gimme a reason to continue MA

[chen zhen]

all that hard training might in the end not work, u might get sliced up wit a nice or something else. its a hobby, but what makes it better than other hobbies? why should i give a **** about the theories & traditions? why is it important to know how to crack someones skull, or how to ly on the ground wit some dude in top of u?
& the fitness is something i can get in many other sports. & ill never be as good as all the famous MA'ists.


THIS IS FROM A PERSON WHO IS LOSING FAITH IN MARTIAL ARTS. GIMME A GOOD REASON TO CONTINUE. THE RESPONSES MAY MOTIVATE OTHERS, BUT I DOUBT THEYLL MOTIVATE ME.


-cz, a frustrated young man.

[Skummer]

Personally, I do MA for two primary reasons. One is because my style (judo) is so darn fun I couldn't stop if I wanted to.

The other reason is that MA is what separates us from the people who do nothing but go to work, come home & watch tv, sleep, work, tv, sleep, etc... On the day I die I can look back and say I accomplished something that didn't involve chasing money and something I didn't have to do. I did it through force of my own will.

Maybe what you need, chen zhen, is to find another school/style. I suggest judo.

;)

[j-himself]

having doubts huh

been there too. i've never had a reason to quit MA all together. i've switched styles over the years though. mostly because i've seen one system insuffcient, etc.

"why should i give a **** about the theories & traditions?"
in my opinion, you shouldn't. why would u want to study a MA that includes a bunch of useless bs that wont do u no good?

"why is it important to know how to crack someones skull, or how to ly on the ground wit some dude in top of u?"
well, here's the part that actually could do you some good. I guess people take up MA for different reasons, but one of the universial one is self defense. you might be a pasifist though, then do get mugged or beaten. studying ma can give you the upper hand in a confertation like that.

"& the fitness is something i can get in many other sports. & ill never be as good as all the famous MA'ists."

i'll give you the first one. but the second statement... if you aint got any physical disabilities, whats stopping you?

think about it

[Kristoffer]

I beleive anyone (kay mebbe not handicap ppl) can be as good as the 'masters'. That's not why I personally train though. I almost quit altogheter about a year ago too. Mostly coz all the stress in my social life, school, family etc etc. I just didn't have the time. I took a paus to recover and then I started again. I can relate to ya chen coz I feel your in the same situation I were, so maybe my advice is to take a paus or look up something new?

I started coz I wanted to know how to fight. Now I train mostly because I see it as a way of keeping me busy and in good health. It gives me the time to vent and be a part of something that feels more important (to me) than alot of social stuff.
It also gives me the opportunity to have something that I can say I'm good at, something I can make my own and perfect on my own. Nothing can ever take this skill away from me, it's mine til the grave.

Maybe you should try new aspects of MA. Like competing? (this is what I'm trying to be good at right now, it's pretty scary)


GIMME A GOOD REASON TO CONTINUE.

..so u can say ''I do kung fu'' to the chicks and they'll go crazy n lick you in cool new places. ;)

[Vash]

One Good Reason:

Because you can. What else are you going to do?

You've put how many hours into this? Been hurt how many times? Bled how much?

The only reason I can think of is it's you.

[chen zhen]

thanks for the responses. all the things u say is something i agree wit, i just feel the way i do because im goin through some rough times. i dont have a reason to continue in these times. people who practise MA around here are goons & stupid people who dont understand the real reasons to do it. or else theyre hippys. i cant stand them.
& no-one here respects a MA'ist just because he says he is one. most people fight for real where i live, and can easily take out a (regular) trained MA'ist. they have more street knowledge. if u get into a fight, ull wit 100% certanity get stabbed wit a knife, or kicked to half-death by 10 crazy psychos. MA wont help you.
& u gotta do more to get hoz to lick u, gotta have a car & ****, wear fancy clothes, etc. they dun give a **** if u practise bjj or kiddy-karate.

so.. im not convinced yet:)

[Kristoffer]

ya of cors there's a big chanse you'll never EVER gonna use it on the streets, that's not the only reason why u should stick with it. Think about it. This is something you do for YOURSELF. For your health, for your own body and mind. Who cares that 99 % of all the population are morons and like the ppl on your bjj club, it's what you do that matters.

