If I only knew then what I know now....

[Lisa]

We all talk about the journey we have taken with our MA. How we learned as we went along and how we began to understand as time went on the importance of different aspects of your training.

If you could know one thing from the beginning that you learned later on in training what would it be?

For me it would have been patience. When I started in karate and then in grappling I was all gung ho. I wanted to learn katas fast, I had a thirst for new things. In grappling I would try and muscle out of situations so that I could submit my opponent. It wasn't until a few months down the road that I learned the difference between offence and defence.

How about you?

 

[theletch1]

I'll answer this one the same way I'd answer the old "If you could change one thing about your life" question...nothing. The journey that I'm on has brought me to where I need to be at the moment. I wouldn't want to know that my first instructor would turn out to be the complete *** that he was because that would have changed my course. I wouldn't want to know that technique A works better with this small change because I'd have missed a dozen other lessons for other techniques while trying to figure out technique A.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

well put, letch. i'd rep ya but i have to rep some other folks first.

still, that's an excellent way of putting what i was trying to figure out how to say.

 

[Kacey]

I'll answer this one the same way I'd answer the old "If you could change one thing about your life" question...nothing. The journey that I'm on has brought me to where I need to be at the moment. I wouldn't want to know that my first instructor would turn out to be the complete *** that he was because that would have changed my course. I wouldn't want to know that technique A works better with this small change because I'd have missed a dozen other lessons for other techniques while trying to figure out technique A.

I would have to agree - if I changed anything, it would have changed the journey, and I might not have reached the same point as I have today. It might be better - but it might be worse, too... so I'll happily stick with what I have.

well put, letch. i'd rep ya but i have to rep some other folks first.

still, that's an excellent way of putting what i was trying to figure out how to say.

I agree - and I repped him for you, although you're welcome to add more later!

 

[terryl965]

I would say the fact that Martial arts is mote than just fighting, I mean in the beginning that is what it was for me a way to fight.

 

[morph4me]

We all talk about the journey we have taken with our MA. How we learned as we went along and how we began to understand as time went on the importance of different aspects of your training.

If you could know one thing from the beginning that you learned later on in training what would it be?

For me it would have been patience. When I started in karate and then in grappling I was all gung ho. I wanted to learn katas fast, I had a thirst for new things. In grappling I would try and muscle out of situations so that I could submit my opponent. It wasn't until a few months down the road that I learned the difference between offence and defence.

How about you?

I would have liked to understand what it meant to relax. I knew the meaning of the words, but understanding how to do it, how important it is, and what a huge difference it make to my technique is another story.

 

[Xue Sheng]

If you could know one thing from the beginning that you learned later on in training what would it be?

When doing a Shaolin staff form, don't forget to jump just 1 measly little inch higher..... Spend less time on crutches that way

 

[Lisa]

I think we all would have changed painful experiences. Especially physical ones. Has anyone wished that they knew any deeper meanings to their forms? Would that have changed anything for anyone?

 

[kidswarrior]

Well, as several others have said, my journey could have been smoother, but we don't learn the important stuff when everything's going well. So, wouldn't change the meandering road.

And I couldn't change the fact that only years of experience gives us a certain depth of insight. Am looking forward to what many more years might lead me to see, if I'm around.

So, **thinking hard** guess I wouldn't change anything either. To do so would mean changing reality, as in having more experience than one has, which can only come by living longer, which then means you're not at the place you were when you wanted to know more.... Wait, I'm getting dizzy. This is a question for someone smarter than me.

Think this is kind of like asking, If you could know as a 14 year old what you knew at 30.... And I've never been able to answer that, either.

Great question, though.

 

[stickarts]

There was one teacher that I had heard of but procrastinated in meeting. I would have liked to have worked with him sooner than I did.

There is also one punch to the ribs that I would step futher back away from this time around!

 

[tellner]

I would have fine-tuned my BS detector much earlier.

 

[kidswarrior]

There is also one punch to the ribs that I would step futher back away from this time around!

Only one? Man, you're way out of my league. :lfao:

 

[stickarts]

Only one? Man, you're way out of my league. :lfao:

Well, only one real BAD one that left me sore for more than a week.
I was pretty well conditioned back in my days of hard sparring and took shots pretty well.
There are probably other hard ones that I don't remember.
I remember that one!

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I would have fine-tuned my BS detector much earlier.

Don't tell me that you put up with any BS? Based on your posting I find that hard to believe.

 

[tellner]

How do you think I got to be so cynical? Touch enough hot stoves and eventually you figure out they're hot. *Oy*

 

[TraditionalTKD]

Love Tae Kwon Do, but don't let it dominate your life. Be a well rounded individual and experience all that life has to offer.

 

[spiderboy]

I would grab my white belt-self by the Gi, slap him upside the head and shout:

It's not all about moving fast!
It's not all about looking cool!


Train harder!


But then... I wouldnt have listened =)

 

[jdinca]

I'll answer this one the same way I'd answer the old "If you could change one thing about your life" question...nothing. The journey that I'm on has brought me to where I need to be at the moment. I wouldn't want to know that my first instructor would turn out to be the complete *** that he was because that would have changed my course. I wouldn't want to know that technique A works better with this small change because I'd have missed a dozen other lessons for other techniques while trying to figure out technique A.

I agree completely. Just think of all the "ahhh!, I get it" moments we would have missed if things had been different.

 

[Shotochem]

I wish I had been a little more open minded and learned to take myself a lot less seriously a whole lot sooner.

But then again as others have so eloquently stated earlier.......
without that prior journey I would not be what I am today.:EG:

-Marc-