For those who quit and came back. Every think what might have been?

[mrt2]

Some of you already know my story. 3 years of Tang Soo Do. Quit about 6 months before I went to college. Never took it up again until last year, over 35 years later. Now slowly working my way back, this time with Tae Kwon Do.

A few months back, I tracked down a guy who literally started with me on the same day. His number was 304, mine was 305. He was an adult back then, maybe his late 20s. I was a 14 year old kid. .He is retired now from full time martial arts teaching, though he did have his own Tang Soo Do school for a number of years. He is an 8th Dan Master.

I am hoping to test for my 1st Dan sometime next year. One thing is for sure though. I will never be an 8th Dan Master.

 

[mrt2]

I had several opportunities back when my knowledge was not quite so rusty or atrophied. When I was attending college orientation just 7 or 8 months after quitting Tang Soo Do, I ran into a guy from my former Dojang, who told me about a Korean martial arts club on campus. He was pretty stoked to do it, but I stupidly declined, as I didn't even bring my uniform to college. It was a lame excuse, though.

Fast forward about 6 years or so, and I am a young adult. One day I am driving along and I see a billboard for Martial arts training with that same guy I mentioned in the first post. By now, he was a 3rd Dan and had opened up his own school not far from where I was living at the time. I thought about dropping by and giving it a shot, but pride got in the way. Will he make me start out again as a white belt? Who knows, because I never even walked in the door. Another lost opportunity.

 

[dvcochran]

Some of you already know my story. 3 years of Tang Soo Do. Quit about 6 months before I went to college. Never took it up again until last year, over 35 years later. Now slowly working my way back, this time with Tae Kwon Do.

A few months back, I tracked down a guy who literally started with me on the same day. His number was 304, mine was 305. He was an adult back then, maybe his late 20s. I was a 14 year old kid. .He is retired now from full time martial arts teaching, though he did have his own Tang Soo Do school for a number of years. He is an 8th Dan Master.

I am hoping to test for my 1st Dan sometime next year. One thing is for sure though. I will never be an 8th Dan Master.

It is very easy to go down that "what if" path. I love what my wife has to tell me sometimes; "should haves really aren't that important now". It is really good to hear you got back on the horse after a long break so worry about your self a little. So you may never be 8th Dan, it is just a number. I just tested and that is exactly what I said, with a little more tact.

 

[isshinryuronin]

I began Isshinryu karate in 1966 and was active in it for about 15 years, with a couple of those in American Kenpo. Laid off for a few years, then spent 2 years in Iaido. Another lay off for 25+ years (I practiced once in a while on my own) and now retired and missing the Art, hooked up with a very senior Isshinryu Sensei. (I would have been glad to restart as a white belt if required.) Am now training regularly. Yes, I've thought what if I stayed active for those 25-30 years - I'd be 7th dan most likely. I'm a few dans short of that, but it's not about the destination, just the journey. That's where the benefits are. Obviously, during that long hiatus, I didn't have the need for martial arts, or I would have found a way. Now, all these years later I felt the need, and found a way. Funny how that works.

 

[TSDTexan]

 

[TSDTexan]

 

[TSDTexan]

 

[TSDTexan]

 

[Orion Nebula]

Like you, I returned to the martial arts after many years (although not quite as big of a time gap). Had life not gotten in the way, sure, I could have been 3rd or 4th dan at this point. Maybe I would have a room filled with tournament trophies. Really, I don't care about that, though.

What I do care about is how every night at the dojo, I struggle with techniques that I used to do with no problem. I can't kick as high. My stances aren't deep enough. My thighs scream when training is kick-heavy. My punches are weak. My posture is crappy. In other words, I've become a bigger again and it makes me mad sometimes.

On Monday, we spent most of class going over the kata Unsu (as several students had seen it performed over the weekend at a seminar). Really mostly the beginning, but we did walk through the whole thing. I left wondering if I could ever do the spinning jump and its crazy landing. Maybe, but sure as heck not now. Had I never left MA, maybe I'd be doing that beautiful kata. But that's life.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Some of you already know my story. 3 years of Tang Soo Do. Quit about 6 months before I went to college. Never took it up again until last year, over 35 years later. Now slowly working my way back, this time with Tae Kwon Do.

A few months back, I tracked down a guy who literally started with me on the same day. His number was 304, mine was 305. He was an adult back then, maybe his late 20s. I was a 14 year old kid. .He is retired now from full time martial arts teaching, though he did have his own Tang Soo Do school for a number of years. He is an 8th Dan Master.

I am hoping to test for my 1st Dan sometime next year. One thing is for sure though. I will never be an 8th Dan Master.

I was fortunate enough to have a high-ranking Isshinryu instructor working on the base where I was stationed as an MP when I was in Okinawa, in 1983. I could have trained with him, many of my friends did. I did not take that opportunity.

I started training in Wado Ryu in Colorado in the 1990s. Trained for about 3 months, quit.

I did not start training again until I was 46 years old. I will be 58 in July. I'm a 3rd degree black belt, newly promoted.

