Advice and encouragement needed....

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Ok, here we go.

In 1995, I started training in the Martial Arts, Kuk Sool Won in particular. I trained hard… practically religously… for about 3 years.

In 1997, work and family started taking up more of my time. I had progressed to Dahn Bo Nym, Brown Belt. My next series of tests would start me on my way to Black Belt.

However, about that time my instructor left the Kuk Sool Won assosciation and started his own school. I followed, as one of the instructors had said some things to me that I felt vindicated my hard work.

I was respected in my school, and enjoyed teaching almost as much as learning. I wasn’t Jet Li, but I’d gotten a few medals in tournaments. This was something I loved, and wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I enjoyed Martial Arts very much, but work and life continued to take my time away from them. My training dropped off to 2 times a week, then once a week…

Basically, it’s been 3 years since I trained any more than once or twice in a six month period.

However, with my divorce final in March, and my New Years vow to work on loosing this belly I’ve gained, I’m planning on going back to Kuk Sool Won, and working towards my belt again.

There’s one small problem… I’m terrified. It’s been so long, and I’m in such awful shape that I’m worried it’s gone. That I’m going to work out for 6 months and discover that the skill that used to be there are gone. That I’m deluding myself that I was any good in the first place.

I think the biggest problem I’ve got here is that I’m going to be doing this alone. My girl has no interest whatsoever, and my roomies are only interested in lifting weights.

So tell me Dopers, what would you suggest? Am I being foolish?
Do any of you have experience doing something similar?

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

2

Although I am no martial artist, I think you can expect to be a little rusty at first, but that is to be expected of any skill that has not received its practice in a while. I would expect that this would lead to an “Oh Yeah, this is how it goes” kind of warming up feeling, and before you know it, you’ll be back in the swing (or kick) of things.

I completely encourage you to get back in and do this for the person who needs it most, you.

3

You can do anything if you put your mind to it. The fist step back in is always the hardest.

You may even be surprised – it’s probably just like riding a bike.

Good luck! encouragement*

CH

4

Once you get back into the groove, the muscle memory will kick back and say…ahhhhhhh…this is what I like to do and should be doing. (I’m just starting out again in the work out world again after nearly 5 years of being Inertia Woman. It’s like a glimpse of an old lifestyle that seems vaguely familiar. I’ve forgotten how to use all the equipment. I feel your panic.)
Good luck and we anxiously await your movie debut with Jet Li :slight_smile:

5

Don’t sweat it. The moves will come back to you. Yes, your technique will probably suck for a couple of weeks, and then BAM!! - You will once again be Martial Arts Man! And would you have any medals at all if you weren’t any good? Hmm, would you!? No I think not. You are sucumbing to the Dark Side. Do not let your fears stand in your way.

6

From what you’ve said, you sound like you’re motivated and have the drive to make it happen. I have no doubt that you will!

In order to avoid some initial discouragement, make sure you’re at least able to stretch out half decently again before you go back…you know how flexible you have to be!

Look out Van Damme :wink:

7

Absolutely do not let your fears get in your way. You only have positive things to gain from going back to what you love.

8

I had the same fears when I started playing the piano again after about five years off. It was tough the first few practices, but it came back much faster than I expected.

Don’t worry – your body remembers. Give yourself some time to get back in the swing of things, and you’ll be back where you were before you know it.

9

Here’s my advice (I had about 7 years solid training in a Japanese style then on and off again for 3 more years). If you’re worried about not being in shape and embarassing yourself in class. You’ve got two options. 1) Ditch your belt. Go to the head of the dojo and explain your situation and start back several ranks under your currently held rank. Then over then next few months work your way back up.

  1. Pick a different style. You’ll start out as a newbie–at least not knowning any of the techniques, however you already have down basic muscular control and understand how to move gracefully. You’ll look a LOT better than the rest of the white belts and it’ll be a HUGE ego boost. After a few months you’ll get most of your skills back and can then either stick with the new style or go back to what you’ve trained in.
10

The exact same thing happened to me. I’m so out of shape now, I’ll have to do basic calisthenics just to be able to exercise properly again. After four years of Wing Chun, and a couple in Karate, and two years with nearly zero exercise, I’m finally trying to get in shape to go to a Shootfighting school I tried out right before I got married and started college.

Don’t worry, man. All the moves are there as soon as you start again. just slower than you remember. And the kicks don’t go as high anymore.

I’d recommend that you take a ‘Rocky’ style sojourn with yourself and do some light weight training and jogging with lots of flexibility work on your legs. You won’t believe how tight they are when you start kicking again. Practice by yourself in the garage or whatever at first, because your training can make you look worse than the newbies(Falling over on the side kicks, punching yourself in the arm while puching and blocking), because you’re used to doing this stuff in good shape. The muscle memory is there, but it doesn’t know about the gut yet(I went from 30 waist to 34. My wife is asking when the baby will arrive.)

11

I hope so… I’ve been going over my techniques, and my brother and roomate are impressed, but I just feel so sloppy. And I’m missing a bunch that I thought were ingrained. My girl says that once I get going, she’s sure I’ll pick it back up, and my ex wife says the same thing… I guess I just need to shut up and do it.

Stretched out today. Oh man have I got a way to go.

Thanks for the support all. I’ll be posting more about this experience as I go.

12

Just because something SCARES you …doesn’t mean you should NOT do it.

Just think how strong you will feel once you push past your fear concerning this issue.

What if you have lost your King Fu Mojo? What if you find it you HAVE lost it? Is it really that big of a deal? It’s not like you are using it now? So…even in the worst case scenerio (you have lost your knack for this) you will still be the same person you are today.

If you have lost your knack for this… don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing. Think of it as an opportunity to let go of this and find a new avenue… a new passion to dream about.

You will never know unless you try.

You don’t need to do this with anyone. It’s good to have interests that are “all yours” and that you don’t share. It can be a whole nother faccet of your life, not dependant upon your romantic relationships or friendships.

Doing it alone will probably make your character stronger, and who knows… you might meet new friends there.

13

“I followed, as one of the instructors had said some things to me that I felt vindicated my hard work”.

There is where your lack of confidence started…Go back and clear that issue within your self…Work hard mentally !!!
You will do great and gain that old confidence back…Good luck Champ.

14

Tristan, I’m in Kuk Sool Won too. Just got my red belt Saturday.

I’m not good. I know this. My technique is sloppy, my falls are pathetic, sometimes I get off balance on my forms and it messes up my flow. I watch some of the lower belts just pick up on routines I have to work constantly at to even get it into passable shape.
On top of everything else (or maybe a part cause of everything else), I have a bad shoulder that’s dislocated twice during classtime alone. It sucks popping that sucker back in and knowing that you’re done for the day because of it.

I’ve gone to four hours of class this week so far and it’s only Wednesday. Yesterday’s two hours were brutal and I’m still smarting from the test on Saturday.

Anyone can do Kuk Sool Won. You’re not going to be In Hyuk Suh, but, hell, you’ll probably be better than me: Gomer Pile with a cloth belt.
And you get better. I know I have.