By David Mazor
Massachusetts State Director
When people begin to study the martial arts they often find the thrill of training far exceeds their expectations. But, what about down the road when they've been training for many months or years? How do you maintain momentum in an activity that requires a commitment for the long haul to truly find its benefits?
Martial arts burn out is the flip side to the enthusiasm often shown by the beginner. Burn out robs too many promising martial artists of the lifetime benefits of martial arts training. Often they quit because they no longer feel the fire they felt earlier in their training. How do you avoid burn out?
Well, one solution is to take a break. Whether it's in the work world or in school, most people take a vacation--a time to recharge the batteries, get a fresh perspective, and a chance to return to training with renewed vigor. Note, I said "return to training." Too many people push themselves hard in the martial arts, only to take a break and never return. A month off becomes a year or years and soon they've lost the conditioning, the technique, and forgotten the patterns they've spent years learning. How do you avoid this? It's simple. When you take your martial arts vacation set a date that you will resume training. Whether it's a vacation from work or school, you know the date you resume your activity; be it a vacation of two weeks, a month, or all summer. The secret to taking a martial arts vacation is to do the same thing and set a time limit in advance so that you don't lose your focus. Write down a date on a calendar to resume training and stick to it. Let yourself relax, but when that date comes get back to training. No excuse, and no delays. That way your martial arts vacation can serve its purpose-letting you recharge.
The martial arts offer you a gift that reveals itself over a lifetime. Here's to a lifetime of commitment to find its unique benefits!