I spend a lot of time helping people work through their performance issues.
For some, this means cutting through the thick pile of excuses keeping them from doing what they truly want. For others, who have already broken past that initial resistance, it’s about getting a handle on their own minds—so they can push the throttle wide open on their personal growth.
Sometimes, even a small roadblock is just as effective as a massive one in keeping you from moving forward.
The foundation for breaking free from limits is deceptively simple: becoming aware of your drives and habits.
The Doorway to Super Performance
If there is a single doorway to super performance, it is knowing the real reason you train in martial arts or Qi Gong.
Not the reason you tell other people. Not the logical justification. The real reason—the feeling that drives you to show up and train.
For example, you might tell others that you practice Arnis because it’s an effective self-defense system that can be learned quickly.
Is that true? Yes, completely. Arnis is an efficient, practical system.
Or you might say that you train in Qi Gong because it keeps you healthy and helps you avoid illness.
Is that true? Yes, absolutely. Qi Gong supports immune function and overall well-being.
These are true descriptions of benefits—and they are important. You should tell people about these benefits to encourage them to train. After all, who wouldn’t want the people around them to be safer and healthier?
But logic doesn’t drive you. Logic alone doesn’t make you train consistently, push yourself harder, or overcome challenges.
Search Your Feelings…
It is not the logical benefits of training that make you show up. It’s what you feel when you train that opens the door to super performance. Because that’s what truly motivates you at a gut level.
Think about it:
How many times have you known that something was good for you—maybe even essential for your success—but still avoided it?
You didn’t avoid it because you doubted the benefits. You avoided it because benefits aren’t as motivating as feelings.
When you understand what feeling is driving your training, you can structure your practice to amplify that feeling—both in solo training and in class.
The Science of Motivation in Martial Arts
Martial arts, when taught properly, have a unique ability to trigger the release of endorphins, ketones, dopamine, and other reward hormones within the first ten minutes of a workout.
At Water Mountain, classes are deliberately designed to stimulate this release—because that feeling is what sustains motivation.
The exact combination of movements, intensity, and focus that sparks this feeling varies from person to person. But one thing is universal: when a person struggles with roadblocks or excuses, it’s because their behavior is either NOT triggering that release—or there is a competing feeling.
Competing Feelings: The Hidden Obstacles
If you’ve ever skipped training when you knew it was good for you, a competing feeling was in play. And it wasn’t necessarily correct—it was just present.
Common Competing Feelings and How to Override Them:
Fear of Failure → Shift to Small Wins
Feeling intimidated? Set micro-goals: complete one round of drills, one minute of sparring, one session of Qi Gong. Small wins break fear’s grip.Boredom → Add Novelty & Challenge
Repeating the same drills? Mix it up. Train with a new partner, experiment with a different stance, or introduce breathing variations.Frustration → Track Progress, Not Perfection
Feeling stuck? Log small improvements. Even a 1% gain in speed, precision, or endurance means forward movement.Fatigue → Find the Energy Trigger
Too drained to train? Identify what gets you moving—music, a pre-workout ritual, or even just stepping onto the mat.
If you wish to be free from limits, you must understand the chain that’s keeping you tethered. Recognizing it makes the struggle manageable. Understanding it is the first step to breaking away.
Training for Super Performance
Super performance isn’t about talent or genetics. It’s about harnessing emotional states that drive consistent, intense training.
To tap into this:
Identify what feeling makes you love training. Is it power? Control? Flow? Mastery? Connection?
Structure your training to amplify that feeling. Adjust your drills, intensity, or focus to spark that motivation early in the session.
Neutralize competing feelings. Recognize what’s blocking you and counteract it with strategic shifts in mindset and environment.
Stay in motion. Even if you don’t feel like training, commit to just starting. The right emotional state often kicks in after you begin.
Keep Training, Keep Growing!
If you can control your emotional motivation, you can break through every roadblock and unlock levels of performance beyond what you thought possible. The key? Search your feelings, structure your training accordingly, and eliminate what holds you back.
You already have the drive inside you. You just have to tap into it.
References & Further Reading
Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.
Sapolsky, R. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. Holt Paperbacks.
Huberman, A. (2021). The Science of Dopamine & Motivation. Huberman Lab Podcast.
Water Mountain Training Materials (Unpublished, but effective!)
