The Martial Arts Plateau...

When I first got back on the mat after taking a long sabbatical I was powering through not only learning new material but re-learning old material.  ​

I was taking privates and attending group classes to play catch up.  I began to not only climb the ranks but also began teaching and running classes for my Sifu.  It was riveting and exciting to chart my growth in almost every aspect of my life and it was all because of Martial Arts.

I received my blue belt...

 I fought through my green belt...

I trudged through my 3rd brown only to breeze through my 2nd brown… 

​And then it hit me.
 It hit me hard.
 At some point in the study of my 1st brown and when I was so close to achieving black belt, the number one killer of Martial Arts careers hit me.
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The Plateau Effect

​Many of us have heard people use the phrase “you’ve hit a plateau.”  This correlates to the Plateau effect.  The Urban Dictionary describes the phrase as a reaching point where gradual progress is no longer possible and stagnation is likely, where advancement can only be achieved by a sudden, difficult and possibly risky leap up to the next level.
​

I found myself in a situation where when judging my own progress, there seemed to be little or none.  Worse of all was this feeling of deficiency and even inadequacy.  It was beginning to consume not only my training by my attitude of the dojo.
I began to dread going to the dojo whether it was to train or run class.  Fearing the idea of having to talk to anyone because I just couldn’t muster the previous enthusiasm I once had.  My dojo was once considered a home and it was now nothing more than work.
​

Terrifyingly enough there are many students as well as instructors that can suffer from the Plateau Effect.

​I immediately contacted my friend Andrea Harkins.  Mrs. Harkins is a 2nd Degree Black in Tang Soo Do, a 2nd Degree Black in Taekwondo and an active Tai Chi Student.  Apart from her impressive Martial Arts resume, she is also a fellow writer and motivational speaker.

Mrs. Andrea Harkins a.k.a The Martial Arts Woman

Mrs. Harkins explained how her Martial arts and speaking work together,
“I use martial arts as the basis for all of my motivational talks, as well as what I share on Facebook and social media. I found that most people have an interest in martial arts and that even non-martial artists enjoy hearing how the martial art mindset works in real life.”
​

Andrea is so inspiring that she recently had a book published titled “The Martial Arts Woman”.

The book features over 25 female martial artists and their stories of overcoming obstacles in Martial arts.  
She says,
“My overall mission has always been to make the world a better place through both positivity and martial arts. It is an empowering blend that you do not normally see.”

Andrea believes every student will reach a plateau at some time or another but there is never really a precise time it will strike and what can cause a plateau may vary amongst students and instructors.  One day, you show up to class and think...

“I don’t want to be here.”

She explains,
“A plateau often happens in a belted system somewhere between the middle colored belts and black belt. The training gets more difficult. The student either does or does not want to put forth the effort. The plateau is created because they do not have the time, energy, or desire to push through.”
​

Whatever the cause or time frame the side effects are the same.

-Stop coming to class
-Do not give 100% effort in class
-Don’t ask questions or seem concerned
-Issues in personal life
-A change in demeanor
-Seeking training elsewhere
-Not practicing

Each student is an individual and can have different reactions to hitting a plateau.  My Sifu constantly reminds us,
​“that each person’s head is a different world.”

​

Mrs. Harkins with a few of her students.
​
Taking this into consideration, assisting a student with overcoming a plateau can vary.

Andrea stresses the importance of an instructor who knows and understands their students.  She goes into detail with,
“It is important to understand your students individually and what motivates each one of them. Some are learning for defense, some for fitness, some because it is cool to learn!  Ask students questions and become a part of their life. Know their names, their hobbies, and their family. A personal relationship helps them to stay committed.”

Having a personal relationship with a student can help an instructor to notice when something might be off.  If you are training younger students then check in with their parents; parents can help alert instructors of a change in demeanor in the home. ​

Me and one of our student's (Mr. R) winning student of the month.

Andrea reminds instructors to smile and be genuine to help make the dojo or school a positive environment that’s full of energy.  
 “Give them praise when the do something well, and personal attention when they are not. Receiving a compliment for hard work goes a long way.

Being able to have an open dialog with your student is just as crucial.  
Andrea suggests,
​“When you notice a student in a slump, meet up with them in private and ask if there is anything with which you can help them. Let them know you have noticed a change and wanted to make sure that they know that whatever it is, martial arts can help them pull through and you will do everything you can to help them in that manner.”

​Though many might associate the Plateau Effect with students, instructors can fall victim to something very similar...
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The Law of Diminishing Returns

The law of diminishing returns is reaching a certain point where the profits/benefits gained in a goal are less than the amount of energy, time or money invested.   The plateau effect might never hit during our training but once we achieve our goal the sudden questioning of why we did all this work could slap us in the face.  

The difficult part of achieving our goal is learning to redefine our goal.  Some might focus on continuing and perfecting their art, studying a new system or style or even transitioning from student to teacher.   No matter what direction we choose to go Andrea reminds us,
“Plateaus and slumps in life are part of human nature. The important thing is that we push through and keep going.”

To overcome my own plateau, maybe I just needed to reignite the passion inside me?  I found myself taking a step back and trying to remember why I loved Martial Arts so much?  Luckily for me my Kenpo Family was standing by and ready to help.  They reminded me why I fell in love with teaching Martial Arts and slowly but surely I was able to let the nay-saying fall by the wayside.
​

Grand Master Frank Trejo (10th Degree Black) taking the time to speak to our PeeWee/Junior class.

Although my plateau had the potential to possibly kill my Martial arts career...

It became an experience for the better.  As an instructor and future Sifu I now understand and can relate to a student that has hit a plateau and I might have a better chance at understanding and redirecting their energy.  

Maybe our hardest training isn’t climbing hills, but rather overcoming our own self doubts after we’ve climbed the hill and reached the plateau.

 Perhaps that plateau is meant for us to discover or learn a new perspective?  
Perhaps it’s to remind us why we are climbing those hills in the first place?
​ Perhaps those plateau’s are what separates the serious Martial Artist from the novice? Either way, we’ll never really know unless we keep trying and never surrender.

For more information on the Martial Arts Woman check out her website.

The Martial Arts Woman Website

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of "The Martial Arts Woman" it is available on Amazon.

Amazon: The Martial Arts Woman