Frank the tank, Cnote, and senseis ..... MA Wisdoms!?

Question

Alright, guys, I have been reading your responses for the better half of the year now, and I have to ask...

If you could pass on your experiences, and stories, lessons and wisdoms to lower belts, what would you tell them? (me).. You all obviously have experience in this, and you all bring different perspectives. In other words, I guess I want to know what you know (in a nutshell, I am a few years behind you guys!)

Answer 1

For starters, i'm glad you've enjoyed the answers, I hope I can continue to help. :-)

You are still young (about 20-21 I think), so you have plenty of time to get experiences, these will differ from person to person, as life never strikes the same person exactly the same.

For starters, I'd recommend something you've already done, taking a traditional martial art (shaolin karate I believe is what you are currently training), karate teaches you discipline, good form, gets you in shape, teaches self-defense, and also teaches you the spiritual side of it.

I started doing ryobu-kai karate, and it helped me alot, personally I liked doing the kumite rather than kata, we sparred full contact with only 4oz gloves (not even a cup). This experience differs from person to person, I believe you didn't really like the kumite (sparring), since you felt you didn't know enough technique, or were matched against higher skilled people.

I've also trained kickboxing and muay thai, which is what I do now, the fitness part is amazing, and the injuries very real (specially muay thai) since there's alot of sparring involved.

The point I'm tryinig to make is that experiences will be different even if you take the same path, but being persistant at a martial art you like is important, I believe in consistancy. Also is important to know that no martial art is superior to another, so cross-training is definetely something I encourage as it will broaden your mind , the more you know, the better, knowledge is power after all.

Keep practicing, don't give up, keep an open mind, and train hard, that's the best advice I can give you.

good luck my friend!

Answer 2

gain as much knowledge as possible. theres a chinese proverb "the usefulness of a cup is its emptiness" what i take from that is be open to learning and hearing new things, something new might or might not work for you but if you never try it i can guarantee to you it will never work. for me theres so many martial arts out there i really cant think of any i would just flat out wouldnt try.

train to better yourself not to beat someone else. to me its better to train to surpass your own limits than to try and be better than someone else, like say a friend, classmate, sparring partner, rival etc...in high school i was always training to be "better" than one of my friends but once i started focusing on bettering myself it became less stressful and thats when you'll see better gains in your abilities

i see a strong connection between the body and mind. having a stong mind helps you have a strong body and having a strong body helps you have a strong mind. improving both by mental and physical training will make you a stronger person in anything you do

try to incorporate your training with your everyday routine. once again im big on fitness so if you are watching tv instead of just sitting there doing nothing jump rope, do some situps, push ups something. or when walking around the house like to the kitchen do some shadow boxing or katas any little bit of extra training will give you an edge. i even do some shadow boxing at work, my coworkers are used to it now so no biggie


but i gotta to go 2 work i'll edit this/add more once i get home just letting you know i see your question

Answer 3

I have not been here but for about a month... so she is obviously not referring to me... A person is deluded because he experienced something that "an other" does not believe in... how terrible of me! But, this is not about me.

Sapphire, one thing I can recommend... if I may... is that you be loyal to yourself. You can be dedicated to your art, without having to follow someone blindly and do things to please that person that may be damaging to you.

Make yourself the best possible person without having to live in that person's shadow. Some are arrogant enough to think that, that is the "place" of the student.

Respect is mutual. Unconditional. Many people say that it has to be earned. That is a twisted take on respect.

When you give it unconditionally, you have the right to revoke it when it is not reciprocated.

This is better than to think you can exist with others wondering if you should respect them or not.

To give freely is a wonderful thing.

For someone to lose what you freely gave is a shame on them!

If that person retains your respect, then it is truly respect indeed.

There are alot of people out there who always say "oh yeah, I know that!". Stay away from them.

If a person can make you understand by merely verbalizing something, that person can teach you plenty.

A person who says "it cannot be done" should not interrupt the person "doing it". This is an old saying that I live by.

Answer 4

Ah Aha! grasshopper you only want to know the meaning of like in a nutshell. I have been around since the invention of dirt and am still searching.
It is as far as I can tell it is about the journey and the search to define ourselves in ever changing context.
Martial Arts training at its best causes us to introspect more so than other sports or endeavors. Because of the "martial" aspect perhaps and the devotion to constant improvement along with the mental training to quiet the mind.
Perhaps I'm rambling .......
I tell my children --quiet your mind so you may hear God's voice. When I'm in deep trouble I need to hear the quiet voice.

Answer 5

frank, ok
cnote, ok
sensei? are you sure you know who you're talking about, sensei is... ummm, sensei is either a troll or deluded, I hope you meant sensei's in general and not the specific poster going by that name here.

Answer 6

once you can snatch the pebble from my hand young grasshopper , you will be able to take ur nose out of frank the tank , cnote , and senseis asses. good luck young one may the spirit of the warrior be with u!