Looking back on training

[terryl965]

After 45 years in the Martial Arts, I find myself from time to time reflecting on the past and seeing where and if could I have done somethings in a more Martial Art way. Man when we was young we fought before thinking question our Masters and never really understood everything they was teaching. Now older and wiser so they say I look back and can see what some of my Master was talking about and coming to the conclusion that I wished some was still with us so I could say Thank you for sticking by me even when I was the biggest jerk. It is really sad when it takes a longtime to understand the simple things that are being tought and a longer time to understand why it is better to have learn it late then never. All I can say like my Master I have too come full circle, letting student with bad attitude and such come back into my school and continue training these past students not because of the money but because we all need a second chance a couple of time in or lifes. I hope my heart can be as big as those of past and reach out and make a change in someone. I also hope I am strong enough to never ever say I told you so. Sorry just typing mu thoughts.

 

[Drac]

I only have about 30 years and even tho I never regretted my bouncing all over the country and experiencing different disciplines, I always wonder what if would have been like to have stayed with only ONE...

 

[clfsean]

I only have about 30 years and even tho I never regretted my bouncing all over the country and experiencing different disciplines, I always wonder what if would have been like to have stayed with only ONE...

I've only got 28 years in, but have "experienced life" as it were in the MA world. My grandfather always said see the world before settling down. I settled early on & then got a wanderlust. I've never looked back with regrets, always looking at what I'm doing at the moment absorbing the flavors & variety of what's immediately in front of me & waiting to see if the wanderbug hits again. So far it always has, but not until I've absorbed my fill of what I'm doing.

 

[girlbug2]

My big regret is that I was unable to start MA when I was much younger, say early teens. It would have been great to burn those synapses into my brain structure, wire me up for martial arts so to speak. Learning it older, it's much easier to forget things.

 

[searcher]

I have been going since age 5 and my big regret is getting mad at my father's teachings when I was younger. I wish I would have seen then what he was trying to make me into. And then I wish my first karate school(after my father) would have stayed open.

 

[IcemanSK]

I recently reconnected with my first instructor (by phone) after not speaking for 22 years. So many things have happened to both of us in that time. Back then, I was a 19 year old learning new things & questioning his way of doing things. He was a struggling school owner who was having issues with the guy he bought the school from trying to steal his old students.

When we spoke on the phone last month, he was regretful that he was no longer teaching. Yet, he was very proud that his first American BB was still training & teaching. I sometimes wish I could have remained his student back then. But the 500 mile distance made it impossible at the time. We each had to go another route.

I have some regrets in my training & have a few "woulda coulda shoulda's". But there were good times even in the times with instructors I'd rather forget. Now I try to be an understanding instructor & a willing student.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Ah, Terry, the perspective of age.

But that is the beauty of it, is it not? As our youthful shortcomings become clear to us, we are able to help others around or even through such shortcomings.

Your students have a valueable and excelent teacher in you, in part because of the mistakes that you have made and the lessons that you have learned.

We all make decisions or behave at times in ways that we regret later, but those things remind us of just how human we all are. You are a rare man: many people spend their entire lives justifying the poor decisions or less than exemplary behavior of their youth, never learning from those mistakes and never passing that lesson along to others to ease their way.

Daniel

 

[seasoned]

I say to the young karate students, that everything you do today, is building memories for tomorrow. As I look back, I have no regrets. I trained hard, made mistakes, but it all contributed to the person I am today. I took a stand, and spent my whole life in one art. My original Sensei has passed on, but I was fortunate to have the opportunity to train with his instructor. Two different perspectives within the same art has made it a rewarding experience. The Martial Arts friendships are unparalleled in life, and the experiences unmatched. Thanks Terry, for this thread, and the opportunity to digress back to yesteryear. Training is different these days, but what a great opportunity through MT to reminisce.