Stuck in a Rut

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by Rick_Manchester, Sep 17, 2014.

  1. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    actually, i think you got off pretty easily considering you're still maintaining the veracity of the death punch.

    i love hapkido. like i said, i trained in it for some time, i even got a 1st dan in it. i did aikido too and absolutely loved it. every art has it's positives and negatives. but i was looking for something else, something a little more visceral, which is how i got into bjj, judo, wrestling and boxing. you see, pressure testing is built into those arts. i stunk at sparring--actually, i still do. lol. but i'm better at it now.

    if i can leave you with one thing only, it's: don't believe what your instructor tells you. i know we all just want to trust our instructor when they tell us their punches can shatter internal organs. but i think a little skepticism is always in order. i mean come on, if you got an email from a nigerian prince saying you're actually royalty and are owed millions of dollars, yet you just have to send a couple thousand to unlock the bank account, you're going to do that?
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2014
  2. FunnyBadger

    FunnyBadger I love food :)

    Another thing to consider here if there was a technique that could "easily" do that it would have been quickly incorporated into other styles. Who would turn down the opportunity to learn skills like that?
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2014
  3. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Well, Rick, I think you've got the answer to your rut. You're not actually in a rut at all. There's a lot for you to work on. What's causing your rut is resistance to the idea that you're starting over somehow. You've got all this time invested. You've been told you're good. And yet, by the criterion you've chosen to adopt (and with which I agree, by the way), you feel like a rank amateur.

    So there's your answer. The allure of sparring is that sparring is the actual puzzle. Everything prior to this has just been getting the pieces out of the box. Now it's time to work on getting them to fit and do what they're supposed to do. Here's where we abandon the puzzle metaphor though: You can change the pieces.

    Question is, "do you want to be good at sparring or do you want to continue being good at the stylistic nuances of your style?" It's not that the two are mutually exclusive, but many good fighters don't necessarily look like textbook examples of their styles. And that's not a fault in them, but in their training methods.

    IF you decide you genuinely do want to be better at sparring, it's going to be time to shelve the pride. In grappling terms, pride cometh before the fall. And, happily, a few falls generally kills it. I'm absolutely awful at grappling, despite practicing martial arts as far back as 1983. But I feel good about it anyway, because I know that what I'm currently doing is actually addressing the issue.

    That's your real problem. You're wandering about in that unenviable No Man's Land between self-awareness and your goal. You know that what you're currently doing isn't giving you what you want. But you're too invested in what you've got to do anything about it. So pick a direction. There isn't a wrong answer. Only a wrong approach to whatever you decide your question is.
     
  4. Convergencezone

    Convergencezone Valued Member

    Rick...back to topic...

    To respond to your original post, I find that it is often the case (when people describe the kind of challenges you are having) that they are not taking the initiative or going on offense enough.

    I would recommend trying to be more aggressive and force your partner to react to you rather than trying to be reactive.

    EDIT: OR...they are trying to use moves designed to either counter "habitual acts of violence," (or simply teach concept)out of context.

    Could either of these things be the problem?
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2014

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