Life inevitably involves change. As human beings, we resist change even those that we know are good for us. Exercising, like any other facet of our lives, must involve change. If you lift weights, for example, how much progress would you make if you only ever lifted those little pink 2 lb dumbbells. Granted, you would get really awesome at lifting the two pounders, but what fun would that be? Giving up the nice cushy couch in the evenings after work for a three mile run involves a sacrifice also. That couch looks mighty good after a long hard day at work!
When you first start an exercise program, it is very likely that you were sore afterward. A week or two later, however, you realized that the soreness was not as bad and you felt like one bad mother! But, as with anything, you gradually added more distance or time and realized that the soreness came back as strong as before...until your body adapted. Thus, the challenge of change involves pain.
Change without some pain or loss isn't really change at all. Not that the change is not good (for example, switching out a favorite pair of running shoes for new ones with more cushioning....your feet may feel better, but it can be difficult to part with equipment that you really love!) Going up in rank in martial arts is an awesome accomplishment, but now the challenge is that you have to get out of your comfort zone, learning more challenging techniques or kata that may be more difficult than anything encountered before. With higher rank also comes more responsibility....a brown belt can't get by with making the same mistakes that a white belt can! Change can be positive even though it may not feel that way at the beginning.
Change is everyday life. Embrace change; don't reject it. Pain that comes with change can be overcome. As change is inevitable, so too is progress.
"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.
Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality.
Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
"
Lao Tzu
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Competition in Karate
Competition season in karate, with the change in weather, is upon us and many of the students in my karate school are planning to participate this coming weekend at an AAU qualifier for the Karate Nationals. The students are working very diligently to perfect their skills in kata and kumite and it's a true pleasure to see so many of our dojo principles put in to action. My favorite, especially, for this time of year is: Seriousness, Try Hard, and Never Give Up! With that attitude, I expect every one of our participants to do extremely well.
Competition in karate is a unique concept. As many people probably know, I am a huge Karate Kid movie fan (the first one!) and an enormous plot line is the main character's training for a tournament to once and for all keep those mean ol' Kobra Kai's from continuing to beat him up. In the end, Daniel-San wins the tournament against his arch-nemesis with the infamous "crane stance" kick. The good thing about this movie is that winning the tournament was not the important point; conquering one's fears and not other people IS the whole idea. Yet another concept that we train by in our dojo is that our purpose is "Not to conquer others, but to conquer the weaknesses in oneself." We have this precept painted on the wall above the mirrors in our dojo, so that it is literally right in front of your face. Many is the time that I have been struggling through a drill or kata and looked up and taken those words to heart.
Competition is a worthwhile endeavor in any karate school, particularly if entered into with the attitude that you are competing against your own weaknesses. It seems almost antithetical since you are often in the ring with another competitor. Rather than wanting to "beat up" your opponent, the goal is to do YOUR best. Can you be just a bit faster? Can you get over your feelings of nervousness to perform a kata as flawlessly as you can? Yes, you want to "defeat" your opponent, but do you really want to hurt your opponent? Karate is for the purpose of defending oneself; not causing pain and torment in a tournament setting. Yes, we train to hurt others, but only under the threat of serious harm coming to us from someone else. Tournaments teach you how to be better at your sport...and karate in this context IS a sport.
Now I am all for tournaments. It is not my main purpose, but it is fun to train for a specific event. I have had a great time at tournaments, particularly at Nationals when it was held here in Winston-Salem. Every year, I had to convince myself to get back in the ring, as I was always matched up in the finals with a student of Sensei Doug Perry's. This lady was amazing! She was at least 5 inches taller than me and was tough as nails, particularly in the ring. Off the mat, she was very kind and sweet. She always beat me for the gold medal, but one year, I came much closer than ever because I worked on my weaknesses to prepare, instead of training against her strengths. The year before, she fought me in a left handed stance, which totally threw me for a loop. She was an excellent puncher and she would always managed to get inside on me. The next time we matched up the following year, I had trained, not for her southpaw stance, but instead, I worked more on my kicks. I worked on my weakness with my kicks, which was mainly my timing. That way, it didn't matter what stance she was in. I managed to score on her twice before she ever scored on me once. I think it actually surprised us both when I got ahead...the look on her face was priceless! Unfortunately, she was still much faster and she won. I still felt victorious because I had worked on something to make me better, not to make her weaker. My goal for the next year was to work on my speed, but unfortunately, she broke her ankle very badly while riding a motorcycle and did not return to karate. I was very sad for that, as she taught me a lot, likely without even realizing it.
