Marital arts problem(help)

[mantis99]

What am I doing. I keep thinking and pondering. What do I want to do as a marsle artist? The marital arts are my life and I plan to be a great marital arts, to build my chi and us it to achieve anything I set my mined to. Karate and the Chi has already helped me so much. To me the self defense aspect of the arts are only icing on the cake, theres so much more to it. I keep thinking am I doing the right thing, is my style really the best style. I saw a different Goju-Ryu style and it was nice. Im not saying I rather go to that school. It made me think even more. Do the moves really work? Will it work agent other styles, boxing, grappling?. Then I feel guilty. I feel like Im contradicting my style and my sensia, I mean Hes my teacher and the best I've ever met. I know I take a great style but were am I going? Theres stuff from other styles I really like. I like to flow, One thing I want to do is flow like water. That's why I do tai chi. But dose that mean I should take kung fu or something else? But I don't want to quit karate I love it, Then all those bad feelings come from thinking that. Marital arts is my life and I plan to take other styles on my journey.I believe Marital Arts is a way of expressing yourself, how do I want to do that? I want to do whats bnest and what makes me happy but I don't want to let anyone down. What am I doing? Can any one help me?

[Menjo]

I think those kinds of questions we all silently ask ourselves, a couple ways you feel better about not knowing to the immediate answer is too mediatate, and some other tricks, but mostly concentrete on what stlye and who do you want to train under, then with correct guidence the right sensei should be able to give you the tools to figure your self out.

Good luck

[fallen_milkman]

Don't feel bad. We all question life's choices now and again. Do what feels right to you. That is the best any of us can do. Even my teacher, who has been in the martial arts for 30 years, still smiles every once in awhile while throwing a punch and says, "I have dedicated my life to this. Why?"

[Menjo]

Don't feel bad. We all question life's choices now and again. Do what feels right to you. That is the best any of us can do. Even my teacher, who has been in the martial arts for 30 years, still smiles every once in awhile while throwing a punch and says, "I have dedicated my life to this. Why?"

I think that was better put, your sensai sounds like he has some interesting things to say.

[fallen_milkman]

Yes, he has a lot of interesting things like that. I think he sometimes feels he was TOO dedicated to the art, because he always is saying things like "If there is a choice between a big party with your friends and training that night, GO TO THE PARTY. You have your whole life to master this." So even someone as dedicated as him questions their motives, Mantis.

Besides, you don't have to stick to JUST your arts. If you see an interesting move or technique in another style, think of how you can adapt it to your current one. I know I have a few interesting aikido moves mixed in with my kuntao, even at this early stage in my training.

[Menjo]

Yea thats a really good point, i took some muay thai training for a year and a half and it gave me an edge of experiance of combat over other karateka in kumite so trying new things out almost never hurts.

[White Warlock]

Aye, the martial arts have given me more pain and suffering than any other relationship. Since i don't do the martial arts as a form of income, i am always finding myself questioning my dedication. But, not just why i dedicate so much time and so much of my thoughts to it, but if i'm dedicating enough. One foot in the water, one foot out, and i'm still drowning. Go figure.

Something i noted in your writing, Mantis99, is that you indicate a guilt about studying a system other than that presented by your instructor. Why? Why should you feel guilty? Are you receiving the training for free? Is he a relative, a roommate, a house guest? Will discontinuing your studies at that school, or with that instructor, ruin your relationship with him or any of the other students? If so, why? Is it because their friendship is dependent upon you being a student?!? I truly doubt this...

You are in the martial arts for yourself, not for your instructor, or for the school. Martial arts is a very selfish endeavor, with the means to be applied selflessly. Do not reorient this, and make it a selfless endeavor with the means to be applied selfishly. Do not allow yourself to feel guilty, and do not allow others to shame you into continuing in a particular school. If your goal is to learn new things, then do so. It is what you want.

As to questioning your instructor, by all means you should question 'everything.' This is not to say you should ask him 'why' all the time. It is to say that you should think and determine for yourself, after all is presented, whether there may be more to it than what was presented, and whether this 'more' somehow changes the parameters, and thus presents an invalid or ineffective technique or concept. As simple as i can make it, the greatest students are those who 'question.'

[karatekid1975]

I have to say this. I have a good friend that is telling me about "self discovery." I was wondering about bunkai (because the stuff I have seen is pretty basic), and questioning my ability as a martial artist. She said it's all about self discovery. I totally believe it now.

It doesn't matter what style you are in. YOU have to find what you are looking for. You have to discover (and/or uncover) this stuff for yourself. Just "look" for it in you. You will find it.

[busling]

If chi is one your focuses it makes sense to me that you take 'soft' style as your main style. Hence I can not see that a hard karate is the right style for you.

All of the great martial artist that I know have taken several different styles,

in their life time. I surmise from that, they tried a style and found it was not quiet right for them. They kept trying out new styles til the found the one that was right for them.

An interesting thing I saw on TV last night might help you make your decision. Roger Federer the undisputed #1 mens tennis player, spent 1 year pursuing an old champion as his coach. He eventually convinced this guy to become his new coach. So if the best in the world thinks he can improve by changing coach, could you?

[italian_guy]

I think that inside you, you know the reason why you are doing martial art... you have to start from there. Once you know the real reason then you know if you choose the right path or not. I've been in your situation once... When I was doing kickboxing I started asking myself if what kickboxing was offering me was what I wanted from martial art... my answer was NO and so I decided to quit and take karate, even if my instructor was very good. But I needed something more traditional with forms, grappling etc. rather then just a good workout and a very good MA sport where I could not compete because I was already too old. Karate was more suitable for my needs, it was a good compromise between self defence, tradition, physical training, it is not only a sport so competition is only a minor side of the business. This was a choice I did not regret.