Over and over I have tried to figure out what it is that makes a successful person, a champion, a winner. Not just in the Martial Arts, but in every avenue of life. Every day in our Martial Arts clubs we see our students, young and old, developing confidence. When they come to us they are hesitant and afraid. What they develop is confidence.
Confidence is demonstrated by a certain loose sureness of technique, an absence of frozen rigidity.
Melt your fear with confidence, the confidence that comes from endless dedicated practice. Not to freeze up, not to choke, but rather to do one's best, is the first criterion of a successful person. The application of your best technique is what will win for you, on the street and on the mat. Tomorrow's best may be better, but your present best is what you must produce this day, this time. You must not freeze up.