StuMcD
10-31-2004, 06:53 PM
Hi Everyone,
Last Thursday was my Independence Day. The day I left all of my traditional martial arts training behind.
This post is mainly aimed at those who have or are just about to quit formal training and go their own way via RMAX. I found it very hard to take this step and I'm hoping that folks who have been through this will post so others, despite being alone, can be in this together as part of the tribe.
Thinking about letting go of your "security blanket" through the realisation that it is a restricting influence is quite frightening in my experience.
You can either hold onto the blanket as it becomes more used and worn or you can cast it off and just get on with things.
Last Thursday, forum member StuFbleagh and I did the latter. I don't know about Stu, but for me, the place I am in now is better than the one I was in early last week.
I have removed my frustration, the material I don't believe will work for me and material I simply don't want to practice.
I am left only with the uncertainty I was feeling in my old training anyway. The difference is that this time I believe in the material (no frustration), I believe it will work (because I'm going to refine and test it), and I will be practicing exactly what I want to practice because the material is my own.
In short, what was a big decision last week looks like an easy one from this side of it. Obviously the decision wasn't made in one week, we have been using Body Flow and Clubbell training as a supplement for almost 6 months now. (Warrior Well for more like 12 months). During this time, I noticed that those who were doing the additional training I was were completely dominating those who were apparently more "technical" simply via quality of movement.
The clincher was when I watched forum member Stu Fbleagh absolutely clean up our instructor in a singlestick bout via a good sense of timing and distance and far superior movement efficiency two weeks ago in sparring.
I realised then that it was time to lose the shell of classical technique and move on.
Cheers,
Stu.
Last Thursday was my Independence Day. The day I left all of my traditional martial arts training behind.
This post is mainly aimed at those who have or are just about to quit formal training and go their own way via RMAX. I found it very hard to take this step and I'm hoping that folks who have been through this will post so others, despite being alone, can be in this together as part of the tribe.
Thinking about letting go of your "security blanket" through the realisation that it is a restricting influence is quite frightening in my experience.
You can either hold onto the blanket as it becomes more used and worn or you can cast it off and just get on with things.
Last Thursday, forum member StuFbleagh and I did the latter. I don't know about Stu, but for me, the place I am in now is better than the one I was in early last week.
I have removed my frustration, the material I don't believe will work for me and material I simply don't want to practice.
I am left only with the uncertainty I was feeling in my old training anyway. The difference is that this time I believe in the material (no frustration), I believe it will work (because I'm going to refine and test it), and I will be practicing exactly what I want to practice because the material is my own.
In short, what was a big decision last week looks like an easy one from this side of it. Obviously the decision wasn't made in one week, we have been using Body Flow and Clubbell training as a supplement for almost 6 months now. (Warrior Well for more like 12 months). During this time, I noticed that those who were doing the additional training I was were completely dominating those who were apparently more "technical" simply via quality of movement.
The clincher was when I watched forum member Stu Fbleagh absolutely clean up our instructor in a singlestick bout via a good sense of timing and distance and far superior movement efficiency two weeks ago in sparring.
I realised then that it was time to lose the shell of classical technique and move on.
Cheers,
Stu.