Training not going great?

www.iainaberne... Is your training not going great? Feeling a little despondent with it all? That happens to me from time to time too. In this video I share some thoughts that I hope you will find useful in getting back on track. Martial arts are demanding and difficult and it’s all too easy to feel that we are doing something wrong when we are struggling. My own martial arts journey has not been smooth. I’m not a “natural” by any stretch of the imagination and struggle has been a constant martial travel companion. With the right mindset, an understanding that the vast majority struggle, an understanding of consistency over time, that bad days aren’t a sign of a lack or loss of progress, and some good old-fashioned encouragement, you can gain some perspective, continue to improve and start to enjoy your training again. I hope you find the video helpful!
All the best,
Iain
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[@ruiseartalcorn]

Many thanks. I'm 65, I've trained all my life and I still have moments when I think I'm wasting my time. Having said that, I plan to keep training for another 65 years ;)

[@kbanghart]

Age is just a number!

[@quirinzangl4693]

"nothing ever grows in the comfort zone" - Jesse E

[@DanielArthur_profile]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. Martial arts has always been something I've loved but had to work VERY hard at. Never came easy to me. Still doesn't. But now people think I'm naturally good at it....I'm not. I've worked for 30 years at it.

[@teikarate]

The hardest challenge for me with consistency is working around family life, with young kids, my wife's shifts in the hospital and work. Free time changes week to week, so I'll go for periods just grabbing a few moments to practice something, whether it be kata, drills, or just exercises. But eventually I lose motivation for a while before I get going again

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Important to do what we can and prioritise. Family should come first. Well done! I recall a tale of one master who would ask students if their family, work or studies needed them to do anything at the start of class. If they answered, “yes” then he would tell them to leave and do it. It was only if they answered “no” that they would be permitted to train. I have had the same where the training needs put on the back burner for a bit. At those times, I just fit in what I can, when I can, knowing that something is better then nothing.

[@jasonisham9948]

Love the the idea of a temporary quit. I've found this idea to be true in my own martial arts training and competitive tennis. Taking a week to 2 week break after daily training for several months seemed to create progress. I think it allows our minds to integrate what we've been practicing. Also very much appreciate your vulnerability and humility. Thank you!

[@santosprb]

I've seen this video on the app a few times when things weren't going well. It's a great message so thank you Sensei.

[@christophedelalande7854]

Thanks a lot Ian for this video. Very insightful indeed. Martial Arts is a path. I took wrong way, I stopped, I started again, I'm still here. I'm not very "joozu" (skillful) , but Karate brought me so many things, such as friends, peace of spirit, health, that I keep going, aiming to be everyday better than yesterday.

[@lunaarran6965]

Thanks very much for this video! ❤ Glad to hear that I am not the only one putting myself down after shitty sessions thinking „everyone‘s better than me and I really don’t deserve my grade“ .

[@alexhenke1979]

Wonderful and honest video! I can totally relate to hitting the wall in training despite best efforts. My secret: never give up and keep grinding. Eventually things clicked and were falling into place. Also, doing additional strength and endurance training outside the dojo helped a lot

[@giuseppestorto9911]

Thanks for sharing such an insightful video (digging the Anthrax t-shirt too 🤘) this was me when I started karate in 2019, had my first lesson and was pretty much certain I was never coming back, fast forward 4 years and I'm still training (passed my 3rd kyū test in July) however that doesn't stop me from having bad days in the dojo, but like you said, just keep grinding and grinding 🥋

[@YoukaiSlayer12]

Good points made that needed to be heard by many.

[@alfagtv100]

This was insightful and helped me appreciate my shitty training days as a blessing. Feeling bad about my efforts will make me strive to keep training and improving. The days I feel on super form are the reward. Thanks very much Iain. 🙏👌

[@Vincentorix]

“A black belt is a white belt that doesn’t quite”. Some people think it’s a campy saying but it dose correspond to your talk on consistency being the key to getting better. Thank you sir.

[@sevenof9652]

And then the black belt train's so long, his belt turn's grayish white!

