What’s the most stupid statement you repeatedly hear as a martial arts teacher?

“I’m not training because I’m under a lot of stress at work or at home” or “Johnny has to stop training because he has to study for his exams at school”.

It makes about as much sense as “I’m going to stop paying my house insurance because it’s at more risk of catching fire at the moment”.

When you’re working or studying hard is the most important time to reduce stress by training, it keeps both mind and body fresh. Taking breaks and training is the most healthy thing you can do and taking time out for classes and socialising in a healthy way clears the mind to understand and deal with stress and studying better.

Having worked for long hours in incredibly stressful situations and undergone near fatal illness and injury, my training and meditation is what kept me sane and as healthy as possible. I feel that I owe my life to it having saved me many times.

As a student or parent you should think really carefully about this as it can mean the difference between success or failure. As a student, others might try to convince you to stop, but they don’t fully understand what you do. As a martial arts teacher it’s important that you make your students and their parents aware of it.