Elite athletes know that stress is part and parcel of development. They recognize that performing at an optimal level requires not only training physically, but also training their mind-set, understanding their own psychology and developing habits that enable them to
A culture of excellence
‘Sacred Spaces – The place where one practises the way’ by Anna Glover – Chang’s Hapkido Academy UK, 2nd dan As the Head of Safety in a theatre, one of my favourite aspects of my job is to attend a
Black belt testing is a time for reflection
At a grading a couple of weeks ago, three students tested for their black belts – two for their 1st degree and the third for her 2nd degree. At CHA black belt testing is a fairly lengthy process. All three
Giving time to listening
During skills practice, traditional martial arts etiquette dictates that a junior belt not correct a more senior belt. Is this because they know more? Sometimes they do … actually, a lot of the time their additional years of practice will
Perseverance, self-efficacy and Hapkido training
Everyone experiences obstacles and adversity throughout their lifetime. Over the years, I’ve noticed that as a student progresses up the belts, their ‘Hapkido confidence’ develops, as well an ability to persevere through difficulties and withstand negative circumstances. In many sports, the winner
Improving accuracy
Sometimes during target practice a student will repeatedly miss the striking pad. It can be incredibly frustrating when a beautifully executed kick becomes useless through a lack of accuracy. But how does someone improve their accuracy? When a skill is
Making progress
Sometimes there are sessions when nothing seems to be working right. Kicks feel heavy. Throws don’t work. Patterns are corrected, and then corrected again. The novice expects to feel a certain amount of incompetence, but for the senior belt this
Nurturing possibilities
Developments in neuroscience have shown us that connections within our brain are continually forming and reforming. What that would suggest is that we are in a “constant state of becoming” throughout our lifespan. How we develop is linked to how
Can how you define success stop you from feeling successful?
What we consider an achievement and how we define success affects us at every level. It affects confidence, self-esteem and psychological well-being. It affects motivation and how satisfied we feel with life. It influences the choices we make and the
The fear of making mistakes inhibits our potential
Sometimes a student has difficulty executing a skill they’ve been performing well for months. How come? Surely that’s a problem? There could be many reasons a technique stops working: lack of practice or bad posture, poor alignment or loss of