Resolutions

[Zaine]

It's that wonderful time of year when we all set resolutions for the upcoming year. What are you martial arts (or non-martial arts) related resolutions this year?

Before you choose, let's talk about making resolutions. I'm sure we've all made goals that we have failed to stick to. 12 months is a long time and bad habits die hard. The best way to create new habits (e.g. exercise more) is to create short term goals as "mile markers" to the longer term results you want? Do you want to lose 50 pounds? Break that up into 5 pound increments. That way, you have a better idea of where you are in the process, and you have a lot of different victories planned on the way. Want to just exercise more? Instead of committing to going to the gym 5 days a week from the jump, commit to 2 days a week and re-evaluate once a month if you're wanting to do more. Furthermore, find an exercise (or program) that you have fun doing! Exercise doesn't have to be a chore! I like riding bikes, so when I want to exercise, I ride a bike or stationary bike because I like doing it. When you like doing something, you're more likely to do it without having to convince yourself to do so.

Finally, don't feel the need to set long-term resolutions. A few years ago, I made a resolution to do 1000 kata in January. I accomplished it! It was a lot of work, and some days were easier than others, but it was a lot of fun and it felt good to finish. That good feeling helped me set other goals throughout the year.

Now, without further ado.

Martial arts resolutions:

• Grand champion in a tournament
  • This is ultimately a goal that will be realized in January 2027. The circuit I compete in holds their grand championships in January after all the regular tournaments of the year have finished. Still, this goal will help me remember to train consistently so that I am placing well in the regular tournaments so that I qualify. Even if I don't achieve this, it will still result in me becoming a better martial artist.
• Learn Nipaipo
  • I just like this kata and have had my eye on it for a while.
• Continue Kobudo
  • I love kobudo
• Publish something related to Martial Arts
  • I am thinking about potentially pivoting this into just making more karate content for tiktok/social medial. I could do both, but I don't want to overload myself. My passion is writing, so I usually default to that.

Non-martial arts resolutions:

• Fully heal from tendonitis
  • In September, I developed tendonitis in my right foot. It has been rough to deal with and I have let it tank my mental health. It has also kept me from training martial arts since September.
• Be more proactive with my mental health
  • 2025 was a rough year for me. With medical issues, and a hospitalization for mental health, it wasn't my best year. I want to be more present in 2026 and more active in my management of my mental state.

[JazzKicker]

I give thought to this topic each year. I think self-awareness and self-improvement are key aspects of martial arts practice.

You're spot on that goals need to be tangible and realistic to be achieved, otherwise they are always "out there" and unfulfilled.

I keep a training log sheet, and a journal, to document my martial arts activities throughout the year, so it's a great reference to track what my goals were and what I actually did. Of course, there's what we plan for, and what actually happens.

I can easily rattle off: Train 3x/week, stretch every day, cut the snacks, lose 4 pounds, go to a seminar, finish learning a form.....it's easy because it's the same as last year! 

What's harder to look at is, what are the priorities and other interests that eclipse those goals? Family responsibilities, illness, vacations, will always be competing, and that's ok. My personal demon is competing hobbies like music, and where to put my energy.

[DarthPenguin]

Good topic and i totally agree, resolutions need to be trackable, actionable and realistic. I also find that applying some kind of penalty for not achieving them is also helpful (eg in prior years i would set goals and if not met by time X i owed someone else £50/£100)!

My Martial Arts resolutions / goals are:

• Sit Shotokan Shodan with very strong attempt
  • For this the goal is to sit it once in March and if needed resit in August. Not making the goal passing it (even though that is obviously the intention) since passing is out of my control to an extent but i want to do so. If i don't manage to pass it in March (which i hope i will since i have spent 1.5yrs at 1st Kyu making sure i am ready for it) then i want to make sure i smash it later this year
• Get to Judo 4th Kyu
  • This one i am putting the grade as the more continuous assessment of the lower judo grades means i have a little more control over it and it isn't an assessment that i need to wait 3/6 mths to resit if needed
• Get a stripe on my bjj belt!
  • Again this is being put as the continuous assessment makes it more achievable. I also want this as a target so i will have something to aim for / work on to demonstrate i am becoming less bad!
• Improve my kicking height, ideally to shoulder height for yoko geri and mawashi geri. Will do this by working flexibility plus strengthening hips, glutes etc which is the issue i think (ties into fitness section too)

Fitness related goals

• Lifting
  • manage to bench 105kg x 2 reps, current 1rm is 100kg and it is very much a real maximum
  • manage to squat 140kg x 1. Think this is doable as when i recently testing i did 110kg and it flew up out of the hold and hit a sticking point 3/4 up which showed up glute/hamstring weakness so is fixable. Legs themselves could likely manage more weight
  • set of 5 pull ups - currently can't do 1 but working on it and have been doing assisted reps and the level of assistance has been coming down a lot so i think it is doable
• general fitness
  • run for 5k relatively easily
    • have started a little running (which i hate but i think is worth doing), managed up to 3k so far though HR is on border or Zone 2 and 3. Want it to be a consistent low Zone 2 for full 5k.

[sensei8]

At my age, my only resolution is to awake each morning to a new day.

[bushido_man96]

Although I'm not looking to set concrete goals like above, my hope is to put more time into Aikido and BJJ.  This will get easier when wrestling season is done.  I do hope to test again in Aikido this year.