Craig Markham - Mistakes The Rookie Police Officers Often Make

Craig Markham is an experienced law enforcement officer, having served as part of the Waterloo Regional Police Service for thirteen years. He still remembers what it was like to be a rookie on the force and he understands that there are a number of common mistakes that people make when they first start out in their careers as police officers. The below are some of the more common blunders that should be avoided.

Acting Like You Know Everything

While good training will provide you with a very solid foundation on which to build, you should never enter a law enforcement role with the thought that you know it all. Not only may this lead to conflicts with your fellow officers, but it may make you less inclined to learn from those who have more experience than you.

Not Asking Questions

Following on from the previous point, many rookies make the mistake of not asking questions about issues when they are unsure. If you are unable to find answers through your own research, you should make it a point to ask somebody with more experience, particularly when it comes to following correct procedures. Be patient and don’t be afraid to ask if you find yourself struggling.

Focusing On Mistakes

Craig Markham points out that law enforcement officers are human and that they will occasionally make mistakes. It is important that rookies don’t focus too much on any blunders they make and instead work to improve so that they don’t make them again. Concentrating too much on errors often leads to a loss of focus and more mistakes.

Craig Markham - Tips For Martial Arts Sparring

As an experienced martial artist and occasional instructor, Craig Markham recognizes the important role that sparring has in the development of a martial artist. Good sparring sessions will allow you to practice new techniques and shore up any flaws that you may notice, while also offering you the chance to put what you have learned into practice so that you can get a better idea of how to use it in a real-life situation. These pointers will help anybody who is new to sparring and wants to make the most out of their sessions.

Stay Relaxed

It is always important to remember that sparring is used to help both you and your partner develop your techniques, so don’t approach the sessions as though they are full-blown fights. Never go completely 100% with your strikes or throws, as you risk causing damage to your sparring partner. If you accidentally strike harder than you intended to, make sure to apologize quickly and check on your partner. Failure to do so could lead to emotions getting frayed and a poor sparring session as a result.

Focus on The Basics

While sparring gives you the opportunity to try out new techniques, you should always place the majority of your focus on the basic throws, punches and kicks that make up the foundation of your martial art. Again, it all comes down to practice, as learning the basics and, as importantly, how to execute then properly will lay the groundwork for more complex techniques. Remember that all of the best martial artists have reached that point because they focused on the basics to the point where they became second nature.

Break Sessions Up

It may be tempting to try to get all of your sparring done in as long a session as possible, but this will often result in a loss of focus. Remember that sparring is supposed to help you to develop your techniques, making it especially useful if you are struggling with something. As such, it may be worth breaking your sparring sessions up into shorter segments, with each one being focused on a different aspect or technique that you wish to improve. This will ensure that you maintain your focus and achieve more during the course of your sessions.

Find Fresh Opponents

Craig Markham understands the importance of sparring with people of all shapes, sizes and abilities to get the most out of your sessions. If you become too comfortable sparring with a single person, you may find that much of what you have developed is less useful should you need to use it against someone with a different body type. For example, exclusively practicing throws with somebody lighter than yourself will not prove to be much use when you face someone heavier.

Craig Markham - Tips For Improving Your Judo Game

Craig Markham is an experienced martial artist who has been practicing Judo for a number of years, in addition to helping to provide instruction as part of his work with the Take-Control Self Defense Program in Kitchener, Ontario. He aims to help others to improve their Judo games, so that they can be more effective when they need to use the techniques they have learned. This tips should help anybody who is struggling.

Craig Markham

 

Focus On Technique

The most important thing to remember about Judo is that it provides you with a means to take opponents down without having to overpower them. If you find that you are having to use too much of your physical strength to execute moves, take some time to focus on the technique behind them. You will want to be able to execute moves with the minimum level of effort.

Spar Often

You should spar with others whenever you have the opportunity. Most importantly, you should also aim to develop relationships with a wide variety of sparring partners, as this will allow you to practice your techniques on people of all shapes and sizes. This is useful, particularly for those learning Judo for self-defense, as you can never know what size an attacker might be.

Dedicate Yourself

Craig Markham has become so effective as a martial artist because he has dedicated himself to constant practice so that he can hone his skills. Motivation will sometimes become an issue, so make sure you remind yourself why you’re learning Judo in the first place and make it a point to always attend classes.