So, best wishes to all the competitors out there! Remember what your karate means to you and you will come out on top with or without a medal!
Competition in karate is a unique concept. As many people probably know, I am a huge Karate Kid movie fan (the first one!) and an enormous plot line is the main character's training for a tournament to once and for all keep those mean ol' Kobra Kai's from continuing to beat him up. In the end, Daniel-San wins the tournament against his arch-nemesis with the infamous "crane stance" kick. The good thing about this movie is that winning the tournament was not the important point; conquering one's fears and not other people IS the whole idea. Yet another concept that we train by in our dojo is that our purpose is "Not to conquer others, but to conquer the weaknesses in oneself." We have this precept painted on the wall above the mirrors in our dojo, so that it is literally right in front of your face. Many is the time that I have been struggling through a drill or kata and looked up and taken those words to heart.
Competition is a worthwhile endeavor in any karate school, particularly if entered into with the attitude that you are competing against your own weaknesses. It seems almost antithetical since you are often in the ring with another competitor. Rather than wanting to "beat up" your opponent, the goal is to do YOUR best. Can you be just a bit faster? Can you get over your feelings of nervousness to perform a kata as flawlessly as you can? Yes, you want to "defeat" your opponent, but do you really want to hurt your opponent? Karate is for the purpose of defending oneself; not causing pain and torment in a tournament setting. Yes, we train to hurt others, but only under the threat of serious harm coming to us from someone else. Tournaments teach you how to be better at your sport...and karate in this context IS a sport.
Now I am all for tournaments. It is not my main purpose, but it is fun to train for a specific event. I have had a great time at tournaments, particularly at Nationals when it was held here in Winston-Salem. Every year, I had to convince myself to get back in the ring, as I was always matched up in the finals with a student of Sensei Doug Perry's. This lady was amazing! She was at least 5 inches taller than me and was tough as nails, particularly in the ring. Off the mat, she was very kind and sweet. She always beat me for the gold medal, but one year, I came much closer than ever because I worked on my weaknesses to prepare, instead of training against her strengths. The year before, she fought me in a left handed stance, which totally threw me for a loop. She was an excellent puncher and she would always managed to get inside on me. The next time we matched up the following year, I had trained, not for her southpaw stance, but instead, I worked more on my kicks. I worked on my weakness with my kicks, which was mainly my timing. That way, it didn't matter what stance she was in. I managed to score on her twice before she ever scored on me once. I think it actually surprised us both when I got ahead...the look on her face was priceless! Unfortunately, she was still much faster and she won. I still felt victorious because I had worked on something to make me better, not to make her weaker. My goal for the next year was to work on my speed, but unfortunately, she broke her ankle very badly while riding a motorcycle and did not return to karate. I was very sad for that, as she taught me a lot, likely without even realizing it.
So, best wishes to all the competitors out there! Remember what your karate means to you and you will come out on top with or without a medal!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Weekend Awesomeness
This weekend has been a blast for myself and several others in my dojo. First off, we were honored to have our instructor's instructor, Shihan ("a teacher of teachers"), Dale Coker, visit us from Charleston via Thailand, where he lives most of the time. He taught several seminars, as well as helped us learn some of the black belt kata in more depth. While this was a physical pursuit, my brain is crammed full of new information and insight, so it may take me several days to get back to my "normal" self! Oh yeah, wait...I'm not normal. Well, I can certainly get back to what passes for normality before Monday morning. Maybe.
