What are the sacrifices you made/make for training...

[YeLLa-TiGeR]

Since I am a senior in high school, I cannot hold a job down since I'm training every day. Not to mention I cant go for school teams. You cant hang with your friends as much as you usually would. Also no way in hell can you train to fight while going to drinking parties and such. But thats a good thing.
Sometimes I wonder if its really worth all of it, especially since being a fighter is not the best thing that colleges are looking for in your resume, it pays alot more (education wise) to be really devote to a "school sponsored" or mainstream sport. I mean who has ever heard of Carlos Newton getting a scholarship for MMA? But small things like reminding yourself that only a few can handle this kind of training makes you feel "good" I guess.
And oh yeah, girls love fighters
haha

Now I'm just a student, lot of you here are older guys. How do you manage to balance or cut out things in your life? What are your motivations for training so hard?

[Maxximus]

I understand where you're coming from Yella Tiger. I am a full time student (junior in college), I have a part time job and extra curricular activities such as fraternity and clubs. Spare time is not something I have in excess (once you get to college you'll be hitting those books pretty damn hard) and sometimes I have no idea why I spend the free time I have sweating my a$$ off and taking punishment in the gym with a bunch of guys and a couple sadistic girls. But I've just come to accept it as one of those special things that makes me unique and helps put some sort of balance in my life. It's been with me for so long that I can't see myself without it. All through high school I was practicing kung fu and then JKD...now it's training and competing Muay thai and MMA. Hell, its become part of my identity and one of the things about me that sticks out in people's minds and makes them see an interesting dimension to my character. And when I really think about it, I realize that its enriched my life in the enjoyment I get from it, the challenges it's made me face and the feeling of personal accomplishment. And then i realize I'm not missing much with the rest of the crowd. A lot of my friends just get wasted in their spare time. Hey, I get drunk and pull chicks occasionally as well, but I'm also glad that in general I also do something that actually develops me and challenges me a lot more than a keg stand.

Bottom line...I know not to expect any material rewards from training, and I know I'll never make any real money as a fighter. When I fight it is simply for the thrill and the challenge. But if love for the art isn't a good enough reason, I don't know what is. I know some older guys who simply live for jiu jitsu or muay thai or whatever, and its made their lives better and given them a pursuit to challenge themselves with outside of the drudgery of daily life. I know that when I'm older, it'll be the same way for me....

But don't kid yourself, girls don't like fighters, they like tall rich white guys

[flyinclockchoke]

actually...

girls like guys (not necessarily white or tall) that are rich and can fight...

[sccr06]

I've got a full time job that necessitates a lot of travel. I also have wife that necessitates a lot of attention. I also like to glof which necessitates having money to cover green fees.

Having said that I still train whenever I can. I get out on a saturday and drive 40 minutes to my training partner's garage to work out (it's free) and when I am on the road, I try to get out of the hotel and look for a gym that trains in the local area.

I've tried to incorporate MMA conditioning into my daily workout routine too.

Overall the actual training I am able to do is limited but I try to make up for it in little ways that I hope will add up.
Why? Because I love it and watching Tito walk down the ramp at a UFC gets me pumped up to go out and train hard.

[Szczepankiewicz]

Yeah, I like to glof too. And I here you about the whole wife thing. Time and money exponentially.


Hey Yella,

Remember, no sex during training for a fight. NOT even flying solo...

[YeLLa-TiGeR]

I can't imagine the potential conflicts you guys can face with a wife AND kids. A girl (maybe someday that special someone!) came to watch me train last night. Goddamn, she could of not come in a worse time. I actually got cut for the first time on my face, my nose was gushing blood and my lips were fat as Whoopi Goldberg's, just plain bad luck. She got to play nurse maid though. She told me one of her "fears" was me only thinking of Muay Thai and not about here and not to mention she doesnt like the idea of someone hitting ME. Also spending too much time would be hard to arrange. But hell, the day I give up MA, is the day I drop dead in my grave.

Maxximus, things are way ****in tougher on you than it is on me. But my parents, and they are ALWAYS on my back. At least your away from them.

[Szczepankiewicz]

That's what being an "adult" is all about. Everyone wants a piece of your time, and you don't have enough to do the things you want to do.

Sounds to me like you got your priorities straight. But then again, I don't know you well enough to say anything.


Train on man, train on.

sz

[sccr06]

Hey Yella,

Maybe Szczepankiewicz can take you out "glofing"! LOL

I KNEW I should've spell checked after I posted; ha.