Why Do I Train?

There are as many reasons for studying self-defense as there are people who study it.

In my last article, "Tough or Smart?" I asked the question: What are YOUR reasons for studying self-defense? How confident are you that your efforts will produce the results you want?

At the time, I thought the question was rhetorical. I wasn't REALLY expecting an answer. I asked it to provoke some thinking and get you focused on the content that was to follow.

However, after reading the article a friend of mine, Robin Kipling, sent me an email with his thoughts on the subject of self-defense training. With Robin's permission, I'll share what he wrote:

Hey Randy, That's a good article. I guess to answer to your original question of why I train, which is a loaded one, I feel it's easier now to examine why I don't train. I don't train solely for my job, because I started doing Hung Gar Kung Fu when I was 17. It offered me discipline, respect, confidence and family structure in a time when I had none. I don't train solely for health. Because I can get on my elliptical machine everyday, pump iron and eat well ( which I try and do anyway), and achieve that. I don't train solely for fighting. Because I've been in many fights with violent, seasoned assholes and I'm quite confident with my mental and physical abilities to handle it. So this would mean that I can stop learning and just try to maintain my skill level. The truth is, I'm not quite sure what the hook, or addiction is. Sifu Joe Laraya told me that once you do Hung Gar for 6 months, you're hooked. And he's right. I tell myself that I just want to learn a traditional and beautiful art form, that unlike most things in life, can never be taken away from me. If this were solely true, then I wouldn't pursue arts that I find to be truley effective. I started out in Kung Fu. Then traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu. Then Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to get better on the ground. Now I'm doing Judo to get better at throwing and maintain my ground stuff. But these are all just brush strokes on the canvas, I'm the canvas. I believe in the artist, as opposed to the art. All these styles enable me to truly express myself. As you now, the answer to why we train is not an easy one to answer. We just do it now because we need it. And the leasons I've learned through training, about myself mainly, are now part of a toolbox that I can use in any situation in life. Nowadays, the fighting is just a by product of all the other benefits of doing Martial Arts. And how else is a married man that's getting no sex ;-) supposed to relieve all of his tension and walk on through life without frustration and angst. There's never been any other way for me. The beautiful thing about regular training, like any art form, is that you never stop learning. I remember reading somewhere somebody asking a master how long he will have to train to become a master. The master responded, " Until you die." I believe this. I guess if somebody asks me why I train now, the answer is simply....because I need to. I think you know what I mean. Take Care, Robin

There you have it. Robin did an excellent job articulating his reasons and feelings about his self-defense training. Thanks Robin.

Can I Ask You A Question?...

Learning is not a passive process. The more think about it, the more focused and specific you are on what you want to learn and why, the more likely you to succeed. My goal is to help you find what you are looking for and to produce the results you are after as quickly and effectively as possible.

In an effort to do that, I'm going to be throwing questions, surveys, opinion polls, challenges and a host of thought provoking exercises your way. How much or how little you want to participate is entirely up to you.

Here's the first one: What are YOU looking for in self-defense training? What you brought you to my web site and what kind of information where you looking for? What type of information were you looking for when you signed up for this newsletter?

To make the process ultra simple, why not just point out your thoughts in the form I've inserted below.

Self-Defense Thought Box

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