The Beauty of the Mat

[Sean Dempsey]

Does anyone else just cherish the fact that for 4-5 hours a day, you can be in a place where you think of nothing stressful or fretful or anything?

I appreciate more and more the peace of mind and vacation from the shit of the word you get while on the mat, or in the dojo, or whatever you do.

GJJ teaches me many things. How to grapple, mental discipline, pain resistance, panic management. It makes my abs strong and my shoulders hurt. I get to wear a cool gi and say things like "Triangle" and "Oopa" and "Americana" and "TAP TAP TAP GAHHH" when my hands and feet are trapped and I can't tap for reals.

But really, the thing I love most is that for those 4-5 hours a day (yeah I stay late..) I actually get to feel good. An armlock or a choke is nothing compared to the shit out in the real world. It's a humbling and sobering feeling on the drive home, when each little stressfulthing and thing I hate about my life creeps back into my mind and I realize that for the evening, I hadn't been thinking about it. God forbid those thoughts ever make their way onto the mat. I'll have to slap them in a rear naked.

How do others feel? Does your martial art give you that sort of vacation? I certainly hope so. Whatever you practice, I hope that it is good to you like GJJ is to me. The mat never runs, never cheats on you, never moves back to california to live with it's parents, it never calls you an idiot or sleeps with your girlfriend, never doesn't answer the phone when it sees you calling. The mat is solid.

I just felt like posting this. Sorry for grandstanding.

[Kensh0]

Amen! Though I am new to martial arts and haven;t experienced that zen like stage with it I know exactly what you mean. I felt the same way when I used to go and shoot hoops byself for hours on end, it is a very tranquill feeling to leave the world behind and just become one with an activity you love to do.

[number18]

Oh hell yeah, I agree. I can't really say this for my GJJ school cause I kinda don't like the attitudes of the guys there, but when I used to take aikido in high school, the dojo was three blocks down from my house. So I'd get home from school, goof around till 7 and then throw on my gi pants, my sandals, and walk down to the school. When I got there, we'd all be gathering and changing. The school was pretty small. You'd catch up on stuff, and then you'd step on the mat. We'd start off with some nice stretching excercises and then it was time for class. At the end, we'd finish things up with a ki/balance exercise that was just a wonderful way to slow things down. And when I'd come home at night around 10, I'd feel so much better, so more well rested and just...good.

[Mr. Heel Hook]

How do I feel... Hm, sometimes I don't want to stop because the feeling is so spectacular. You have tested yourself, and no matter what happens you passed the test. Win or lose all night long you are using your mind and body for a purpose not clouded in the hussle and bussle of the everyday world we toil through. Grappling is a bit animalistic, granted, but with that it is a simple feeling of self-growth. Just kind of nice...

[aseepish]

"The mat never runs, never cheats on you, never moves back to california to live with it's parents, it never calls you an idiot or sleeps with your girlfriend, never doesn't answer the phone when it sees you calling. The mat is solid."


I too have been enchanted by the beauty of the mat. But if you choose to follow through with your impulses, make sure you use protection.

http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?threadid=8750&highlight=ringworm

[doubleouch]

Thanks for the reminder Sean. Many of us started MA training for many different reasons. Most of us hang around for years for just the reason you described. I quit training for self defense reasons years ago!

[Katiekat]

YES!!! i love it! i have a lot of bad days at school and such but when i have class i come out with a smile and a feeling of joy! I even feel that way when im just sitting there in the office working and whatching to other classes. Its a great feeling that i always look forward to getting