get back on the mats again.
I have been studying Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for about 4 years, about as long as it takes to get Black Belt in many styles, and am currently working towards my Purple Belt. However, I still train with Purple, Blue, and even some White Belts that give me serious trouble in sparring, and I am constantly reminded that there is always more to learn.
That’s the wonderful thing about martial arts; we can always get better through hard work, and because the techniques are based on leverage and positioning, our skills don’t have to decline once we reach a certain age; we are always learning, and growing.
This also helps instill a sense of modesty in the students. The students that make the most progress are the ones that enter each class ready to learn, not simply looking to show how much they already know. My goal for our students is for them to remember that any person that they meet knows more about them (the student) in some area(s).
Simply because we have more experience in the martial arts (or any other field) does not mean that we should not treat others with respect. Even if we have more experience than someone in the martial arts (or any other field) we should treat that person with respect. As a Blue Belt in Jiu-jitsu, I should try to treat the White Belts the way I would like for the Purple and Brown belts to treat me.
I am reminded of the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Every man (or woman) I meet is in some way my superior, in that, I can learn from him (or her).”
I believe that maintaining this “Beginner’s Mindset,” is one of the keys to making progress and friends in our training. Take a look at our students and see if you agree.
Ahhh! Spring is here and there has never been a better time to be training in the martial arts! The energy levels in class have been sky high. Many of our students are participating in other sports and I know that the focus, flexibility, and strength they are developing in the martial arts is carrying over to those other activities. How do I know? I used to play baseball and basketball as a youngster, while working towards my Black Belt and I know that my martial arts training gave me a distinct advantage on the field or court.
That’s one of many wonderful things about the martial arts: they impact all areas of our life. Sure, a youngster can learn the value of teamwork and get great exercise playing lacrosse, but how is lacrosse going to help them if they get attacked? The student could get in serious trouble if they use their lacrosse stick on a potential attacker.
Youngsters who are involved in so many activities are really setting the foundations for success and a productive life. If you want something done, give it to a busy man, woman, boy, or girl.
The only real drawback I see to such a lifestyle is that the child isn’t getting enough TV watching or video game playing (just kidding!).
Therefore, to all of our students that are staying busy with other sports, traveling, etc. over the spring and summer, and are continuing their training, I salute you. We actually have more students training now than we did in the fall/winter, and that’s because they understand the value of the martial arts, and how they permeate all areas of our life.
The students that stay so busy with productive activities are still children of course, just as an axe is still an axe after it has been sharpened. It’s just sharper, more efficient, and productive.
After all, how many parents think, “I’m worried that my kid is going to accomplish too much!” or “My child hasn’t watched enough TV this summer!”?
Now, there is certainly such a thing as “too much of a good thing,” and burn out is something we all need to watch out for. However, with planning, organization, and a clear definition of my priorities, I was always able to stay on track to earn my next belt while still participating in other activities and enjoying my summer.
Speaking of which, get ready for some amazing classes this summer, as we take our students to even higher levels!
OSSS!!
When doing a faceoff in lacrosse reaction times are 90% of it along with quick movements. When I used to do faceoffs two years ago, I would win around 65% of them and now after 1.5 years of martial arts I win every single one. Martial arts also helps with dodging and everything else. I attribute my improved performance to my martial arts training! ~Casey Nelan, MMA Student and Lacrosse player
I started my training in the Adult class at Maryland Martial Arts in 2008 and it has taken me down this amazing journey of self awareness and self discipline. I have noticed that Martial Arts has encompassed my entire life. I am not only a Martial Artist, but I am a portrait artist too. My portraits are called "Pointed Portraits" are done one dot at a time using a style called Pointillism. You might be asking yourself, "how does this relate to martial arts?" Well, it's pretty simple. Focus, Confidence and Discipline. Let me explain further: Focus - Believe it or not, anyone can draw a portrait, with enough focus. Think about your Kata as a portrait. It takes many steps to get to the end of the Kata, and you don't learn it all at once. The entire Kata consists of many intricate pieces and you must focus on each one individually until it forms a larger piece. Portraits work the same way, especially Pointed Portraits. With practice and focus, your portraits will get better and better, just like mine did. The same goes for Martial Arts. Confidence - As I said before, anyone can draw a portrait, but most people say, "Oh no, I am horrible at drawing." Well, you're not. Think about something you are great at. Were you always great at that or did you have to work at it to become great? Did you learn to walk before you were crawling? The truth is, I was embarrassed of my portraits at first. I didn't think they were good enough to show anyone else, but after practice, practice, practice, everyone wants one of my portraits. The more you work hard at something, the more confident you will become. This is something that I've always known, but now I truly feel it. Martial Arts has greatly improved my confidence and it shows through my portraits. Discipline - Discipline is not something that comes naturally to all, but don't worry, as your focus and confidence builds, so does your self-discipline. Just look at our black belt students! When it comes to pointed portraits, discipline is extremely important. First of all, how could I do anything if I wasn't healthy? If I was unhealthy, then I wouldn't be able to do the things that I love doing including portraits. I was pretty healthy when I first started Martial Arts, but I'm even more healthy now, and Martial Arts is what gave me that kick to improve my health. As for portraits - they are a long process. Some of my portraits take over 100 hours!!! I must have discipline to finish each and every one. So what's the point? The point is, Martial Arts isn't just about punching and kicking. Both Kids and Adults alike learn many important life lessons training at Maryland Martial Arts. It doesn't matter if you're 5 years old or 50 years old. Training at Maryland Martial Arts will improve your life as it has mine. How has Maryland Martial Arts helped you? Please comment below! ~ Sempai Greg  45 Hour Pointed Portrait by Sempai Greg
_ Wow! Saturday’s ceremony was one of our biggest and best belt promotions ever! It is great to see so many students working hard and making so much progress. The outstanding techniques, sparring, and board breaking reflected the focus and dedication that our students have put into their training.
