Trying to spark my interest in karate again

[Bradlee]

Hello fellow practitioners I'm struggling to find my interest in karate i have been doing it for 20 some odd years 

I'm 54 had my hips replaced at 46 and in good shape I love karate ,I feel my heart is not in it not like when I got my first blackbelt sometimes I really have to drag my butt in there anyone else feel this way?and how do you work around  it????

 

[KorroddyDude]

1 hour ago, Bradlee said:

Hello fellow practitioners I'm struggling to find my interest in karate i have been doing it for 20 some odd years 

I'm 54 had my hips replaced at 46 and in good shape I love karate ,I feel my heart is not in it not like when I got my first blackbelt sometimes I really have to drag my butt in there anyone else feel this way?and how do you work around  it????

 

...when motivation fails, discipline prevails.

[KarateKen]

7 hours ago, Bradlee said:

Hello fellow practitioners I'm struggling to find my interest in karate i have been doing it for 20 some odd years 

I'm 54 had my hips replaced at 46 and in good shape I love karate ,I feel my heart is not in it not like when I got my first blackbelt sometimes I really have to drag my butt in there anyone else feel this way?and how do you work around  it????

 

How long has this been your feeling? Is this something you have felt before?

[Zaine]

My level of motivation also goes up and down with time. This is normal. Maybe try going to another dojo and do some cross training. Or, try to find what it is that excites you about karate and focus on that for a while. Or, take a small break. Take a couple of weeks or a month off and see if that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

[Bradlee]

I have been out with a few injuries, mabey age is just catching up. Our club is small, and many of our adults have left. I think the discipline is the answer; mabey it is a sign to study more of the theory part anyhow; thanks for the input

[sensei8]

I'm not very sympathetic to any of my students that are losing interest of getting on the floor. That's that student's responsibility to get on the floor so that that student can increase their MA betterment. I can't force a student to get on the floor when they really don't want to; it's their MA journey.

Only exception to that is a student who has some physical and mental limitations!! Those students need the space to manage their physical and mental limitations to the best of their abilities. I'll just stay in contact with that student just to see how they are doing and offer any help that I can. There's an old saying that goes something like this..."You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force the horse to drink the water." Patience goes a long way. If after some time, and the student finally decides to end their MA training due to physical and/or mental limitations, then I'll respect their decision and let them know if they want to just talk or whatever else, please don't hesitate in getting in touch with me.

But if said student just wants to not train and whine about it, I've got nothing for them. You have to want to train. Sure, I'll try to get to the real reasons as to why their feeling that way and try to encourage them. However, I've very little patience and tolerance for those students that don't want to be on the floor. I'd rather that student just go away because I've other students to tend to who want to be on the floor.

Cruel?? Perhaps.

[bushido_man96]

On 10/25/2024 at 4:35 PM, KorroddyDude said:

...when motivation fails, discipline prevails.

I agree.  I've felt that way with TKD from time to time.  But I love going to the Aikido classes.  I use that energy from Aikido and bleed it over into my TKD training, looking for new things in the "same old stuff" that I've been doing for years.

[KorroddyDude]

On 10/28/2024 at 12:03 PM, sensei8 said:

But if said student just wants to not train and whine about it, I've got nothing for them. You have to want to train. Sure, I'll try to get to the real reasons as to why their feeling that way and try to encourage them. However, I've very little patience and tolerance for those students that don't want to be on the floor. I'd rather that student just go away because I've other students to tend to who want to be on the floor.

Cruel?? Perhaps.

I'd say it's cruel.

With children, I understand.  Not all of them are there by choice, and the instructors end up having to deal with that (at least for as long as they choose to).

For adults, it's different.  As I said before... when motivation fails, discipline prevails.  This means that everyone is gonna have those times when motivation is lacking, but discipline is what made them show up and get on the floor that day.  Give them some credit.  Hell, give them more credit than those who only show up when they're motivated (i.e., not enough to maximize the benefits of the training).

Edited October 31 by KorroddyDude

[KarateKen]

I would just say this....I think many students have days or weeks or longer where they are not feeling as motivated as they once were, but those also pass.  We all have bad days, bad weeks.  The true test of dedication is how hard will you work when you don't feel up for it? Anyone can put in the effort when they want to, when you don't want to is where your dedication will be tested.  

 

Edit: I also want to add something else.  There are many times when I did not feel like training but did anyway.  I can't think of once when I wished I had not gone.  I learned though experience that even when I don't want to go, just go, because I will be glad I did.  Some of the most fun I had in class was nights I did not want to attend. 

Edited November 1 by KarateKen

[Nidan Melbourne]

On 10/26/2024 at 7:28 AM, Bradlee said:

Hello fellow practitioners I'm struggling to find my interest in karate i have been doing it for 20 some odd years 

I'm 54 had my hips replaced at 46 and in good shape I love karate ,I feel my heart is not in it not like when I got my first blackbelt sometimes I really have to drag my butt in there anyone else feel this way?and how do you work around  it????

 

I totally understand of your heart not being in it. 

It has happened to me a few times, including throughout the course of this year. 

Sometimes doing less (aka taking a break) is doing more. Especially when it comes to karate. 

When I last took some time off training, I came back better and stronger with a much renewed interest in my training. 

 

On 11/2/2024 at 10:50 AM, KarateKen said:

I would just say this....I think many students have days or weeks or longer where they are not feeling as motivated as they once were, but those also pass.  We all have bad days, bad weeks.  The true test of dedication is how hard will you work when you don't feel up for it? Anyone can put in the effort when they want to, when you don't want to is where your dedication will be tested.  

 

Edit: I also want to add something else.  There are many times when I did not feel like training but did anyway.  I can't think of once when I wished I had not gone.  I learned though experience that even when I don't want to go, just go, because I will be glad I did.  Some of the most fun I had in class was nights I did not want to attend. 

 

Dedication - to me at least doesn't mean you have to drag yourself through something. Especially when it could potentially lead to further injury; which could easily happen if your not training with the right frame of mind. 

What I find interesting is how different people talk about how dedication is shown and how it can be tested. But at the same hand, dedication and MA training is really only shown when you compete or grade. 

For me at least; 

- Low Dedication + Training = I just can't focus, and tend to distract others. Eventually do something silly and get injured.

- Low Motivation + Training = I readjust and find that focus that I was missing very quickly.