Inner peace dawg

[Kristoffer]

..and on the girl thingy:
the ''I do kung fu'' trick mostly works on drunk chicks. If not you just lie about what car you have, or fool em to beleive your rich. (most chicks do dig the martial artist toned up body over the lazy coutch potato guy with a beer gut)

[chen zhen]

apparently danish chicks are not as stupid as swedish chicks:p

[Kristoffer]

actually I think most chicks in generall are pretty dumb :D

shhh.. don't tell Ming Yue

[T'ai Ji Monkey]

CZ.

Here are a fw reasons why I do MA:
1.) I really enjoy it.
2.) It keeps me fit and healthy.
3.) It keeps stress down and gives me private time away from work, family, etc.
4.) It is very cheap for me to do so. Sports clubs over here are a pain, too expensive and over-crowded.
5.) Made some good friends and business contacts via my MA studies.

I know other activities can provide the same things, but I just love MA.
:D

[Starchaser107]

nobody's forcing you to do martial arts.
you do it because its something you love, you feel compelled to do it.
you seem discouraged by it's seeming futility... consider yourself still pretty youthful and what you seem to be describing are "growing pains"

We all go through crossroads. If you want my other advice

stop listening to all that westcoast gangster bulls#it music , and stop going by what the external influences around you seem to be portraying as the "ideal" way for you to live you adolescence chen.
i consider myself your friend but I think at this point in time you're too immersed in negative energy and you might not have the resources to filter through it.

All that s#it they're talking about women and ballin' is garbage,
don't get caught up in a bulls#it lifestyle chen, there are limitless possibilities and life is what you make it to be.

Don't get caught up in the negative side of things too much. The women you encounter via that lifestyle arent worth it either.
At your age it's probably best you learn from life the "unfortunate" way, which is by your own personal experience, however , If these words mean anything to you then maybe you don't have to get caught up in that mess.

I know that the CZ that we see here is just a fraction of who you are in reality, and the things you share here don't necessarily encompass the totality of your life,
regardless of that , these comments are sincere and I hope that they offer some help.

I've said what I said because even though you may believe you're being your "own man" , some of the comments you have made indicate that what other people do factors into your decision making process.
Don't let yourself down, and be a cop out. follow your dream

peace.

[chen zhen]

you seem to have misunserstood me. im influenced by where i live, not to the music i listen to. its that which is ****in me up. the music is a way to get outta it.

N

[Starchaser107]

All of that is understood,

I understand abt the coping part.

but you know what they say " you do what youve always done, you get what youve always got"
I was suggesting a more positive way of coping.

I'm simply saying poison for the mind is no different than poison for the body,
at least think about it.

[Kristoffer]

good post sc

[Volcano Admim]

consider two and only two factors

fun factor
time factor

make it simple, answer to rise

i suppose you know what my choice is, or not? but each makes his own

[Ikken Hisatsu]

if you dont enjoy it then dont do it, simple as that. I do it because it gives me purpose- there is ALWAYS something new to learn, more experience to gain, faster reflexes to develop.... Its like a mission to become physically perfect except that you will never get there so you always have a goal. If thats not what you want, then quit.

And if you want to learn self defense, learn how to use a knife. fortunately for me I live in new zealand where you are far more likely to get into a fist fight than get stabbed- there was one fatal stabbing this year, but hundreds of cases of assault.

also, I really enjoy it. to know that I am improving myself whereas most people around me are just doing the daily grind and paying taxes....

[Vash]

Here's the conclusion I've come to:

A man is defined by what he feels, does, and wishes. A man also has the power to define those criteria. You have to decide why you should or, more to the point, why you should NOT keep training. Your question is flawed; we can present only those arguments for continuation/discontinuation which are relevant to us. We cannot simply give you the answer to one of our variables and expect it to fix your equation.

A few questions you may want to ask yourself.

1. Why have I worked out before?

2. What are the cirumstances bring on my questions of continued training?

3. Is my training relevant to my self/truth?

4. Can I look see myself doing this with a sense of fulfillment when I am 60?

Just a few relevant thingies I thought should be brought to the fore.

Safe driving, all.

[Kristoffer]

..maybe u just get down coz of the bad weather. read through this
http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/halsa/story/0,2789,385155,00.html
:)

[chen zhen]

im not talking about stopping it totally, for the rest of my life. only at this point of my life, since i feel theres more important things to do. i just dont know WHAT that is.

and remember, this is as much a thread for others feelin the same, for motivation, as it is to me.