We started using more challenging boards for the board breaking portion of the test, in an effort to challenge our students even more. I am extremely proud to write that even though many of the breaks required numerous attempts, all of the students that broke boards were ultimately successful in doing so, never giving up until their goal had been achieved. These students were completely undeterred if the board didn’t break on the first 5 tries, realizing that each kick or strike had the potential to be the one.
It really is amazing to see what our youth students have accomplished at such a young age. Two of Maryland Martial Arts’ first youth Black Belts achieved progress stars towards their 2nd degree Black Belts. We have been very fortunate that so many of our first students worked so hard to develop their skills to such a high level, which has set the bar extremely high for all the new students coming in, and those new students seem more than up to the challenge. No matter how advanced they become, the senior students maintain and attitude of modesty and respect, always willing to help others reach the next level.
If our students were just a wonderful group of kind and compassionate people (as we discussed in last week’s blog) that would be pretty great. However, make no mistake about it, our students possess some serious skills. Watching two students spar, giving 100% effort to gaining an advantageous position, yet with no animosity towards their partner, (on the contrary) pushing their partners to reach the next level, is really something special to watch.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of such a great martial arts family.
Several of our adult students were also promoted to their next levels, and their techniques were equally impressive. It was hilarious and fun to listen to the youth students call out techniques and tips while our talented adult students demonstrated some stellar sparring. Our adult program has grown rapidly over the past several months, showing that any age is a great age to begin martial arts.
Finally, I want to give a big congrats to Sensei Ines on earning her Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Blue belt. As you know, Sensei Ines has already achieved Black Belt levels in Kung Fu and San Shou. To be able to start over as a white belt, in an art that she decided would complement the skills she already possessed, reflects a deep understanding of the martial arts and humility that makes her such a great instructor. A blue belt takes a long time to earn in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and, in my opinion, reflects a level of skill and training that is actually higher than Black Belt in most other styles of martial arts. She has worked extremely hard in preparation for her Blue Belt test, all while studying hard during her final semester of law school. We are all very proud of you, Sensei Ines!
-Ossu!
_First of all, I want to congratulate Dr. Dan on achieving his Black Belt last week. Black Belt is one of the biggest goals in the martial arts, and I am very proud to say that the standard for achieving Black Belt at our school is extremely high, which he demonstrated at his test. Dr. Dan is one of our first adult students to reach Black Belt (as our dojo has been opened for almost 4 years), proving that it is never too late to master new skills. We were all very impressed by his performance, and we are all extremely proud of his achievement.
Speaking of achievement, this week we talked about goal setting in class. We discussed how sharing our goals with a friend or mentor can help us to see those goals through, rather than letting them become like many people's New Years Resolutions. Our students have been writing their goals down and placing them in the goal box for the instructors to read. This will allow us help our students achieve those goals this year. So far, the goals that I have read have been inspirational. Many students have set a goal of earning their next belts, and one day their Black Belts. We also have many students determined to earn one of the oh-so-hard to earn patches, such as the sparring, kicking, kata, or full split patch, among others.
We also discussed how a big goal like Black Belt can seem daunting at first, so it helps to remember that Black Belts such as Dr. Dan did not earn their Black Belt overnight. All he did was get a little bit better every class. Each step forward is so small that it cannot be discerned. This makes it hard to stay motivated at times but it also means anyone can do it! This is also why we award stripes for each technique that the student has learned- it gives us a tangible sign of our progress.
If you have ever had a relative who lives out of town remark, "My, how you've grown!" after not seeing you for a while, you know what I'm talking about. You didn't notice your growth, because it was very gradual, but the inches do add up.
The Japanese word which roughly translates as constant and never-ending improvement is Kaizen. This year, I challenge all of our students to be fully committed to Kaizen. All we ask is that you try to improve a little bit each week. Obviously putting forth your best effort each class is a must. A few minutes of practice at home each day can make a big difference. If you currently do not practice at home, imagine if you started with 10 minutes a day...That's over 60 hours per year! Would that make a difference? You bet it would!
Let me now also compliment/brag about something I've seen our students do lately that is becoming more and more the norm. When it is the last class of the evening, many of our students stick around for extra sparring, bagwork, kata practice etc. I've literally seen and heard parents telling their children that they really have to go, 15 minutes after the class has ended.
I'm thrilled with this for 2 reasons.
1) It has always been my personal challenge to try to make the dojo a fun place to be, where the kids will run up the steps to get to, rather than having to be dragged to by their parents.
2) It is taking our students to even higher levels of excellence in their training. In a day and age when many kids are addicted to the TV or video games, our students are "addicted" to the martial arts!
Finally, I would like to leave you with a commitment on the end of the instructors. Just as we have challenged you to fully commit to Kaizen in your training and everyday lives, we too will commit to constantly improving our school and classes.
You have probably noticed many of the new improvements around the school, but you can rest assured that this year's classes will really blow last year's away!
Ossu!  Dr. Dan receiving his certificate of achievement and black belt.
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