Changing style and ego

[Triddle]

Hey everyone, im sure almost none of you know me at all, i dont post often on forums unless i really have something to say, often i type something up, look at it, and decide it really isnt worth other peoples effort to read it... that may just happen to this. The reason im making this post now, that i dont think will be anything really valuable to any of you is not entirely clear to me, im tired and bored, im contemplating going and getting some training in, but i just feel so lazy at the moment, ill wait another 10 mins

Hope my story doesnt bore you to death

Anyway, if any of you do remember some of my posts, you may know that i previously studied TKD, that lasted around 6 years, and although i loved every moment of TKD, and improved greatly not only in skill, but as a person, gained alot of fond memories, fitness, disipline, etc, it wasnt quite the right art for me, I would never have chosen TKD as my preferable art anyway, but i come from a very small area, by american standards you could probably call my home town an encampment we have maybe 50 people living here. So I found a Wing Chun school about an hour away, its a good school imo too, my new sifu seems to be very talented, and understands self defence, as well as Wing Chun he teaches a bit of grappling, that comes from BJJ, hes not exactly a master at it or anything, but it fills a gap in Wing Chun. Now, onto what i felt about changing style.

When i first came into the school and watched half a lesson (i was embarassed to turn up half way through, but i wasnt entirely sure of the lesson time, and ontop of that, i wasnt entirely sure of the location of the school, the sifu didnt mind though.) I felt very uncomfortable, in someone elses training environment, I was one of those guys that walks in off the street to watch, I was no longer one of the long time students that was respected, I sat watching those guys myself, they did the friendly 'hello' thing with a smile that i would normally be doing to the new comers. As i sat and watched I saw alot of things very different to TKD, and alot of things very similar. I liked the look of this school, but having been in TKD for 6 years, the thing i thought would be hardest would be doning the white belt and being a newby again, I contemplated this for some time, I hate to admit it, but weather I like it or not i am at least partially egotistical, and going from the guy at the front of the class that the little kids idolise, to the guy at the back of the class looking around trying to figure out how to do something, and having careful instruction from the high ranking students and instructor on how to do the things that to everyone else seems simple would be quite a blow to my ego. But the very thing that was creating the problem was also the soloution, although had been in the martial arts for a relatively long time, gaining skills that would boulster my ego, all the time i had having my ego carefully destroyed, for all the ego boosts i gained from improving skill, i lost twice as much through the dicipline of the martial arts.

It was because of the ego destructive dicipline i had been receiving that i was able to realise how stupid it was to even consider not joining this school because i was already high rank in another, and so i came to be a Wing Chunner, sifu knew that i had had a bit of training in the past, and he didnt baby me like you might someone completely new, and for that i am greatful, most people there didnt - and still dont - know that i had had previous training, i remember when we were doing the front kick in class, and one of the medium-high ranking guys came down to explain it to me, it was kind of embarassing, you can immagine how many front kicks i had done before... 6 years of TKD, and the front kick was one of my favorite kicks, i didn't say anything though, i listened to him, im quite sure i would have done millions more front kicks than he had, but i just listened and thanked him for the help, I decided to hold off abit, but he was still fairly surprised about how quickly i learned, lol. This happened abit more, but i didn't mind, infact i think it was good for me, and my ego. I think the first time i told someone other than sifu that i had had prior training was when we did some wrestling (we did some of that in TKD, mostly for fun when it was just the higher ranks around, but my instructor had done abit of it previously, and taught us abit.) I was with a low-middle ranked guy, about my size and although i held back alot, it was just too easy, I dont think he had done much grappling before at all (WC and grappling are trained seperatly at this place, and only come together in sparring), and so i explained to him that he didn't suck, and gave him some pointers.

Anyway, im sure this is getting long and boring so i'll wind it up.

Starting Wing Chun, was one of the best decisions i made, i LOVE it, and i really dont mind the whole being a newbie thing, having done TKD has helped me with this, i can move fast, and learn quickly because im used to that kind of thing, but it has also created some annoyances, with minor differences in the similar techniques that im still not used to, but im gettting better with that i still dont feel at home there, but im sure ill settle in fine.

So, thats my story, not a very good one, but maybe someone will enjoy it, im looking for any comments or people with similar storys, so speak up

[glockmeister]

I enjoyed it. And you bring up some very good points that I think most of us deal with in one way or another. We all have some kind of an ego, just some are larger than others. I feel you made a good decision. Good luck in your new style.

[Menjo]

yea good post. I liked the introduction. i tend to write some huge post supposed to be really profound and deep and ill just end up going to some game site, pathetic todays average attention span is.

[Ben Martin]

kgjbhmn

Edited October 5, 2013 by Ben Martin

[Charlie]

In my dojo recently was a student who trained with us for several months. He said that the had studied other martial arts before, but didn't go into any more detail than that. He just quietly and dilligently trained with us as a white belt.

I found out recently that he is a second or third degree black belt in TKD. I really respect that he didn't feel the need to mention this to any of us and just quietly went about learing our style along with the other beginners like myself. Your story reminded me of him.

[karatekid1975]

Cool story. I was just like you. I was in Tang Soo Do, then I moved. I'm now in TKD. I had a bit of an ego also. I had to start over at white belt. I was techniquly better than most of the beginners at the time. And I let it go to my head a bit.

Well anyways, I remember this one class, when this lady (who was a 3rd gup/kyu at the time, I believe) was explaining to me how to do a turning kick (round kick) like I was a beginner (my partner was holding a kicking paddle). I "snorted" at her and did a high section turning kick whacking the pad hard. I mumbled under my breath that "I'm NOT a beginner.

I was "humbled" by my instructor after that Now that same lady (now a 1st dan) and I are good dojang buds. Go figure.

[Triddle]

Thanks for the replies, i really liked Karatekid1975's story about the turning kick . Its a strange feeling, being taught something you already know by someone who probably doesnt know as well as you, "snorting" at them though, thats just funny I dont think i could ever do that to someone. Good to see that your friends with her now

Also Charlie, thats an interesting story as well, reminds me alot of myself, most people i train Wing Chun with now still dont know about me doing TKD, at least, i dont think they do, I'll probably never tell them, no need to really, although i do get some comments on my speed and power .