what were the longest breaks from MA you took and why ?

[GHETTO NINJA]

me personally i always shut down for a month around dec 15 get back up jan 15 :angel:

 

[Draven]

Almost a year, because I was in the Army at the time & I had a different focus. Course that didn't help because as soon as the my Platoon Sergeant found out I had a MA background he wanted me to do some "hand-to-hand combatives instruction" for sergeants time. The more I thought about it the more I wanted to see what others thought of what I was doing, so I bug the hell out of him to go through with his offer. What started as one class turned into a monthly deal & the company commander took notice then I was teaching the company. I got to do the MAC instructors course to make it official & I haven't quit again since then.

 

[Omar B]

A couple years. I broke my right knee at 16 and leading into my Jr year of high school I decided to concentrate more on my studies and ended up graduating a year early. Then I went 2 years into college without training at all.

So about 3, almost 4 years were spent concentrating on school more than karate.

 

[searcher]

I took football season off while I was in college. I had no choice at the time. My coaches had already talked to my parents and they all agreed that they did not want their money-maker broken by something that was costing money and that could be avoided. With what the college was "paying" me to play, they did not want to lose their investment.

 

[theletch1]

Three months. Broken back. Went back way too soon but eased myself into it. Should have taken more time to strengthen the back muscles before I went back.

 

[stone_dragone]

If you're talking a complete break away from martial arts, without doing or thinking about it, I'm still waiting on mine.

Without doing it physically in any way, I'd say about 5 weeks.

Without doing it physically the way it should be done...I'm may still be waiting to get started!

 

[geezer]

I guess I got you guys beat. I began training in '76 and got pretty heavy into training and teaching through throughout the 80's. But I started tapering off in the early '90s and quit completely by around '92. I didn't start up again until the summer of 2007 (shortly before I found this forum!). That's about 16 years completely out of the martial arts. I've been back at it for going on three years now. I've lost my gut and am fitter than I've been in many years. At 54 with an 11 year-old son, that's reason enough to keep at it. Cheers!

 

[Balrog]

what were the longest breaks from MA you took and why ?

Longest single break was 1969-1987. My school closed and I fell out of the habit of training.

Nowadays the longest break I take is mid-December to the day after New Years.

 

[Haakon]

I don't know that I've ever really taken a break from thinking about martial arts, but the longest break in training for me was about 9 years, from 2001 until just recently. Why? Probably the most common reasons, other than injury, children and work, there just wasn't enough time.

 

[Blade96]

just a couple weeks from december to january - because it was Christmas.

 

[l_uk3y]

When our school closed as our Sifu unexpectedly "disappeared interstate" I took about 12 months off. That was longest break.

Last year I had 2 months off from a busted Hamstring and another 4 months off when my Wife got ill. So last year wasn't a good training year. This year everything is back on track and going harder then ever.

 

[MJS]

From Kenpo, it was less than a year. This was due to a search for another Kenpo school to train in. However, during that time, I still trained my material and was always working out with someone, be it Kenpo, Arnis, or grappling.

 

[ShelleyK]

8 months
I had a major surgery then came back after 6 months then had to have surgery like 2 weeks after that and it put me out for 2 more months...I was miserable!

Latest is this past month, foot surgery...Hopefully will start training again tomorrow...pending on my foot

 

[Necro]

i'm really bad with this since, i've started over the beginner course maybe 2 times now, basically if i miss a certain amount i tend to not go anymore itll the next beginner session starts (here it's twice a year)

eg my most recent excuse was getting my first wisdom tooth taken out, which took 2 weeks out of jujutsu, then the next dentist appointment they said they might need to take out the other 3, and if each wisdom tooth takes me out for 2 weeks with a beginner session being 3 months i decided to stay out till september when the next session starts and my dental problems should be sorted.

 

[Cirdan]

I took a break from Ju Jutsu and only did light karate (slow kata and basics) for a few months last year. An infected lung made it too painful to push myself hard and I did not want to take painkillers regularly. I don`t really think I have taken a full break from the arts, I practice on my own when the dojo is closed.

 

[Aikikitty]

My longest break was 5 months and that was due to Hurricane Katrina. We all had to live elsewhere for a couple of months before we could really come back home. Where my family was I was able to participate in an Aikido club twice. Even after coming home, I believe it was mid/late January '06 before we found a new place where we could train.

 

[Xue Sheng]

About 2 years due to a back injury. I am currently on my second longest (about 6 months) due to torn cartilage in the knee.

 

[Shifu Steve]

After our Grand Master moved to open a school in Florida some of our core group (which consisted of 4 people) began teaching on their own including me. I guess because I asked my students to train outside they slowly phased out during the following winter when some consider it painful to get thrown to the frozen ground (or just hate training in the cold). After that I really just ran kata, bag drills, etc. I replaced the more physical aspects of training with analyzing what I had learned up to that point and thought of ways to take my training to the next level. The result was a boiled down list of technique based on some of the predominant concepts (and some favorites) I had learned. I look forward to getting some students in the near future and using the list as a training platform. Maybe I'll even let them train indoors.