What you say to yourself makes all the difference in how successful you will be as a martial artist. This is actually true with everything, and is why self-talk, on positive self-affirmations, have been a key ingredient to success formulas in many books and programs designed to help people improve and achieve more successes in their lives.
One of the positive attributes gained from studying and practicing martial arts is discipline. Just as you must be disciplined to make it to class, finish your reps, and train at home between classes, you must also become disciplined about what you think and say. This is especially true when you talk to yourself. And we all talk to ourselves, maybe not out loud, but our inner self-talk influences all that we do, including our martial art training.
Our thoughts, and our self-talk, affect how we feel, and that affects how we train. We must keep our thoughts positive. This positive mental attitude, something that has been preached by self-help gurus for ages, is a key to success. We must be sure that when unwanted images or thoughts creep into our consciousness, we counter-attack them by giving ourselves a pep talk. Looking for the positive in all we do, especially our training, is important. Don't dwell on mistakes, but work to improve them as you focus on the things you are doing right and getting better at. Dwelling on the negative will only bring you down and make training less enjoyable and less productive.
Complaining doesn't get things done, or improve them. Sure, some people seem to enjoy complaining, and it can be addicting and contagious. But what is it really getting you? Discard negative thoughts and work toward improvement. Sure this is easier to say that do, but that is what training for discipline is about, doing what is tougher.
Of course we must notice the bad, how else will we correct it and improve? However, we shouldn't focus on it, but rather notice, then move on productively. Staying positive gives you power to continue training when things get tough. If you start to become negative, think of a time when things were going well, a positive event in your training, or maybe a competition. Use these positive thoughts to motivate you through your difficulties.
Above all, do not let negative thoughts, or a negative attitude, limit your martial arts performance. You must work on your mental preparation just like any other skill. Don't let hostility break your confidence or concentration. Don't let fear or anger get the best of you. Relax and transform those emotions and feelings into positive energy. Developing a disciplined mind is not easy, and takes as much training, or more, as do the physical martial art skills you work hard to master. But if you keep at it, you can maintain a positive attitude and self-talk your way to success.
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Aiki Productions completed filming of the new DVD set Restraint, Control & Come-A-Long Techniques: Effective Arrest & Control Techniques for Law Enforcement and Security Professionals.
