A little bit disheartened

[shortyafter]

Hi all, I'm coming up on 2 years since starting my karate journey. I am 25 years old. I have taken extended periods of time off but this time I've been going steady for about 6 months, and plan to continue. I just examined for my orange belt (shotokan) last Friday. I passed but I felt sloppy.

I go to the dojo 30-60 minutes 3 times a week (this is all my schedule permits). I rest on Saturdays but on the other days I'm doing stretching, other exercises, some katas, and tying up loose ends in my technique for about 30 minutes. So weekly it adds up to about 3 hours more or less. I also do other things like zumba, mild weight lifting, and going for walks which is not strictly martial arts but they do work my body.

Some days there's times where it's just like WOW. For example 2 weeks ago I entered the dojo and saw the photos of all the karate greats and an overwhelming peace and self-assuredness came over me. That night was one of my best trainings in awhile. I was strong, confident, and calm. But since then I've felt sloppy and disconnected. I remember other nights - last summer doing Taikyoku Shodan and just a wave of calm, my Sensei was super pleased with the performance as was I. It felt like a work of art. It was. A martial art. But I struggle to get there and stay there.

Today I'm doing kata at home and it just feels like, I am rushing myself, I can't stay focused, and the movements feel forced, rushed, and sloppy. This is often how I feel. I keep going because I know some days everything just comes together perfectly. But sometimes then again I wonder if I'm improving at all.

In that sense a little disheartened but all I can think is to keep going. Just looking for some advice / experience / reassurance here. Thank you

[Iskrax]

Hey

This is really cool that you passed up the exam! Congratulations!

As a martial artists we all have times when we feel like we are not improving at all. We feel bad and sloppy, struggling to do the technique, losing motivation..

Sometimes I feel like that too, everyone does.

I can't give you advise. You must suck it up and continue your training. Push yourself even if you are feeling bad.

Eventually, you will no longer feel disheartened.

Do not even think about doing a pause.

Keep going!

[DWx]

Congrats on receiving your orange belt

I think everyone, whether they have 1 year of training or 10 years, experiences this. Some days things come together perfectly but others nothing goes right. The fact that you can recognize when things aren't so good is actually a good thing; it means you are consciously involved in your training and not just passively going through the motions.

[JR 137]

Congrats on receiving your orange belt

I think everyone, whether they have 1 year of training or 10 years, experiences this. Some days things come together perfectly but others nothing goes right. The fact that you can recognize when things aren't so good is actually a good thing; it means you are consciously involved in your training and not just passively going through the motions.

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

There's days when I wonder why am I wasting my time doing something I'm so horrible at. Then there's days where I feel like I'm on fire. And everything in between.

It's a roller coaster ride.

Edit: My CI says this to us often - "It's easy to think you're not improving. You spar with certain people, and they own you. You spar others and you own them. The truth is you're all improving, and most of you are improving at the same rate. So if you're all 10% better this month, it's hard for you to see any improvement. I'm standing and watching everyone improve. If you stood where I am, you'd see it too." As a school teacher, I know exactly what he means.

[Whisky147]

Yeah i get that feeling too sometimes, but the fact that you still train and want to keep going even after feeling a little disheartened shows you have a good attitude about training!

Keep going and stay positive buddy

[sensei8]

Congrats on earning your Orange belt; well deserved!!

I'm in my 52 year in Shindokan Saitou-ryu, and I too, have those days, even as a Kudan/Hachidan/Hanshi under my belt. Why? We're human beings and human beings are the farthest thing from being perfect.

Some days, I can't find the door. Sometimes, I've two left feet. Sometimes, I'm all thumbs. Sometimes, I question myself.

It took me just over 6 years to earn my JBB. Why? Because I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I almost quite my first 3 months of training, but, here I am, 52 years later.

Doubt can rear up its ugly head at the most impromptu times; whether one expects it or not. And when it does rear up its ugly head, it's how one deals with it, makes all the world of difference.

