Do You Know What You Should Be Working On? --- Chief Instructor's Blog February 2026

Becoming proficient in martial arts encompasses many attributes: mechanics inclusive of flexibility, agility, balance; body awareness; accuracy and targeting; speed and reaction time; timing; endurance; foot work; grounding; focus and intent among other things depending on your rank. 

With so many things to work on, how do you know if you are working on the right things and not potentially spending too much time on some things while ignoring other items important for your continual improvement in the art form. 

Here is a good time to remind you of our Club’s expectations for your training:

·       When you are a White Belt, the Instructor of that class takes primary responsibility to ensure you have the information to test.

·       Once you are promoted, the responsibility is primarily yours (i.e., Instructors will provide training at a level appropriate for you, based on your skill set and experience.  If you miss classes, it is your responsibly to seek that information out from a qualified Instructor of what you might have missed). 

·       If you are not sure of what you should be working on, or need extra guidance or clarity, it is your responsibly to ask the questions and seek additional training outside normal class hours if needed. 

So, with the above said, you should be getting feedback from instructors in class and have notes from a testing sheet.  This is the starting point.  If it has been a long time since you have tested (and many are in that category), test at the next available opportunity to get more recent feedback.

In addition, other things you need to be doing (if not already):

·       Share with the instructor what you are working on and get feedback about if that is the priority for you at your current rank and what is expected to progress towards the next belt level. 

·       Ask for input on a very regular basis. If you are waiting for right before a test, or waiting for what ends up on a test, that is not enough and may not necessarily be comprehensive but just stating some key or items that stand out.

And then how do you know if you are improving?

·       Keep a log.  If you are working on speed for example, maybe you time yourself every few weeks going through a set of repetitions or how many repetitions can be done in a set of time and monitor if improving.  Keep in mind that if one week you are not as good as previous week, note what other things might have prevented you from doing better that day (e.g., did you not get enough sleep night before, did you not eat well, etc.) so you are not discouraged if you are not always showing improvement week to week or have a setback.

·       Video / Record yourself.  With today’s smartphones, it is easy to video / record yourself and see for yourself.  For example, if you are trying to ensure your basic knife hand is linear or your turnaway kick you are not leading with the pinkie toe, then you can record yourself periodically and see for yourself.

·       Ask for feedback during or after class from a qualified instructor if you see any improvement or if you appear to be on track.

Martial arts is a personal journey of continuous improvement and growth, so if you are looking to improve you need to make sure you have the information, a plan to work on those items, and ways to track progress.

 

Regards,

Kelly

“There is no finish line. When you reach one goal, find a new one."  ~ Chuck Norris (1940 – present), American martial artist and actor with black belts in Karate, Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and judo.

 

References:

1. Fighter's Fact Book: Over 400 Concepts, Principles, and Drills to Make You a Better Fighter by Loren W. Christensen

2. Fighter's Fact Book 2: Street Fighting by Loren W. Christensen
3. Ultimate Fitness Through Martial Arts by Sang H. Kim

 

Empathy Can Get You Killed --- Chief Instructor's Blog January 2026

 

Human nature is we react and match the intensity and speed of an opponent.

If an opponent speeds up, it is human nature to speed up.  If an opponent becomes more aggressive, it is human nature that you become more aggressive. 

Reacting to your opponent/assailant is not the goal / objective.  If you are always reacting and matching their speed or intensity, then most likely you will get injured or even killed if attacked.

The goal is to move faster than an attacker - always.  The goal is to move and project the appropriate intensity for the situation regardless of what the attacker is doing.

To practice this, you must break human nature, and it starts with each class and with the basics.  Your goal should be to move and perform each technique as fast as possible while just maintaining control and good posture/mechanics regardless of how fast or slow the instructor or the Black Belt leading basics counts.  It is ok to be waiting for the next count.  Notice next time in basics if you are (1) just keeping up with the cadence of the count or of the speed of the person next to you or ahead of you or (2) focused on your own techniques and performing as fast as possible with control and good mechanics.  As a Black Belt, this is what is expected.  For more information, and a demonstration of this, see HMK Black Belt Challenge 02, Fast Basics / Slow Count; Speed; do not match speed of opponent.

Notice next time you are free sparring, (1) are you keeping up with the pace of your sparring partner and matching their pace or intensity or (2) are you performing at the speed and intensity required to control the match? 

During open, random attack self-defense, notice if (1) you are defending at the same speed / intensity / force or (2) are you performing at the speed and intensity required to disable / damage / end the altercation quickly?  

In all cases above, the answer should be number 2.  If you are unsure about how to get faster, please refer to the August 2025 blog, Improving your Speed.

And if you do not consciously go faster and perform at the intensity required during class, it will not translate in a real altercation.  In a real altercation body memory will take over and if your body memory is always reacting to your opponent then that is what you will do.  For more information on this, see the February 2018 blog, You Will Fight How You Practice.

 

Since it is the start of a new year, this is a great time to set that intention to practice not reacting but moving faster and with the intensity required regardless of your parter on class or the count of an instructor.

 

Regards,

Kelly

 

“When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. The opponent must not influence you.”  ~ Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584 –1645) - famous Japanese swordsman, the author of The Book of Five Rings