The Most Common Reasons Why People Quit Karate

“Hey. Wait a minute! I only just started Karate and now you’re talking to me about quitting already. What do you think I am - an undisciplined, unmotivated loser or what?”

OK, maybe you’re right, maybe I shouldn’t talk to you about quitting yet but I think there are some valuable lessons to be learned from the beginning about the different reasons why people quit karate. By knowing this you will know which pitfalls to avoid.

There are some common reasons for quitting karate that are often beyond our control such as lack of money, moving out of the area, illness or injury, change in family circumstances, the death of a loved one, and other unfortunate circumstances. Although all of these are valid reasons I will list in this short article the reasons that are within our control.

Here are some of the most common reasons in no particular order.

· Loss of interest
· Failure on a promotion test
· Disagreements with fellow members and/or instructor
· The curriculum is too hard or too easy
· Feeling like you’re not getting it
· Feeling intimidated and overwhelmed
· Not getting out of it what you want
· Conflict of values
· Karate is not what you thought it would be
· Negatively comparing yourself to others
· Worried about injury
· Lack of control shown by fellow members when sparring

As always there are many more reasons why people quit karate and the list could go on but above are some of the more common reasons. I would venture to say that many of these reasons are self-made and are fear-based. If you are looking to get started in the martial arts then you might want to take a moment for some honest introspection and ask yourself if you are likely to quit for any of the above reasons.

If you are, then it will be even more important that you do your research beforehand and find a school that matches your goals and your values. When you do this, you increase your commitment by the intensity of your preparation, and you help write an insurance policy on your success.

Remember, success comes from preparation, and this is certainly an important element in that preparation that sends a loud clear signal to your subconscious mind that you are out to do your very best in this endeavor.

My own instructor once told me, “Never be afraid of failure if you try your best”. If you follow this advice then quitting the martial arts probably won’t be a viable option, and as the old saying states so clearly, “Quitters never win, and winners never quit.”

Tags: Karate, martial art, martial arts, sparring

The day I figured “it” out.

From: Cindy

I finally figured “it” out… “it” being the key to my training.

Tuesday, when I came in to class (late again), I wasn’t focused on taekwondo. In fact, sometimes I’m REALLY ho-hum about training at night after I’ve spent all day trying to improve my small business (and a little time surfing martial arts websites). Like many extroverts, I learn by socializing and having fun. As you know, martial arts is very much an individual journey.

Tuesday night we had a pre-tournament. Colored belts were grouped as a ring (I’m a blue belt, an intermediate rank in my style). In the nine months I’ve spent sparring, I’ve never won for 100 reasons. I don’t “get” much out of sparring… probably because I wasn’t putting much into it. I’ve been so afraid of kicking someone in the head that I just avoid it altogether.

But Tuesday, I decided to just spar. No worrying.

Something clicked. I switched up stances, interpreted their telegraphy, spun around, and yes, kicked people in the head. I have big boobs, and I even managed to protect my chest. Most importantly, I kept control and attitude at the forefront. No sense in being cocky or overpowering.

I beat every student in my ring/class. And after the pre-tournament training, I beat the highest ranking TKD student (a second degree black belt / trainee instructor).

Just do it! Everything else will follow.

Cindy
former slacker, currently awesome (and a little sweaty)

PS I’m in a ring with all black belts on Saturday, so don’t expect miracles.
PPS I still don’t like sparring that much, but I do like to win.

Tags: class, confidence, Karate, karate training, martial arts, sparring, Taekwondo, training, winning, worrying