Training the Martial Arts or Fitness Beginner

Beginners want instant results. They're used to getting what they want right now; microwaves, emails, fast food lunches, drive-thru services, gastric bypass etc. So they expect the same results in their martial arts training. I have to constantly remind students that it just doesn't work that way. Progress takes time. If they've spent to many years at a sedentary job or haven't exercised in a long time, they cannot realistically expect results overnight.

The first job with a beginner is to work on coordination and their general fitness level. Many new students have only worked out on machines like Nautilus, Universal, elliptical, or treadmills. Others haven't exercised since high school gym class and have just been told by a doctor that they better do something physical to improve their health. Some of them have a hard time transitioning to a martial arts workout because they now have to rely on their bodies to do the work. This can be very frustrating.

There are some martial art schools that don't teach their students this way, and your everyday fitness gym definitely does not. Coordination, balance, and general fitness are the most important building blocks in a body conditioning program. So important for instance, that certain types of people will not see any change in their bodies if they don't obtain a certain level of coordination, balance, and general fitness because they will not be able to perform the tasks and the level of intensity that will get them to their goal.

There are many students who train in the martial arts because they can't train anywhere else. These types of students must be patient to be able to develop skills that they never thought they'd have. Once they learn how to control their bodies through martial arts, some take up dancing, yoga, or some other type of physical activity. They are free to explore different forms of physical activity because of their new found ability to move and adapt.

I tell my beginning students to stop focusing on how they look and concentrate on how they feel. Do they have more energy? Do they have more confidence? This is what is important. If you stick with something long enough, you will eventually see the physical results. Don't give up! The small day-to-day victories will lead to huge success at the end of the year!