Training in a martial art is a journey. After twenty-seven years studying a variety of styles, having instructors, not having instructors, dealing with injuries, and a periodic lack of motivation to train, I know that it’s a journey. And, each time a teacher decides to quit, you have to start over, especially if what you study is a bit obscure where you live. But, I’ve never completely stopped practicing, even when it’s meant training alone. And, I’ve learned a lot in 27 years.
Here’s my list of 5 things martial arts isn’t about:
- Ego. You have to check it at the door before you hit the mat. There’s always someone bigger, faster, smaller, more skilled, meaner, and in better shape than you. When I transitioned to my new (now former) Hapkido instructor, I wore a white belt to train with him. I’d already earned my first dan in another dojang. He asked if it bothered me to be wearing it, again. My answer hasn’t changed in 27 years. I’ll always be a white belt. (You should remember that the next time you encounter a white belt. Things aren’t always as they seem.)
- Rank. Every school and art has its own system. Nothing matters until you attain your first black belt. Once you do, you begin to realize and understand just how much you don’t know. See point #1.
- Worship. Your instructors are human, like you. They make mistakes. They don’t know everything. And, sometimes, they’ll disappoint you. But, and this is important, your training is about you, more than it’s about them. Walk away if it’s not a good fit because it’s not going to get better. Martial arts isn’t about worshiping the instructor. It’s about learning the art.
- Competition. On some levels, yes, it’s about competition, but this depends on 1) the art, and 2) your goals. Competition within the dojang is counterproductive. You’re part of a team of people learning and teaching each other an art. Competition is for tournaments, outside of your dojang, even when you end up competing against a team member. How you react and handle that, speaks volumes about you.
- Politics. Some dojangs are notorious for this. Run! Run fast! It’s going to disrupt your training one way or another. If the instructor(s) are pitting people against each other, constantly pushing rank testing (and promoting people who clearly don’t know what they’re doing), speaking negatively about other instructors, trainees, former students, or other schools, then you should consider training somewhere else.
In the end, it all comes down to what you want, and need your training to be. I miss training with people, but I’ll continue my solo practice, which includes a variety of resources: books, youtube videos, and observing my children’s jiujitsu class. I spend a lot of time reviewing and breaking down techniques in my head. You can, too. So, if you want to study a martial art, but can’t find a good school – one not steeped in dojang/dojo politics, instructor worship, rank purchases, etc., then you might consider a few unconventional training methods. I’ve looked at several.
Here’s a link to one I’m considering:
BJJ Building Blocks: Jiujitsu Fundamentals Video Course (affiliate link)
Yes, I certainly could train at my kid’s school, an hour away, but that’s proving more and more challenging to make happen. As much as I love the instructors, attending the adult classes would increase my drive time, and overall costs. That combined with the cost of training, makes me think a video course could be useful. After all, Hapkido is my first love, not jiujitsu. (If you end up loving jiujitsu, you’re going to eventually have to find more people to train with. In jiujitsu, you can practice solo drills, but you can’t roll alone. That would look silly.)
I’ve been fortunate to have a few great teachers, so I’ll leave you with this to ponder: