Finding your “Fit”
How do you know what martial arts “ fits” you? It’s a question that can be a simple one and a tough one at the same time.
Is a grappling art the best?
Is a weapons based art the best?
Is a scenario based art the best?
Is a striking or kicking based art the best?
Is a sport based art the best?
How about traditional arts??
Everyone will give you a different opinion on this one. But here are some ideas to consider….
Are you interested in entering a grappling tournament? Then the weapons based art may not be the best for you.
Are you starting from scratch? Then start with something that will give you a good foundation..
Are you looking to add more to the training you already have? Then find something that will point you in the direction of your interests.
Do you enjoy it?? If it’s something you’ve never been interested in, it’s probably not the right “fit“ for you. Even better, did you give it a shot and just didn’t enjoy it at all? Then again, not the right “fit”.
One of my instructors asks “ what’s best, sugar or salt ?” The answer…. Are you having steak or iced tea? There isn’t one answer that fits every situation.
When you start training you’re going to find out that you will become more frustrated than you’d ever imagined. That’s actually a good thing. Most of your growth will happen outside of your comfort zone. And that growth is just as much mental and personal growth as it is physical.. But you should still enjoy the process. If you’re not enjoying it, find a new art or possibly a new instructor. With all that being said, you need to put in the time and work hard. Don’t quit because it’s hard.. You can’t just decide that it’s not a good art or good fit without really taking the time to understand it. And it can’t be spoon fed. You have to go out train hard and get it! Training through your frustrations and figuring things out during practice will ensure that you own that skill.. Don’t let anything stand in your way. If you take the time to really invest in yourself and your training you’ll find out that a lot of arts share more similarities than differences, and that’s where the growth begins. Remember, you don’t have to choose just one art. At our school we teach several disciplines for just that reason. It gives each student more than one option to find that “fit”.. At some point after you’ve been training for a while you can look back and see how much you’ve changed and just how strong you have become.
Bruce Lee once said “Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” Pushing through the frustration will give you more strength than you could have ever imagined….
