2013 Martial Arts Goals

[DWx]

- Help to run a weekend training camp in February that my school will be hosting

- Complete my first 1/2 marathon (in May). Not bothered about time, just want to finish it in one piece!

- Compete in 2 national tournaments +1 international tournament minimum

- Attend at least one big seminar if possible

- Maybe take my 4th dan at the end of the year

Going well so far.

1. We organised and hosted a 3 day training camp in the middle of Sherwood forest in February for 27 people which in included general fitness and TKD training + army assault course and paintball

2. Done already. Also looking to make the last 2 national events this year.

3. Done. In fact we held the seminar in our town. Was with one of the original TKD pioneers and one of the first people to be promoted to 9th dan by Gen. Choi.

4. Application submitted and thesis is in progress (well sort of ). Awaiting which to hear which master I'll be sent to.

[tallgeese]

After some contemplation, here we go:

1) Maintain a 3x/week training schedule on the mats on average.

2) Compete in 2-3 tournaments this year

2a) One being the Pans

2b) Medal in any one of the tournaments I compete in

3) Compete a good training camp in prep for the Pans in March.

4) Work on stand up at least once/ month outside of my 5 week block of control tactics block mid-year. Preferably sparring or situational training. This is something I've been negligent on since my immersion in BJJ.

5) Attend 2 JKD/Kali seminars. I've got more of an opportunity to do this now and I need to follow up with it.

6) 1-2 stripes on the brown belt.

I'm just gonna put it on here 'cause I'm still really interested. We'll see how the timing works.

6) Take up iaido. I think this is a longshot based on my time commitments. But it's still a goal.

So, as we come to the end of 2013, I thought it'd be a good process for us all to go back and see how we did. Here goes:

1-Check. All good on this one.

2- Partial. One tournament, it was the Pan. Didn't medal. As much as I wanted to compete more, I was spending money allotted to martial arts in other ways (more below)

3-Check. Was in great shape, no worries about weight. Strong camp. This was awesome because it really drove my game forward.

4-Happily (and surprisingly) Check. It helped we had some active fighters looking for partners this year.

5- Exceeded. I really got into this this year. I was able to make it to make 3 seminars than this and a week long intensive instructor's camp. Add privates and developing training partner into this and I was well ahead of the curve. And a bit in love with the FMA aspects of JKD.

6-Check. Ending the year with a fresh third stripe and a whole lot of stress over how close that puts me to black belt contention in BJJ.

And for my second 6- Fail. Epic fail Like didn't even look at the iaido school as I drove by it occasionally fail. There's just no time, especially with my additional time and cash allotted to JKD/ FMA training on the side.

I think next year I'll just leave it off. It's just not realistic for me at this juncture.

Over all, very happy. I could have been a better competitor. That would have made me sink more depth of time into the mats. It's easy to let them slip by unfocused. The surprise for me this year was how much I enjoyed exploring aspects of JKD. This turned into a larger monetary commitment than I had planned, but I gained some real insight into why I put thing together the way I do, lesson plan building and design, AND picked up some great new tools. Like I've said, I'm pretty much a jiu jitsu guy these days. I had kinda thought that my time on my feet was kind of done and I was happy with what I had there. This year, I got really reinvigorated by the process of JKD.

So, how did everyone else do?

[Zaine]

1. Start in a new system

2. Ideally test twice

3. Get more in shape

4. Have some new weapon proficiency under my belt

Those seem like some good MA resolutions. Gonna kill it.

1. Nailed it.

2. Didn't get that one but I'm not so much worried about that goal.

3. I am more or less in the same shape that I was in which isn't bad so no complaints.

4. Nailed it.

2 out of 2! I can be happy with that.

[Harkon72]

Mine are Simple:

1: A 3rd Kyu by Christmas next year.

2: To pass my Summer Exam at University.

3: To go down a waist size.

4: To Run the Nantlle Ridge in a Day.

5: To stay healthy in Mind, Body and Spirit.

1: Done

2: Done

3: Done

4: Not done, it was a little ambitious

5: Done

4 out of 5 ain't bad.

[sensei8]

My 2013 goals are Hombu related weren't meet, again,...sorry.

1) Finalize our very first official website...and then make it public.

NO...I failed that one spectacularly. Still, agreements amoung my fellow Shindokan Hombu Administrators and the like haven't been reached, and in that, we might not ever reach this zenith.

