What inspires, motivates, and makes you passionate?

[Kenposcholar]

I have been doing martial arts for approximately 14 years and have always been incredibly passionate about training and teaching. Over the past year it has been increasingly more difficult to bring the same passion to the dojo when I bow into classes. There are several factors including a busy schedule, stressful job, loads of college course work, and a significant other & friends that need my time. Rather than looking for suggestions for how I can find the motivation to continue training and teaching I am looking for what drives others.

1. How long have you been actively training and/or teaching?
2. What keeps you passionate about training and/or teaching?
3. Has your purpose, motivations, and incentives changed significantly over the years?

Really look forward to seeing your responses!

 

[Juany118]

Well for actively is it okay if I total the active bits? I hope so because when I study I am dedicated but things like military service and other issues I was sometimes derailed.

So when I combine Fencing, Aikido, Ryushinkan and now Wing Chun and Kali we are looking at 12 years.

Across all of them it is a passion because the motions are like a mantra in motion. It is my happy place, especially now when I am in a Sinawali flow, I get lost in the motion.

Have my motivations changed? Yes. I am in my mid 40's now. I keep getting older, those I chase and need to arrest seem to stay the same age. So when at the school I get lost in the mantra of motion but at work it has been the difference between me having to just brute force an arrest and instead be able to finesse it. There have been times of course where I had to use brute force techniques even with the training, but those are the exceptions, typically the "softer" applications are all that is required but those applications would be virtually unknown to me if I wasn't paying my own dime over the years.




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[Ironbear24]

I don't know to be honest, I just enjoy it so much that I want to get better and better. I love improving.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

2. What keeps you passionate about training and/or teaching?

Try to

- solve problems such as deal with boxer's punches, wrestler's single leg, MT guy's roundhouse kick, and ...
- be in good shape without body fat.
- remain flexibility, balance, strong, have good endurance, ...
- keep blood pressure normal (below 120).
- have fun.
- live till 100 years old.
- ...

 

[Ademadis]

I've been actively training for a year.
For me I train for the people (I'm happy with the new friends I've gained from training) and for the sense of self improvement.
Every time I walk out of the dojo I want to take some new nugget of knowledge with me. Knowing that I'm learning and improving while there's sweat dripping off my brow is the best feeling I know I can have.

Maybe trying to recapture this feeling with a changed training regime (maybe even attending a different martial art for a period) to get the sense of progression back is what you need?

 

[JR 137]

I've got several reasons to keep me motivated...

I want to improve. During my first stint in my early 20s, I was chasing rank. My second stint at 40, I'm chasing improvement. I just want to be the best I can be.

Karate is like moving mediation. Once I'm in the dojo, the outside world doesn't exist. It's pretty hard to think about the argument I had with my wife when someone's about to kick me in the head; how much work sucks doesn't cross my mind when someone's about to punch me. I'm "in the moment." I can't get that with any other non-MA form of exercise.

It gets me out of the house. I love my wife and 2 little girls more than anything in the world, but I need my space too. 3 and 6 year olds don't leave much quiet time.

I get to the dojo twice a week. I'd go more often if I could, but I've got to balance everything.

 

[Buka]

1. How long have you been actively training and/or teaching?

Seems like forever.

2. What keeps you passionate about training and/or teaching?

For teaching, it's helping others. You can change lives for the better. Not much in life better than that.
For training - you usually love it, or you don't.


3. Has your purpose, motivations, and incentives changed significantly over the years?

As a student, you just want to learn. I'm sure everyone has different reasons why.
As a teacher, you just want others to learn. Hopefully make them a better Martial Artist than you are.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

3. Has your purpose, motivations, and incentives changed significantly over the years?

- In the beginning, I was interested to train techniques that's "allowed" to be used in "MA sport".
- Later on, I am more interested to train techniques that's "not allowed" to be used in "MA sport".

