how do you balance martial arts with your life?

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how do you balance martial arts with your life?

Postby Sorcerer » Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:53 pm

A more practical topic: how do you manage to find the time and (yes) money to practice as much as you like? I used to train a lot of kung fu when I was younger, but as soon as I started University the time I had left significantly went down. Now I'm simply taking less courses and taking the whole career thing a little less seriously so that I have time for the things that are important to me. How many hours a day do people here train? I find doing Qi Gong particularly difficult since I live with people, the house is never quiet enough and its difficult to simply be undisturbed for enough time. Im planning on starting a Qi gong student group at my university: they have a meditaiton room where people can meet and sit.
"There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy" FW Nietzsche
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Postby Josh Young » Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:33 am

the way i walk, turn, look, move etc is drawn from martial arts, so i practice basics nearly constantly
as far as more formal practice, i love to do it first thing in the morning and get up early enough to do it.

Also when i watch a movie at home I often do forms or qi-gong during it.
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Re: how do you balance martial arts with your life?

Postby pete5770 » Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:10 pm

Sorcerer wrote: I find doing Qi Gong particularly difficult since I live with people, the house is never quiet enough and its difficult to simply be undisturbed for enough time.


Well, to start with, everyone lives with(or near) people. Only way to avoid them is to become a hermit and that has it's issuses. I don't practice Qigong but do spend a fair amount of time at Tai Chi every day. There are always distractions of some sort no matter where you go. Kids, dogs, cars, sirens, my wife asking me something right in the middle of a Snake Creeps Down. If you think you can avoid all this, well, good luck. I guess the best advise I can offer is that old Nike advertisement "Just Do It". I recall once, bemoaing the fact that the ski slopes were in less than perfect condition. My buddy put it all in perspective when he said "If you wait for the perfect day to go skiing you'll NEVER go". So I guess the "Just Do It" is pretty applicable here. :wink: :wink:
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Re: how do you balance martial arts with your life?

Postby Sanfung » Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:12 am

Pete's mention of the "Just Do It" phrase really struck a chord with me, so I hope it's not too offensive to resurrect this thread yet again. I'm having a particularly unique problem with my training, and I've done a lot of reading on Qigong's utility for correcting depression. Nevertheless, I hope it's inoffensive if I ask it here. Strangely, in a way, the problem was initially irritated by my training regimen.

To make a very long story short, my mother has been trying to say that she would like to learn Taekwondo. I live with my parents. Apparently, she has this idea that since I started training, she needs to do something to make up for it as though I were causing her to feel lazy. To be honest, I feel guilt about that fact in its own right as though my training were doing her a disservice. I know that this is a disordered manner of thinking, but as I said I do suffer from serious depression. Rational thinking doesn't always win out.

Naturally, I would love to encourage her to study something, but I know very well that she never likes to stick to things. Apparently she's been looking up various Taekwondo videos on Youtube, and I politely warned her that while I admit that I myself don't know much about the proper motions for those positions, it certainly appeared as though she were going to hurt herself. I'm very worried about her, because she's done other things like this before and gotten herself hurt.

Well, she's fine with me and she admitted that what she was doing could possibly have been dangerous for her. To be perfectly honest, she gets on kicks about things occasionally. She'll probably have forgotten it ever happened by this time next week. All is well and good, right?

I'm still having trouble with the issue. I feel like I've somehow talked back to her, even though she was fine with it. This returns to the issue of blaming myself. I feel guilty and depressed about the entire situation and I am projecting it back onto my own training. I feel lackluster. This happens a lot when I get into a depressed slump. I wanted to ask if it's better in these situations to "Just Do It," returning to Pete's answer to the previous poster, and jump right back into an appropriate regimen or whether it's better to wait a few days, try something else (perhaps a focus on the Eight Brocades and follow Dvivid's apropos advice about adequate walking)?
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Re: how do you balance martial arts with your life?

Postby Brian » Fri Jun 15, 2012 6:07 am

pete5770 wrote:Well, to start with, everyone lives with(or near) people. Only way to avoid them is to become a hermit and that has it's issuses. I don't practice Qigong but do spend a fair amount of time at Tai Chi every day. There are always distractions of some sort no matter where you go. Kids, dogs, cars, sirens, my wife asking me something right in the middle of a Snake Creeps Down. If you think you can avoid all this, well, good luck. I guess the best advise I can offer is that old Nike advertisement "Just Do It". I recall once, bemoaing the fact that the ski slopes were in less than perfect condition. My buddy put it all in perspective when he said "If you wait for the perfect day to go skiing you'll NEVER go". So I guess the "Just Do It" is pretty applicable here. :wink: :wink:


I would tend to agree with pete...Just Do It..whenever you can, where ever you can and for as long as you can when outside of formal class training. But DON'T stress yourself if the balance is working out right..take it as it comes.
I've managed to train martial arts now for 46 years without it ever being interfeered with by 'life in general' or work...then in 2009 I retired early from my job to teach Taiji and QiGong full time...best decision I ever made, no regrets, and very very happy!!
Taiji, QiGong and Meditation
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Re: how do you balance martial arts with your life?

