Why You Need to Master the Basics – A Three Step Campaign

When I was growing up, my father enrolled me in martial arts at an early age. I liked everything about it. I liked the friends I made, I liked the sense of achievement getting the next belt, I liked breaking boards ,but more than anything, I liked to fight. Furthermore, I liked to win.

The first school I enrolled in, it wasn’t long until I was promoted to yellow belt. It was your typical “pay to play” karate school. The instruction was terrible. I learned to jump kick before I knew how to kick on the ground. Not only was this bad form, it was dangerous. Also, and perhaps the most important thing, I lost every tournament!

We moved to a new town, and I enrolled in a new school of instruction. This instructor was serious!  He was a Marine first and a professional boxer next, and he still competed in Mixed Martial Arts tournaments himself! I wish you could have been a fly on the wall when I walked into his class and thought I was fancy with jump kicking in class. I couldn’t even stand on one leg and hold my balance much less jump kick!

Out of habit, I continued to jump when I kicked. He pulled me to the side and told me, “Every time you jump, you owe me 10 pushups!” It broke the habit very quickly because I hated doing push-ups.

Fast forward a few months, and I started back at square one: mastering the basics. He drilled into me to master the basics of proper form. He drilled into me the idea that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you’re doing; if you master the basics, you will succeed.

I went on to win National Championships in sparring (Read more...)