Go back to the basics to overcome the doldrums

Basics are the essence of good kumite and good kata

At times, we all go through low times in our training. Perhaps you've taken a vacation and it's hard to get back into training, or maybe you don't feel as if you're progressing through the grades as fast as you should be. Maybe you simply feel as if you're not achieving much. Whatever the reason, these feelings can create disillusionment or crises in confidence that cause many people to quit needlessly.

The way to overcome these flat times, is to return to the basics. Work hard at what you already know and hopefully are good at. You can virtually never spent too much time working on basics, such as line drills and simple combinations. They are the root of your most effective defensive techniques, and more practice enables you to perform them faster, with greater precision and control.

If you think carefully about the moves that you're doing, you'll probably discover new things, even about techniques you think you know well.

When I feel the need for a boost, I spend time working on first kata or Saifa, trying to do the stances better than ever before, and aiming to get my moves as powerful as possible.