What is preventing you from being a better Martial Artist?

[jim777]

I'm a full time student in University of Phoenix online, and I have a 5 hour total daily commute to and from my office in Manhattan. And I have 4 children and a wife who would like a bit of my time as well. I have no free time; every minute spent kicking my wavemaster or training in some other way takes time away from my schoolwork, my wife, or my children.

jim

 

[Kreth]

I think most of the members here are improving in their training. Just being here shows more than the average interest in martial arts. Of course, we all have those plateaus in our training where we feel like we're not getting anywhere.
Having said that, I think a lot of higher-ranked martial artists get caught in the instructor trap, and their own training stagnates because they can't drop into student mode.

 

[Nomad]

Physical shape and conditioning. I'm working on it, and have just set a goal to drop the 20 or so excess pounds in the next 3 months that have been plaguing me for the last few years. I have had joint and injury problems before, and also believe strongly that lightening up a bit will greatly reduce further stress on my joints and help prevent further/reinjuries (as well as overall making me stronger, faster, and better than I was before).

Number two (though not completely disconnected with number 1 above) would be turning the TV off more, and using the time to study, practice, or work on family stuff more. I'm finding that the perils of DVR is that there actually usually IS something on I want to watch... before DVR, I'd probably just miss half of "my" shows. I am cutting back here as well... life is too short.

 

[newGuy12]

turning the TV off more, and using the time to study, practice, or work on family stuff more.

Hear, hear!

 

[still learning]

Hello, When one have children....your goals in life changes a bit.

Our goal (Wife's too)...was to raise our one son and daughter to be good people thru encourgements from the time they were born. They play alot of sports, experience martial arts, many different things including traveling to new places, we wanted them to experience much of the new world.

We were brought up to spend "tons" of time with them, we knew by the time they are teenagers...they life goes into another phase.

We did alot of camping,fishing,swimming,kids sports,martial arts and traveling as a family. Today...our kids are well rounded and have an easy time getting along with everyone.

This off course this take time away from training in the martial arts....daughter is in sophmore in High school and is in her second year of wrestling and Judo for the high school team. PLUS a Honor roll student with straight "A's" so far....It's about 30 miles from school...and she needs to get aride home everyday after practice....this takes time away too...

Son is in college...."money" does not grow on trees....so working more is very important for many of us who have kids in college...2 jobs or more..

Time is preventing many of us from training harder ..than again many of us need to learn how to use time?

We live in round world...our lives need to be more well rounded....there is always something more important than just martial arts.....its a big world....it needs our HELP!

NOTE: Thru martial arts we can teach our students to be a better human being! Life skills is more than learning to fight/defend one self...is learning to live among/with other human beings!!!!

What is keeping us from being a better martial artist? ....just our selves....NO such thing as "NO TIME" ..unless you make it so...

Time management....everyone has the same 24hours...some know how to use them...other's make excuse's...

PS: for more time....? .....take from yesterday! ....oops "Pau" - hawaiian word for finish!

 

[MA-Caver]

The only thing preventing me from being a better ma-ist right now is $$$ for a good quality instructor. (passing the hat around here ... hmm, jes as I thawt... everyone is like me... at l'm getting a good MENTAL MA training on MT )

 

[MarkBarlow]

This may sound contrary but as I get older, slower, stiffer and just generally less able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, my technique is getting better. I don't know if I'm becoming a better martial artist but I think I'm becoming a smarter one. My recovery time for injuries is now measured in weeks and months rather than days so I'm hyper aware of threats to my well-being. I've got a mat full of young, strong and aggressive (not in a bad way) guys who regularly want to see if the old boy still has it. I can't match them in strength or stamina so I have to have better technique and strategy.

I'm still learning but as I get older I'm more particular about where I focus my energies. If it doesn't pertain to my interest or help me train/teach more effectively I don't worry about it. I guess it took 31 years for me to decide what was important to me in the martial arts.

 

[still learning]

The only thing preventing me from being a better ma-ist right now is $$$ for a good quality instructor. (passing the hat around here ... hmm, jes as I thawt... everyone is like me... at l'm getting a good MENTAL MA training on MT )

Hello, You may me laugh here....good point..."money" ....if one had lots one can go to, Japan, China, Okinawa, or where ever!

This is a very "good" reason.(money)..........what size hat? ...hat size can determine brain size? ...um! only kidding here.....

Money...can do so many good things...builds schools, hospitals, feed people, shelters for those who needs them...endless use here....even for martial art training............Aloha

 

[Kreth]

This may sound contrary but as I get older, slower, stiffer and just generally less able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, my technique is getting better.

I hear you, you waste less movement when you get winded tying your obi :lol:
On a related note, one trick I found to improve my technique was practicing occasionally at an extremely slow pace. It really helps me pick up on the subtleties of balance breaking and applying locks through position rather than strength.

 

[exile]

This may sound contrary but as I get older, slower, stiffer and just generally less able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, my technique is getting better. I don't know if I'm becoming a better martial artist but I think I'm becoming a smarter one.

Not contrary at all, Mark. Pancho Gonzales was legendary for defeating hot young players who possessed blazing serves, formidable groundgames and all the rest when he was in his mid forties. They had all the pieces, but he had the experience-based shrewdness to see the openings they were leaving for him and the skill, acquired over a lifetime in the game, to play those openings.

A lot of people believe that the reason why the best violins in the world were made 400 years ago isn't just that Stradavarius, Guenari and the others were geniuses; it's also that those violins were made in a way such that as time goes on, their sound quality gets better and better. It's the four centuries since they were made that has led to their almost supernatural tonal quality. Those of us who are no longer exactly young should think of ourselves the same way, eh? :wink1:

On a related note, one trick I found to improve my technique was practicing occasionally at an extremely slow pace. It really helps me pick up on the subtleties of balance breaking and applying locks through position rather than strength.

Same with slow kicking. Probably the single best way to improve kicking technique is to do the movements—chamber, pivot, full extension, rechamber, counterpivot, return to stance—at quarter speed. It tests and trains both balance and strength like nothing else.

 

[Kacey]

Finding the time to practice... which means what is preventing me from being a better martial artist is, of course, ME! Which is something I'm working on.

There was a Jewish scholar named Hillel, who was challenged to teach the entire Torah while the student was standing on one foot; Hillel's response was "What you dislike, do not do to your friend. That is the basis of the Torah. The rest is commentary; go and learn!"

Well... I've got the basis of TKD; I'm still learning, and I need to devote more time to the practice that is the basis of learning... darn job... darn household chores... darn all the silly things in my life that get in my way! But that's life... and it's why I intend to be a student of TKD for the rest of my life. [FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]