I'm not very good at starting threads but just wanted to say something that i've realised recently, and just wondering if others have had any similar experiences
Well... i've been training in MA since i was 8. Basically coz i was getting bullied. Now all through my teenage years (i'm now 22) i used to compete a lot in competitions (full contact, semi contact, boxing and muay thai a little, as well as forms), and i really used to love it! It was real exciting, the chance to prove myself against others and develop my understanding of fighting etc...
Now that whole feeling has just gone.
Now fighting is the last thing on my mind, even though i study a fighting skill (Wing Chun) and Qigong. I've realised that i'm training for 3 main reasons now: 1) To be healthy, 2) To understand and develop the skill, 3) coz i enjoy it and it feels good.
I'm just not bothered about fighting anymore. If a situation happens, then of course i will do what i can. But really it's 'win some, lose some'. Yeah i might get beat up or robbed or whatever, but life still goes on. If it doesn't, then so what?
Lots of my friends train in other systems and constantly want to spar with me doing my WC. I've realised that WC is all i want to do right now, and am still trying to unlearn everything i did before. Also i'm not too bothered about sparring with them, we just play. As i have 2 many bad habits for WC right now, so can't use the skill properly yet (need more practise and chi sau ).
This post sounds kinda freaky. But it's just something that i've realised. I've more important things to do in my life than worry about fighting, though i do like to train in MA. Also there are any more benifits to MA than just learning the fighting part of things.
What does everyone else think?
david