As a Black Belt writer for more than two decades, I’ve had the luxury of deep-diving into the minds of many top martial artists to learn what it takes to succeed. Legendary trainers like John Hackleman and Greg Jackson, “blood and guts” era karate champions like Bill Wallace, Olympic gold medalists like Kayla Harrison and MMA phenoms like the Gracies all have shared their insights.
As a graduate of the Canadian Coaching Certification Program, I’ve spent decades poring over resources that pertain to performance enhancement in the martial arts in an effort to help athletes who come to me for coaching. Some of them have gone on to compete in MMA and amateur muay Thai.
I also have firsthand knowledge that the information I’m about to present works. I used the tips to win a string of karate tournaments that culminated in a gold medal at the 2017 World Police and Fire Games. Did that happen because I was the best athlete? Certainly not. It happened because I was able to unearth some secrets to success that were hiding in plain sight.
So whether you’re a novice competitor, a seasoned veteran or simply an aging athlete like me, this template will provide you with a shortcut to the podium.
ASCERTAIN YOUR STRENGTHS
Many self-help gurus insist that the first step on the path to success is picking a goal. But what if you pick the wrong goal? I say the first step is ascertaining if you’re on the right road. Simply put, are you in the right martial sport?
To answer this question, you isn’t the best choice. A switch to traditional karate and tournaments in which punching is scored as highly as kicking might be in order.
