Practice, Practice, Practice!

“Practice, Practice, Practice!” Who hasn’t heard that phrase over and over again? Students know that they should practice to maintain their skills and to reinforce what they learn in class. What they may not have a grasp of is how to practice at home effectively. Here are some tips to make the best use of your time so that you can get most out of your training. 

For at-home practice, the main focus of the training should be refining basics and building muscle memory. Practice at home should not be focused on trying to learn new techniques but honing the details of past techniques. Always train with the intent to keep your technique in tip top shape. Remember: Technique before speed, speed before power.

  • Keep a journal

    • Whether it be on a phone or a notebook, keep track of progress by documenting what you’ve been practicing in class

    • Review what you have practiced before and see improvements by checking what mistakes you’ve made in the past

    • The more detail you put into your journal, the more you get out of it. Be thorough!

  • Be consistent

    • Try to practice at the same time and at the same place. This will make it easier to stick to a schedule.

    • Creating a routine of warm-ups, exercises, and stretching will allow you to get to know your body better.

    • Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day but get right back onto the wagon to keep your progress going.

  • Be mindful

    • In order to reinforce memory and integration, it is important to be focused on the task at hand rather than walking through a technique mindlessly

    • Set a goal at the beginning of your training for what you would like to accomplish. This will keep you focused on what needs to be done.

    • Review your session in your mind and write down those things that you had trouble with.

A blade, no matter how sharp, will dull over time. It is important to maintain the edge of the blade so that it can perform its task to the best of its ability. As a martial artist, we must continually hone ourselves, drilling our basics and maintaining our edge.

Happy Practicing!

Truong Nguyen