Drifting away, lapses in training

[crash]

most here seem to have a few years in the game. i myself began this journey, life, back in 1980. trained 5 or 6 days a week 2 hours per day on three of those days of the week. did so for the first 6 years before joining the military. while some buddies and i would train in the PT sawdust pits, trading ideas and techniques, that was the first of my lapses in actual training at a dojo or a particular style... i did resume training after leaving the service for a few years in a different style. then came the second drifting away, after getting married and starting a career that required travel. once we got settled in halfway across the country i found and started training again. but this was only for a year before another move, again across country, took place. this was followed by a lapse of 5 years or so. afterwards i did start teaching for a few years for a local dojo, settled in and dove deeper  into the philosophical side of life. looking back its cool to see the changes we go through and how we have matured or the directions taken. these humps, obstacles and lapses come and go, but the life always calls one back..... that last dojo went out due to the owners age/health and the timing of the pandemic.... but even before then i had built my own training area in the back yard, a full outdoor workout area with gym machines, free weights and multiple benches. and a full indoor dojo. just for myself and a few students i will occasionally take on......so, from an activity/sport in 1980 to a lifestyle today, interesting journey, is this just another lapse, so to speak, or is this finding the meaning of sorts. a coming to a new chapter or realization....... what are some of your stories? any lapses or times of drifting away?.....lessons in themselves of who you are?

[sensei8]

First of all, and far more importantly, thank you for your service!!

My story?!?

I suppose I’ve been quite fortunate that in my 6 decades of training in the MA I’ve not had any lapses because wherever there’s a floor to train upon, whether it be at home or at the dojo or some other available floor, I’d train nonetheless.

I was also very fortunate in that I owned and operated my own dojo full time. That’s always allowed me the freedom to train in the MA without any interruptions that life can bring.

Oftentimes, real life gets in the way or one’s training, and this can be expected, even though quite inconvenient.

Interests in one’s training in the MA can wane from time to time or permanently change for whatever reason(s).

Those lapses can be quite unsettling to a practitioner of the MA. Life can be crazy and cruel sometimes but one just has to forge ahead in one’s new journey away from the MA.

Not meaning to sound insensitive at all, training in the MA is just a thing; it’s a want and not a need.

Imho.

Edited April 8 by sensei8

[crash]

3 hours ago, sensei8 said:

 

My story?!?

I suppose I’ve been quite fortunate that in my 6 decades of training in the MA I’ve not had any lapses because wherever there’s a floor to train upon, whether it be at home or at the dojo or some other available floor, I’d train nonetheless.

 

Thank you sensei8, i too, always found a way to train. but i also see those times of training alone, without a style or dojo, as lapses... and then there were the actual lapses of not training at all. though those of no training at all were few and far between... ive almost always had at least a gym membership of some type, even if it was just a community gym with the basics...and even there i would incorporate martial arts to the training routine....life can and will get in the way, but that in itself is a lesson, and shows how strong our roots are. part of the training is how we overcome obstacles and how we maintain composure. it forms who we become as adults...... i moved and traveled around a lot after adulthood with career. but found a way to still run and teach at a couple dojos, and even now have made a way to still train.... life is an adventure. but a way can be found.... i see real life not as getting in the way but as being part of the overall lesson.

 

3 hours ago, sensei8 said:

 

Not meaning to sound insensitive at all, training in the MA is just a thing; it’s a want and not a need.

Imho.

not insensitive at all. we all have to make those choices of where life leads us. but we can also make the choices of how we react and who we become along the path we choose. and if wanted strongly enough we can find a way. it becomes a lifestyle. no matter where we train..... and our knowledge can always be passed on to the next generations or whomever may want to learn........

 Thank you for your reply.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I've only had 2 major interuptions to my training, and 1 short term interruption. 

My short term interruption was surgery I had on my knee in 2004; so I had to take some time away from training to let myself heal and recover before returning. 

My first major interruption; was in 2010 when I was in my final year of school. I had to focus on my studies and had a heavy workload due to extra-curricular commitments that were a requirement set forth by the school. But to be honest with myself; I also in part lost interest I training because of life and was wanting to spend time with friends and my then girlfriend all whilst completing school and doing my extra curricular stuff. 