 

[Jenna]

I have been doing martial arts for approximately 14 years and have always been incredibly passionate about training and teaching. Over the past year it has been increasingly more difficult to bring the same passion to the dojo when I bow into classes. There are several factors including a busy schedule, stressful job, loads of college course work, and a significant other & friends that need my time. Rather than looking for suggestions for how I can find the motivation to continue training and teaching I am looking for what drives others.

1. How long have you been actively training and/or teaching?
2. What keeps you passionate about training and/or teaching?
3. Has your purpose, motivations, and incentives changed significantly over the years?

Really look forward to seeing your responses!

Hey can I make a suggestion? Like ok for me I try my best to integrate my practice with the rest of my non MA life you know? I mean not just in terms of potential areas of conflict which an MA mindset is valuable and but like you are saying you have studies and coursework, I wonder what or how could your MA practice integrate or be assimilated by or into that study??

I am not sure if it is clear what I mean to convey.. just that rather than having MA on one side and rest-of-life things on the other, I like to fit my art (is Aikido, I have done this for 22yr now) I like to fit this mind and practice into other things. Then it is not so much keeping motivated to do yet another activity I have little time for, rather it is fun for me to see how I can integrate my practice in my life..

Like we used to tube surf.. you know on the subway, you have subway where you are? do it on bus or wherever.. you know, just see if we can balance without holding on for the hard acceleration and hard braking of the electric subway train, I put my Aiki in rock running to spot the flow, I used to put handle of garden mower at my centre below my navel and push it without holding it like driving forwards from the hara.. also you like to spend time with friends, bring them into it too! they can test your strength or your sixpack muscles by hitting you there haha.. j/k and but like maybe you integrate your timings or reactions into sports like maybe you do B-ball or even your playstation.. something I do not know..

I just mean sometime MA might become one more thing, least important and can be de-prioritised and but just a change of mindset you can see your MA is not just for beating the baddies and saving the world.. 14yr is enough to have a range of skills that can be utilised all other parts of your life! look at how your MA mindset and physical skills can help with all other stuff then it become part of everything.. man I just waffling here haha.. anyway, just trying to inject you with some ideas! Do not worry, I am qualified in use of ideas hypodermics wishes to you x

 

[pgsmith]

I've been training for about 22 years now. Sometimes passion for training is there, sometimes it isn't. Other times I don't feel like going at all. However, I have seen countless times how just taking a short hiatus can cause a person to fill their training time with other very necessary things, and they never manage to get back to training. Ultimately, that's why I keep training, because I don't want to quit yet. If I stop, there's a good chance I'll be done and I'm not ready for that.

Absolutely my motivations have changed over the years. At first, it was to learn something new and exciting. Later, it was about trying to polish my skills. After that, it became teaching others so I would continue to have people to practice with. Now it is to make tiny incremental advances in my skills, and to spend time sharing what I've learned with others learning the same art. Next week it's liable to something else, I just roll with it.

 

[maryf]

practicing martial arts and without passion is impossible. i love integration of passion and hard working for enjoying my favorite game. martial arts for women is necessary these days for protection.

 

[Kenposcholar]

I appreciate all the responses! It is motivating by itself to see all of your reasons and relate them to my situation. I would love to hear other people's reasons as well.

 

[thanson02]

1. How long have you been actively training and/or teaching?

Been training for 15 years, teaching solidly for the last 5 or so.

2. What keeps you passionate about training and/or teaching?

I look at training like a puzzle learning new depth in my technique as well as my application. Figuring out the puzzle is what keeps me going. As for teaching, it is saying the same thing in my students. I love seeing that "aha" moment when they been working on something and it finally clicks and they can use it.

3. Has your purpose, motivations, and incentives changed significantly over the years?

Absolutely. When I first started, I was more interested in the philosophical aspects of training as well as character development. Over time my focus is turned more towards the physical aspects and getting a deeper understanding of how the mechanics work.




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[wingchun100]

I want to improve at anything I do. That includes writing, guitar, and martial arts. I have never been the type who can do something as just a hobby.

