how many MAs did you start then give up?

[Lizard]

Most people go through several martial arts. They keep getting into a style, deciding they don't like it then after a while they start another one. I believe this is because a lot of interest in martial arts is caused by kung-fu films. People start doing karate then find that even after a year of training they still can't dodge bullets so they give up. Then another film comes out, but even after a year in Taekwondo they still can't fly so they give that up too. I've found Muay Thai and at the moment I like it and I want to carry on doing it, but what about the future? Will I end up getting bored with it like everything else? It's just so much easier to give up than to carry on training, whatever the long-term rewards might be.

[Great Sage]

This is a good post by you, Lizard... Unfortunately, you fail to understand that martial arts like anything in life is an investigative journey. Take myself... I’ve dabbled in so many different arts without ever quenching my thirst for knowledge. For me personally, the martial arts is a life long journey and it’s always changing and living. All things change with time and anything that stays static is lifeless. When I stop training that’s when my martial art will cease. But for now, my training involves learning better ways of doing things, minimizing techniques and ALWAYS refining.

[Tom Yum]

I studied Korean MA for about 5 years and simply could not afford to continue. Tuition averaged $90 per month and the higher the belt level, the greater the $$$. For example, my brown belt cost $400. There were 6 colors before black, with a stripe test for each following belt; stripe tests were more expensive too (black belt stripe - up to $100 and it took an average of 5 stripe tests to get a BB. At the time, I was a highs chool student working part-time and could not shell out money, so I quit.

I think boxing is one of the best MA investment wise. Boxing gyms are realatively inexpensive, but to get the most you have to be serious.

[MrPoopy]

I did BJJ for a year and a half. Also did Isshinryu Karate for about a month and couldn't afford it anymore. I was paying 20 dollars an hour for private lessons. I now do Judo but it's off and on since I'm pretty busy with work and a new baby.

[Szczepankiewicz]

Not to mention that Poopy was tired of getting his ass kicked by everyone (EVERYONE!!!) he sparred with.

[Azzazzin]

I gave up on TKD because there was always new stuff to learn, and it got complicated, and I didn't really have a goal...

Now I am doing Systema, and I have a goal. I want to be like Vlad or Alex or any of my instructors...

So now, no matter if I get bored or frustrated I will still stick to it, try to relax, and have a good time. Eventually I will learn to do what they can do. They don't really teach new stuff, to complicate things, they just practive movements and techniques, which I would like to master...

[Lizard]

"Eventually I will learn to do what they can do." A dangerous assumption. It doesn't matter how long I train with turtles, I will never learn to do what they can do because they have shells and I don't. What if your instructors have abilities that you do not posses and which cannot be learnt? Never assume that you can learn to do something just because your instructer can do it.

[MrPoopy]

Lizard, that's a pretty silly way to think. Given enough time and the proper training, I'm confident I can learn to do anything that I'm really interested in.

People aren't turtles and there's nothing special about us.

[Lizard]

"I'm confident I can learn to do anything that I'm really interested in.

People aren't turtles and there's nothing special about us."

1)My point was: Imagine that your instructor only has half an arm. He demonstartes a move where he utilises a "stump strike". YOU will not be able to do that move becasue you don't have a stump, you have an arm. 2)So if you are interested in becoming a dinosuar then it is possible to become a dinosaur? 3)There's nothing special about us? We're all special in our own special way, we all have differences, for example a move which works for one person might not work for another person due to differences in flexibility or strength or height. 4)Lizards don't think in silly ways.

Lizard. I just so totally agree with you. I really do. Its plain stupid to think that you can do what your instructor can. Like you say, he might be a turtle, a dinosaur or only have half an arm.

[darrianation]

I first started in Wado. I left that because I found Muay Thai. I loved MT, I only started Shito because I moved and there was no MT schools or Wado school But I never really left MT. I trained in it when I could i.e. seminars and trained in Thailand. I studied other MA because I moved a lot and there wasn’t always the same style in my new location.

I have never changed styles because of out side influences or movies. That’s not to say that when I moved to a new area and MT wasn’t available I didn’t practice a system that I was curious about.

[MrPoopy]

Lizard, I do see your point. There are things that some people can do that I can't do. But in general if I wanted to give up my time to learn it, I probly could and so could anyone else.

And I think striking with half an arm would be an elbow strike. I hate to say this, but I probly wouldn't even train under a handicapped instructor. My armbars would be useless against his crippled arm. I couldn't get a straight armbar or a keylock on him!

[crizo]

Originally posted by Lizard

1)My point was: Imagine that your instructor only has half an arm. He demonstartes a move where he utilises a "stump strike". YOU will not be able to do that move becasue you don't have a stump, you have an arm. 2)So if you are interested in becoming a dinosuar then it is possible to become a dinosaur?

hahahaha thats hilarious.... I hope you were joking.

[Tom Yum]

The lizards point is that a short stocky guy will train in an art that is different than that for a tall lanky guy.

The stocky guy will have to close the gap and get viscious in the inside (Mike Tyson is a short-stocky heavyweight, Gene Labelle). The stocky guy will be a natural wrestler or brawler type boxer having a lot of mass and a lower center of gravity (perfect for executing takedowns).

The lanky guy will use his distance fighting to land long devastating shots that are hard to slip/block (Vladimir Klitschko, Semmy Schildt). Despite having a higher center of gravity, his knee will be even closer to your head!!

For everyone in between, you could go either way depending on your attributes.

[Kingston]

lol tom yum.....thats funny.....that point was originaly directed at Azzazzin......Systema pretty much proves that to be wrong. (then again its based on principles not technique)