One of the best parts of the weekend was participating in a shodan rank test for one of our students. Happily, and not unexpectedly, he passed and showed a great deal of black belt spirit and fortitude. For every shodan test I witness or participate in I am reminded all over again of my own test waaay back many years ago. While reaching black belt is a tremendous milestone, it does serve to remind me that it's not the end goal of a martial arts career, but actually, a beginning of a beginning. At black belt level, you are finally ready to BEGIN studying the martial arts. Yep, that's right. Black belt is not the end. For some, perhaps, this is the goal, but honestly, having a black belt does not make someone a super hero. I'm sure my family and friends can attest to that! I can't imagine stopping just when the journey has only just started! Could you imagine someone being drafted for the NBA and attaining a starting spot on the team, and when it's time to play, just...stopping? That would be like stopping work on the skyscraper when only the first floor has been finished. You'll never know what the view looks like from 100 stories up!
Incidentally, when someone hears I have a black belt, I get the usual questions/comments: "Do you really have to register your hands with the government?" "I'd better not make you angry!", or "Wow, can you really beat up anyone?" I generally let people know that I only use my powers for good, so they have nothing to fear from me, and I am still waiting for Tony Stark to invite me to be a member of the Avengers.
Okay, maybe not.
But...you never know!
One of the best parts of the weekend was participating in a shodan rank test for one of our students. Happily, and not unexpectedly, he passed and showed a great deal of black belt spirit and fortitude. For every shodan test I witness or participate in I am reminded all over again of my own test waaay back many years ago. While reaching black belt is a tremendous milestone, it does serve to remind me that it's not the end goal of a martial arts career, but actually, a beginning of a beginning. At black belt level, you are finally ready to BEGIN studying the martial arts. Yep, that's right. Black belt is not the end. For some, perhaps, this is the goal, but honestly, having a black belt does not make someone a super hero. I'm sure my family and friends can attest to that! I can't imagine stopping just when the journey has only just started! Could you imagine someone being drafted for the NBA and attaining a starting spot on the team, and when it's time to play, just...stopping? That would be like stopping work on the skyscraper when only the first floor has been finished. You'll never know what the view looks like from 100 stories up!
Incidentally, when someone hears I have a black belt, I get the usual questions/comments: "Do you really have to register your hands with the government?" "I'd better not make you angry!", or "Wow, can you really beat up anyone?" I generally let people know that I only use my powers for good, so they have nothing to fear from me, and I am still waiting for Tony Stark to invite me to be a member of the Avengers.
Okay, maybe not.
But...you never know!
 |
| Symbol for Wado Ryu karate |
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
One of the aspects of martial arts, as I have mentioned several times before, has to do with connecting the mental, the physical, and the spiritual. Visitors to our dojo are likely intrigued when we open and close every class with a period of seiza, in which we sit quietly in a kneeling position (those over 18 get to sit cross legged). This time is either a period in which one can prepare the mind to train, or reflect on what has been learned. Either way, this is perhaps a uniqueness that sets martial arts apart from many other sports activities.
During seiza, which is generally as short or as long as the instructor wishes, we sit with our eyes closed (mukuso) and often, the instructor asks someone to recite the dojo kun, or dojo principles. These consist of the following:
Over the next few posts, I hope to give my own perspective on each of these principles. I will try to do them justice!
During seiza, which is generally as short or as long as the instructor wishes, we sit with our eyes closed (mukuso) and often, the instructor asks someone to recite the dojo kun, or dojo principles. These consist of the following:
- Uphold the principles of propriety and courtesy.
- Cultivate the spirit of effort
- Perfect the mind of patience.
- Live the way of truth.
- Do not lose self control or act in a violent manner.
Over the next few posts, I hope to give my own perspective on each of these principles. I will try to do them justice!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Ok, so you have considered taking martial arts classes and being one who prefers to research something before jumping in with both feet, you start clicking away with your mouse and searching on the Internet for information about martial arts and, maybe even more specifically, about martial arts and women. In the process, you see LOTS of sites pertaining to women in karate, jiujitsu, MMA, whatever. You click on pictures and, if you are like me, you think, "Those women don't look anything like me! I'm too (short, tall, overweight, skinny, stiff, awkward, etc.) to ever do THAT!" Not only that, but when you look at some of the pictures, especially the "posed" ones, you may notice that the women are all doing really, really high kicks...I mean, way high, often over their own heads. Or gymnastic type splits. Naturally, you also think, "well, I could never do martial arts because I could never kick that high or do that split, or crouch down that low!"