[@radioface3306]

Iain this is coaching many lower kyus need… and I saw Anthrax in February on their 40th anniversary tour.

[@AndrewMechamIdaho]

It doesnt matter who is the best. What matters is who is left.

[@warriorstkdify]

Thanks for this video, I have struggled with this in my training as well as my students. I will be more mindful to give them positive feedback and encouragement.

[@lewishickman4318]

Such an important message! Well said Iain!

[@SenseiEmmett]

Very true, bad days, I think we all had a bad year in 2020 haha but we have the times we grow a lot, and times we nees push a little harder, but its those days when you cant be bothered that you grow the most in character. Thanks for sharing Iain, great topic as always. It reminds me of the jeep just over the hill hahaha

[@dwardo1066]

I have a good friend and training partner who used to be a professional dancer. The bugger picks up things almost instantly! The guy even has fantastic genetics and an athletic build which also helps him. Let me know when you are doing a seminar in the NW UK and I will bring him along, so you can hate him too.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Funny! I'm sure he is a really nice bloke and I'll try to find something incredibly challenging to make you and me feel better :-)

[@dwardo1066]

He`s a good lad really :) Despite his successes. He is a kung-Fu Bb and I am a shotokan BB and have trained together every week for years as well as our respective disciplines'. Do you have anyhting planned over our way any time soon? North Wales, Cheshire, Merseyside? @@practicalkatabunkai

[@roloduarte3100]

Very inspiring video.

[@FirstDan2000]

Very motivational video.

[@theaikidoka]

I wonder if the adage of 'a change is as good as a rest' can also apply? If you get stuck in a rut, or just stuck generally, it can be reinvigorating to find a contrast. I got bored a few years into Aikido, and visited a Hung Gar school - it was SO annoying finding all the times when my muscle memory told me to do something close to, but crucially not actually the same as they did, that I was WAY more engaged in the classes. I couldn't be on auto-pilot and assume a base level of competence. It was also kind of fun to be that jerk who goes between classes saying 'huh, we do it like THIS instead' and playing with the lessons from one in the context of the other. It definitely pays to be part of an open-minded group though, or it's just disrespectful to the teachers.

[@kbanghart]

Thank you so much for posting this, I've been hoping that some of these popular YT martial artists would talk about this more. I teach, and it would be nice to hear from others' difficulties in teaching.. dealing with different personalities of student, frustrations if you hit a wall as far as an idea, etc.

[@dermotrooney9584]

Look out for the pretty KZbinrs talking about this in a few weeks. 😊

[@kbanghart]

​@@dermotrooney9584lol

[@YoukaiSlayer12]

Good well sounding points🧐. As usual.

[@edwardglenn9310]

Great video. Great message. Great t-shirt Word!

[@practicalkatabunkai]

A gift from Wayne Jones :-)

[@paulhurley5193]

I dont have natural ability. What i do have is Perseverance.

[@mauriceshapero7200]

Thank you for this! So helpful. I wondered what you thought about training to be relaxed. I recently went back to Wado Ryu. I’m constantly told I put too much effort and tension into my karate. It’s opposite to my years of training as I’ve always progressed by putting more speed or power into techniques. They only praise me when I do hardly anything! Obviously it’s more complex than that and they’re totally right. I wondered if there’s anything in your historical research that talks about effortlessness? And not finishing a punch with tensing - what I mistakenly thought was kime?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

A common issue! It is possible to try “too hard”, which results in excessive muscular tension, which can slow down a technique and reduce power. Power is something that should be measured and not “felt”. When we feel the muscles working against one another (excessive tension) it can feel powerful precisely because we feel the muscles overcoming each other. It’s a misleading feeling though. Better to hit things so we can measure how much power is actually being generated externally. The key is to put all the energy into the right places. Sound beody mechanics which will include strong muscular contractions where needed, and relaxation were needed. The role of “Kime” (not really the “muscular blip” at the very end of a punch, but what most mean by it) is to protect joints and avoid the punch having to slow down sooner. It’s not really got anything to do with power per se. This video on kime may be of interest: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqmlqaadbpx6prM