I won't live long enough to reach the upper dan ranks in Isshinryu.

It's OK. I wasn't ready then, and I am ready now.

 

[Dirty Dog]

The Kukkiwon has a skip dan process specifically to deal with situations where a person has been the same rank for ages.
I have mixed opinions on it. I understand the reasons for it, but I have chosen not to take advantage of it.

 

[JR 137]

There were two of us testing for first dan in April 1999. We were both invited and preparing to test for 2nd dan in October 2002. I was offered a graduate assistant position at a university 5 hours away, so I left in August. He kept training under my teacher.

He kept training under my former teacher and was promoted to 5th dan around this time last year. I trained with him and my former teacher about a year ago. They’re both doing great and we were very happy to see each other.

I went to grad school, started dating my wife, started a career, got married, had two beautiful girls, and relocated twice since graduating. 15 years later when things calmed down I started training at a school that is very closely related (my first organization was started by 2 guys who left my current organization). I missed training every single day. I started at white belt and 4 years later I’m a 1st kyu. I’ll test for 1st dan eventually. Will I ever get to 5th dan? I’ll be 43 in June, so who knows. I certainly don’t care so long as I’m still training when it’s time to bury me.

What if I didn’t take that offer for that grad assistant position? I wouldn’t have been where and when I was when I met my wife. Life got in the way. And I have zero regrets. I wouldn’t trade anything for my decision to leave.

 

[isshinryuronin]

JR 137, you're just a kid! With steady training and good diet and a YOUNG STATE OF MIND, 5th dan should be no problem. I'm 67 and going strong. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I stayed semi-active on my own for 25+years, but yes, the years DO take some toll. Knees protest in deep stances and head kicks - forget about it! But high kicks are not much of a thing in traditional Okinawan karate. Kudos to all of you that have rediscovered the karate blood pumping through your veins and finding the will to do something about it.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Some of you already know my story. 3 years of Tang Soo Do. Quit about 6 months before I went to college. Never took it up again until last year, over 35 years later. Now slowly working my way back, this time with Tae Kwon Do.

A few months back, I tracked down a guy who literally started with me on the same day. His number was 304, mine was 305. He was an adult back then, maybe his late 20s. I was a 14 year old kid. .He is retired now from full time martial arts teaching, though he did have his own Tang Soo Do school for a number of years. He is an 8th Dan Master.

I am hoping to test for my 1st Dan sometime next year. One thing is for sure though. I will never be an 8th Dan Master.

I had several opportunities back when my knowledge was not quite so rusty or atrophied. When I was attending college orientation just 7 or 8 months after quitting Tang Soo Do, I ran into a guy from my former Dojang, who told me about a Korean martial arts club on campus. He was pretty stoked to do it, but I stupidly declined, as I didn't even bring my uniform to college. It was a lame excuse, though.

Fast forward about 6 years or so, and I am a young adult. One day I am driving along and I see a billboard for Martial arts training with that same guy I mentioned in the first post. By now, he was a 3rd Dan and had opened up his own school not far from where I was living at the time. I thought about dropping by and giving it a shot, but pride got in the way. Will he make me start out again as a white belt? Who knows, because I never even walked in the door. Another lost opportunity.

I never fully left my MA training behind, but I did have a lot of slow periods (lots of business travel), and a couple of hiatuses (business demands and money issues). With the time I put in, I could easily have been a higher rank in the association I was in. If I'd made the leap and opened a school, I'd maybe be 3rd or 4th dan in that organization (that translates to about that 8th dan you're talking about). I'd probably also have some instructor's I'd trained, and a bit of a legacy in the art. But I didn't do any of that. I did what seemed right at the time, and I wouldn't trade most of that. There is definitely a part of me that wishes I'd made some choices earlier, so I'd be further down my path now, but I can't figure out what I'd give up to do that.

So, enough about me, back to you. There's so much more than just time that's needed to follow that guy's path. Yeah, you'd probably be a higher rank and be less rusty, but some of the other things you've done in life wouldn't have happened. We don't know what the opportunity cost is, and at the time MA clearly wasn't a priority to you. I think we all have things we'd do differently if we were given the choice with the wisdom we have now, but those choices are how we gained that wisdom.

 

[JR 137]

JR 137, you're just a kid! With steady training and good diet and a YOUNG STATE OF MIND, 5th dan should be no problem. I'm 67 and going strong. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I stayed semi-active on my own for 25+years, but yes, the years DO take some toll. Knees protest in deep stances and head kicks - forget about it! But high kicks are not much of a thing in traditional Okinawan karate. Kudos to all of you that have rediscovered the karate blood pumping through your veins and finding the will to do something about it.

Great post. So long as nothing changes, earning a rank like that is possible. It would be great to advance that high and higher, but you never know what tomorrow brings. My daughters are 6 and 8. As they get older the responsibilities change. I could find a new job where my hours conflict with my current dojo. And so on.

