Reflection: The Kaleidoscope of Development

Reflection is a huge part of growth, especially in the martial arts realm. By taking the time to look back where you started and see how far you have come is a very empowering feeling. When you apply the same mindset to a recent class or match, you can maximize your ability to grow. Also, when you start to do this it opens up more planning opportunities and ways to approach future classes and matches.

I am a big advocate for setting goals, as you may have heard before, but more specifically writing things down. This usually happens in the form of a list, but the whole idea behind it is to force myself to gather my thoughts and put them in a specific location. In essence I am brainstorming for the past, present, and future to free up space in my mind. It can get pretty cluttered with all these ideas floating around, so it is helpful to clear my head in this fashion.

Now tailoring this list or ideas to provide a benefit to future training can be pretty simple… First off, ask yourself what happened in the class or match? How did you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally that day? What weaknesses did you spot and what strengths did you have? Can you implement a change for next time?

These are just some questions to get you thinking about the experience and based off your answers you can begin to see where you need to shift your attention. For example, in my last tournament I noticed that my cardio was sound, yet I was getting over-powered and suffered a lot of losses. This brought up the question of why was I losing? Was it poor technique? Maybe it was to an extent, but I didn’t feel as though that was the main cause this time around. What about my lack of aggressiveness, how did that come into play? I felt as though being matched against a lot of opponents with a wrestling or MMA background worked to my disadvantage. So what do I do with this information? I need to incorporate more training that involves wrestling and build a strength training program into my schedule.

You know yourself best. When you take an honest look into the mirror, you will be able to figure out what you have been doing and have not been doing. Sometimes you need some external feedback; whether the feedback is from a peer/coach or video, use it to shine light to the problems and improve. Dwelling on a loss or losses will not solve your problems, it is your responsibility to do that part!

As for the class setting, when it comes to a plateau in improvement take a hard look at your focus and goals. Are you just showing up going through the motions? Do you skimp out on drilling or sit rounds out when you should be rolling? What are you doing to supplement your training (nutrition, conditioning, research, reflection, etc.)? The class is not your only means of learning, but when you are there you should set yourself up for success. Try not to show up without a basic plan or you will pay for it. Improvement starts with you.

I had a buddy that once told me that no one cares about your success as much as you do; so act like it! Taking an active approach to goal setting and planning through reflection is a key component to grow. Having that plan set in place helps set a purpose to your training and same goes for a performance during competition. Try not to turn a blind eye to mistakes; learn from each and every one! Being self-critical is important for improvement, but do not be afraid in easing off every now and again. At the end of the day you want to enjoy doing what you love, so finding a balance in discipline will be crucial to maintaining happiness. Keep up with the highs and lows, and you will be able to reap what you sow before your know it!