Stop training?

[Guoshu]

I moved away from my class years ago but still practice on and off, I remember all the forms, blocks etc but while wrestling around with a friend one day I realised I couldnt get a few moves to work. I have no one to train with, Wife, friends are not interested in Kung Fu at all. Am I wasting my time continuing to train?, I assume my skills are gradually getting worse. Anyone else been in this situation?, I am starting to feel now that I no longer know kung fu. Whats the point in shadow training blocks and moves when they may not work? Any suggestions? Should I just give it up? I really enjoy training but I feel like its pointless.

[David Jamieson]

If you keep practicing why would you deteriorate?

Give your head a shake and actively seek out training partners if you need that.

if not, go ahead and quit, I mean, honestly, it doesn't make any difference to me, but being defeatist is all I read from that post.

Either do it, or don't and screw what other people think.

[lunghushan]

I moved away from my class years ago but still practice on and off, I remember all the forms, blocks etc but while wrestling around with a friend one day I realised I couldnt get a few moves to work. I have no one to train with, Wife, friends are not interested in Kung Fu at all. Am I wasting my time continuing to train?, I assume my skills are gradually getting worse. Anyone else been in this situation?, I am starting to feel now that I no longer know kung fu. Whats the point in shadow training blocks and moves when they may not work? Any suggestions? Should I just give it up? I really enjoy training but I feel like its pointless.

Well it sounds like you have an existing style, but nobody in your style to train with.

So the question would seem to be -- how do you train your existing style, without going to another school where they will make you learn a new style?

I've had this debate on and off with people on this forum, and honestly I don't know the answer. They say just to train with whoever, but the problem then is that you have to do a lot of things their way.

Or they say take classes again with them or another teacher, but then of course if it's a different style you will have to start over.

Maybe you can find somebody else who does your existing style the same way, but that might be hard because even individual teachers vary.

[Guoshu]

lunghushan,
Thanks for understanding.
True I dont want to invest in another style. I'm also in a different country where this style isnt taught. My main concern is that while I can preform the moves, I'm loosing the ability to use them (apply them). I'm thinking of just practicing it as an art and not a fighting style. I've put alot of time into analizing the combat elements and applications in all the forms after I left to deeper understand what I know, but as time goes on I feel like its pointless without constantly drilling them with a partner. I really dont want to give it all up but other than dumping it and learning a new style I dont know what to do.

[YouKnowWho]

my skills are gradually getting worse.
Old saying said that "If you don't spar/wrestle for 3 days then your arms and legs are no longer be yours". Equipment training may be one way to train if you don't have training partners. It doesn't develop your timing and response but it can enhance your other abilities. The best way is to get together a group of fighting club from different styles and just have fun. Try not to think about your style instead of concentrating on what skill that could enhance your fighting ability.

[Water Dragon]

simple answer?

Teach or learn, but start training again. You feel like you're losing your technique because you are. You have one of three choices.

1. Keep deterioting. You can slow it down w/ what your doing, but you can't stop it.
2. Teach if you're good enough. Teaching is cool because CMA is taught in drills. When you teach, you get to decide what to focus on and how long. Your students get to learn, you get too train. Don't teach unless you know how to train yourself. There's no point in that.
3. If you're not good enough, or don't want to go through the hassle of teaching. (And it is work, responsibility, it's a lot on your plate), then go learn something new. Another Kung Fu style, Boxing, Judo, BJJ, Karate, whatever you find interesting can be a lot of fun and teach you how to view things from a different perspective.

[lunghushan]

lunghushan,
Thanks for understanding.
True I dont want to invest in another style. I'm also in a different country where this style isnt taught. My main concern is that while I can preform the moves, I'm loosing the ability to use them (apply them). I'm thinking of just practicing it as an art and not a fighting style. I've put alot of time into analizing the combat elements and applications in all the forms after I left to deeper understand what I know, but as time goes on I feel like its pointless without constantly drilling them with a partner. I really dont want to give it all up but other than dumping it and learning a new style I dont know what to do.

Yeah, I don't know what to do either. I tried partner practice, but people want to do their stuff and chat and dominate, and it wastes a lot of time.

Plus if you do anything differently you have to argue a lot with them, or they will think you don't know what you're doing because it's different. I've had arguments over 4 inches of space in a bow stance because they say it's wrong to do it that way.

You might try hiring somebody just to do drills, but then it's kindof like giving lessons and paying them. So I don't know what to do about it. Maybe you can find somebody to teach, but that's also a pain because it takes a lot of time from practice.

Personally, I've just given up on partner practice. Not an ideal solution, but I got tired of seeking out partners, arguing with teachers, arguing with students -- all of that.

[SPJ]

Kung Fu practice is like a bad habit difficult to kick away.

It is additive. Once you are hooked, you are not gonna give it up or away.

Why, it gets your epinephrin, endorphin etc way up.

If you swim, play golf, play ping pong, etc

Any way, the workout is quite an instant gratification pour moi.

give it up. no way.

:D

[Water Dragon]

Yeah, I don't know what to do either. I tried partner practice, but people want to do their stuff and chat and dominate, and it wastes a lot of time.

