It Never Gets Easier. You Just Get Better.
Does training get easier once you are fitter? No. You just get better. Here is what is going on in your body and brain when you start martial arts.
After a trial class I hear the same thing almost every time.
“Is it always this intense?” “I didn’t think I was this unfit!” “Will it get easier once I’m fitter?”
No. It never gets easier. You just get better.
What’s going on in your body
Here’s a bit of science.
When you try something new, your nervous system lights up. Your brain has to work out which muscles to fire, in what order, how hard, and how to keep you balanced while it does it. Hitting bags. Learning to wrestle. Getting caught in a choke. That’s a lot of new information all at once. Nervous system overload.
And most people forget to breathe. Under pressure you hold your breath and tense up without even noticing. Your heart rate spikes, your muscles run out of oxygen faster, and you gas out in a minute.
That’s why your first class wipes you out. It isn’t just your fitness. Your brain is working overtime too.
What changes
Keep turning up and your body adapts.
Your nervous system gets more efficient. Movements that took all your focus start to happen on their own. You stop tensing muscles you don’t need, you remember to breathe, and you burn less energy doing the same thing. Your fitness catches up as well.
A lot of what you feel improving in your first few months is your nervous system learning, well before your muscles have had time to change much.
So why doesn’t it feel easier?
Because you don’t stand still.
The drill you struggled with becomes your warm up. You start rolling with better training partners. You push harder in rounds because now you can. The work rises to meet you.
The challenge stays the same. You’re just better at taking it on.
That’s the best part
That’s what I love about training at Chau Kaizen. There’s always a new challenge waiting, and a team around you cheering you on while you take it.
Kaizen means continuous improvement. That’s the whole idea.
Your first class is on us. Book your free trial class online at least 12 hours before you would like to come in, so we know to expect you and can have a coach ready for you.
Keep on keeping on.
