Why do I want to get back into MA?

[LastGasp]

It might be a little while till I can actually get to a position where I can go join classes and start learning afresh, but I enjoy practicing what I remember from years ago, as part of my fitness training, and because, well, I just do

So I've been doing the rounds of Youtube, as you do lol, just looking for stuff to inspire, as well as any advice I can find to help me tidy up my technique, such as it is.
This is currently my favourite single video:

This fits for me.

 

[oftheherd1]

It might be a little while till I can actually get to a position where I can go join classes and start learning afresh, but I enjoy practicing what I remember from years ago, as part of my fitness training, and because, well, I just do

So I've been doing the rounds of Youtube, as you do lol, just looking for stuff to inspire, as well as any advice I can find to help me tidy up my technique, such as it is.
This is currently my favourite:

This fits for me.

Something to consider; if you are currently doing things you remember from years ago, why not do them in a school to ensure you are doing them correctly. If you find a teacher is unwilling to help you do that and teach you within your current physical capabilities, you might want to look for a different school. Of course, I say that not knowing exactly what your current limitations truely are, as opposed to what you may think they are.

 

[Hanzou]

This might inspire you. It inspires the hell out of me.

 

[LastGasp]

My current limitations unfortunately include unemployment, and so not being able to afford classes

I'm really at a point where I have made a decision to try and pick myself up on my feet again, having almost given up entirely. So my first priority is to get fit enough to get back into work, and hopefully still be able to find the energy to do such 'extra-curricular' activities, something I had problems with last time I was in work, due to lack of general fitness.

Also, Lau Gar seems to have pretty much died a death in this country, going by what I can find online...unless anyone out there knows different? Certainly no classes in that anywhere near me.

 

[oftheherd1]

My current limitations unfortunately include unemployment, and so not being able to afford classes

I'm really at a point where I have made a decision to try and pick myself up on my feet again, having almost given up entirely. So my first priority is to get fit enough to get back into work, and hopefully still be able to find the energy to do such 'extra-curricular' activities, something I had problems with last time I was in work, due to lack of general fitness.

Also, Lau Gar seems to have pretty much died a death in this country, going by what I can find online...unless anyone out there knows different? Certainly no classes in that anywhere near me.

That puts a different light on your plight. Good luck in getting a job and getting into a martial art you can afford and enjoy.

 

[jobo]

That puts a different light on your plight. Good luck in getting a job and getting into a martial art you can afford and enjoy.

Well it depends, how tight money is, and the going rate for a class, if you can get a pay on attendance arrangement, and it a reduced deal. Going to a a class once week, once a fortnight even once a month is better than not going at all, you need to ask ?

When I was financially embarress, my instructor gave me a deal of attending as many classes as I wanted for the cost of a sigle( discounted ) lession.

The killer was the travel costs, so I walked five miles there and five miles back, which helped no end with my fitness

 

[LastGasp]

Well it depends, how tight money is

Put it this way: each month, I go a little further into the red.
My house is paid for, so thankfully, that's one less big worry. My bills are covered by an Armed Services pension. But the bank is picking up the tab for food and groceries.

 

[jobo]

Put it this way: each month, I go a little further into the red.
My house is paid for, so thankfully, that's one less big worry. My bills are covered by an Armed Services pension. But the bank is picking up the tab for food and groceries.

Yes not good, been there once, after that I always had rainy day savings to give me a bit of breathing space.

What I have found is that it you out some effort in, you can get almost anything for almost nothing. With a bit of lowered expectation, improvisation and make do and men's thrown in.. Certainly with food, you can live on very little, if you buy " peasant" food. Putting wholesome, balanced diet on the table is really not very expensive at all. It's all the other stuff that costs money

 

[LastGasp]

Funny you should say that, but having to be especially thrifty has improved my diet no end.

The rainy day savings ran out about a year ago lol.

 

[jobo]

Funny you should say that, but having to be especially thrifty has improved my diet no end.

The rainy day savings ran out about a year ago lol.

Clearly I don't understand your circumstances, but from what you've written, if all your short of in a week is food money, it must be feasable to earn a fair % of that, doing odd jobs, dog sitting\ walking ,gardening ect, there's nothing like a dog walk or a bit of gardening, to build fitness And bring in a few $. If your exercising anyway, you may as well get paid for it!

 

[LastGasp]

Yeah, I feel I'm getting close to being able to sort things out now. It has been difficult, because of the range of injuries and problems I've been struggling with, and I'm the first to admit there have been psychological blockages too - but they're still hurdles to overcome.

Since starting and improving on my fitness drive, I have been feeling a lot more positive though. I am sure that everything will soon be resolved. I will then be in the happy position of not even having to work full time. BUT...I don't want just enough fitness to get back to work, just to find I have no energy and too many aches and pains to do anything else, like happened last time. So I want to try to build a strong base as my first goal.

 

[jobo]

Yeah, I feel I'm getting close to being able to sort things out now. It has been difficult, because of the range of injuries and problems I've been struggling with, and I'm the first to admit there have been psychological blockages too - but they're still hurdles to overcome.