I want to get better at using wing chun in a REALISTIC setting too. By "realistic," I mean more than doing chi sao with my wing chun brothers and sisters. While I love doing that and think it is VERY important to developing reflexes, you need to know how to react when someone is coming at you from further out than that. You need to know how to react to the way people would attack you on the street...and most likely you will not be fighting wing chun versus wing chun.

The thing is, I don't want to get used to this for myself. I'm 40 years old, and most 40 year olds aren't slugging it out in the street. No, I want to learn realistic application better so I will be an even better teacher to my daughters. I want to pass my knowledge on to them because they are getting old enough now where they may be going on dates with guys who want more from them than they are willing to give. Hell, they don't even have to be on a date. They could be walking down the hall in school when some creep tries to grab at them.

I've seen how traumatized victims of assault can be. I don't want that to happen to them.

 

[Mattattack]

Interesting topic and conversation! Love it. Let's see:

1. How long have you been actively training and/or teaching?
2. What keeps you passionate about training and/or teaching?
3. Has your purpose, motivations, and incentives changed significantly over the years?

1. How Long have you been actively training and/or teaching?
I have been training Kenpo Karate Jujitsu for almost twelve years and teaching it for about three years. I started training Wing Chun almost two years ago, and this month makes one year training Chen Tai Chi under one of Hong Jungshen's students.

2. What keeps you passionate about training and/or teaching
In training it's like Kung Fu Wang said:

Try to

- solve problems such as deal with boxer's punches, wrestler's single leg, MT guy's roundhouse kick, and ...
- be in good shape without body fat.
- remain flexibility, balance, strong, have good endurance, ...
- keep blood pressure normal (below 120).
- have fun.
- live till 100 years old.
- ...

I also like the idea of solving problems with the tools available. 20th Century painter Henri Matisse said "'Much of the beauty that arises in art comes from the struggle an artist wages with his limited medium." That's true of martial arts, too. How can we solve these problems (dealing with a boxer, a grappler, an armed opponent, or just projecting an air of physical competence to deter attack) with the tools our arts give us? It's the gift that keeps on giving the longer I train.

Experiencing new arts helps keep me passionate about martial arts in general. Branching out into Wing Chun and Tai Chi has given me new insights into my foundational skills. It's also fun to be a student again instead of having the responsibility of the teacher.

Staying passionate about teaching is harder, I think. I'm a teacher by profession, and it takes a lot out of me. I'm an English professor, a job that ironically cuts deeply into my reading-for-education-and-pleasure time (thank goodness for Audible). As a martial artist, teaching turns training into a weightier responsibility and makes it more difficult to manage my personal journey when it is entwined with that of my students.

I laugh at anyone who goes into martial arts wanting to be a teacher or a black belt more than wanting to actually do the martial art. I'd advise those people to just get a second job; it'll require less investment and pay more money in the long run.

I suppose two things keep me passionate about teaching. First, learning more about what I do by teaching it. Second, I want to raise up good students so that they can be good training partners for me. If they get to where they can dominate me then great! That pushes me to be better!

I can't even count the number of ways teaching martial arts has helped me teach college and vice versa. The first time I had to do a teaching demonstration for a job interview, the entire English department of that school marched into the room and sat in the back rows behind the students I was supposed to work with that day. They were looking at me and taking copious notes. It didn't phase me because I had just done a year of instructor candidacy in my dojo with more senior instructors monitoring me while I taught new students.

3. Has your purpose, motivations, and incentives changed significantly over the years?
Very much so. I stared because I was small, weak, and wanted something to give me physical and mental discipline. I still aim at that, but I'm more confident in myself now, more knowledgeable, and have a good idea of what I want out of martial arts. I am also looking to the future.

I'm in my thirties now but keeping my forties, fifties, and beyond in mind. I'm trying to cultivate good habits and take care of myself so that I can do this stuff well into middle age and beyond (fingers crossed)

I also know how to have fun with this more. We train for the 1% of our lives where we may need it. We should find something that speaks to us, satisfies us, and is fun to do for the other 99% of the time.