Postby Dvivid » Fri Jun 15, 2012 7:53 am

Some part of you realizes that you should not feel guilty and depressed for taking the step to better yourself by training. Its time for you to let that part of your brain be in charge. Stop feeling guilty and depressed. Just stop. Its a choice.

Your compassion for your Mom shouldn't be confused with negative feelings within yourself. Realize now and forever that when you are feeling badly, guilt, depression, anger, stress... you are also causing immediate negative physiological responses within your body that hinder your wellness, and can lead to chronic illness.

And maybe, move out of your parents' house.

Get your Mom into qigong (or Tai Chi), if she's open-minded. This is a perfect example of someone who could use a DVD to get started, and then maybe join a class. Both have their benefits, and both are empowering for the practitioner in their own way. One aspect of qigong practice that isn't often discussed is how the positive impact spreads into all other areas of life. Help your Mom get into qigong, and you'll help yourself with this problem at the same time.
"Avoid Prejudice, Be Objective in Your Judgement, Be Scientific, Be Logical and Make Sense, Do Not Ignore Prior Experience." - Dr. Yang

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Re: how do you balance martial arts with your life?

Postby Sanfung » Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:25 am

Maybe if I were able to better focus on the "Just Do It" advice, I'd be in much better shape as opposed to trying to grapple with negative emotions. Naturally, many of my coping mechanisms in the past became so coupled with negativity in my mind that they had to be abandoned. I never wish to do this to my training at all. That would completely defeat the purpose of it.

Dvivid, that's some of the best advice I've ever received. Thank you. I've grappled with depression for years. While I realize that it's a switch I could turn off, I am sure you understand very well that it's a remarkably difficult task. I have been haunted by a specter of chronic illness because of it, but I am fighting more now than ever to try and rid myself of these negative emotions. My being here represents the fact that I want to work to correct these problems.

For the time being, I won't be able to move out, but I should say that regardless of our problems I do enjoy a good relationship with my parents. It isn't always perfect, as the original message illustrates, but I am lucky enough to have some semblance of balance. We are always able to discuss what ails us pretty freely in my household, and that's always meant a lot to me.

I've taken the opportunity to try and steer her towards Qigong. I'll let you know what happens, though I have this feeling she'll have forgotten about this all soon enough. When I first started, she told me that she wanted to teach her everything I knew. Naturally, I explained that wasn't much and that I wasn't a qualified instructor, but that I would gladly work with her and show her the appropriate materials and what not. She quickly forgot about it.
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Re: how do you balance martial arts with your life?

Postby Dvivid » Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:59 am

I am fighting more now than ever to try and rid myself of these negative emotions.


"Trying" is planning to fail. Do or do not. Yoda-style. Its YOUR mind, change it.

I do appreciate that you are here taking a step toward improving your health.

Realize that when you are feeling negative, depressed, or internalizing your stress, it has an immediate effect physiologically of hampering or even shutting down your immune response. This is not just vague "don't worry, be happy" new age metaphor advice.

Stress / negative attitude = chronic illness.

You CANNOT improve upon a chronic illness without a positive attitude.

Hope this helps, pal.
"Avoid Prejudice, Be Objective in Your Judgement, Be Scientific, Be Logical and Make Sense, Do Not Ignore Prior Experience." - Dr. Yang

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Re: how do you balance martial arts with your life?

Postby Sanfung » Tue Jul 17, 2012 3:38 pm

Thank you for encouraging me so much. I've been working at changing my paradigm from trying to doing. I trust you understand it is remarkably difficult, but I am working at it. Moreover, I'm careful to say that I am working at it.

Naturally, I realize the very real connection between poor emotions and poor health. Believe me, I've experienced it far too many times for me to doubt it. I suppose that my biggest obstacle right now is realizing that I need to help myself. I lack self-respect, as my Sifu is very fond of reminding me. I've only ever wanted to change to help other people, but I have to learn some way to want to change for myself.

To avoid getting this thread too far off from it's original topic, I set up something else in the same general training section. I didn't want to hijack Sorcerer's original thoughts at all.

Thank you again for helping, Dvivid. You've given me a lot of good things to think about on the YMAA forum.
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Re: how do you balance martial arts with your life?

Postby Phalanxpursos » Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:24 am

Well you can train alone during the weekends, go to the park and practice kung fu. Or you can go to a martial arts school, which can be entertaining and it's good for your social life.
Strategemata Liber Secundus;
"VIII: Restore Morale with Firmness"
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