So, first of all, while I do respect most of those women we see on the Internet and yes, they have all worked very hard to get where they are, head high kicks are not necessary in martial arts. Most of these women have trained for years and have developed the agility and ability to kick high and that's super. Keep in mind that this is mostly the "Hollywood" version of martial arts. Myself? Well, I quit kicking head high long ago. Although some styles, tae kwon do, for example, emphasize beautiful, high kicks, that for me, are just not realistic. Also, common sense tells me that if I am defending myself, if I get my leg THAT high, that just makes it all the easier for an attacker to grab my leg or sweep my supporting leg and plant me on my behind! The first rule of self defense is that you never kick above the waist. A well placed kick to the knee can disable an attacker and you, being wise, perform "kata number one," also known as "RUN."
Now, as far as the "weight" issue...well, I look at it this way... I would much rather be the weight I am (not that I couldn't lose some poundage!) and participate in martial arts, rather than be extremely skinny and try to do the same things I do. One of the techniques to avoid getting knocked down is to get lower than your attacker. That takes muscle in the legs to support your weight. To be perfectly honest, I'm built (relatively speaking) more like a brick wall than a split rail fence. And that's perfectly okay! You work with what you have. Not only that, but martial arts (or any full body sports activity) can help you lose weight in a healthy way or even gain (with added muscle you can develop) weight. Muscle weighs more than fat and you will never look like the Incredible Hulk unless you began taking steroids. Muscle weighs more, but makes you look smaller and helps you burn more calories. Don't misunderstand! For individuals who are slender, martial arts is an excellent sport! One thing you learn regardless of weight is how to distribute your weight or balance to your benefit.
If you want to see women doing martial arts check out this video of a woman performing a kata at the ISKF Nationals here. This lady is average height and weight, but she performs with power, precision, and grace. Here is yet another woman at a Shotokan Tournament performing a kata known as Passai or Bassai. I really like this! And finally, this kata, a different version of Bassai, is performed by a woman who is not at all like me in body type, but wow! Her speed and precision is something I aspire to. Also note by how worn her black belt is...it's nearly white which indicates that she has studied for a very long time. So much so, that she has nearly come full circle back to white belt! (As an aside, she would be in MY division if I were to ever compete in that particular tournament!)
The final point is that, whatever your activity (running, biking, martial arts, fencing...) use that wonderful tool known as the Internet if you must, but find individuals who do what you are interested in and emulate them! If it doesn't inspire you, then it's not worthwhile!
So, first of all, while I do respect most of those women we see on the Internet and yes, they have all worked very hard to get where they are, head high kicks are not necessary in martial arts. Most of these women have trained for years and have developed the agility and ability to kick high and that's super. Keep in mind that this is mostly the "Hollywood" version of martial arts. Myself? Well, I quit kicking head high long ago. Although some styles, tae kwon do, for example, emphasize beautiful, high kicks, that for me, are just not realistic. Also, common sense tells me that if I am defending myself, if I get my leg THAT high, that just makes it all the easier for an attacker to grab my leg or sweep my supporting leg and plant me on my behind! The first rule of self defense is that you never kick above the waist. A well placed kick to the knee can disable an attacker and you, being wise, perform "kata number one," also known as "RUN."
Now, as far as the "weight" issue...well, I look at it this way... I would much rather be the weight I am (not that I couldn't lose some poundage!) and participate in martial arts, rather than be extremely skinny and try to do the same things I do. One of the techniques to avoid getting knocked down is to get lower than your attacker. That takes muscle in the legs to support your weight. To be perfectly honest, I'm built (relatively speaking) more like a brick wall than a split rail fence. And that's perfectly okay! You work with what you have. Not only that, but martial arts (or any full body sports activity) can help you lose weight in a healthy way or even gain (with added muscle you can develop) weight. Muscle weighs more than fat and you will never look like the Incredible Hulk unless you began taking steroids. Muscle weighs more, but makes you look smaller and helps you burn more calories. Don't misunderstand! For individuals who are slender, martial arts is an excellent sport! One thing you learn regardless of weight is how to distribute your weight or balance to your benefit.
