Consistency in Karate is the quality of adhering to a plan of class attendance and training. It cannot be overemphasized how important this quality is. Once you have a goal and a plan for achieving that goal, consistency will get you there.

I knew a runner who had been running the Run & See Georgia Grand Prix series. At the beginning of 1994, he decided he was going to win his age group in the series. This series is made up of scores of races all over the state of Georgia. All during 1994, if there was a race on the series, he was there. He was not the fastest runner. In fact, he has never won a single race in his life. However, the consistency of his efforts made the difference. Not only did he win his age group, but he was also the Open Division champion.

Earning your Black Belt is no different. If you set your goal, plan how you are going to reach your goal and consistently take the steps necessary, you can achieve it. If you are like most martial artists, your goal is simple. You want to receive your Black Belt. Your instructors have a reasonable plan to get you there. If you attend class on a regular basis and practice at home as you are instructed, you will continue to advance and reach your goal in less than four years.

Once you have established a habit of class attendance and training, it is easy to maintain. However, here are some enemies to consistency that can force you to break these habits:

Boredom or Stagnation – there are times for all of us when we feel like we have done enough front kicks. This is natural and is likely the main reason so few people ever get a Black Belt. The truth is none of us has a perfect front kick or any other technique. You must recognize these feelings as enemies to your goals and work through them.

Burnout – we have seen students who are very enthusiastic at first, but they over train at a level that is impossible to maintain for years. You must balance your Karate training with other interests.

Injury – this is a close relative to burnout. Most injuries are overuse injuries. When you are injured, you probably need to cut back or even stop your training for a while. This seems contrary to the concept of consistency, but trying to push yourself through an injury will cost you more training time and will be more likely to cause you to quit entirely.

You also need to understand that as you increase in rank, the amount of time you need to spend in training increases. When you are about to test for a Gold Belt, you have one kata to practice. When you are about to test for First Degree Black, you have eleven. It takes a lot longer to practice eleven katas than it does to practice one. This is a gradual increase over time that is not difficult, but be prepared for this increasing time commitment.

I am also not trying to assert that there is only one way to reach your goal. Some people choose not to train in Karate year round. That is certainly reasonable. You can take breaks and do other things, as long as you consistently return to your Karate training; you can achieve your goal.