Starting over?

[gubbs]

This was brought up at another forum, but I was curious to see what people think here. Have you ever started over with your training? Basically at some point you have a long lay off or just felt you were getting no where and you started to re-learn what you already know. Go back to the basics type training.

I get frustrated and burnt out at times and I'm thinking about doing this for my BJJ training. Some days you just feel like you hit a wall and need a new approach.

[ps1]

I know what you mean when it comes to switching styles. I went from being a 3rd degree in Kung Fu to training as a white belt in TKD at one point (even though they would have allowed me to wear a black belt).

Additionally, I enjoy revisiting the basic techniques and concepts often to make sure they are still solid. Kinda like checking the foundation of your house for leaks and cracks. With BJJ (and every martial art I've trained) I hit plateaus. You feel like you're getting no where. Then, sometimes suddenly, you just figure something out and you get way better.

So I see it like this. If you go from one ma to another, you start over. When it's training within the same ma, it's just revisiting. You go back to the basics and look for the subtleties you missed the first time around.

[SBN Doug]

I honestly can't say I started over in the same art. I did switch arts, but that was because of other reasons than hitting a wall in my training.

We are encouraged to assist with (or at my level lead) teaching the beginners and intermediates, because we reinforce the basics back into the advanced techniques we are currently learning. In addition, we are still corrected by our Senior Master on very subtle movements that make a great deal of difference in the effectiveness of the technique.

[Kajukenbopr]

I have had to start over.

Stuff I thought i had it suddenly looked unpractical, so I had to start all over again, to reach a higher part of training.

When i first started training, my training was pretty similar to Karate. Then as I progressed I learned a bit about sparring. Then I was exposed to more complex kenpo moves. I had to rethink the whole "sparring/fighting" idea. It ended in a whole different sets of moves for both fighting and sparring.

Then i was introduced to Chinese QiQong(Chikung) and that changed the way i trained. For a while after that, I studied a bit of grappling which helped me greatly to distinguish myself from others in my rank.

I had to go back to basics to find the importance of training Kempo/Karate moves as my base for martial arts, and THAT made the difference in my training. I have to stress it constantly to newcomers- always train your basics, even as you go up belts.

[bushido_man96]

I have started fresh before with a new organization in the same Martial Art. This was due to a move more than anything, but it was kind of a fresh start. It was a school that had a totally different approach to training, and I feel that I have benefited from my experience in both.

Sometimes taking a different approach to something can re-ignite you on the inside. It can also help you overcome plateuas in your training.

[karatekid1975]

I have an article about this on the KF article section. I am, in fact, a white belt again (for the third time). I started in Tang Soo Do from scratch (no training). Got to blue belt before I moved (5th gup/kyu). Then I moved, and started over in TKD. I got to 1st gup/kyu before I bowed out last year (kinda sorta .... I still trained with a friend off and on). That was due to a situation similar to yours. Now I'm back to TSD.

To me, this time around, it's refreshing. I don't know why. It's kinda hard to explain. I like it, though.

But if you feel you need a break, do it. That's what I did from time to time.

[Yumiko]

About five years ago, I took TKD and got up to green belt, and I just started taking karate two months ago. Starting over wasn't that bad, but I found that while training every once and a while during those five years, I had developed a few bad habits.

[BudoTiger]

started over again at white belt in kimura shukokai after 4 years (and roughly 6 weeks from my brown belt test) in shaolin kempo.

[bushido_man96]

started over again at white belt in kimura shukokai after 4 years (and roughly 6 weeks from my brown belt test) in shaolin kempo.

How did this go for you?

[gamedweeb]

One of the best things I've come across is to periodically "empty your cup." It makes things so much simpler, you stop being so full of yourself and stop holding onto false ideas and pretenses. Then you can proceed to the next stage in learning (something I had to do recently, after my promotion to Black Belt set in for example)