If one masters one thing, that one thing can lead to mastery of several other things. I've one suggestion for every martial artist, focus on mastering proper practice. If one masters this, one will master ten thousand things through their efforts.

Practice for the sake of practicing, the act itself is important with or without future mastery. There is a zen master that has said the act of zazen is enlightenment itself. For the martial artist, the act of practicing is mastery itself. The time spent sitting in zen, or practicing in the martial arts never go to waste. It builds and the inertia carries the budoka forward even on days when practice is difficult or in times when one is sick.

The act of practicing is Budo. The spirit of Budo lives in the act of practicing, be it practicing baseball or studying for a test, the act of practicing shows determination and a will to overcome weaknesses. One practices to become better than one was yesterday. If one masters this one thing, one becomes the master of their own life.