What keeps you motivated in martial arts ?

[Denoaikido]

What really keeps you there for me I love learning new things combat wise or martial wise it just speaks to my soul how about you ?

 

[Cynik75]

Fun and fitness.

 

[Jared Traveler]

I'm a lifer, I started at 14 years old and I'm 43 now. What I have always been able to do is stay motivated. To do that, I primarily follow my interests. Sometimes that means a deep and dedicated study of a system for years and years. Other years that means setting all of that aside, not even thinking about that style and finding other styles and concepts that interest me.

I think to stay in it for the long haul you have to give yourself the liberty to change things, explore things, set things aside and pick them back up again later. But always find something that inspires you, allowing you to improve.

What keeps me motivated at a base level? Slef-protection and the ability to teach others.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Inertia. After 50+ years, I don't know what else to do!

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

What really keeps you there ...?

When someone throws 20 punches at your head, none of his punches can land on your head. You will smile in your dreams for the next 3 nights. Even money cannot buy this kind if fun.

The day that you start to knock on your neighbor's front door and ask if anybody is willing to spar with you, you know you are on the MA path.

 

[_Simon_]

A great question!

So, so much keeps me here. I guess realising that martial arts can be about something much, much deeper than just fighting has really propelled my trajectory this way and kept me captivated.

That it can inform your life. That it can be vehicle to know yourself better, your fixations, hangups, tensions and old patterns of doing things and be a tool to explore and let them go. And in doing so a path to know your deeper self and being. To connect with yourself and with life. It changes me in ways I only realise waaay later. How it's such a profound meditation in movement, not in an airy fairy way, but in a very real, powerful and dynamic methodology. Profoundly experiential. Spiritual for lack of a better word.

I also really love the physicality, developing that fighting spirit and pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, the fitness and strength. The technical, the repetitive (which turns out to be not so repetitive as you go due to layers of exploration). I love learning, and learning what my body is capable of.

I love the immense sound or silence of everyone practicing their own kata on their own. I love the people... the comraderie, the friendships, connections and bonds that are truly formed in that hard training.

As @Buka would say... it's just the balls.

 

[_Simon_]

Also, my "why" has changed and evolved over time. I think its important to welcome and embrace that.

 

[KenpoMaster805]

What motivates me on learning martial arts I’m motivated to learn Martial Arts is the aspect of Martial arts and learning new Techniques and how the Martial arts work on different situation

 

[Denoaikido]

Great replies keep em coming

 

[Holmejr]

At 67 years old it’s the ability to move with power and grace. When someone is wailing on you with a heavy rattan stick randomly at 2 beats per second and you are almost nonchalantly angling and blocking it becomes almost hypnotic. Or the whooshing sound as your weapon cuts through the air (your opponent) as you go through your Amaras. These are killing blows. These are your responsibility. Yeah, It’s the movement that motivates me. Even at 67.

 

[skribs]

I like teaching martial arts. The more experience and knowledge I have, the more I can pass on.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I'm seconding inertia. There's no specific answer, but if I stay too long away (a month plus) the urge to train gets stronger and stronger. Typing it out..guess I'm addicted.

 

[Buka]

Motivation?

I look good in gi pants. Hides me skinny legs.

 

[Denoaikido]

Motivation?

I look good in gi pants. Hides me skinny legs.

Great reason

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

At 67 years old it’s the ability to move with power and grace.

If one can still do this when he is 80, he will still have excellent balance.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I like to do MA research work. For example, I like to write a MA paper about:

1. How to force my opponent's one arm to jam his other arm?
2. What can I do with it after that?

If I can achieve 1, I'll have 1 free arm while my opponent has no free arms. I should be able to do a lot of things after that (for example, a punch to my opponent's face).

 

[Bill Mattocks]

What really keeps you there for me I love learning new things combat wise or martial wise it just speaks to my soul how about you ?

After all this time, and at my age, I train for several reasons.

First, it's become a habit. Habits are hard to break; good ones or bad ones.
Second, my dojomates are family. I love to be around them. When I cannot train due to my health, I come in and observe, and assist where I can, such as testing children for their next belt, etc.
Third, I committed to training and volunteering to help teach a long time ago and I do my best to keep my word.
Fourth, I am on a path which has no end. I am not in search of progress or enlightenment. Those may come, or not. I merely keep moving forward on the path.