This Month’s Quality of a Champion is FOCUS.
At Alexander’s, we differentiate between skills and attributes. An attribute is something you’re born with like blue or brown eyes. A skill is something that can be taught and improved through practice and coaching. We employ what we call the Alexander’s Personal Development System, in which we teach “personal development skills” like: FOCUS, DISCIPLINE, RESPECT, & CONFIDENCE. One way we do this is through our monthly Qualities of a Champion. This month’s quality is FOCUS!
How We Develop Focus in Kids and Adults
Karate builds focus in kids and adults through structured physical training that directly trains the brain to ignore distractions. Karate provides concrete physical actions that require total mental engagement.
1. The Power of Kata (Patterned Movement)
Kata is a set sequence of blocks, kicks, and punches against imaginary opponents.
- For Kids: Remembering a sequence of 20 or more precise movements forces them to anchor their minds in the present moment. They cannot rush ahead or think about video games, or they will lose their place in the pattern.
- For Adults: Kata acts as a moving meditation. The complexity of tracking hand placement, hip rotation, and footwork simultaneously completely fills the brain’s cognitive capacity. This forces stressful thoughts about work or finances out of the mind.
2. Immediate Physical Feedback
Karate provides instant consequences when focus slips, which rapidly accelerates the learning process.
- For Kids: If a child loses focus during a balance drill or while holding a deep stance, they immediately wobble or fall over. This instant loop—lack of focus equals loss of balance—teaches them exactly what concentration feels like.
- For Adults: During partner drills or sparring, a split second of mental wandering means missing a block or getting tapped by an opponent’s training strike. This high-stakes environment forces absolute presence of mind.
3. Deliberate Breathing
Karate emphasizes a state of relaxed awareness, and controlled abdominal breathing.
- For Kids: Children are taught to project their energy through a loud shout called a Kiai. This requires them to channel all their physical power and mental intent into a single split-second action. This teaches them how to “turn on” intense focus at will.
- For Adults: Deep, regulated breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This lowers cortisol (stress hormones). It clears away the mental static and anxiety that typically prevents adults from focusing during a busy workday.
4. Anchors and Environmental Triggers
The dojo environment uses strict rituals to signal the brain that it is time to concentrate.
- The Bow: Both kids and adults must bow when stepping onto the mat, beginning a workout, or working with a new partner. This physical ritual acts as a psychological boundary, telling the brain to leave outside distractions at the door. Your life will still be there waiting for you, but after an hour of focusing on your martial arts you can face it in a different frame of mind.
- The Command to “Ready Position” or “Attention”: Hearing a single, sharp command forces students to instantly freeze, adjust their posture, and lock their eyes forward. Practicing this response dozens of times per class builds a strong habit of instant focus that carries over into school and offices.
A Powerful Partnership
Martial arts provides children and adults with a unique toolkit for navigating the world with control and confidence. By training their bodies to move with precision and their minds to focus with intent, karateka (karate students) learn the invaluable skill of accuracy. This synergy between the physical and mental disciplines creates a powerful positive feedback loop. It helps students not only land a perfect kick, but also neatly stack the dishes, accurately solve an equation, and confidently tackle challenges in the office.
https://www.facebook.com/AlexandersMartialArts
51 Nance Rd.
Madison, AL
256-837-8624
