Back to School Success Program
There are 5 basic ways to gain confidence through martial arts training. Taekwondo is more than kicking and punching. Taekwondo is a way of thinking and a way of living. Tae means foot, Kwan means fist or hand and do means the way or the art of the foot and the fist. The main purpose of Taekwondo is to build total mind and body balance through proper training.
The first confidence building strategy in Taekwondo is the ability to try something new, to do something different from the "norm". For kids this might not be the case but for adults, especially women it is absolutely true. When we step out of our comfort zone we step into a place of courage and that alone builds self-confidence.
The second basic way to gain confidence is to continue to make small goals or set intentions for ourselves. The belt system in Taekwondo is a system of small goals or intentions if you will. We can look at them as ranks or we can look at them as measurements of growth and development. Each time we reach a new "level" we gain self confidence.
The third basic way we build confidence? Through our training we develop the ability to see our abilities and our limitations. We gain confidence through knowing when to move forward and when to stay still. There are several situations that we may use this knowledge. One of them is certainly self-defense. We learn how to recognize danger without "reacting" to it we intuitively know what to do or not to do. The other basic situation we may utilize this knowing is in our personal and professional relationships as well as our relationship with our vision or our goals.
The fourth basic way we gain self-confidence is to continue walking through fear and each time we do we gain self-confidence.
The fifth basic way is making mistakes without judgement. We learn in the martial arts that mistakes are opportunities for learning. In self-defense the mistake we can make is failing to take action. We also learn that the best self-defense is not having to defend yourself. Continuous self improvement is our code in the martial arts. We live each day giving our best and when we fall short we simply begin again and persevere. Courtesy, Integrity, Patience, Self Control, Indomitable Spirit. When we live like this there is no reason to fight of flight. We can be confident in the moment without fear.