If you want to see women doing martial arts check out this video of a woman performing a kata at the ISKF Nationals here. This lady is average height and weight, but she performs with power, precision, and grace. Here is yet another woman at a Shotokan Tournament performing a kata known as Passai or Bassai. I really like this! And finally, this kata, a different version of Bassai, is performed by a woman who is not at all like me in body type, but wow! Her speed and precision is something I aspire to. Also note by how worn her black belt is...it's nearly white which indicates that she has studied for a very long time. So much so, that she has nearly come full circle back to white belt! (As an aside, she would be in MY division if I were to ever compete in that particular tournament!)
The final point is that, whatever your activity (running, biking, martial arts, fencing...) use that wonderful tool known as the Internet if you must, but find individuals who do what you are interested in and emulate them! If it doesn't inspire you, then it's not worthwhile!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Martial Arts and "Arts"
One thing that I have noticed, and this was incidentally pointed out to me not long ago, is that people I know who study martial arts, a) tend to be involved in another facet of "art," be it music, dance, or art, and b) also tend to be accomplished in other areas. For instance, Hanshi Doug Perry from Hendersonville, NC is the first non-Okinawan promoted to ninth degree black belt in shorin-ryu karate. For those who know how long the journey to receive a shodan (1st degree) rank in martial arts is, to have attained a ninth degree belt is incredible! Unsurprisingly, he was distinguished in the military as well. What few people know, however, is that Hanshi (or Sensei, as most still refer to him) Perry is also national champion in the art of shagging! Having met Sensei Perry several times over many years, he is also one of the most humble individuals I have had the pleasure to know.
In my own small dojo, we have six individuals at nidan (2nd degree) rank. Of those six people, two are accomplished artists in painting and one is an experienced flute player. I have some musical aspirations, as well, in that I play bass guitar, bass steel drums, and baritone horn (hmm...notice a theme here?). While this is small evidence to "prove" my theory, the reality is that martial arts can enhance other endeavors, particularly those involving creativity and diligence. I know for a fact that musicians spend HOURS practicing their instruments, not unlike the HOURS we spend practicing kata and technique. Actually, kata, as a series of set movements or patterns, can equate to songs or performance pieces, and basic techniques in karate can be compared to scales, music theory, or rhythm. I would imagine that there are similar comparisons to the mediums of painting, sculpting, or drawing as well. Kata, in fact, actually were "dances" meant to disguise the fighting arts in ways that the conquerors of Okinawa (for example) could not understand. Thus, the linkage between karate and the arts are perhaps irretrievably linked.
As far as how studying the martial arts (no matter what your age!) can help one achieve in other areas of life...well, first and foremost, karate requires discipline, dedication, determination, diligence, and any other "D" words I may have forgotten. Any goal requires the same. Having recently signed up to do a triathlon, I have several times stopped myself and thought, "what the heck am I doing? I'm not good at swimming, biking, or running!" But, I am pretty good at karate, or at least what it takes to get better at karate. So, while I won't "wow" anyone with my times, set any PRs, or finish the race looking as if I just went for a stroll in the woods, I do intend to finish. I also am very aware that it will take...guess what? HOURS of training!
The bottom line for anyone is not that if you want to be a better musician, artist, or dancer that you HAVE to study martial arts. However, the awareness of one's body and mind (zanshin) and the dedication and determination to do a thing and do it to the best of your ability can certainly enhance your art!
