You could be the most talented person on the planet at any given thing, but if you are lazy or have no ambition then that talent means nothing. Over the years I have known many many people that are very intelligent, that get straight A’s in exams but once they are in the big wide world and there are no exams, they fizzle out and end up in mundane jobs…this might sound harsh to say, but that’s the truth of it.

So, what we try and teach our students is that you must work hard to get and achieve all the things you dream of, because nothing comes from doing nothing, I have two main phrases:

1. ‘You don’t get good at what you don’t practice’.
2. Knowledge is not power…applied knowledge is power’.

And the only way to become successful is to have discipline.

Many people who may not be academically cleaver have become very successful through the power of discipline and discipline is like a muscle the more you use it the more powerful it becomes.

So, the question Is how we gain discipline through Martial Arts. Focus is a great starting point, go and read our blog on Focus to get a better understanding.

But the power of discipline is the ability to do the same thing repeatedly until you get amazing at it…my instructor said that “Repetition is the mother of all skills”. This statement couldn’t be truer because repetition is how we learn anything and is another starting point for Discipline. In Martial Arts we have the ability to disguise repetition with different ways of teaching the same thing or using different equipment to also teach the same thing and when you add fun and for the younger students ‘games’ into the equation it doesn’t become a chore to learn. Obviously, the charisma of the instructors help massively too, because don’t forget enthusiasm isn’t taught…its caught, so when our instructors are enthusiastic and having fun then the students are enthusiastic and have fun too.

How to Build Self-Discipline: 7 quick Strategies for Change

1. Identify growth areas. ...
2. Choose your goal (and start small). ...
3. Visualize your outcome. ...
4. Set your environment. ...
5. Don't wait for it to feel right. ...
6. Know how you'll measure progress. ...
7. Get an accountability partner.

Everything you want in life NO MATTER WHAT is gained through discipline, new car, getting fit, eating healthy, work success, wealth success, above average exam results, a Black Belt…anything, but you also have to want it too.

Whatever you want you can get...just start today by setting one goal to achieve, then break that goal down in to bite size chunks that can be easily achieved each day.

Self-discipline is simply doing the things we need to do, without being told.