Duration, frequency and intensity are the three elements that help to determine your rate of advancement in the Martial Arts.
INTENSITY
Duration in the Martial Arts refers to how long you have been training. Frequency relates to how often you train. Intensity describes how hard you train. All three of these elements are necessary for success in the Martial Arts. I believe intensity is the most crucial among the group. Duration will happen naturally with time, and frequency, which as a product of your scheduling is always changing. Intensity on the other hand is something that you can decide for yourself. You choose to try your hardest and to push your own personal envelope every time you train – or you choose to take it easy and coast, putting forth the least amount of effort. It is not difficult to see how intensity has the potential to influence your progress to a far greater degree than the other elements. Despite this observation; one of the common errors I have witnessed over my years of teaching, is the student who will sacrifice levels of intensity in favour of frequency. They have chosen to train five or six times a week, but find it too hard to go all-out class after class, or they have injured themselves in this process. The best course of action would be to rest and heal, or to cut back to three classes per week. Instead, they continue to train six times a week, but put forth half the effort. This lowered level of effort soon becomes the accepted norm for this student. A better course of action would be to train at your maximum level of effort a few times a week. Your fitness and skill levels will improve allowing you to increase your frequency periodically. More importantly; however, you will condition yourself to believe this level of maximum effort to be the accepted standard for your training.
Exert from:
Something to Think About
©2008 Kaizen Publishing
Brian Cyr
