Over the past couple of years I’ve lost my passion for karate. This was for several reasons: I wasn’t progressing and had become stagnant. In addition, politics in Scottish Karate are (without ranting) taking the karate out of karate. Lastly, achieving 3rd Dan last year didn’t feel like anything. Yes I’ve put 20 years into it, but my heart was no longer there.
So I’d been thinking of trying a new martial art. I hadn’t really contemplated MMA as subconsciously I considered it too daunting (see previous post). I thought about kick boxing, boxing, judo, but I didn’t do anything about it, I just carried on training at the gym. I enjoyed the gym, but spin class and running machines are nothing like sparring and I missed it terribly.
But now that I’ve started my MMA journey I couldn’t be more thrilled! The excitement of progressing and learning loads of new things all at once, the frustration with how long it’s taking to learn the most basic of moves, the smells (yes the smells). It’s just all so good! Most nights I walk away ecstatic at how much I've gained in the previous few hours. Even the few times that I've walked home disappointed at my performance during the past 3 hours, I’ve never once walked away thinking I could have worked harder, and for that I’m grateful to karate for the discipline it has instilled in me.
Oh, btw, those of you who make fun of me for bowing as walk on/leave the mat, I’m never going to stop so better get used to it! At least I’ve cut it down; I used to do big bows entering the building, leaving the building, and big bows every time I walked off and on the mat (which amounted to a lot of times during the evening to get water/gloves etc). Now I just do a very subtle bow the very first time I walk on, and the very last time I walk off. That’s it. I don’t even say Oss! Which is still hard for me to get my head around; how does the instructor know I’ve heard what he/she’s said? Or know I regard what he/she’s said? It still doesn’t feel right but I know the slagging I’ll get for saying it so I’m just gonna keep fighting the urge.
The next few posts will discuss the techniques I'm learning in the martial arts I'm training in, my training methods at home away from the gym, the things training is making me learn about myself, and my biggest barrier so far: overcoming the mental challenges.
Great post Sarah, and reading it made me smile. It's great to see someone happy through passion for improvement. I think the bow is a great thing and will most likely be respected by most practitioners, despite the jokes. If it makes you feel better I once went to bow to your dad while stood in the middle of a ward. Your dad noticed and laughed but it's a mark of your respect for the art and the person, though no harm in toning it down I guess ;) Oh and tweet your post with the hashtag #thisgirlcan to spread your message.
ReplyDeleteI'm still giggling at you bowing in the ward, Paul :P. It's funny how automatic it is, it's been tough having to stop myself.
DeleteThat's exactly it, Paul; I'm passionate about improving and developing. There's no point in merely maintaining, growing and learning is so much more valuable.
#thisgirlcan, awesome idea! Will do, thanks :D