-N

[Kristoffer]

yo in that case I suggest just takin a paus and see how it feels. That's what I did

on another issue, I'm hungry :mad:

[Kempo Guy]

If you need convincing to keep training then you need to take a break in your training. Or sometimes you just need to keep training through it. It depends on the personality of the individual.

BTW, make sure you train for your own reasons (whatever they may be), i.e. not to please or impress someone else...

KG

[ninthdrunk]

I think one of the best things you could do right now is stop going to your classes. Dont train how someone else wants you to train. Im guessing you have been doing this for awhile, otherwise quitting wouldnt be a big deal. There must have been things that kept you around even before you got into the benefits. It all comes back to having fun. I would recommend training on your own with an emphasis on the things you want to train. Think back to things you did in the beginning when it was more fun and focus on those things. Go mix it up with other folks and clubs for awhile, read some good books on martial arts conditioning and keep your eyes open to maybe joining a new club for awhile.

My teacher always points out that people who are taking breaks or leavinig class for awhile are usually the people that need the training the most. They take their breaks or quit at a time when the training could very well be the thing to help them through their tough time. Take a step back and see what is driving you to not want to train. Remember, this is the time you need the structure and stability that martial arts offers the most. If you decide to not go to classes and train martial arts in a school type of setting, make it a personal challenge to be in ten times better shape and have a much better understanding of things when you go back. In other words: bust your a$$ hard! Work out and dont feel sorry for yourself. The thing that helps more than anything when you are feeling down about your ma training is to do it as hard as you can and for as long as you can with a huge smile on your face. It sounds cheesy and ridiculous, but it works. Try it....

Hope everything works out for ya! Heck, for as bad as everyone makes shaolin do out to be, maybe you should join an sd club for awhile, maybe that will remotivate you to train in your present school for many years to come!!

Ben

[Vash]

My Boss is a:

Two-faced :eek:

Self-Serving :eek:

Lying :eek:

person :confused:

Tells me a message my b!tch-@$$ district manager wasn't ballsy enough to deliver, then, after I leave, mouths off about me to the assistant manager. Turns out if I don't work Saturday's, the bizzatch said I should find myself another job. Baas deliver's the message all sweet and stuff.

[the mouthing off]
"I'm tired of working with everyone's schedule . . . I'm tired of working double shifts and overtime without overtime pay . . . I'm gonna hafta make an example out of someone to show people can't walk all over my good graces . . "
[/the mouthing off]

[has me working ONLY fridays and saturdays, even this coming weekend, wherein I asked (and got) off friday and saturday to see what amounts to half my school test for everything from shodan to yondan.]

Oh, about me finding another job. . . got an interview tomorrow. With my old manager from k-mart. Before it closed down.

Hope he's okay with my having a busted rib thingie. If so, super. If not, unemployment line, here I come.

Fu(k hollywood, and all it's subsidiary companies and assests.

[SevenStar]

quit. seriously. What you're going through should not be the cause of you losing interest in MA. if anything, it should make you crave MA as a means of getting away from whatever it is that's got you down. I'm REALLY going through some stuff right now, but that hasn't affected my MA any. I keep those entities separate.

you recently changed styles... Maybe you feel that you're not getting what you want out of the MA that you're training in. vale tudo may not be for you. It sounds like you need to back off for awhile and do some self evaluation. Determine where you are and where you wanna go, then try to get back into it, using the info that you discover about yourself.

good luck.

[chen zhen]

thanks a lot, thats actually what im doing.

but im not gonna miss the big Dim Mak seminar coming up on saturday;)

[Ming Yue]

It's not better than any hobby. If it's in you, you find a way to do it. I go through ups and downs in my training - just like in anything, but the one time I stopped for an extended period I knew I was missing something.

It's not really about learning to crack someones skull. I train because of the physical purity- no rules, no ball, no court or field or goalpoast. Just you - intellect, body and training, against someone else. Wit and will against wit and will. Nothin' like it.

Remember too, there will always be someone better than you, and there will always those who aren't as good. I certainly am not a natural, I have to work hard, but I still get satisfaction knowing I put everything I've got into my training.

Sevenstar said it well, get out for a while, see how it feels. take some time to concentrate on other stuff and see where you want to go with MA. I bet you won't stay out too long.

:)

[Surferdude]

going to quit??? too bad.......what will you do in your spare time?


Its been a while..........;)