Is it wrong to use rage/hatred as a motivator to train?

[ShadowHawk]

looking at it from a martial artist aspect is this wrong>?


I dont just want to be a fighter, I truly want to be a martial artist.

[Microlamia]

I've done it plenty of times. It worked. Anger => adrenalin release => more strength. Which then has consequent effects because when you work a muscle harder, you create more microtrauma, so you get stronger faster.

I can see how it can be an unhealthy thing, though. Go ahead and use that anger as motivation, just don't end up heightening that anger or hatred or even acting on it.

[simon s]

looking at it from a martial artist aspect is this wrong>?
I dont just want to be a fighter, I truly want to be a martial artist.

It didn't help David Haye recently.

I suppose on a short term basis the added fuel in the belly may pull you through some tough workouts. It's one reason boxers do roadwork at 4.00am, the thought that the other guy is still in bed.

Long term though I would not want to train that way. Rage and hatred take away focus. They also both take up a lot of emotional energy.

Hold a glass of water at arms length - no problem.

Do it for an hour - you can feel it now.

Hold it for days and weeks - a massive debilitating effect on the mind and body.

This is how rage and anger will work against you.

In my younger days I have had many a bad day, thinking "as soon as sparring starts someone is getting it". I found though that when it came to it the anger worked against me. So focused on the other guy the defence goes out of the window, timing is off and all because the mind is elsewhere.

[Microlamia]

DO NOT use anger as fuel when actually sparring. Seriously.

[Knight_Errant]

It depends. Lifting weights and bagwork and stuff can be a good way to express your anger. The problems are threefold, though
1. It affects your technique. You can do permanent damage to your body like this. really.
2. It's not good for sparring- not only can you end up doing damage to your partner, it's also a truism that 'ugly tempers and boxing do not mix'. Anger seems to actually make you a worse fighter.
3. The truth is that you are not angry at the weights or the bag or your partner. You are angry at people. Chances are you have a specific person in mind. To my mind, this suggests that the anger won't go away until you find a way to express your anger against this specific person or people.

[ShadowHawk]

Yeah i never meant for sparring. Just training and conditioning in general.

[Bigmikey]

Yeah i never meant for sparring. Just training and conditioning in general.

I always try to find a tranquil place inside me. I use weight training and MA practice to bring about a calming effect. When I'm angry I want to shout at someone, make someone else miserable, dominate them, crush them. None of that has anything to do with plopping my arse under 225 pounds and pushing it toward the ceiling 10 times. No, I need to be centered, focused, channelled.

Anger, true anger has little to do with training or positive energy. You can get yourself hyped up and aggressive without anger. Anger bespeaks a lack of control or focus, as does rage. That doesnt exactly sound like something you can harness, does it? Aggression, fine. Setting out with the sole purpose of blasting through a barrier or squashing an opponent is great. But anger? No sir. When you're training leave your anger in the car with your ego and your cell phone.

[Kwajman]

I'm not a good example, skinny arms and skinny legs but I like to lift weights and workout. Seems to help my over all mood for some reason. I like to focus specifically on the weight, not think if I can lift this I'm pretending to throw someone around. I don't like myself when I get angry. When I've sparred angry I've almost always lost.

[Microlamia]

Anger can work well as a motivator for simple resistance training.

I remember when I could only do 12 chin ups. Then while in a horrible rage at someone, I did come to let off steam and managed 15. :)

[Bigmikey]

Anger can work well as a motivator for simple resistance training.

I remember when I could only do 12 chin ups. Then while in a horrible rage at someone, I did come to let off steam and managed 15. :)

Thats if you're anger can be channeled to allow venting that way. I cant. My anger can only come out AT someone or through breaking things. It gets ugly fast. So for me, its best kept in check at all times.

[Microlamia]

Thats if you're anger can be channeled to allow venting that way. I cant. My anger can only come out AT someone or through breaking things. It gets ugly fast. So for me, its best kept in check at all times.

Yeah, mine isn't that specific. I can vent mine with simple effort at anything.

[Kuto]

I guess anger or hatred could be a motivator for a single session from time to time but it should in no way be the reason why you train in the first place.
Don't you watch all those 80ies Kung Fu movies? The anger-driven foes always are miserable creatures, while the hero, fighting for ... well, whatever, generally behaves close to tranquilized.
But seriously, no. Learning to use your body as a weapon needs a clear mind.
You wouldn't ask 'Is booze good fuel for the shooting range?', would you?

:P

[Bigmikey]

Yeah, mine isn't that specific. I can vent mine with simple effort at anything.

I can think of a LOT of people that would have been much happier if I were like that as well :D

[Knight_Errant]

If somebody annoys you, just hurt them. In the long run, it's better for everybody's health.

[Brian R. VanCis]

The longer you train the more variety you need in your motivation for training. Personally, I use anything and everything for motivation! So far for me it has worked! ;)

[Old_kyokushin]

Osu,


Anger is a very accessible place to find energy for most people. It works & you get immediate feedback, so it is easily reproductible.
However, this is not the only place, nor the most powerful.

