What level are you seeking?

[James Bullock]

What level do you want to reach within your martial arts development?

How good do you truly want to be?

Some common answers I anticipate are "I want to surpass all levels" or "I want to be the best I can be"... but there is so much more to answering the above questions.

What steps are you taking to reach a high level within your system?

What are you currently doing now in your training to reach your goals?

[bushido_man96]

Right now, I guess I just train. I am currently focusing some time on achieving a black belt in the ICHF, Hapkido. I am also considering at this point in time delving into studying the self-defense applications for the forms and one-steps of my organization, and working on ways that I can pass them on to my fellow students.

Good question; tough to answer.

[tallgeese]

Excellet question.

I'd like to think that I'm training to gain the highest level of combative readiness that my physiology will allow. Pretty stock answer, huh?

The thing is, I know I can't really do that. Family comitments, work, ect. So, in reality, I'm probibly trying to reach my physiological combative peak within the constraints of a 40 hour work week, and the time demads of a family of 4 (and of course my love for burritos ).

Of course, all of this is on a sliding rule. I probibly won't have the sheer athletic ability 5 years from now that I do now. Still, I hope to be trying to stay near the upper percentiles. In terms of sd preparedness.

As far as specific goals, I've found I've had to be much more focused on what I'm training now with my time constraints. I can't just go shadowbox for instance. I need to pick something and really work it during that time frame. I've actaully found that triaining smarter has help my skill continue to progress well. I wish I had figured it out 10 years ago when I had more time to throw into the ma's. I guess youth really is wasted on the young.

[DWx]

Great topic.

Right now I have my short term goals but in the long term I really don't know. I'd like to think I'll keep going within my system, maybe pick up a few other styles properly. One day I think I want to teach but that's not really feasible right now. In the short term I plan to devote some time now to getting myself in better physical condition as what with studying and everything I have to sideline the MA sometimes. I like competing so I want to see how far I can take that and how much I can acheive down that route. I'm also working towards maybe testing for my 3rd dan but even if I don't I'm trying to get everything I've been taught so far to as near perfect as possible.

[Shotokan-kez]

Well this is a pretty tough question without answering "I wanna be the best i can be". Right now my next goal is to achieve my second dan, so i'm training hard 3 times a week, 4 if i can. I just train and train, i am always learning along the way.

[G95champ]

Understanding no more no less

Not sure what rank that is.

[KarateEd]

Short term, I want to get back to the level I was before I started graduate school.

Long term, I'll quote tallgeese

I'd like to think that I'm training to gain the highest level of combative readiness that my physiology will allow.

I want to improve my stand-up skills and begin to develop some ground skills.

[white owl]

I taking my training as far as god and my body will let me.

[tori]

I just want to keep going until I can't physically do it anymore. Hopefully that will be many years down the road, but with each year that passes, something else in my body hurts. I don't look at where I can go in my rank. I just want to be good at what I do and be good at teaching others.

[ninjanurse]

I just want to keep going until I can't physically do it anymore. Hopefully that will be many years down the road, but with each year that passes, something else in my body hurts. I don't look at where I can go in my rank. I just want to be good at what I do and be good at teaching others.

Amen!