The founder of my organization just turned 77. When it’s time for him to step down his son will take over. Change like that always causes some shakeup. My teacher is around 65. When his time to step down comes there will be some changes. Both of those things are inevitable eventually. I don’t foresee any problems when either or both of those happen as both of them are very intelligent and will do everything they can to ensure their respective places carry on the right way. Hopefully the changes will be minimal and/or for the better. But it’s not unrealistic to think that at some point I’ll have a decision to make and might have to start over.

Hopefully everything works out right and I’ll keep training where I’m training until I’m no longer physically able to. If it doesn’t I’ll relatively start over again. So long as I’m training, no big deal in the whole grand scheme of things. It’s not about earning some high rank, it’s about showing up every day and doing my thing. The rank isn’t more than a side effect; it’s definitely not the reason why I train.

 

[mrt2]

I never fully left my MA training behind, but I did have a lot of slow periods (lots of business travel), and a couple of hiatuses (business demands and money issues). With the time I put in, I could easily have been a higher rank in the association I was in. If I'd made the leap and opened a school, I'd maybe be 3rd or 4th dan in that organization (that translates to about that 8th dan you're talking about). I'd probably also have some instructor's I'd trained, and a bit of a legacy in the art. But I didn't do any of that. I did what seemed right at the time, and I wouldn't trade most of that. There is definitely a part of me that wishes I'd made some choices earlier, so I'd be further down my path now, but I can't figure out what I'd give up to do that.

So, enough about me, back to you. There's so much more than just time that's needed to follow that guy's path. Yeah, you'd probably be a higher rank and be less rusty, but some of the other things you've done in life wouldn't have happened. We don't know what the opportunity cost is, and at the time MA clearly wasn't a priority to you. I think we all have things we'd do differently if we were given the choice with the wisdom we have now, but those choices are how we gained that wisdom.

That is for sure true. When I was younger, I moved around a lot, got 2 advanced degrees, got married, had a child, changed careers several times. I get it. The best I can do now is to be as good as I can be in my current program, and hopefully, get a chance someday to teach martial arts someday.

 

[Flying Crane]

I’ve had interruptions in my training in the last few years.

It has been a lot of fun being present when my son was born. He is five now. I’m glad I’ve been able to significantly be available for these formative years as he grows.

But I could be much better if my training hadn’t been interrupted with those other “pesky” things that have a way of getting in the way.

 

[dvcochran]

I’ve had interruptions in my training in the last few years.

It has been a lot of fun being present when my son was born. He is five now. I’m glad I’ve been able to significantly be available for these formative years as he grows.

But I could be much better if my training hadn’t been interrupted with those other “pesky” things that have a way of getting in the way.

Some things in life only come around once, even when you have two kids. I know you are making light. Life gets in everyone's way at some point. It is how we handle it that counts. Sometimes it is unavoidable adversity (health, family), sometimes it is misguided passion onto other avenues. If it means anything to that person they will figure out a way back to the dojo.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Here's the thing: Once a karate-ka, always a karate-ka. IF you were truly one to begin with. This means you were in it a few years minimum and lived it as a lifestyle. Not just working out regularly, but embracing the philosophical/spiritual aspects as well. Living in a dojo a couple of years not required, but it helps.

Given the above, a long lay-off is no different than a short one since your spirit knows no time - your karate has never really left you. True, your body definitely knows the passage of time, but that can be worked on or adjustments made to accommodate your age.. Bridge the time gap by having the same mindset you once had and enjoy the Art, except this time, with a more mature understanding and appreciation.

 

[daviddz]

When I was in College back in the 90’s, I studied Tae Kwon Do for about 8 years, and during that earned my 1st Dan with the Kukkiwon . I was getting ready to test for 2nd Dan, and then life happened. I starting working a night shift job, and my instructor sold his interest in the school leaving no instructors at the school who could do Dan tests.( the school closed not too long after that).

Then about 10 years later, I found that instructor teaching through parks and Rec. I went back and studied with him for another year and a half before finances and other things led to me stopping again.

In 2017 while working on my Masters Degree, I decided to get back into martial arts. This time a slightly different style. I basically started over, and in the last two years have made my way back up to brown belt. Hopefully in another year and a half or so, I should be able to test for 1st Dan in Song Moo Kwan.

Do I ever look back and wish I had not stopped? Yes, Every time I see one of the younger black belts do a jump spin kick. I used to be good at those, now 25 years and 50lbs later, it is very difficult for me to do some of those techniques that I used to love to do.

I kinda miss not having has the opportunity to test for higher Dan ranks. Had I kept progressing, I could have been a 4th or 5th Dan by now. I have been offered the opportunity to do a skip Dan test to get my 3rd Dan with the Kukkiwon, but I don’t feel that I can perform to that level (yet). It is something I will likely pursue at such Time I feel I can perform at that level.

I turn 50 this year. I am looking at about 10 years before I can retire from my Job. At that point, maybe teaching TKD, or some others art night be a good way to keep me active when I retire. If I go that route, the higher belt could be useful. But I need to work back up to that level.




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