2017 Martial Arts Goals

In my 2016 Martial Arts Year in Review post I mentioned having martial arts goals for 2017. I realized today that I had not documented these explicitly, so here they are.

My first set of goals involves Krav Maga, my primary art. I plan to attend and pass the KMG General Instructor Course Part 1. If possible I would like to attend and pass Part 2 this year as well, but that depends on the location and timing of the class. I also plan to attend and pass the KMG Kids Instructor Course. My school First Defense Krav Maga is offering both GIC1 and KIC shortly, so I am fortunate to have those opportunities on my schedule. Joining the ranks of KMG instructors is my number one priority for 2017 and 2018.

Also for Krav Maga, I plan to take the Practitioner 3 test in March. If that does not go well, I have an opportunity to re-test at our Spring Camp in May. Assuming I pass P3, I plan to take the P4 test in the fall, either at a regional grading event or at the Fall Camp in November.

My second set of goals involves Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, my secondary art. I already achieved the first goal, which was to begin training regularly with team Pedro Sauer at One Spirit Martial Arts. I would like to complete all three cycles of the Gracie Combatives program. Later in the year I plan to transition to more BJJ fundamentals classes and integrate open classes where possible. Either late this year or early next year I'm considering competing at least once in a BJJ master's division event as a white belt.

My third set of goals involves my tertiary arts, those which lack regular formal instruction. For Filipino martial arts (FMA) like Kali, I plan to attend one formal FMA seminar, most likely this two day Kali seminar in Pittsburgh, and also continue solo practice. For Kung Fu, I need to re-learn all of the Wah Lum 1 form and Straight Form, and hopefully spend a week with my Kung Fu sifus in Massachusetts. I already accomplished my goal for Kendo, which was to complete an eight course introduction to the art at Capital Area Budokai. I do not plan to return to Kendo anytime soon, although I practice movements on my own for fun.

My fourth set of goals involves supporting arts, those which are related to fitness or tangential to martial arts. For Jungshin Fitness, I already led a class and thereby achieved Level 1 certification. I plan to improve my standing through another seminar in March, as well as continuing solo practice. For Ground Force Method, I will watch for other seminars, but realistically I will simply continue solo practice. I use parts of the GFE to warm up for BJJ. For StrongFirst, I will continue to perform the swing and elements of the get-up, and plan that my shoulder and knee rehabilitation will enable full execution of Pavel's Simple and Sinister exercise regime later in the year. For firearms training, I will continue to take advantage of seminars and courses as they meet my budget and schedule. I will likely apply for my CCW permit shortly although I do not plan to purchase a firearm. For weight lifting, I plan to exercise twice a week, as well as continue breathing and pull-up routines.

On the non-physical side, I plan to continue reading martial arts material five times per week. I do not have page or book targets. I make progress by opening the Kindle or a book five times per week. That makes the process less stressful and more enjoyable. I do the same with martial arts videos. I continue to listen to multiple podcasts, and I will update my subscription list in a future blog post! Finally, I will continue to blog at least once per week, sharing my thoughts as I collect them, hopefully for your benefit as well as mine!

What are your martial arts goals for 2017?

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