20 Ways To Develop Your Martial Arts To A Level Of A Master

1. Desire:  Having the desire alone will put a person on the road to being a martial artist.  When a person wants something they will make a commitment to achieve what they are after and make it mean more to them.
2. Attitude:  Having the proper attitude in martial arts is like having desire to want to be a marital artist, it is just as important.  The proper attitude means that a person is willing to do what is necessary with the proper frame of mind to achieve their goals.
3. Loyalty:  Have loyalty for your style, your training area and your instructor.  Without a sense of loyalty a person can never truly build roots or a sense of belonging.
4. Respect: Having respect does not just mean having respect just for your instructor, fellow students and guest of your training hall but first having respect for yourself.  After a person respects themselves it is easier to understand why they should respect other people, as in where they are, where they are going and what they had to do to accomplish what they did in the past to get there.  As respect for higher belts that will come easier for someone as they develop their own skill and finding out what it takes to achieve their goals.
5. Keep an open mind: This is simple realizing that even though a person might not understand a martial arts technique or something that they might not be able to do does not mean that it doesn’t work.  Give yourself time and explore the possibilities that are presented before you.
6. Patience:  Just like keeping an open mind gives yourself time for things to come you in their own time.
7. Enjoy being a novice [Beginner]:  This means that a new world has opened up for you and which means that the mistakes that are made are all learning experiences. Also it’s starting a new part of your life but in someway better because there are no set boundaries for your development and as far as you go are all up to your desire and attitude.
8. Set goals:  Setting goals does not mean that the first day of practice you come up with a date that you will make your 5^th degree black belt but to set short term goals such as your first colored belt or as little or as much as being  able to accomplish several techniques or even kicks, strikes or just being able to do the full workout without running out of energy.
9. Focus:  This includes several things such as seeing your goals and going after them as well as doing kata or forms where you are fighting imaginary opponents.  This also includes punching or kicking a target as well as doing a technique on your training partner without causing damage.
10. Let discouragement be a motivational factor:  Being discouraged with yourself means no more then the goals that you set for yourself are high which also means that you are pushing yourself for your most potential.
11. Be a friend and team member to your fellow student:  This means to support them in their training as well as keeping personal matters to yourself, the rule is if you can’t say something good don’t say noting at all.  Now this doesn’t mean constructive criticism for higher belts to give lower belts should not be done but only in a helping tactful manner.
12. Be a good practice partner [uke]:  This should cover not only letting them do their technique to you but when you do your technique them do it slowly, with control and with purpose.
13. Breathe:  This means breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth with the tongue touching the top or your mouth.  All breaths should be done slowly and with a full deep inhale.
14. Practice all new techniques slowly:  By practicing slowly you will develop graceful fluid techniques.  Also practicing slowly will cut down the percentage of injuries not only to the person you a practicing with but with yourself and will help you remember them better.
15. Proper warm up:  Doing so will also cut down on your injuries and will help in the development of better form on your techniques.
16. Don’t hyper-extend your joints:  Which means do not kick or punch so hard as to snap your knees or elbows with noting to stop your attack except the air.
17. Practice every day:  Practicing everyday doesn’t mean that you have to a complete martial arts workout but it does mean being aware of the things that you have learned while studding martial arts such as balance, breathing, focusing or just being aware of the things around you.
18. Understanding Your Opponent:   Which means understanding not only your opponents on the outside of your training hall but your training partners that you work with on a regular basis?  Understanding your training partners and how they move and how they react to a technique will help your knowledge of opponents on the outside of your training hall especially if you work with multiple partners.
19. Meditate: Everyone meditates in different ways and everyone does some form of meditation.  Being able to meditate means no more then to be able to focus at the task at hand.  Keep your meditation simple to start with and develop it as time goes by and in doing such will help in your ability to reach your goals and your path toward being a more rounded martial artist.
20. Be aware that you have a spirit side and develop it; everyone has a spiritual side of some part whether it is religious or not, which depends on ones belief and just developing it will make a person stronger.  Look for guidance not only through others but in your heart.  Having a good martial arts spirit will help you achieve balance and ensure everything written before this last point will help guide you to the path of a true master of martial arts.

-Master John Dowdy