I'm going to take advantage of the one guy I see around here who I know (JointLock) and those I don't know (everyone else) and put this out there: I'm going to ignore that little voice in my head that says "Nah, don't train, take a day off." I can think of a million reasons not not to train. Maybe 3 of them are good reasons, but the rest are not. I can sit on my fat behind and remember when I trained actively (1997 - 2001) or I can get that spirit back again. The training spirit is not mystical, its showing up, shutting up and doing the work. My problem is not the art, the location, the teacher, the dojo/dojang, the price, martial arts politics, or family & work obligations we all have. My problem is I'm lazy. Thanks for letting me check in weekly, before and after class, and be accountability to my brothers & sisters in the martial arts. Glad to do the same for others, if & when I've earned the right to speak up. I am training with Master Brad Fowler at Therese's TKD & Hapkido Saturday mornings at 10:30. More after I get back from class.
As I tell my students, when the novelty wears off, the the testosterone begins to drop, when there is noone to posture in front of for their regard....thats when the real training begins. I do MA to induce fundamental changes in the way I think about Life and my Community and a huge part of that is being able to act when I need to act, or not act when I need not to act. In either case I have to make sure that no one plane of my being ---Body, Mind, Heart and Spirit---- dominates the others. My most common hurdle is that little voice that greats each good intention with the same "whats the point?" My training intention is to turn-up the volume on the collective voices of the rest of me with a resounding "'Cuz I said so!!!" FWIW. Best Wishes, Bruce
Yep, i remember when i used to train full time as well. Unfortunately with shift work, a wife and various other obligations i find it hard to train martial arts. I still get the the gym and lift weights 3 times a week but i'm lucky if i get one training session for bare hand and weapons training. I've still got the skill and i use it on a regular basis because of the security work that i do but i don't get to keep the skills as sharp as they used to be. The focus has moved toward being stronger rather than having ultra snappy ninja skills like i used to. Man i'd really like to train like i used to, so i understand where you're coming from. I could probably make the time realistically but i like having my relaxation time and i'm not willing to swap one of my gym sessions for a martial arts session. I'll probably regret it next time i get my butt kicked at work.
Thanks, brothers. I did train and here's what we (Master Brad Fowler and my new best friend, Jason/Nathan, who I've met exactly twice - I need to remember his name, its only courteous): - Warm-up. - Basic ukeme (I know, wrong language for a Korean derived art) IOW falling & rolling - safely. - Review of basic kicks (what I'll call a straight, rear kick, a "mule kick," is eludes me, so that's my homework). - A sticky hands drill - punch straight w/right, parry incoming w/left. Reverse. - Run through the beginning of the white belt syllabus, which includes a variety of escapes from a wrist grab. I know opinions around MAP vary re/the ICHF and the "Combat Hapkido" style, but I have just enough experience, and just enough time between past experience and the present, that: - I remember knowing more than I really do. That in itself is in invitation to humility and I need that, I need to be humble. - The extra 30 pounds I'm carrying around isn't doing me any favors. Ukeme is just plan harder. I am not graceful. And I have no endurance. So, an important aside is doing something about that, which will benefit me more, in more areas of life, than mere martial arts training. - My impressions of my instructor, Brad Fowler, and the folks who founded the dojang, Therese & Bill Guy are simple. They are decent, devoted people. This dojang was founded in 1986, is still a going concern, and there is not a hint of pretense anywhere. I pay a mat fee, pro-rated for the number of days I said I'd like to train. No contract either. Without prejudice to a number of folks I've met in the 'arts in Eastern Nebraska who are, likewise "decent, devoted people," it buoys me up to meet more. A friend of mine in Monterey left me with these words, when I moved away in 2005: "Don't worry about the art. Find a good teacher." How fortunate I am to have found good teachers again - close by my home, with a class on Saturday, and affordable. So no excuses not to do this.
There's a lot to be said for the "Buddy System". Sometimes knowing that certain few people tend to show-up on particular nights is enough to push a person just enough to get in motion towards the school. I truely envy you finding a group to hang with. In our area it would be nice to be able to just walk into a place and be "one of the guys", if you know what I mean. I went through a time a while back where I started checking-around for such a place. Most of the time whoever ran the school wanted me to pitch-in and teach a Hapkido session once or twice a week. When I made it clear that all I wanted was a place to work-out conversation sorta dried-up. Chicago has a lot of great places in it but the issue is being able to commute into the city around 6-8pm. Factor in the huge number of sports events, Rush Hour and special activities (IE "Taste of Chicago") and it gets real hard to make a regular commitment. FWIW. Best Wishes, Bruce
Accountability in training is like accountability in going to college; there is none. You pay your fees and you show up when you want to. No one is going to make you do something you don't want to do.
Bruce has made this point already, but what seperates those who excell from those who don't is often not raw talent, as much the ability to endure repetantive tedius training. I tell my students that real martial arts training sucks.
Repetition can be boring at first, but stick with it and you start to see small changes which after a while turn into big changes. One of my students recently said to me that she had noticed that I "look much better" when doing demos recently. I didnt realise what she meant until I looked at a recent video of me doing a form and then looked an older one doing the same form. My peformance the first time was SO embarrasing, but it took a student to point out the difference to me. And realising that made all the hours and hours of practise worthwhile.
Hapkido is a painful practice. It involves hard work, planning, and lots and lots of repeated practice. Hapkido is not always fun, but to me it is always rewarding.