Looking forward to reading more comments!

 

[donald1]

1. how long?

Around 6 years going on 7


2. motivation?

1.) I like doing it

2.) Theres so much to learn. a lot of people have called themselves martial artists and many of them have different backgrounds and practice MA in many different ways and for different reasons too. Theres so many fighting styles and philosophical perspectives. Why ignore it all. I wanna learn as much as I can learn.

3.) I also want to teach some day. Hopefully ill be smarter and can respond to questions with witty and somewhat intellectual answers


3. has it changed?

Im not sure If I can say yes or no. When I joined martial arts I had no i didnt have any motives or expectations when i first joined. Though over time I eventually started getting good at it and it seemed more and more interesting as time went by.

 

[KenpoBoxer]

I have been doing martial arts for approximately 14 years and have always been incredibly passionate about training and teaching. Over the past year it has been increasingly more difficult to bring the same passion to the dojo when I bow into classes. There are several factors including a busy schedule, stressful job, loads of college course work, and a significant other & friends that need my time. Rather than looking for suggestions for how I can find the motivation to continue training and teaching I am looking for what drives others.

1. How long have you been actively training and/or teaching?
2. What keeps you passionate about training and/or teaching?
3. Has your purpose, motivations, and incentives changed significantly over the years?

Really look forward to seeing your responses!

1) I've been training about 10 years teaching for about 4
2)Just doing something with my time. Even if sometimes a class isn't that great or that physically challenging its still a damm load better than sitting on the couch all evening.
3) yeah sure at first it was about self defence but now it's not really about that anymore because I've got the basic moves I know how to punch and kick and block so I've got all the basics and honestly I'm not the most socially outgoing person. I don't go out at nights to clubs or parties and I don't go around looking for anything so I'm unlikely to ever really need it for that but just learning stuff and seeing new ways of doing things and different variations of stuff

 

[wingchun100]

1) I've been training about 10 years teaching for about 4
2)Just doing something with my time. Even if sometimes a class isn't that great or that physically challenging its still a damm load better than sitting on the couch all evening.
3) yeah sure at first it was about self defence but now it's not really about that anymore because I've got the basic moves I know how to punch and kick and block so I've got all the basics and honestly I'm not the most socially outgoing person. I don't go out at nights to clubs or parties and I don't go around looking for anything so I'm unlikely to ever really need it for that but just learning stuff and seeing new ways of doing things and different variations of stuff

Hehe, at first when you talked about not being social, I thought you were headed in the direction of saying it is the only way you meet new people. That IS one aspect of it I don't think of much. Then again, the classes I attend are not that big...and always the same people. LOL

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I have been doing martial arts for approximately 14 years and have always been incredibly passionate about training and teaching. Over the past year it has been increasingly more difficult to bring the same passion to the dojo when I bow into classes. There are several factors including a busy schedule, stressful job, loads of college course work, and a significant other & friends that need my time. Rather than looking for suggestions for how I can find the motivation to continue training and teaching I am looking for what drives others.

1. How long have you been actively training and/or teaching?
2. What keeps you passionate about training and/or teaching?
3. Has your purpose, motivations, and incentives changed significantly over the years?

Really look forward to seeing your responses!

I've been training since 1982, though there were some periods of not training in a dojo (what I'd refer to as "not being active"). Early on, my passion was becoming competent to defend myself. That, of course, doesn't take a long time. Then it moved to being technically capable in the primary art I chose. That took a bit longer. For a while, my motivation was physical mastery (whatever that actually means), which shifted to more of an intellectual fascination with the principles of the art. This latter change happened about the same time I started developing a passion for teaching the art and teaching people to defend themselves (not necessarily the same thing - I can do the former without the latter, if a student wishes, or where they are already competent). What keeps me passionate about teaching is the people - seeing them discover their own abilities, develop new competence. What keeps me passionate about learning is really that intellectual satisfaction of understanding the art better, and the satisfaction being a better instructor.