Starting from Scratch

[_Simon_]

Great question!

For myself, even though I don't consider myself a veteran, when I tried a new style of karate a couple of months ago, I said to myself "okay, they are going to do things differently here, so let's keep an open mind and try to forget everything from my last style."

And for the most part I did, but I did find a few times when we'd be doing something differently than I'm used to, a little voice would say "hmmm I prefer doing it the other way" or "my way seems better...". I'd be quick to catch it, but I could see just how much of a barrier that is to learning.

It really does depend on the person, but it's probably inevitable that some old stuff will come up to challenge the new stuff. Your experience you'll want to hide behind at times, but I can definitely see how difficult it is to let go of your old experience. Not completely, but for the purposes of growing and learning sometimes you have to.

If it's a COMPLETELY different style, less likely. If it's a similar style, probably more likely.

 

[mrt2]

For those of you with a lot of MA experience, what are the thoughts on starting over, either in a similar style or totally different style, as a white belt? Would it be hard not to flex any BB experience/ego, or would it be refreshing to just go to class as an open book?

I trained in Tang Soo Do for almost 3 years when I was in high school. Starting in March, I started Tae Kwon Do at the age of 52, and I started as a white belt. The style of TKD is pretty similar to TSD, but I was away for such a long time, I imagine even had I started up at a TSD gym, I might have had to start out as a white belt. But even after 3 decades, I still remember the TSD movements. It is probably for the best that I am starting from the beginning, as I need to work up to the athleticism of the more advanced kick combinations. Additionally, we spar with full pads, where as back in the day, we sparred with no pads, so that is a big adjustment.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

For those of you with a lot of MA experience, what are the thoughts on starting over, either in a similar style or totally different style, as a white belt? Would it be hard not to flex any BB experience/ego, or would it be refreshing to just go to class as an open book?

Ego, I can set aside. I would have (and have had) a hard time setting aside what I already understand. When I trained FMA, I couldn't make my muscles do the beginner's version of stick strikes - they were quite exaggerated, and every time I stopped thinking consciously about them I'd slip into using what I know of power generation to get back to compact power. I never did overcome that in the time I trained. I'd probably have the same issue with punches if I started in a striking art. And I know my Judo experience affects how I do some throws in my primary art, though it was never to the same extent, since I've spent 30 years in that art.

Once I learn something, I tend to use it. I saw the same with a long-term Shotokan Karate-do student who trained with me for a while. He had trouble learning to use responses I was teaching, because he had something already filling that space. He had to be patient with himself, and I just tried to help him figure out how the two (his existing response and the new one he was learning) fit into his overall toolkit.

 

[drop bear]

I am not sure if it is much different to learning anything new.

 

[watching]

For those of you with a lot of MA experience, what are the thoughts on starting over, either in a similar style or totally different style, as a white belt? Would it be hard not to flex any BB experience/ego, or would it be refreshing to just go to class as an open book?

I am doing just that. I got to my last brown belt in EP kenpo about 10 years ago. I stopped training for various reasons. Now I am "starting over" in JSK - which is very similar but has some significant differences. At first I thought I knew it all, in a way. But it has been a refreshing, humbling, and sometimes frustrating experience to start from white belt and train with the other beginners. Though I will say, I can recognize how much easier it is for me to learn new material because I have a kenpo background and already know the "language " so to speak. If you'r considering getting back into a style you'v trained in before, I would recommend it.