Skip to Main Content

Believe You Can, Then You Will

There's a saying that I always liked:

"Whether you believe you can or you can't, you're right."

Successful people have an unshakable belief that they can and will achieve their goals. They look at road blocks along the way as problems that just need to be solved. The cool thing is having a mental edge can be taught. There was a study by Dr. Biasiotto that really shows how psychology can affect performance. He split this group of basketball players into three groups. Group one practiced shooting free throws for an hour a day. Group two visualized themselves making the free throws. Group three did nothing. After 30 days they were asked to compete with each other and shot real free throws. What's interesting is that group two was the most successful.

Group two, in this case, had seen the desired outcome in their head over and over again. Now we're obviously not condoning being lazy and not practicing your craft. Martial arts takes a lot of physical practice but the mental side is more important. What can we learn from the study?

  1. Positive visualization is a powerful tool. Many elite athletes use it and you can too. 
  2. Our thoughts control our actions. You need to get negative and disempowering thoughts out of your head asap. 
  3. Confidence breeds success. Confidence comes from the mind telling us that we can do it. 

The best martial artists have an unshakable confidence in themselves and this translates into other aspects of life. Having confidence in interpersonal relationships makes for a much more enjoyable experience for all people involved. Having confidence can get you that promotion at work. We all know the person who is perceived as confident many times gets the job over the better technician. It's great to be able to punch and kick but what martial arts really does is give us the mental edge to succeed. The cool thing is you have instructors who are willing to help you get there. Use us as a guide and we can help you get over any mental barriers you may be facing. 

Sincerely,
Sifu James Orfanos 

How Can a Kids Karate Class Prevent Childhood Obesity

Americans are getting more and more overweight, and our children are certainly not immune to this epidemic. Some blame sodas and fatty foods, while others feel that inactivity is the primary culprit. Regardless of the cause of childhood obesity,...

What Can Parents Expect from a Kids Karate Class?

  Karate is a popular activity for children of all ages, and while many kids think of it as a fun way to get physically active and meet new friends, parents tend to think more practically and wonder exactly what their children will learn in...

Can Martial Arts Classes Improve My Child's Focus?

  If you’re the parent of a child who has been diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, or just seems to have problems focusing at home or at school, you may often find yourself frustrated at the prospect of helping your child learn to channel his or...

How Can Martial Arts Classes Build Confidence?

  It stands to reason that martial arts classes can increase self-confidence, but it might surprise some to learn that the factors that increase self-confidence do not come from the martial art itself.  Rather, aspects of all martial...

Self Defense for Women

According to the National Organization for Women, nearly one in five women will be assaulted at some point in their life.  The same source cites another staggering statistic.  In New York City alone, police respond to nearly 250,000 calls...

The Meaning and History Behind Karate Dojos

Anybody who has been to a modern day karate dojo has probably noticed some of the unique qualities they possess. But how many people know the reasons and traditions behind them? “Dojo” is a Japanese term, which translates to...

Martial Arts and Stress Relief

Psychologists have discovered positive correlations between practicing a traditional martial art and lower levels of hostility, aggression, and higher levels of self-esteem and overall positive attitude.   There are several aspects to...

What is Muay Thai?

Muay Thai is a type of hard martial art that is practiced in many parts of the world, but has the longest history in Thailand, where it originated and is now the national sport. The type of traditional Muay Thai that is practiced today is...

Karate vs. Taekwondo

When you’re thinking about engaging in martial arts training, you should first determine which form of martial arts is best suited for your abilities, philosophies, and lifestyle. Karate and Taekwondo are two common and separate forms for...

What is Kung Fu?

Kung Fu is a term that’s synonymous with the martial arts, but how much do you actually know about its meaning, history, and practices? Kung Fu is one of the most well-known and commonly studied styles of martial arts, second only to...

What is Self Defense Training?

  No one deserves to be assaulted. No one wants to be assaulted. But unfortunately, as anyone who reads the news can attest, the frequency of unmitigated violence is too high to ignore. Whether we want to recognize it or not, many of us will...

How Boxing Classes Can Benefit Your Body

If you’ve tried traditional workout methods, you’ve probably discovered that they can be tedious and it can take time to see results.  By taking boxing classes you can stay engaged and learn valuable self-defense techniques, while...

Lose Weight While Learning Martial Arts

Studying the martial arts is an amazing way to lose weight.  It’s such an entertaining way to exercise; you might not feel like you are performing a workout at all.  Spending an hour punching and kicking the pounds away will seem...

What is Jeet Kune Do?

Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name that the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee gave to his unique combat system and philosophy. The underlying tenets of JKD are to use minimal movements to maximum effects, all at extreme speeds. The effect is impressive...

The Benefits of Taking a Grappling Class

It has been well established in the health and wellness community that the benefits of regular exercise are too numerous and essential to ignore. There are a lot of ways to approach exercise—and it can take some trial and error to discover...

Benefits of Martial Arts Training for Children

In a culture that seems to be saturated with violence in movies, television, video games, and even on the news, it’s normal to have some apprehension when your child tells you she would like to sign up for karate. Like many other things that...

Everything You Need to Know About Krav Maga

Krav Maga, translating to “contact combat,” is a style of mixed martial arts that was invented by the Israeli military in the 1940s. This style of training has been growing rapidly in popularity over recent years in the United States....
Page: 12345678 - All