The Importance of Attendance

After a busy summer it looks like students and parents are starting to get organized as back to school is finally here. When it comes to martial arts training, the skills and mastery of the arts take countless classes and hours of training to attain perfection. Like anything in life, success in the martial arts is about 90% showing up. Use that last 10% for effort and know how and you will make the strive to perfection.

Think about it would your child be successful if they went to school 50% of the time or would we as adults perform to the best of our abilities if we did our jobs occasionally. This requires commitment and dedication not just from the student, but all people involved with their experience. From moms and dads to grandparents, it is a team effort and those that attend their classes regularly are better off because of it.

Recently a student of mine was struggling with a piece of curriculum and was discouraged because of it. We tried our best to rectify the challenge but found ourselves in the same situation a few weeks later. What we discovered was the student was struggling not because of their capability but rather their ability to be consistent when to coming to class.

What made it frustrating was this student had regressed and was feeling less confident yet when they were attending classes regularly, they were becoming more confident, interacting better with others and performing better at school. The goal at time of white belt was to improve confidence and fitness and now because of the sporadic attendance issue this student was regressing, and the training was starting to have a negative impact.

Luckily, I am happy to say we came up with a plan of action through improved attendance and extra help and as a result this student is on a better course. They have gotten back to that earlier version of themselves and are doing better at the dojo, home and school. All it took was a little extra commitment and recognition and as a result they have taken attitude to the next level.

As September kicks in lets make our best attempt to not only want to strive for Black Belt Excellence but also make the commitment through training, attitude and practise at home!

First Choice Martial Arts