[@mauriceshapero7200]

@@practicalkatabunkai Thank you Ian - all makes sense. I'm still trying to get my head around it, but they don't seem to put any muscular contraction in and talk about punching against your skeleton, ie. the bones stop the movement going any further (when doing basics and kata). I worry about overextending my joints - as you say in your video. They do hit very very hard though. It reminds me of when I did Systema - being hit by one of their masters is quite an experience and they are completely relaxed. Which you also say in your video, you don't need tension when the strike hits something. Anyway thank you again - I've learn't so much from watching your videos. I wish KZbin was around in the 80's when I started karate as I've been thinking wrongly about it for years! The kata made absolutely no sense to me and I naively thought that once you got to 7th dan you could pull off these moves. As soon as you realise they aren't designed for distance and supernatural reflexes against ten people - they become obviously really practice and usable by anyone. Your video about karate being for all ages is totally spot on.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@mauriceshapero7200 Delighted to hear that! Thanks for the kind words!

[@peterrussell6029]

Nice T-Shirt 🤘

[@CJ-uf6xl]

Now that's a good T shirt 🤘

[@matthewbaumann630]

Do you have any ideas for the bunkai for the Shotokan Kata Jitte? I was wondering mostly about the three double high blocks in the middle.

[@jamieo2147]

I've just graded to 2nd Dan and am having to learn a new Kata (Jion). I'd forgotten how hard it is to start from scratch after so long just working on perfecting the ones I already knew for my grade. I know in a few months it will be muscle memory but right now I feel like a robot cluncking through the moves with no flow whatsoever. Why do we put ourselves through this?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Because we know how good it feels when it finally starts to click :-) That, and because we martial arts types are not wired as others are.

[@TheShavedleggs]

Why do babies want to imitate grown ups walking in first place? And look, when they do their first steps but fall down again. They cry and try again. It hurts and it feels good to overcome the pain. And we love it to get the applause for achieving something very difficult

[@NapalmUnderwear]

This video brings to mind Richard Feynman explaining the feeling of confusion. If you feel confused it means you are at the edge of your abilities/knowledge and have the opportunity to actually learn and grow.

[@dermotrooney9584]

Yes! And a great excuse for talking to yourself. 😊

[@santosprb]

We need to know the sleeping on the bus story!!!

[@practicalkatabunkai]

My old job used to put on a bus to take employees to work. It would pick up around 6am and was a 50 min ride. Most people would get on and go to sleep due to the 5am rise needed to catch it; which was safe enough to do as it was not public transport. I was around 19 years old and had a competition coming up. I was thinking about it as I went to sleep. In my semi-dream state, I was running through various combinations that had been working for me. My left had then came awake and back-fisted the fellow employee sitting to my left. It woke him (as well as me), but I decided the smart thing to do was pretend I was still asleep. I don’t think he knew what had hit him and may have even thought he dreamt it … either way, I got away with it :-) The best one was a close work mate who was a goalkeeper for his soccer team. He did the same as me and, from a sleeping state, dived into the isle of the bus to “save the goal” he was dreaming about. What made it even better he screamed “Waaayyyy!” as his did it. Whole bus woken up :-)

[@scottmarlow6018]

Now I need to know what your favorite Anthrax album is? : )

[@practicalkatabunkai]

It would have to be Among the Living. Stopped listing to them beyond Persistence of Time, but those early albums are great. Their show with Public Enemy is also the best gig I have ever been to.

[@scottmarlow6018]

I saw them with Public Enemy too! It was a killer show. We are showing our age now! lol. The albums with John Bush weren't bad at all but definitely a different sound they had with Joey. It is cool he was able to come back for the last two albums though. @@practicalkatabunkai

[@hyakusenkankarate]

from VietNam. Osu!

[@dermotrooney9584]

Great headline image - add a few pounds and it's my normal face.

[@hydroturd]

great band btw!