In my own small dojo, we have six individuals at nidan (2nd degree) rank. Of those six people, two are accomplished artists in painting and one is an experienced flute player. I have some musical aspirations, as well, in that I play bass guitar, bass steel drums, and baritone horn (hmm...notice a theme here?). While this is small evidence to "prove" my theory, the reality is that martial arts can enhance other endeavors, particularly those involving creativity and diligence. I know for a fact that musicians spend HOURS practicing their instruments, not unlike the HOURS we spend practicing kata and technique. Actually, kata, as a series of set movements or patterns, can equate to songs or performance pieces, and basic techniques in karate can be compared to scales, music theory, or rhythm. I would imagine that there are similar comparisons to the mediums of painting, sculpting, or drawing as well. Kata, in fact, actually were "dances" meant to disguise the fighting arts in ways that the conquerors of Okinawa (for example) could not understand. Thus, the linkage between karate and the arts are perhaps irretrievably linked.
As far as how studying the martial arts (no matter what your age!) can help one achieve in other areas of life...well, first and foremost, karate requires discipline, dedication, determination, diligence, and any other "D" words I may have forgotten. Any goal requires the same. Having recently signed up to do a triathlon, I have several times stopped myself and thought, "what the heck am I doing? I'm not good at swimming, biking, or running!" But, I am pretty good at karate, or at least what it takes to get better at karate. So, while I won't "wow" anyone with my times, set any PRs, or finish the race looking as if I just went for a stroll in the woods, I do intend to finish. I also am very aware that it will take...guess what? HOURS of training!
The bottom line for anyone is not that if you want to be a better musician, artist, or dancer that you HAVE to study martial arts. However, the awareness of one's body and mind (zanshin) and the dedication and determination to do a thing and do it to the best of your ability can certainly enhance your art!
Zanshin
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
How To Get Over Yourself...or How To Get Moving Again
I have been in a bit of a workout slump lately. I've been working out, but not as intensively or as mindfully as in previous weeks. Honestly, I'm not very motivated at the moment. Normally, I would resolve this by setting a goal. Well, I actually have a training goal in the form of a triathlon in August (super-sprint). Since I've not ever done a triathlon, I have been very enthusiastic about my new goal and have been trying to build up an aerobic and strength base in order to begin training more specifically in the coming months. But lately, I just haven't been real into much of anything, not even martial arts.
In order to solve my little dilemma, I decided to search for inspiration and as a woman of the 21st century, I began surfing the Internet for some type of help. Needless to say, I didn't get very far initially. Most of the websites or self-help advice I encountered was more along the lines of how to get motivation to exercise for weight loss. That wasn't really the help I was looking for...I haven't stopped working out. I have just felt flat. Finally, after sifting through a great deal of information and trying different keywords, I finally came across a very minimalist looking blog called Zenhabits (Breathe).
The author of the website, Leo Babauta, had some good advice for me and for anyone else who has been feeling a bit blah in their workouts lately. For one thing, the very first point he makes is that if you have lost motivation, maybe it's because you have too much going on in your life. Maybe you have too many goals. Maybe you have unavoidable responsibilities that must be attended to first before you can commit wholeheartedly to your workout goals. Or, as is frequently my case, you have not yet learned to say "no" and have gotten over-committed. Obviously, we cannot be responsibility-free. For me, it seems that my best bet is to "compartmentalize" a little more. It's difficult to focus on my workouts when I am still in "work mode" and worrying about all I have to do. As I mentioned in a previous post, before we enter the dojo to train, we stop at the door, bow, and say "Osu". This symbolically allows me to "let go" of the outside world for a bit. When I am in the dojo, I am there to train, to teach, and to be a karateka or a sensei. Sometimes, we have to be a little selfish in order to do this. Once you train, you bow at the door again and say "Osu," then you can symbolically pick up those outside responsibilities and, very likely, do so in a much better frame of mind. So while I can't necessarily lose my responsibilities and commitments, I can use my workouts to drop the anxious, work-mode world and be a much happier human.
