Martial wanderings

[NightOwl]

Have any of you had this problem? Namely, not being able to stick with a style. For three years now, I've been shuffling from art to art to art, staying with some longer than others and always retaining a love of martial arts. This has been due in a big part to college in a town with not too many martial offerings, and the summers being taken up with work. I've loved my month with BJJ earlier this year, and I am doing it again this month before heading out of the country. Unfortunately I can rarely make it- however I did get my first submission which was nice...mind, the guy beat me 3 times before I got him but I'll take what I can get. It has been rather frustrating not being able to truly become proficient, and I was wondering if anyone else has had the same problem? Starting September, I'll be studying overseas in Japan, where I have invitations to train either BJJ or Judo and I hope to get a chance to stick with something then, but in the meantime I've been missing sparring....

[bushido_man96]

I have never really had an issue like that, but only because selection has always been limited where I have lived. When I first started TKD, it was the only thing around. Now where I live, there is TKD and a place called Karate Fitness, and another TKD instructor who has a small school. So, I have stuck with TKD.

Hopefully, time and place will come together for you will soon, and you will be able to settle in for a while.

[pineapple]

I shuffled from art to art, many times because the schools that I trained in closed their doors, and sometimes I just lost interest in the art and changed school, however when I started Kajukenbo, I was hooked because not only was the style consisting of five different arts but they were open to any other techniques which were not part of the regular curiculum, therefore I was always learning something new.

I think that once you find the school that fits you, you will stick to it.

[Shotokan-kez]

Like Brian i have never had this problem either, but for a different reason. There are many, many different styles and clubs in my area but i have never really been able to afford to try other arts, to be honest i think i'm far to dedicated to my sensei and my shotokan to try anything else. Also i think i would be too concerned that i wouldn't be progressing properly in a certain art if i was always shifting about from different one's.

[mantis.style]

I've never shuffled from style to style. When I started, it was in some non-school generic longfist style that wasn't what I was looking for. Somewhere along the line I was introduced to a wing chun guy and I've been hooked ever since. Since then I've moved on to other styles but even then I've stuck to styles that are related to wing chun in some way, if anything to learn more about wing chun itself.

[NightOwl]

Hm- it's not so much that I can't find something that I like (I love BJJ), but rather moving for college and then work during the summer.

[bushido_man96]

Hm- it's not so much that I can't find something that I like (I love BJJ), but rather moving for college and then work during the summer.

This is the worst, I think. Finding something you like, and then having to move, and find something else. When I moved for college, I had to get into a different style of TKD. It was ok, though. I worked my way in pretty good, and went from there.

[nine_weapons]

I have shuffled, but not due to lack of desire to train in the style. I like martial arts in general and will put my all into a style be it muay thai or tkd. my shuffling has been either due to me moving, my teacher moving or my school closing down.

Things I have trained over the past 23 years:

shotokan

tang soo do

traditional japanese karate (that is what he called it. He was from kumamoto. He knew all of the shotokan kata and several okinawan ones, but trained much different than any commercial place I have ever seen)

jun fan / jkd

longfist

muay thai

judo

bjj

kali

shuai chiao

[YoungMan]

Life does happen. Some circumstances you just can't help: new job, relocation, school etc. Sometimes, unfortunately, a school does close down for one reason or another. I had to stop to stop teaching due to new job and starting school. I'd like to resume after school is done.

And you can't always rely on being able to find a school of the same style and organization that you left. You like to, but not always.

You shouldn't shuffle from style to style in order to find the "perfect art", cause it ain't gonna happen. You find one that fits your needs, and has good chemistry.

[NightOwl]

I have shuffled, but not due to lack of desire to train in the style. I like martial arts in general and will put my all into a style be it muay thai or tkd. my shuffling has been either due to me moving, my teacher moving or my school closing down.

Things I have trained over the past 23 years:

shotokan

tang soo do

traditional japanese karate (that is what he called it. He was from kumamoto. He knew all of the shotokan kata and several okinawan ones, but trained much different than any commercial place I have ever seen)

jun fan / jkd

longfist

muay thai

judo

bjj

kali

shuai chiao

Quite the resume you have there Nine! My big thing is that I don't have enough time to become efficient at an art...I am hoping however that I will get a chance to study Judo for the long run soon.