GRR! A martial artists nightmare!

[Beer-monster]

None of my friends do martial arts, and unfortunately I lost ties iwth the people from my old club (not that we were ever that close, we hardly saw each other outside the dojo, we had seperate lives and I'm a lot younger, I think they saw me as a punk kid).

 

None of the people in my martial arts clubs now live close by or really liked the idea of some free sparring (some people?). The only person is my bother and he works ALL the time.

 

I do read MA books lots of 'em, always have. And IKF (need some more now, may get one on BJJ don't have much on the ground fighting scene) but reading is no help with out a partner to train with.

 

I do kata, but my determination is seriously waning with no class and no-one to keep me going. With finding a job and helping my mom, its an effort to stay awake. I do try but I have a problem in making such training habituary. Pathetic aint it? How can I get over this? Its one the spirit is willing but the flesh is lazy.

[Kyokushin]

Do I ever know how you feel! (Brace yourself I've got a rant here w/ a lot of pent up frustrations behind it.) You just don't realize how great something is until you lose it. My Sensei has been gone for two years and in that time I've hit the biggest MA plateau. Spent the first year being taught by the only senior to me. Arrogant guy with little people skills. His idea of teaching was to work stuff and if you didn't know it or couldn't do it right to just yell at you and ask why not. He left after a year, and then I taught the last people from my style. Do you know how frustrating it is to teach a class of two! And watch your dojo fall apart. The "black belt" was a Shotokan instructor who was out of shape and had lousy technique. All he wanted to do was talk about the good old days. I watched him teach the kids and give them belts they didn't deserve. Plus he constantly bugged me about how he'd give me a black belt. As if I wanted a worthless piece of cloth I didn't deserve. Now I'm finally at a new school where I can learn new things and grow again. I was going crazy with all the politics at my old place. We finally got shut down. My new style is great and I'm really starting to fit in, but now I found out my Sensei will be back for a month in January and a lot more often at holidays and such. Good news for my old style training, but now I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know if I will have the time to train with both of my instructors at once! Decisions, decisions. The lesson of this is. Everyone has tough times, but if you really love martial arts you'll find your own path through it and ultimately no one can find it for you. Good Luck

[Kamidake]

Tommarker, your suggestions are really good! I have a committed, good teacher and enthusiastic classmates, and I'm able to participate at the moment--thank God--but I'll sure add your suggestions to my "homework." Thanks!