shaolin news & inspiration

As martial artists, we all reach a point where the sheer volume of material can feel overwhelming. I've been there myself, more than once, especially after earning my black belt. What I've found incredibly helpful is to use the summer months to focus my training and set specific goals.

With unlimited summer classes available in June, July, and August, now is a great time to make the most of your training. Even one extra class a week can significantly boost your progress and provide valuable review time. The biggest hurdle often comes from feeling like you "need to review everything," which can lead to feeling overwhelmed and reviewing nothing at all. So how can we tackle this problem?

Create Your Targeted Training Plan

Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, take some time to review your Student Manual. Look through the punches, kicks, techniques, kempos, jiu-jitsus, and forms you've learned at each rank.

Once you've done that, create a list of 3-5 specific things you want to master this summer. Here are a couple of examples:

• For a Blue Belt student: Focus on improving your crescent and side thrust kicks, reviewing the double wrist grab jiu-jitsus from Yellow Belt, and practicing the takedowns in techniques #2 and #3.
• For a first-degree Brown Belt student: Work on staying grounded in your stance during basics, practicing all your kempos on the left side, and drilling the multi-kick sections of Two Kata and Three Kata.

Put Your Plan Into Action

Once you have your list, make it your priority in every class. Seek out different partners, think about which drills will help you achieve your goals, and don't hesitate to ask your instructors for guidance.

Sometimes, the best way to feel more confident about your material isn't by learning something new, but by having a specific, focused review plan. By the end of the summer, being able to see significant improvement in those 3-5 areas will give you a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

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