My second major interruption is actually occurring right now; as I just had my divorce finalised. But also dealing with Mental Health Issues and also have a existing court related issue that I am currently in the process of dealing with. So I had to step away from the dojo to focus on all of that. 

[Patrick]

Love this topic, and look forward to seeing what others share. Thanks for starting it, @crash.

This is only partially related, but it's something fun I've witnessed after managing this community for almost 24 years. It's actually one of the things I love talking about when I tell people outside of this community about this community. Which is that we have had people disappear for a long time (more than just a year or two... 5 years, 10 years I think) and then come back, join back in, and be glad we're still here (I hope, ha).

Your activity over the years is actually an example of this sort of thing happening, because you went over 15 years without making a post, from 2006 to 2022, and then, you went from mid-2022 to this March, and popped up again, which I loved to see.

I always find that really delightful because I know that some people have sort of ventured off on the internet and maybe they've done the Facebook thing or got active on mainstream social, and then decided they had enough of that and wanted more of whatever this community is to them. But there are other reasons. For example, it could tie into breaks in their training, as you discuss here. Like when they had a break, they had less to talk about. It is also true we've had people who were unable to train for a while stay engaged here as a way of maintaining touch with the martial arts, so it comes in all shapes and forms.

It could also just be that something happened in their life that demanded priority, and they no longer had the time. But whatever it is, it's always fun when people come back.

[Spartacus Maximus]

It takes a certain kind of dedication, commitment and perhaps obsession to maintain serious investment and interest in an activity that is not essential to a comfortable, happy living. Life always seems to find a way to frustrate most endeavours and priorities can change very quickly. 

It is all the more admirable when one can manage it because of the incredible self-discipline it takes to find and keep the balance between training martial arts(or whatever else) and everything essential to living comfortably such as a home, an income, good food and a stable safe place to live. With very few exceptions, most people have trouble with at least one of these things at some point during their lives.

[bushido_man96]

I've had several lapses in training over the years.  Some due to school, some due to family obligations, some due to what I perceived to be burnout.  Each time I came back, I recalled how much it meant to me, and valued it even more.  Now, due to health issues, I have been experiencing intermittent lapses, more like from week to week as opposed to months at a time.  They still suck.  But every time I get into train, I value it even more.

[JazzKicker]

i trained pretty regularly with few breaks, Tu-thurs-sometimes Sat, plus solo work, for more than a couple of decades, from 1981 to mid 2000's. Through 2 marriages, 4 houses, 8 jobs. From Tang Soo Do to Hapkido, JKD, MMA. Things eventually fell off as my training buddies and coach fell away. But I've always tried to keep in shape and train on my own.

A year and a half ago I retired, I think... and I reconnected with one of my hapkido teachers from 20+ years ago. Now I'm training on Tues, Thurs, and sometimes Saturday... full circle, and I'm happy to do it as long as it lasts. To me, martial arts is so much more than the "exercise class" my wife thinks of it as. it is mental, spiritual, and physical- and even if you take a break from training, the body does not forget.

[crash]

13 hours ago, JazzKicker said:

i trained pretty regularly with few breaks, Tu-thurs-sometimes Sat, plus solo work, for more than a couple of decades, from 1981 to mid 2000's. Through 2 marriages, 4 houses, 8 jobs. From Tang Soo Do to Hapkido, JKD, MMA. Things eventually fell off as my training buddies and coach fell away. But I've always tried to keep in shape and train on my own.

A year and a half ago I retired, I think... and I reconnected with one of my hapkido teachers from 20+ years ago. Now I'm training on Tues, Thurs, and sometimes Saturday... full circle, and I'm happy to do it as long as it lasts. To me, martial arts is so much more than the "exercise class" my wife thinks of it as. it is mental, spiritual, and physical- and even if you take a break from training, the body does not forget.

i started in 1980 as well. trained 5 days a week 2 hours per day, and sometimes on saturday as well... did that for the first 5 years before joining the military after highschool... then started with a new dojo after returning. been to many dojos and styles since then over the last 40 someodd years. as ive gotten older the spiritual side and philosphy has become more focused than it ever was in the early years. growth is beautiful in that way. as i get closer to retirement training becomes more centerstage once again....i understand what your saying here.

[KarateKen]

I've taken multiple extended breaks spanning from several months to many years.  Life happens.  Things get busy, priorities change, etc.