Martial Arts classes help students by challenging them both mentally and physically. A sharp mental edge helps you to endure the strenuous demands of training and stick to your schedule. Here are some tips to get you in the right frame of mind:
1. Visualization - Once you learn a new movement, imagine yourself performing it perfectly. Make sure you sit quietly and concentrate on the entire sequence of the move as if you were really doing the movement. This stimulates your thought pat terns, which enhance your perception of the movement. Also, visualization helps you master skills and improves your perception.
2. Relaxation - First, sit or lie in a comfortable position, then consciously tense and relax your foot muscles. Continue this technique by doing your legs, and so on throughout your body. Next, try to relax each area without tensing first. This exercise improves the communication between the nervous system and the muscles. Also, relaxation helps you to obtain discipline and patience.
3. Meditation - Begin by sitting in a relaxed, upright position. Then, with your eyes closed, make deep, but natural, breaths. Your mind should be clear and flow freely - do not force yourself to focus on anything in particular or to move to an other thought. Practice this for five minutes at a time. Then, once you become comfortable, increase the length of time you meditate. This exercise improves your mental endurance. Practice these three techniques and sharpen your mental edge!