Another point that the Zenhabits blog makes is that there is an "ebb and flow." As with anything else, there are ups and downs and motivation will not always be a constant. I'm willing to bet that even David Beckham or Michael Phelps suffer from a "low motivation" day. The ebb and flow could be related to outside sources. If you have a really big project at work, more of your energy will likely be absorbed by that out of necessity and not because you don't have interest in working out. Everyone has an off period and the advice here is just keep moving and, eventually, it will pass. For me, I am trying to keep in mind that daylight's savings isn't far away, nor is spring. Both of these events tend to make me look forward to my workouts, particularly those outdoor activities. As I will be training for a triathlon, my running and biking training will take me outdoors more and I am seriously excited about that.
Yet another point, especially for those of us Internet-addicted folks, is to read about your sport or activity. I've been reading several triathlon training websites, as well as some martial arts-related sites. I also saw a copy of Runner's World at my doctor's office and began reading about running. That helped give me a bit more enthusiasm for the running training I will be doing in a few short weeks (the first week of March is the beginning of my triathlon training, so yet another thing to look forward to!)
Ultimately, just like anything else that you truly care about, exercise, working out or training for a specific sport takes mental energy just as it takes physical energy. While I am not happy to be in the midst of a slump, I am gradually crawling out of it and am beginning to be excited about my new training goals. I also highly recommend checking out the Zenhabits website!
In order to solve my little dilemma, I decided to search for inspiration and as a woman of the 21st century, I began surfing the Internet for some type of help. Needless to say, I didn't get very far initially. Most of the websites or self-help advice I encountered was more along the lines of how to get motivation to exercise for weight loss. That wasn't really the help I was looking for...I haven't stopped working out. I have just felt flat. Finally, after sifting through a great deal of information and trying different keywords, I finally came across a very minimalist looking blog called Zenhabits (Breathe).
The author of the website, Leo Babauta, had some good advice for me and for anyone else who has been feeling a bit blah in their workouts lately. For one thing, the very first point he makes is that if you have lost motivation, maybe it's because you have too much going on in your life. Maybe you have too many goals. Maybe you have unavoidable responsibilities that must be attended to first before you can commit wholeheartedly to your workout goals. Or, as is frequently my case, you have not yet learned to say "no" and have gotten over-committed. Obviously, we cannot be responsibility-free. For me, it seems that my best bet is to "compartmentalize" a little more. It's difficult to focus on my workouts when I am still in "work mode" and worrying about all I have to do. As I mentioned in a previous post, before we enter the dojo to train, we stop at the door, bow, and say "Osu". This symbolically allows me to "let go" of the outside world for a bit. When I am in the dojo, I am there to train, to teach, and to be a karateka or a sensei. Sometimes, we have to be a little selfish in order to do this. Once you train, you bow at the door again and say "Osu," then you can symbolically pick up those outside responsibilities and, very likely, do so in a much better frame of mind. So while I can't necessarily lose my responsibilities and commitments, I can use my workouts to drop the anxious, work-mode world and be a much happier human.
Another point that the Zenhabits blog makes is that there is an "ebb and flow." As with anything else, there are ups and downs and motivation will not always be a constant. I'm willing to bet that even David Beckham or Michael Phelps suffer from a "low motivation" day. The ebb and flow could be related to outside sources. If you have a really big project at work, more of your energy will likely be absorbed by that out of necessity and not because you don't have interest in working out. Everyone has an off period and the advice here is just keep moving and, eventually, it will pass. For me, I am trying to keep in mind that daylight's savings isn't far away, nor is spring. Both of these events tend to make me look forward to my workouts, particularly those outdoor activities. As I will be training for a triathlon, my running and biking training will take me outdoors more and I am seriously excited about that.
Yet another point, especially for those of us Internet-addicted folks, is to read about your sport or activity. I've been reading several triathlon training websites, as well as some martial arts-related sites. I also saw a copy of Runner's World at my doctor's office and began reading about running. That helped give me a bit more enthusiasm for the running training I will be doing in a few short weeks (the first week of March is the beginning of my triathlon training, so yet another thing to look forward to!)
Ultimately, just like anything else that you truly care about, exercise, working out or training for a specific sport takes mental energy just as it takes physical energy. While I am not happy to be in the midst of a slump, I am gradually crawling out of it and am beginning to be excited about my new training goals. I also highly recommend checking out the Zenhabits website!
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