Stay on Track and Don't Fall Off
80% of success is showing up. With Covid, restrictions, lockdowns and uncertainty I was so impressed when I did attendance last week that 94% of all our students attended their classes for the week despite all the negative news.
To further complement that, the students that missed class had a reason for their absence and had notified us in advance for missing. This shows a real dedication and is a real testament to their commitment to Black Belt Excellence. Even this past week when we looked at the virtual students that were doing classes, their consistency really jumped out on the page. What this says is our students not only talk the talk but are willing to walk the walk, even in this uncertain time.
It is hard to complain about progress when one is absent. Would you get better at work or school showing up part time and going whenever you felt like it? Probably not! Developing the skills in martial arts takes repetition and repetition is the mother of all skill. With the consistency of attendance, students create the routine and structure needed to build the momentum for success. Now add in some positive reinforcement from parents and teachers and you will start to see the eagerness and discipline build within the student.
With the holidays upon us I am sure many of us are looking forward to a little family time and break this holiday season. 2020 has been crazy, and a little break is certainly extremely healthy so long as one week does not become one month. As a reminder, First Choice Martial Arts will be closed from December 23 to January 1 and we hope you get to enjoy some incredibly special family time this holiday season. Having said that we will back to classes whether it be scheduled Indoor and/or Virtual January 2nd! We cannot predict the future, but our goal is to stay committed to your martial arts successes this 2021 and never skip a beat. We ask that you familiarize yourself with the Zoom platform and be prepared if we need to switch to Virtual classes for a period. We have done this before, and it certainly helped keep some much-needed structure at a time when structure was non-existent.
With Belt Testing coming up next month we would like you to be overprepared so please use the online videos, Virtual Classes and Scheduled Indoor Classes to really ramp up for your test. The last thing we would hate to see happen is a student get off course and miss belt testing because of poor attendance and a slow start to 2021. Stay strong, stay positive and work hard over the next week or two. From there let us get ready for the best year ahead and make 2021 a year to remember!
Sensei Chris