Plus if you do anything differently you have to argue a lot with them, or they will think you don't know what you're doing because it's different. I've had arguments over 4 inches of space in a bow stance because they say it's wrong to do it that way.

You might try hiring somebody just to do drills, but then it's kindof like giving lessons and paying them. So I don't know what to do about it. Maybe you can find somebody to teach, but that's also a pain because it takes a lot of time from practice.

Personally, I've just given up on partner practice. Not an ideal solution, but I got tired of seeking out partners, arguing with teachers, arguing with students -- all of that.


I love this guy

[SPJ]

Yeah, I don't know what to do either. I tried partner practice, but people want to do their stuff and chat and dominate, and it wastes a lot of time.

Plus if you do anything differently you have to argue a lot with them, or they will think you don't know what you're doing because it's different. I've had arguments over 4 inches of space in a bow stance because they say it's wrong to do it that way.

You might try hiring somebody just to do drills, but then it's kindof like giving lessons and paying them. So I don't know what to do about it. Maybe you can find somebody to teach, but that's also a pain because it takes a lot of time from practice.

Personally, I've just given up on partner practice. Not an ideal solution, but I got tired of seeking out partners, arguing with teachers, arguing with students -- all of that.

That means you need to have Kung Fu "brothers".

My brother would ask me after not seeing each other a while. How is your Ba Ji practice going?

Good. I "came" up with several new combo.

He would say then let us try them out.

--

:)

[lunghushan]

That means you need to have Kung Fu "brothers".

My brother would ask me after not seeing each other a while. How is your Ba Ji practice going?

Good. I "came" up with several new combo.

He would say then let us try them out.

--

:)

I show stuff to my brother all the time, and on old 'kung fu brothers', but that's not really doing drills.

I don't know the solution for drills.

[BruceSteveRoy]

this may be asking for trouble but you could also post on craigs list that you are looking for a sparring partner or a training partner in your area. of course you might get a knock on your door and find its a 6'2 'woman' with an adam's apple and a voice like barry white wanting to 'train' with a 'partner'. but there's a risk in everything. just ask MK i hear he meets them on myspace*. but seriously people do it around the DC area. i have never answered them bc i don't have that kind of time between kung fu, work, a wife and a brand new wii.

*for more about MK using myspace to find trannies feel free to do a forum search for myspace.

[MasterKiller]

*for more about MK using myspace to find trannies feel free to do a forum search for myspace.

http://forum.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40213&highlight=myspace :D

As for people whining about not being able to train the way they want to train. Suck it up. Find a complimentary style that you can use to make your kung fu better. I was in the same boat 2 years ago when my school went Wushu. I joined a MMA club to learn wrestling and grappling, and I started a Saturday kung fu club to work on my CMA.

Your training is your responsibility.

[Ray Pina]

Training partners wanted
(cool graphic or photo... yin/yang... dragon... ba gua, et.c)

All levels of experience/styles welcomes

(555) -555-5555
XXXXX@yahoo.com

Go fill that in and hang it at the grocery store, outside a health food store, outside blockbuster, starbucks, the movie theater, library and local gym.... you'll find someone.

Also, check out Bullshido.com and find a Throwdown near you.

On top of all that, go find something new to train in. Why not? Are you so good you can't learn something new?

I hear everything from time (job/family) and money as excuses... if you want to train you will. Cut back on some luxory you don't need (you definitely have a few). Set a side 3 to 5 hours a week. If you can't find 3 to 5 hours of leisure time in your entire week, shoot yourself now.

As for others being a pain in a$$.... this is a blessing! Don't argue over foot placing, demand to feel the result in chi sau, push hands. If you are being dominated in anyway (conversations in public, in a relationship, training) it is because you are weak mentally or physically or both.

Stand up! Stop whining! Go train!

Sorry to be a *****, but there's your kick in your a$$.

[Fuzzly]

You can always train a new art. Recognize what it is, and how it differs/compliments your knowledge. As long as you know why it works, you should be able to go anywhere and gain from the experience.

For instance, my current (well, not so current since my injury, lol. Hopefully I'll be back in action, at least part way, in a couple weeks) training is a lot of stand-up and clinch work, but very little skills from the ground. Now, I could always wait until we get to that point at my school (we as in me, and my place in the system), but if I had to move, I could always go to a BJJ or some such place, and have my stand up complimented by groundwork.

[lunghushan]

As for others being a pain in a$$.... this is a blessing! Don't argue over foot placing, demand to feel the result in chi sau, push hands. If you are being dominated in anyway (conversations in public, in a relationship, training) it is because you are weak mentally or physically or both.

Stand up! Stop whining! Go train!

Sorry to be a *****, but there's your kick in your a$$.

LOL As if you could kick my ass. This is kindof the reason I gave up on it is because of people always thinking they're so hot.

In other words, here you are with your ego and your 'stand up' and all of that -- that's just the kind of thing that I got tired of dealing with in partner training is that people would try to dominate or give advice or make you do their techniques and all of that.

And if you then tried to explain why you didn't want to do that or didn't want to train with them, it would erupt into this war.

But thanks for once again proving my point. I won't bother you anymore. :)

[Shaolin Wookie]

Personally, I've just given up on partner practice.

I was about the push of a button away from making this a part of my sig....;)