Many students reach a period in their training where they feel that they are not
doing so well as they used to. Some feel that others are catching up with them
or even surpassing them in certain areas. There will always be certain periods in
training where you reach a plateau, where advancement doesn’t seem to come
as quickly as before, where things seem harder. Suddenly you have difficulty
breaking, or a lower grades sparring seems equal or better than yours. Here are
some important things to remember :1. Everyone comes across these plateaus, they are what separate the winners from the quitters & are
very character building. Seeing them through will give you eternal strength and this is very important
in your every day life. The important thing to remember is that, even though it may feel like it
sometimes, you never go backwards. If you train regularly, you are always getting better, it just doesn’t
feel like it sometimes.
2. Sparring is just one part of Taekwon-Do, it is not the be all and end all & certainly doesn’t mean
good sparring ability will necessarily make you an excellent Taekwon-Do person. A skillful
Taekwon-Doist is good in all areas. In addition, those areas that he/she is not good at should be
practiced until they are.
3. You get out what you put in. If you come to class & put in little effort, then you will not get much
out of it & your overall advancement will be slower.
4. Nothing is impossible. Everyone who is higher than yourself has been there & done it & if they can,
so can you.
5. In order to advance you need to be consistent in your training. Things get harder as you advance in
grade, you become more skillful, are able to absorb more & take on bigger challenges.
6. In the Do-Jang there is no such sentence as “I can’t”. Such a sentence should always be said &
thought as “ I can’t yet”
7. Whatever the mind can see, you can achieve (in time and with practice)
8. Repetition is what makes good technique. It may seem boring but it is essential
9. Training is not a competition. It’s a personal journey that you all win at because you are better now
than when you started. Moreover, in six months time you will be better than you are now.
10. Finally remember why you started & what you set out to achieve. In fact you ought to write those
reasons down, and put them in your diary, to get fit, defend yourself, gain your black belt, become
instructor, win a medal. Set goals short & long term, and don’t give up until you have achieved them.
Take a look at what you have written when the going gets tough to remind yourself why you train so
hard.
Written by Mr. Stuart Anslow V Dan