Get away from the training once in a while by taking in a movie or something; anything away from the floor. Recharge the batteries, so to speak...to put fresh eyes on it!! Don't train when overly tired, and don't train when one's mind isn't 100%...bad habits appear. Bad habits cloud the senses of clarity!!

Someone, more knowledgeable than myself, once said...

7 Times down, 8 Times up!!

[Dani_001]

Trust me, you're not the only one. I'm going for my Orange +1 in this month and I don't feel ready to be honest. I did well at the gashuku in March but we'll see how it goes.

[ShoriKid]

Congrats on earning your Orange belt; well deserved!!

I'm in my 52 year in Shindokan Saitou-ryu, and I too, have those days, even as a Kudan/Hachidan/Hanshi under my belt. Why? We're human beings and human beings are the farthest thing from being perfect.

Some days, I can't find the door. Sometimes, I've two left feet. Sometimes, I'm all thumbs. Sometimes, I question myself.

It took me just over 6 years to earn my JBB. Why? Because I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I almost quite my first 3 months of training, but, here I am, 52 years later.

Doubt can rear up its ugly head at the most impromptu times; whether one expects it or not. And when it does rear up its ugly head, it's how one deals with it, makes all the world of difference.

Get away from the training once in a while by taking in a movie or something; anything away from the floor. Recharge the batteries, so to speak...to put fresh eyes on it!! Don't train when overly tired, and don't train when one's mind isn't 100%...bad habits appear. Bad habits cloud the senses of clarity!!

Someone, more knowledgeable than myself, once said...

7 Times down, 8 Times up!!

PittbullJudoka and I had a talk with a young student a couple of months back. If he had a hard night, you see on his face he was down. He has a lot of potential, but he gets down on himself for not picking things up quickly or having a bad night. We told he that in our time training, we've had more off nights than on, more nights when we struggled to do simple combination, than nights when everything flowed smoothly and with effort.

Some nights you're the hammer. Some nights you're the nail. And some nights you're the board.

[sensei8]

Congrats on earning your Orange belt; well deserved!!

I'm in my 52 year in Shindokan Saitou-ryu, and I too, have those days, even as a Kudan/Hachidan/Hanshi under my belt. Why? We're human beings and human beings are the farthest thing from being perfect.

Some days, I can't find the door. Sometimes, I've two left feet. Sometimes, I'm all thumbs. Sometimes, I question myself.

It took me just over 6 years to earn my JBB. Why? Because I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I almost quite my first 3 months of training, but, here I am, 52 years later.

Doubt can rear up its ugly head at the most impromptu times; whether one expects it or not. And when it does rear up its ugly head, it's how one deals with it, makes all the world of difference.

Get away from the training once in a while by taking in a movie or something; anything away from the floor. Recharge the batteries, so to speak...to put fresh eyes on it!! Don't train when overly tired, and don't train when one's mind isn't 100%...bad habits appear. Bad habits cloud the senses of clarity!!

Someone, more knowledgeable than myself, once said...

7 Times down, 8 Times up!!

PittbullJudoka and I had a talk with a young student a couple of months back. If he had a hard night, you see on his face he was down. He has a lot of potential, but he gets down on himself for not picking things up quickly or having a bad night. We told he that in our time training, we've had more off nights than on, more nights when we struggled to do simple combination, than nights when everything flowed smoothly and with effort.

Some nights you're the hammer. Some nights you're the nail. And some nights you're the board.

Solid post!!

To the bold type above...

Yes...yes...yes...and I'm no beginner, by any means!! Been there...bought the T-Shirt, and then some, more times than I can even remember.

[SaiFightsMS]

I was 40 when i got my 2nd kyu and definitely saw ups and downs in my training on my journey in the dojo. I also saw the same thing going on in my classmates. But that is what life is like. It is a series of ups and downs. If you have no lows you have no highs and great times to balance them out. And can you imagine how boring it would be to run on the same even, level keel every day? It is our low times that make the high points seem so bright and wonderful.