2) To make our monthly newsletter, One Heart...One Way, available to other MAists, not just for Shindokanists.

NO...Same thing here as with creating an official website. We believe that the only way to make our newsletter available to other MAists, is through having a website. Many doubt that those outside of the Shindokan circle wouldn't be even the slightest interested. So that too, delays its possibility.

3) Open the new Central Hombu...located in Oklahoma...Tulsa county.

NO...We've delayed that for now because it's just not that important at the moment. It's more towards what I want to have happen, and not what's important for the student bodies betterment.

4) Reassign the current Hombu as the Western Hombu...at its current location.

NO...If we're not going to move forward with opening a Central Hombu located in Tulsa, OK for the moment, then there's no reason(s) to pursue this either.

5) Amp up our seminars from every other month to every month.

YES...This has happened, and will continue far into the future.

6) Invite other styles of the MA to conduct seminars at BOTH Hombu's.

NO...Again, to reach the masses, we believe that having a official website would be necessary, and this includes, having a FB site as well. So, as long as we can't agree on many things, I don't think it'll happen in my life time, but I'm very optimistic, however, as time goes by, I'm becoming more and more pessimistic.

Forgive me Alex for this...but...I believe that they are in concert with my MA goals somehow...Ok...I've some personal goals...I hate making them because something always gets in the way...like me.

1) Keep losing weight...I use to be about 350lbs...hush now...and I'm now 298lbs...my goal is 250lbs...my wife and kids deserve that.

YES...I'm not at my goal of 250lbs, but I'm still under 300lbs.

2) Spend MUCH MORE time with my family...hence one of the reasons for goal #3 above.

YES...Not by much, however, my travel times to and from our Hombu isn't as hectic as it has been before. As a family, we spend as much time as our different schedules will allow.

3) Get two more MA related tattoos...I know...I'm an old idiot.

NO...Not importantto me anymore!!

4) Learn how to dance...my wife deserves that...I've two left feet when it comes to dancing...kata doesn't count!!

YES...I've surprised here just recently when we went out dining one night. She was wided-eyed and smiles from ear to ear. I've still more lessons to take because knowing 2 dances is very limited, imho.

5) Finish my memoir's...or at least get closer to finishing it.

YES...Getting closer...but still quite along way from finishing first draft.

Well...now my 2013 goals are in the hands of fate...good luck!!

It seems that I had more success with my personal goals than the professional goals. I believe that's because decisions are much easier to reach when there are less people helping to make them.

What's one to do?!

[bushido_man96]

Ok, accountability time:

Test for and receive my 4th dan.

Check and check! Just barely made it.

Renew my Combat Hapkido training, and hopefully test for 1st dan.

Not checked. Mostly due to my training partner spending the year recovering from back surgery. Hopefully, we get to start it back up, and at least test once.

Get back into strength training.

Not checked. After recovering from shoulder surgery, I just couldn't work back into the groove of lifting. I'm going to leave it on the side for now, and perhaps something will let me get back into it.

[Patrick]

It's so great to see people coming back and providing an update. Congrats on what all of you have accomplished over the past year.

Patrick

[quinteros1963]

I'm late but for the next five months my goals are:

1. Incorporate weight training to increase strength (so far so good)

On and off, but not bad.

2. Improve kicking techniques

My feet are getting good, but not as good as my hands. To be Continued.

3. Obtain grant funding for my elementary school karate club (this will the

3rd year)

No... I will work this out with some help of my sensei.

4. Improve kumite

Much improved over they year, but I still need to improve.

[JonWal]

Well There will be three gradings between now and this time next year, so hopefully will manage to get through them unscathed. If I do then I'll be in the intermediate class. So first goal, get into intermediate class.

Sparring - I'd like to start regularly attending sparring classes.

Fitness - Would like to drop some weight, or at least turn what I currently have into muscle. Currently 12st12 (76.9kgs)

Work on my balance, I guess this will come with time and practice, but worth mentionning.

Dont allow Karate to become a chore and keep enjoying.

First goal, get into the intermediate class - Technical Pass -I got into the second class, but its being re-structured, so Im back to the first class for the next year at least.

Did a lot of sparring, I'm not great, but i found out I can take a beating/beasting and still stand afterwards.

Still hovering around that weight... I love my take-aways...

Still enojying Karate, think its taking over my life though...