Breaking up is hard to do...new style or not?

[Spodo Komodo]

I am desperate to return to the dojo after a few years away following an accident and all kinds of complications, including a shattered knee which is now stiff and painful and about four stones of new blubber from sitting around in plastercasts and braces. The only problem is that if I go back to my old Wado Ryu teacher I will get quite a bit of stick because I am in no shape to perform as a shodan should. At the moment I could perform at a pretty low 6th-5th kyu level and will have to re-learn stances, kicks and techniques to take into account my reduced abilities and pretty poor fitness. I would really like to shelve my black belt and work up to it again but in a group with lots of kids and few adults it really isn't very viable.

My other choice is to join the local Shotokan group as a white belt and work through the grades again but it feels odd. I don't know whether it is disloyalty to my former teacher or just because I have always regarded myself as a Wado guy I don't know. It also feels a bit like cowardice and even though I have friends at both schools there is an element of better the devil you know.

Has anyone been in a similar situation where they can't face going back to their original school and started again at another? I know it's trivial in the scheme of things but it feels like a pretty emotional decision to me at the moment.

[todome]

You're less likely to slack off going back.

If the school's worth returning to doing so is worth the embarrasment. At least you'd be demonstrating enough character to bite the bullet and do what it takes. Nobody is so important that a few months of substandard technique will drag the whole dojo down.

If you compensate for poor execution with extra effort, yourself and the dojo both will be the better off for it.

[quinteros1963]

Going back to your previous school will show that you are humble. Big deal you are not where you think you should be. In my world I try to eliminate "shoulds and Oughts". Things are the way they are and thats it! As a matter of fact they are the way the were meant to be. Keep plugging in Wado, you've earned that rank and noone can take it away from you. You will remember all your techniques in no time at all. Its like riding a bike.

As far as the injury goes, who would be in shape after such an accident? Are you worried about how everyone will perceive you when you return? Do you have to be at a certain level of fitness to save face with your friends?

I say stick with Wado.

[Sokusen]

I was out for about 4 years after I blew my knee out and had a kid. I call it the perfect storm, injury + family = no time for anything. But I decided to get back into it and it was the best thing I could have done. You will be amazed at how fast it all comes back to you.

[isshinryu5toforever]

I would say go back as well. There's no embarrassment in it. I've been with my instructor for 19 years now. I've seen people come, go, and come back. It's completely ok. I am a comer and a goer myself these days. I live outside the US, so I see him when I can. I train on my own, which is something you can do outside classes to improve faster. I am also starting over in a new style of Karate, but I will continue training Isshinryu. I say, if you have an instructor, have had him or her for quite some time, and they are available to you, go back. It'll be like visiting an old friend, and a lot of the stuff you've forgotten will come back quicker than you think.

[DWx]

If you enjoy Wado I think you should stick with it. Your teacher should understand. No-one should expect you to be at the same level as you were, especially if you've had your knee immobilised.

Maybe its not so similar but I kinda feel the same way about my training and ability at the moment. During term-time at uni I get to train once a fortnight maybe. I come back to my old school in the holidays and I really suck and (at least in my mind) don't look like someone at the same grade as me should. And I forget a ton of terminology theory stuff. But my instructor knows this and as long as I try hard its enough.

[StrangeBacon]

I was out for about 18 months, just ringing my sensei and telling him i was still alive was possibly the most nerve wracking thing i've done since i had made these weird things up in my head he'd be angry with me for just leaving (it was a money issue and having moved house) i'd realised this was a stupid reason since he'd ripped up one of my payments once to show how little the money ment to him.

The thing im trying to get across is you'll feel like you let them down and that you needed to maintain a certain level to fit in again, but as previous people have mentioned as a shodan you'll have had the time to hopefully bond with these people and they wont turn you away as easily as that, neither should they a fresh kohai, part of the martial arts that first attracted me was how friendly and open minded everyone was.

If you're thinking about this then these people obviously mean a great deal to you, go back and make up the time, you wont regret it

[ShogenRyuGuy]

I only get to train with my Sensei maybe 3-4 times a year, and sometimes six months or more go by before I see him. I stay in contact through the phone and Skype and such. But it seems like almost everytime I go to train, there's all new students, some techniques have changed slightly, and class structure has been revamped. Makes me feel like I'm going from a black to a white belt real fast. But it makes me feel humble, and reminds me that I'm as much (if not more) of a student than I am a teacher. Humility is a wonderful thing!

[Spodo Komodo]

If you're thinking about this then these people obviously mean a great deal to you, go back and make up the time, you wont regret it

That's one of my sticking points, I don't know anybody there anymore other than one guy who has repeatedly made it clear that if I can't live up to the belt I should quit and the teacher. I rang around last night and all the guys that I went through the belts with have either stopped training or gone on to other arts.

At the moment I'm thinking of going back to my old school for a month and if the guys make it difficult for me to stay then I will go and train elsewhere.

[ninjanurse]

Sounds like some chest pounding on the other guy's part.....talk to sensei and give it a go.