You will be a better martial artist and a better man when you have found these other places and made them your own. :)

It is an internal journey... :)


Osu!

[slickoneuk]

Anger has fueled many a lifting session for me. I split from my ex, it was not amicable and I had an internal rage. I channeled it into pushing iron. It worked real good. So good that now I struggle to find the same intensity when I lift.

[Rand86]

Anger makes for a good fuel - meaning that it's something best burned up towards a productive end.

If you're still angry at the end of your session, then I bet you the session wasn't hard enough.

[ShadowHawk]

Anger makes for a good fuel - meaning that it's something best burned up towards a productive end.

If you're still angry at the end of your session, then I bet you the session wasn't hard enough.

exactly

When Im angry I love to pump Iron, but even a long jog calms me and takes it away.

Luckily I rarely get angry but its something we all eventually have to deal with

[Hannibal]

Anger is fine in moderation...rage is something completely different again!

[6footgeek]

personally i think that channaling rage into your training is like a double edged sword. very easy to overwork and damaging long term.

But there's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that can take out the stress and anger from a bad day than an hour of bagwork and conditioning. I don't need to channal it in or anything, it just comes out as your trainer is constantly pushing you, and at the end of the session, you feel refreshed.....
And bode tired =P

Its a lovely side effect of martial arts training. Perhaps thats why theres a stereotype about martial artists being Buddah calm all the time =P

[TRK]

I returned to martial arts right after splitting up with my now ex-wife. I had a lot of anger. Rather than thinking of using it to fuel my workouts, I saw it the other way. Training gave me a place to safely vent my anger. If you yell and hit stuff most places, you'll get funny looks. If you do it in a dojo, nobody even blinks. I'm not talking about overwhelming blind rage, but I found that MA training helped a lot in defusing my anger in a safe way so nobody got hurt. I didn't hold onto it, and I didn't go hit anybody.

[Chadderz]

I shout at the Thai Pads when I'm kicking them, because my legs won't do what I tell them. There's nothing wrong with being aggresive to some pads, or a punch bag, but you have to remember technique beats people a lot better than rage (especially when you're grappling).


You must remember a few things though, firstly, leave your ego at the door!
It's fine being angry, but it's not okay to be angry at someone. There is a difference.

I should also point out that anger can be cause by frustration, and if you are still frustrated at the end of a session, this can put you down for the rest of the day (I'm speaking from experience, today I was rolling and I was stuck in EVERYONES guard, it was sucky).

And please don't take your anger out on to the street, that is the worst thing to do, anger & ego do not go well together, and some guy starting with you is not where you want to be.

[Rand86]

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/strength-articles/if-i-had-my-way-tommy-kono

[seiken steve]

I always try to find a tranquil place inside me. I use weight training and MA practice to bring about a calming effect. When I'm angry I want to shout at someone, make someone else miserable, dominate them, crush them. None of that has anything to do with plopping my arse under 225 pounds and pushing it toward the ceiling 10 times. No, I need to be centered, focused, channelled.

Anger, true anger has little to do with training or positive energy. You can get yourself hyped up and aggressive without anger. Anger bespeaks a lack of control or focus, as does rage. That doesnt exactly sound like something you can harness, does it? Aggression, fine. Setting out with the sole purpose of blasting through a barrier or squashing an opponent is great. But anger? No sir. When you're training leave your anger in the car with your ego and your cell phone.

Ditto, except less than 10 times for 225 lol! Psyching yourself up and getting agro can be a good thing but anger? Rage? I think we're using very strong words very lightly, like mikey said anger and rage is loosing control, if by definition we are losing control planning on 'controlling' it is a recipe for disaster.

Am I the only one who trains because I enjoy it?

Also if some one was psyching up and getting agro with me when doing drills, sparring or similar I would drop him.

[Taiji_Lou]

Setting your glands on fire just to have a fantastic workout will hurt your kidneys and your liver and your spleen and pretty much your whole body.

When you're angry you're more prone to make mistakes than someone who is cool headed because you're not paying attention: you're just instinctual and angry.

Maybe a better motivator is looking at pictures of fat people.

[Devil Hanzo]

but you have to remember technique beats people a lot better than rage

“Violence of action trumps technique.” Jeff Jones, U.S. Deputy Marshal


Going to have to politely--and very emphatically--disagree with you.

[Taiji_Lou]

“Violence of action trumps technique.” Jeff Jones, U.S. Deputy Marshal


Going to have to politely--and very emphatically--disagree with you.

Don't be so emphatic. quit waving your arms around, it's embarassing.:cool:

[Chadderz]

“Violence of action trumps technique.” Jeff Jones, U.S. Deputy Marshal


Going to have to politely--and very emphatically--disagree with you.

Well Americans have a tendency to believe things like that, so disagree all you like (: