Martial Arts- life changing

You missed your calling in life, Eyrie. You should be a Personal Motivator.

I think the deadly thing about the electronic medium, vs. reading books, is the addiction to short term and shallow gratification. Movies, tv and internet...hook you on a low level...but can never fully satisfy by going to the depth of learning that comes from physical experience.

I have 2 words for you harlan....

TONY ROBBINS

I`m not gonna vote...just reply. I would say MA have had a big part in some of the more lasting and significant changes in my life...for the better..and some for the worse.

Any one who trains for a few years will go through periods where it becomes a "struggle" just to stay motivated too train. Its hard work, and when things are progressing slowly its easier to give up.
I hope you won`t though, by pushing ahead you can only gain, you can not loose any thing. While if you stop you will quite likely regret it later.....or perhaps wonder where it could have taken you.

I am finding a new balance myself right now. At 43 and with a few injuries my fighting days are pretty much over. I have gone back too shootfighting, instead of Muay Thai. I`ve gained a few pounds as well, not a huge amount but it bothers me. I make excuses like the extra wieght is ok when I`m grappleing...if I get tired I can go too the ground.

I miss the hard sparring of the MT, grapplers mostly are afraid of hard contact it seems...not all of them but a lot are.

Any way for the better..my over all health is greatly improved. I can most certainly defend myself better than your average Joe..if ever there is a need. I am more confident, bigger guys or "bully" type personalties no longer intimidate me much....well actually they never did often any way as I was the "bully" some of the time. I am not that at all any more, another positive credited to MA. I will never agin question my own courage...something I did my whole life fighting in the ring ended that. (even after the peirceings etc. at sundance I still felt I was a coward somehow) I have been violence free for a few years back too back now...(exept for MA, to me thats sport, not the same at all as the street)I no longer live in fear of my own anger/temper and that alone makes it all worth it.

On the down side...my neck, shoulders, and joints hurt a lot at times, well actually nearly all the time. These are injuries from fights, some from MA my neck is for sure, some from the "bad ol days", and a life time of hard work and poverty.

Is it worth it? For me it is, for my son and what I have seen him gain...it is. I think I probably would not deal with the pain as well without the MA any way.

If you choose to quit you may never find out what you gave up.

You answered if yourself. AT the end of your post you said you find it rewarding, and enjoy it. Isn't that wortht he walk? Or if your instructor has offered a drive its because he likes you coming to his class. If he offered its not taking advantage.

Your advice has really helped, I remember when I used to practice ALOT, not in class but at home and your 'constructive criticism' has helped. I have started my light weight and fitness training, practicing my techniques, and for the 2 sessions I have done, just half an hour or so, I feel much better. Hopefully I will be able to keep this routine up, I am beginning to understand that Martial Arts isn't just about the colour of your belt (because I can buy a black belt from the internet), but about MY skill. I am doing Martial arts for myself, like I'm sure nearly all of us our.
Thanks guys you rock
I hope I can help others like you lot have helped me
Rageace

MA completely changed my life. I am happy. It is like being in love. I always have energy for that. The word "effort" doesn't exist anymore because I take pleasure in doing anything for Taekwondo.

It is a passion, I even dream about that. I am always in a good mood. No doubt: I am in love. And because love works like that I think nothing can take me apart from taekwondo and our relatioship is the strongest.

Do you understand what I mean?

I always have a hard time answering this question. I can't remember a time when I hadn't studied martial arts because I started when I was four. In this sense, MA has never changed my life because my life has always been about MA, in another sense, MA has influenced my whole life and way of thinking...

I don't see what the big deal is, honestly. If you want to study martial arts, go study it. If you don't care about MA, don't study it. No big deal. Actions speak louder than words. There are those of us who had to trudge miles through snow and ice to our Dojos and back, uphill both ways! You're not the only one who has difficulty getting to your Dojo.

I think when you are training in something that very few other people are or sticking at something that very few other peoepl are, it's a massively positive thing. In terms of confidence, fitness, awareness, self defence... Sense of accomplishment is something that everyone wants to see when they look back on their life, and I think MA can play a large part in that because it's tough. You get injuries, you have to dedicate a part of your life to it, the dojo isn't close by... etc etc. I stopped training in my teen years (distracted by the usual mix of girls and booze); although I'm back training, giving up is something I deeply deeply regret. Although I would never force my children to train, I would do everything I could to encourage them.

Without question, training has had a positive influence on my life. It's made me less fearful of others. With fear being out of the way, I'm a much more loving and compassionate human being (as fear, not hate, is the opposite of love).


-John