Loyal but confused

I have been studying JKD for 8 years now, I am very proud and loyal to my main instructor who has direct lineage to Dan Inosanto. The school has been struggling for about two years now and while this is not the first time for my instructor it is the first time I have experienced it. My main instructor is the only one left out of my 5 original instructors, I had dreams of teaching for him one day. Classes are now only on tuesday/thursday and I have found it difficult to get motivated to go on those days do to work/ being over weight/ unsure of how and what to train.

I was at another school when I started my MA journey 13 years ago and they had classes 6 days a week and I was really happy with my prgress.

I have not made any significant progress in the last 5 years and my fitness level has declined. I am confused as I am considering going to some other MMA school because they have classes more often and I could get back into "fighting shape". Other than the fact that I don't have the money to attend two schools I find myself fighting myself because I consider it dishonorable to my instructor to go to another school. I am disapointed in myself regularly because I don't go to the classes that are availible but I still want access to more so I can go more often when I am in better condition to go.

I guess that was the long way to ask this question......How do I remain loyal to myself and my instructor but seek out more experiences that I need to get where I want to go?

P.S. after thought....How do you determine what to absorb from various styles if you have never been in a real fight? I am afriad to train in something that I would not use because I "think" I could use it for real.

I feel lost.

If you've never been in a fight and want to learn ''real'' techniques you have to trust whoever is teaching them and determining if they are worth your trust is up to you and your impressions of them..

And your loyalty problem sounds more of a motivational problem if you have extra classes to attend which your not doing your being lazy yourself OR maybe that school has lost its merits to you..

I have found that contact sparring/rolling is a good indicator of things that can be used in a real fight. Nothing is certain, but there are good odds that things that work well under resistance in class will work "for real", too.

It looks like getting in shape and having more opportunities to train are the things that are high on your reasons for training. I'd go with the new school and leave your JKD school. There is a problem why he is having trouble keeping his school staffed and open. Since you can only afford one school, make it the one that will give you the best value. People really do change schools for a variety of good reasons. The teacher deserves your loyalty not because of his lineage, but because he offers you the best training opportunities. That is my 2 cents. As with all advice, take what you can use and leave the rest.

If your instructor is against you branching out and bettering yourself, trying new things, they don't care much about you and only want your money. So go ahead and go somwhere else, if they are reasonable they will be for it.

I suggest that you transfer to another school. You can tell your instructor about it. You can also encourage him to do the same. Whatever is your decision about this just do what you believe to be right, even if others mock or criticize you for it.

It's a martial arts school, not the government, you're not there to serve them you're there to improve your skills. Do what you need to do to make yourself better, you didn't pledge an oath of faithfullness or anything (unless you did which would be al ittle weird). I'm sure they have plenty of students so hwo cares?

Hello Chung Hu:

<<seek out more experiences that I need tondard get where I want to go?

What experiences do you require? Is being in some kind of "fight" your true standard? Is being drawn into others foolishness, others vortex of personal issues/problems the best standard?

Does that mean those who have avoided the avoidable, not been sucked in to other peoples personal issues that their art somehow has no "value"? Hardly...

<<How do you determine what to absorb from various styles

You do not... you absorb whatever you are taught. Good or bad, you require time to engrain and absorb. There is no magic. You have spent more than a day or two at your art. You must determine what to do with it... whether you have the knowledge, the understanding of the information to share it with others.

Presentation of information is important and very different from simply knowing/understanding information. They are very different skills of which the presentation is the pinnacle, the most important aspect.


Jeff