Since starting and improving on my fitness drive, I have been feeling a lot more positive though. I am sure that everything will soon be resolved. I will then be in the happy position of not even having to work full time. BUT...I don't want just enough fitness to get back to work, just to find I have no energy and too many aches and pains to do anything else, like happened last time. So I want to try to build a strong base as my first goal.

I've been through a bit dissimilar issue when I was made redundant and ended up becoming very depressed and doing hardly anything at all.

But the the thing im suggesting, is there is a mental distinction between exercise and work, that doesn't really exist as far as your body is concerned, you can build a strong base, doing something useful like fixing the roof or digging an old ladies garden, just as much, quite possibly better, than doing press ups or pull ups or what ever you are doing.

My brother in law who is quite well off, pays someone to do everything, cleaning, gardening washing his car, everything. Then pays for a gym membership, so he can get the exercise he would have got if he had washed his own car and dragged a vacuum cleaner round. You just need some one like him nearby

 

[LastGasp]

It's a bit difficult to explain. Certain things will always be hard for me to do. Although I have been exercising quite hard, things like gardening (lots of strain on my injured back), anything that requires reaching with both arms (range of movement rather than pain), even just an hour working on a meal over the kitchen surfaces fatigues my back to the point of pain sometimes... sometimes it kind of confuses even me, lol. And yet the exercising has been improving my ability to tackle some stuff (and I think is a sure sign I'm also tackling some of the psychological barriers). My back is probably the biggest limitation when it comes to physical work, but it's early days yet, I'll see what happens.

Trust me, things have improved markedly lately, and I now have hope!

Aaaanyway...looking at MA again, and in particular the philosophy of MA, is helping to inspire me onwards

 

[jobo]

It's a bit difficult to explain. Certain things will always be hard for me to do. Although I have been exercising quite hard, things like gardening (lots of strain on my injured back), anything that requires reaching with both arms (range of movement rather than pain), even just an hour working on a meal over the kitchen surfaces fatigues my back to the point of pain sometimes... sometimes it kind of confuses even me, lol. And yet the exercising has been improving my ability to tackle some stuff (and I think is a sure sign I'm also tackling some of the psychological barriers). My back is probably the biggest limitation when it comes to physical work, but it's early days yet, I'll see what happens.

Trust me, things have improved markedly lately, and I now have hope!

Aaaanyway...looking at MA again, and in particular the philosophy of MA, is helping to inspire me onwards

Your lower back muscles will be withered away to nearly nothing, build them up slowly, first pump them full of blood, my rebuild a hacker back exercise consisted of, sitting on a chair and slowly rocking side to side back to front, found and round, whilst really slowly extending range of motion, repeat for months, , equals no bad back any more

Nb, rocking also seems to help depression, if you lose yourself in the rythem

 

[LastGasp]

I cracked two vertebrae (C5 and C6 if I recall rightly), mid/upper back. At first, the pain I got extended right around my rib cage, from back to front (I've cracked and broken ribs on several occasions too in the past, and suspect I might have done so again when I injured my back). But that has certainly gone since getting back into fitness training (two years after actually sustaining the injury). I think the actual back pain itself is improving too - or at least how much I can tolerate before it stops/slows me. But as I said, I'm only 2 months into the exercising, so I guess I need more time to see yet.

Exercise has demolished my depression

 

[jobo]

I cracked two vertebrae (C5 and C6 if I recall rightly), mid/upper back. At first, the pain I got extended right around my rib cage, from back to front (I've cracked and broken ribs on several occasions too in the past, and suspect I might have done so again when I injured my back). But that has certainly gone since getting back into fitness training (two years after actually sustaining the injury). I think the actual back pain itself is improving too - or at least how much I can tolerate before it stops/slows me. But as I said, I'm only 2 months into the exercising, so I guess I need more time to see yet.

Exercise has demolished my depression

Yes I'm a long time bad back suffer, that had me in surgury twice, and had them expressing doubt if ever be able to walk with out a stick.

The problem is they are self reinforcing, you change your movements to keep load off the back,,the less you use your back, the more your muscles weaken, the easier it is to hurt your back, the more you change your movements,, repeat,, till you end up, as I did more or less incapable of any movement/ load at all, just as with you cooking a meal would bring on pain.

 

[LastGasp]

It's all a bit of a digression from the point of my OP lol

But what the heck, I've time on my hands. My consultant was of the kind who didn't seem to think I needed to know about my own injury, so I just never had any follow-up. I'll take responsibility for anything that leads to, and consultants be damned.
I now think, "don't let any damn quack ever tell you you'll never do this or that again".

 

[LastGasp]

This might inspire you. It inspires the hell out of me.

Too brutal for me! lol
I am getting old, and I am broken - I now look to MA for something different, although part of me still wishes I could partake in competition.
But all that punching people in the head when you have them in a clearly defeated position...no, that's not for me.

 

[_Simon_]

Ah all the best with everything, one step at a time and it'll sort out. And trust/faith helps heaps .

And yeah definitely there's a ton on YouTube that's incredibly inspiring, am sure you'll get back into it in no time. Yeah practice what you know I reckon, and do as many variations of it that you can. There's just so much you can train, even with not many drills!