How on earth do the great's like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan find time!!!?

This is kind of a half rant half question, but how on earth do the Great's like Bruce Lee, and Jackie chan find time to train?!

I have had to quit both Karate and Ninjutsu which I am deeply upset about due to the fact of well.. I have to work 9 - 5 Mon - Fri, I'm up at 6am and back by about 8pm, by then I have no energy to go to the gym or even practice Martial arts.
On the weekends I could.. but 1 day of training a week will not get you the kind of strength Bruce Lee has.

Am I correct in Assuming that The greatest martial artists lived off the government and just did martial arts 5 days a week, with no other work obligations?

Please fill me in :bang:

 

Nope what gets you to great martial astist status is dedication and putting in several sessions of training even after a horrid day at work and making the most of your weekend for Practice.

 

Erm... No their living is Martial Arts. Jackie Chan worked in theatre and Bruce Lee taught other people whilst he was in College before becoming an instructor and a movie star.

 

anyone read the other day about jackie chan was drunk on stage and making a fool of himself. he apologisied the next day

 

because they don't work, only when they were doing films, the rest of the time they train, martial arts is their life...

if i could train all day everyday then i would

 

I think you'll find that the "greats" actually made/make proffessions out of their martial arts. So, really they get paid to train every day. Jackie Chan is a film star, who has his own stunt team. He gets to do a lot of training during his work. Bruce Lee actually ran several Gungfu schools to make a living. These guys don't/didn't go out, do a 9-5 then do some training. Their 9-5 was their training, but it was more than 9 -5.

 

I feel some of you are kinda using the excuse or work or some other obligations to justify why you're not as good as them. (I realize it's probably not exactly what you meant, but still, read on please.)

It takes dedication, sure, but not only that. Time management, mostly. When we were/are watching cartoons, those guys trained. I've read about some master who as a kid used to train before school, after school, and then a little in the evening.

If i REALLY wanted to be anywhere near their talent, i'd be training now.

 

The fact is, people have other obligations that take them away from the MA training. Be it work, be it family. Most people take up MA as a form of exercise or as a hobby. Not to become the best in the world.

 

I would love to be the best in the world and even perform in Movies, but I honestly have no time with work.
:bang:

 

Dedication to your art (martial or not) takes a lot of time. It takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an "expert" at something. Now add to that the time it takes to become AMAZING at something, and you're looking at a lifetime of practice. A couple cases in point from the performing arts: Charlie Parker and John Coltrane (jazz saxophonists, considered the greatest of all time by many). Charlie Parker practiced 6-13 hours a day at one point. John Coltrane practiced so much that his wife would find him sleeping in the basement, crashed out on the floor, late at night, with his saxophone still strapped to him. She'd merely put a blanket over him and let him sleep. Add to this the fact that they were full time performing and recording musicians, both leading their own groups and playing for other people. As a former professional musician, if you want to be the best of the best, you must eat, sleep, breathe, your art. It is your best friend, your spouse, and your child. You find a way to take care of your bills through your Art (or get someone else to pay for it), and make it happen. There is no other way.

As an aside, I remember a while back, that while sitting on the bus with my WMA gear, I held my waster (wooden sword) in its bag with the same kind of affection and reverence I do my bass guitar, as if it's been there all my life. I don't practice swordsmanship enough, but at least it's getting there, embedded in my psyche, the way music is. Maybe I'll be decent at it after another decade or so.

Best Regards,

-Mark

 

I think that's a big part of it right there. The people who really dedicate that much of themselves to what they do, be it martial arts or music, have to do one of two things. 1) Surround themselves with people who are totally on board with what they do. (E.G., a wife who doesn't mind and understands that you're going to spend the vast majority of your time on martial arts and that she may well not be the biggest priority in your life) Or 2) not surround yourself with people who would expect to be a big priority.

For examples, look at Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Lee went one route and Chan the other. Linda Lee Cadwell was completely on board with her husband's job/obsession. Chan, on the other hand, isn't married (to my knowledge).

Whatever systems you're a part of need to be supportive of your chosen pursuit. Or there's always going to be a tug of war going on there.



Stuart

 

The "greatest" who were not actually movie stars seem to me to have a common thread - they didn't care about money - just their art.

 

Jackie Chan has a wife and a son I think Stuart...

 

Jackie did not go into his 'job' by choice. He was thrown into it because like many people in China, they were poor and couldnt feed their children. SO they were literally thrown into a travelling troupe/peking opera school where they can earn money and be fed and at least have some sort of roof over their heads.

When youre 5 years old and all you know is doing 'training' (it was more torture to them as if the movements is wrong down to the amount of steps you dont eat/sleep/eat and sleep) then thats all you'll know when you grow up.

Jackie wasnt magically discovered while walking down the street doing backflips. He did it the old fashioned way which was work up the ranks with the help of his other members of the groups.

 

I knew he had a son. But I was under the impression that he wasn't married. I guess if he is, she's another of those understanding souls. Doesn't hurt, of course, that Jackie Chan makes mad bank doing martial arts. If I raked in millions doing it, my wife would probably be more enthusiastic too.