Why do you train?

I enjoy acquiring new skills.

 

I kind of touched on this in my earlier post but...

I originally started out in Yoshinkan Aikido when I was 16. There was an ad in the yellow pages advertising "We can teach you to fight like Steven Seagal." Ok, I know, not what should get someone out to training but I had just discovered Seagal movies (his earlier ones.) After a year or so of training I realized I wanted something with more contact. I went to the local Karate school and started training. I loved everything about it, the discipline, the kata, the sparring, never been a tournament guy so that I stayed away from.

Shortly after I received my Shodan (would have been 20 then) politics came into play. We went from being one organization to another. (It's a long story, anyone really wanting the nitty gritty feel free to PM me and I'll write out the proverbial novel.) I kept training at that dojo until I joined the military. While serving I was able to find a group of Kung Fu students as well as BJJ students and got some good training in both.

Now that I'm back to where I'm living before I joined the Army (two weeks left serving, soon to be a civilian again ) I'm now back to Karate with a different instructor, but kind of the same, see this is where it's all confusing and novel-esque. I've also just before Christmas taken up Yoshinkan Aikido again (they also teach BJJ a couple nights out of the week there) mainly because it's where I started my Martial Arts journey and there's always been something in me that made me feel I didn't give it an honest chance.

 

Yeah, but a lot of people hadn't and I'm nosey

Sending a PM your way

 

HA!!!

 

In a small way I know how you feel, I've struggled on and off with (sometimes very severe) depression and fatigue/apathy where very powerful symptoms. The worst part is when people think you're just lazy.

 

Funny, I'm just lazy but people think I'm tired all the time. :hat:

 

You forgot the disenfranchised - did I pronounce that right?

 

really... anyone who is helpless. I'll kick my mom around later after I train for a while longer.

 

You might wanna think about that one a bit, lol

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As I was looking over the titles of the threads it came to me that one real reason that I train is because I used to be such a hothead and wanted to test myself against anyone... training makes that part of me feel that it's unnecessary. The more a person trains the less one (or at least me) wants to just randomly get into it with people on the street. I just don't care. I'll spar with someone where I train sure, but once that fear of the uncertain is gone... there really is no fear at all anymore about the average street guy walking around. It actually puts me more at peace. That probably makes no sense at all.

 

I was born into a ninja clan. One day I hope we will rise up and take back our mantel. Until then we wait. Shadows in the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot. Whoosh. :vanish:

 

the ninja will rise against Tom Cruise and the last of the deadly samurai?

 

Would you call yourself a "natural alpha"?

 

So a sigma male then?

Haha, what's matter, you like banter don't you Hun?

 

That's probably what the people on your classes are thinking too.

Nevermind.

 

training has always been what I use to feel better. It feels right to me. Style doesn't matter so much as long as I'm capable of covering grappling and striking, be it cross training or all in one. I enjoy skill acquisition and physicality. I've no interest in fighting, but I have needed my skills to protect myself in the past, so there is that.

I also see it as a cultural and learning experience. I'd like to travel and basically do my own version of a musha shugyo, think fight quest and human weapon without being filmed (or doing my own arcade mode run through of SF the world warriors).

Thailand, Bali, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Okinawa, Norway, France, Israel, Korea, Mongolia to go. India for Kalari was done in 2019. Many memories and experiences had, many more to come.

 

Not sure I've ever posted in this one.

I train to avoid developing hypertension. I realized years ago boxing skill alone wasn't the endgame for me (being in the ring is not one of the healthiest of athletic pastimes for sure, but training to do it is).

I'm a very heart-conscious person espescially in my middle age. Lots of people think they can wait it out and enjoy salt and fat and cholesterol and exercise a couple times a week and they'll be fine. The AHA and Mayo clinic say otherwise, you need to move every day, get at least 150 minutes of my moderate exercise per week, drink plenty of water, and avoid excess salt (especially if you are Black).

Boxing training (as opposed to just sparring) hits all the key points, because it's got a very diverse and comprehensive exercise regimen, drills for arms, legs, feet, core, cardio. Lots of other arts are probably just as good but for me boxing gymwork will always be my favorite workout (especially that jump rope).

Otherwise don't be surprised when your doctor tells you you are hypertensive stage 2 or worse, in crisis. Nothing like a doctor telling you your BP is really high to spook you into motion . Yo don't want to be on meds the rest of your life just because you sat around and ate pizza when you could have been shadowboxing and enjoying a nice spinach and egg omelette (my brunch right now).

Boxing and Tai Chi are a fabulous combination by the way. One trains you to fight like a demon, the other helps relax the body and mind, to me that's the perfect training balance.

 

Honestly considering taking up boxing as I get further along. I'm getting more health conscious after it turned out I have low blood pressure. While my HRT does address some of that, I do need to be mindful of a few things like cancer (Which killed my mother). I want to live long, strong and as healthy as I can. That way if something did run me afoul, I can at least hike somewhere high up and die with a picnic basket on some mountain. Who knows? I'll be a real life easter egg on Everest or Fuji for all we know.