Getting Better at Martial Arts = More Enjoyment?

[Grasshopper22]

Would you say that martial arts are something you tend to enjoy more, the better you are? Like if you think back to when you first started at white belt (or equivalent) and then now, do you enjoy it now because you know how to do more techniques and are better?

 

[Blindside]

Not me, alot of the enjoyment of martial arts for me was the learning of new material and the sense of accomplishment when I managed to do the new material. As you get better the learning curve increases and you tend to achieve less per unit of work. I probably enjoyed bein an intermediate range student the best, I had the fundamentals (well, sort of) but I was also able to see lots of accomplishment after every session.

 

[KempoGuy06]

i agree with blindside. my enjoyment comes from the process of learning. the struggles, the bumps and bruises. thats what makes it fun for me. learning something new and trying to apply it in class or in sparring and getting knocked around. that's fun because i know that i have executed what i was taught wrong or perhaps to slow and i need to do it again to get better.

B

 

[Kenlee25]

I guess I will dissent.

I enjoy learning just as much as the next guy, especially when it is something new and fascinating ( this applies to schooling as well ) but I much prefer application. I know I would enjoy a particular art much more once I have learned most of it. I like to apply what I've learned, adapt it, experiment, and make it my own. I like being able to confidently apply what I know outside of class and more importantly, I like to see my actual skill increase. If I mastered every single art in existance and could never learn a new move again, I would be content with having someone teach me or I teach myself how to increase my skill.

For example, I take teakwondo. I plan on training in multiple arts over my life time, but for now it's just taekwondo. I could switch over to muay thai or karate or krav maga and aside from learning some variations ( and maybe a few sweeps in Krav ) I wouldn't learn than many more techniques than I already know. But it's the application and the skill and philosophy I could gain from said arts that I value much more than that.

Even if I took an art such as Wing chun, Jiu jitsu, judo, or whatever that had VASTLY different techniques, movements, and philosophies, I'd still much rather have the knowledge now rather than later, so that I can focus on my skill and application with the moves rather than learning HOW to do the move.

 

[puunui]

Would you say that martial arts are something you tend to enjoy more, the better you are?

It's a different kind of enjoyment.

 

[WC_lun]

Would you say that martial arts are something you tend to enjoy more, the better you are? Like if you think back to when you first started at white belt (or equivalent) and then now, do you enjoy it now because you know how to do more techniques and are better?

Depends entirely upon the person and what they enjoy about the martial arts. Heck, it could even depend upon the mood of the person on a particlar day.

For me I enjoyed being a beginner more because I could train much harder for longer periods of time. However, I appreciate the skill and art I study now because I have the experience to understand what it truly is.

 

[Cyriacus]

I enjoy being challenged. I dont enjoy overcoming obstacles as much as fighting to overcome them.

 

[mmartist]

I enjoyed when i started training before years, now it's more like a routine.

 

[Cougar]

Good question. For me, having practiced multiple arts, I have to say the enjoyment comes from the development. Sure, the learning new material is interesting and challenging. The conditioning pushes you to achieve higher levels and competition can sharpen your edges (if it is realistic). All of this is good and enjoyable to me. But my true joy in practicing martial arts comes from teaching, especially to someone that has never trained or someone that has a deep personal motivation for learning (whether it is for protection or as a fellow brother or sister in arms). In teaching, you should get as much from the reaction of the students as you do in relearning the material. If you are truly getting into the technique and getting past the mere nuts and bolts of this foot goes here and this hand is formed this way and strikes just so...then you are relearning the material with the added emphasis of what your students are giving you in their attempt to learn the material. You may have a student that is challenged differently and has to compensate in some way for an injury or a weakness. This makes the technique change and gives you another perspective and an opportunity to help someone grow and also to give you another facet on that gem to better prepare you to use the technique in a practical application. To me it is relearning a piece of material and discovering additional nuances as you incorporate your students reactions into the lesson. At the end of it all, the enjoyment and sense of accomplishment is truly gratifying once you are able to communicate your art to another person and in sharing that art you are helping another person grow and you are further developing yourself as a martial artist and allowing your art to live a little longer. To me, that is the ultimate enjoyment as a martial artist.

 

[oaktree]

I enjoy the martial arts I study more than I did before. I have my "Ah ha!" moments and now me and my teacher have more head nods in agreement.
I have a better understanding of the paradox in the teaching of our arts now. Instead of focusing on how to play my musical instrument I can enjoy the music I make with it.

 

[MJS]

Would you say that martial arts are something you tend to enjoy more, the better you are? Like if you think back to when you first started at white belt (or equivalent) and then now, do you enjoy it now because you know how to do more techniques and are better?

For me, the amount of techs isn't whats important to me, its what I know already, and how well I know it, how well I can do it, teach it, etc. You could know 100 techs, but if you suck at them, well....

I enjoy the arts, because I enjoy learning. At this point in my training, I've started on a new path, one that I wish that I'd started on sooner, but nonetheless, at least I'm happy now. I'm pushed, and challenged much much more now, than I've been in the past.

 

[Gemini]

Would you say that martial arts are something you tend to enjoy more, the better you are?

Yes. Absolutely. I think that's true with anything, if only for me. I like knowing things. I don't like learning things.

 

[Black Belt Jedi]

I enjoyed the Martial Arts more when I got my yellow belt. I felt I achieved something and had a little bit of a successful milestone in my training and lots more to go at that time.

 

[Zenjael]

I do not believe them to be necessarily correlative... but I have found the more I practiced, the more I fell in love with martial arts in its entirety.

I might be unique, but I like to think I'm not.

I enjoy it because of the freedom it allows me. It gives me self-control, and more importantly, confidence, which is something difficult for me to achieve. Mine is rooted in good teachers, and experiences to back their teachings up. I hope others do martial arts out of love for it. I started because I wanted to be like a power ranger, and inadvertently, ended up following in one of their footsteps, and even going farther.

I've found the simplest reasons for starting, can end up with the most profound results. I continue to meditate and train as to why exactly, but I am certain it is also unique to each own.

I think eventually there is a feeling of bliss while practicing. I know on rare occasion I get to truly feel it when sparring, or stretching, or even while doing forms and kata. I have heard martial arts called philosophy of harmony between mind and body. The closer you get to this, the closer you get to that idealized harmony. I can only imagine once achieving it, even if in part, it is a wonderful feeling.

It's not a goal I've had to reach... just something I've found while practicing.

 

[Buka]

Training Martial Arts is fun. It's fun when it's new, it's fun when it becomes part of you, and it's fun when you get better at it. Too much of a good thing.........is still a good thing.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

I definetly get more enjoyment out of martial arts the better I get. For me, I find all the tecniques, forms, sparring etc fun, so therefore the better I can do them the more fun I have. Sparring for instance, I didnt enjoy much as a lower belt, I wasnt fit and my range of techs was limited and I found it quite frustrating. Now I love sparring because I have a better idea of what Im doing and can enjoy it on a better level.

 

[Cyriacus]

Yes. Because when Youre doing, instead of learning, its more enjoyable, quite simply.

 

[chinto]

some yes, some no. more advanced techniques and confidence. but then you get to where you are working on less material for each grade and things.

of course that is where you go back and relook at kata and look for what you did not see the first time and things too.