Block to training

[ninjanurse]

Hey, just a thought I had tonight after reading some posts. Do you think that martial artist's who hold on to the "someday I'll return to my old style" mentality are hurting their training because they are allowing themselves to be distracted and cannot dedicate themselves fully because they believe that there is something better and are settling for second best? Could this thinking, harmelss as it seems, be detrimental to ones's self concept due to self doubt?

 

Any thought on this? I feel that one can cherish where he/she has been and bring that part of them into any style they choose-without looking back.

 

[Tal]

Yes, I think that may be the case for some people.

 

I hope to return to shotokan one day, but that desire doesn't really interfere with my jujitsu and kendo training. Perhaps its because I don't take things seriously enough, or perhaps it does interfere subconsiously.

[karatekid1975]

Same here. I like to return to Tang Soo Do, and yes I do miss it. But it doesn't interfer with my training now. I just consentrate on my training now. My TKD school does have a lot to offer, so I'm learning what I can, and training hard.

[delta1]

Do you think that martial artist's who hold on to the "someday I'll return to my old style" mentality are hurting their training because they are allowing themselves to be distracted and cannot dedicate themselves fully because they believe that there is something better and are settling for second best?

 

That is probably true with some people, and a good thing to consider in ourselves. But I don't think it is necessarily a given that this is the case.

 

I love American Kenpo, and still train it when I can. But a regular class is not possible for me right now. I am in a TKD class here, and even though they are non-traditional, they still lack the soft moves of AK. But they do allow me some leeway, and I enjoy picking apart their moves, techniques and forms and digging out the principles and concepts, then 'Kenpoizing' them. They work with me on this, as long as I also know the base move correctly. They also do Arnis, which I enjoy immensely. So, I don't think looking at the possibility of someday going back to Kenpo detracts from my experience now. If anything, the possibility encourages me to work more dilligently now. And, instead of looking at it as "settling for second best," I feel pretty lucky to have found a school that will work with me without being insulted or intimidated. The head of their system has some AK in his background, so they are more open to my deviances than others might be.

 

I guess it's more to do with the attitude of those involved and how they choose to deal with the situation. If you are allways moaning over what you lost, you can't enjoy what you have.