I've really cut down on the frequency of my training lately, only once per week, not due to wanting to train less but more because of personal circumstances. But it got me thinking about people who do cut down training because they have hit a slump, and how might they get past that.

How might you get past a feeling of slugishness, of not wanting to train. Do you stop training and run the risk of going backwards, perhaps never to train again. Do you only train minimally even if you no longer feel the enthusiasm you once might have. Is there a magic cure to a training slump?

Has anyone gone through this and if so, how did you remotivate?

Sometimes I have cut back on training and just kept going knowing that it was just a slump and it'd pass. I'd push myself to go because I knew I usually felt good after training.

Other times I've just taken a break - like taking a holiday from it. A few weeks off then go back when I've planned I ought to go back, and not put it off longer with excuses, reasons and whining. Plus I'd have to stay home with SWMBO if I didn't (and nobody needs to repeat that thankyouverymuch).

These days I've substituted time off with visiting other clubs - not other classes but completely different clubs. This lets me go to a training session with no real expectations being placed on me, no feelings of I need to learn anything in particular or take anything away from it, and anything I do get out of it is a bonus. And usually I do learn something, often something I would never have thought of on my own or something that I do similarly or completely differently to how others do it. Then I might start thinking about the similarity or difference and how it compares and then something else might grow from that.


Mick

That's a good idea - training elsewhere in something different. It was something I noticed when I started cross-training in goju and I also did ju jitsu for a couple of weeks, just to see what it was like. I got my oomph back and it revitalised my GKR karate... for a while anyway.

Tbh, I dont think I've gone through a goju slump, something to do with the huge depth and variety of the style I guess but I love going to my combat arena classes once a month - the principles are the same and I find it actually helps me understand some of the goju moves better which, in turn, makes me want to get straight back to class to try it out.

I've gone through a few slumps. Mine usually manifest themselves as a severe lack of confidence in my ability; the "oh god, I'm shite" feeling. The last big one was about a year ago, just before my 4th kyu grading.

I guess the "cure" is different for everyone, as is the reason, but the way I seem to be able to drag myself out of it is to concentrate on the basics for a while. By that I mean I work on what I'm good at. Nothing fancy or clever - simple stuff that I know I can do and do well. I effectively boost my own confidence and make myself see that there's more that I'm good at than that I suck at.

For the things i do suck at, I'll deal with them one at a time, else the "i'm crap" syndrome might creep in again. Improve one thing, then move onto the next.

I wouldn't really call my problem a 'slump' as such, as I still train once monday, twice wednesday, and once friday. The thing is, I've stopped training at thursday senior training for some reason.

I think I accidentally missed it one week, and then every following week I've missed it again, and now it's become a habit; 6 weeks on and counting.

I know the instant I get to the class and train in it, I'll start going regularly, but I can't seem to find the 'oomph', as people call it, to go back.

I had a bit of a slump pushed onto me earlier this year.

I was working in a casual job, and thus was training Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday (and teaching wednesday as well), thursday, and friday.
Then I had a really good job offer come along, and couldn't really refuse it on the basis of karate.
Not only now do I miss out on training during the day, but I start work really early, meaning that seniors class is still going when I should be in bed!
Add injury issues to that, and I had to cut back severly on my training, so ended up only with a sunday and tuesday class.

For someone as as I am, that was really hard to deal with.

But slowly things are getting better. My injury is getting better, I can see my progress, no matter how slow it is, and I'm now teaching on a much better day.


So to concur with most people, I believe time is that main thing. Eventually you'll get out of the slump - just hang in there,

I'm having to cut down on training. My daughter doesnt want to go as much now so its not fair on my wife to have the daughter all the evenings whilst I train.

The slump. I feel the slump a hell of a lot. I'm not nearly as good as I wonna be. As a result, I wonder why the hell I bother!...
If I give up though, I may never know how good I could get.

"One of the greatest scientific warriors, Thomas Edison, fought to create a practical incandescent light bulb with a weapon much greater than a club. After nearly two years and over 1,000 attempts Edison created the light bulb in 1879.

Thomas Edison’s inspiration was strong even during his last failed attempts. Through action, Thomas Edison has become arguably one of our most influential inventors in the past century."

Don't give up

Edison had about 2000 tries before he successfully made a lightbulb. His response was along the lines of "I found 2000 ways not to make a lightbulb".

At the moment due to health issues, I've been getting dizzy spells and collapsing a fair bit, I've had to cut down on the amount of training I'm doing. Given that for most of last year I was doing 5 or 6 classes a week and I'm now down to 2, it's a fairly big setback. I also sustained a chest injury at the last NAS tournament which meant that for the past 4 weeks I haven't been able to train at all and when I do pick it up again I have to go slow and no sparring for another few weeks after that. So with one thing and another my training has slumped this year, but I'm not going to stop just because of it. It'll take awhile to get back to where I was but if I keep training to any degree, I'm fairly certain that I'll start seeing some imporvements. no matter how small, again and then just keep building on that until I start some bigger improvements

It's odd though, I felt in more of a slump before I couldn't train at all but for the last few weeks having to go to tournament training and seniors but not be able to do what everyone else was doing (especially the kicking exercise, hoe boy am I sorry I missed out on that one!) has kind of re-motivated me to get back into training and start picking up another class or two.

Recently I've found out, (and I hope this makes sense!?), the more lessons I attend each week, the more wieght I lose!.

QUOTE (Darkwing Duck @ Sep 21 2006, 06:02 PM)

I've really cut down on the frequency of my training lately, only once per week, not due to wanting to train less but more because of personal circumstances. But it got me thinking about people who do cut down training because they have hit a slump, and how might they get past that.

How might you get past a feeling of slugishness, of not wanting to train. Do you stop training and run the risk of going backwards, perhaps never to train again. Do you only train minimally even if you no longer feel the enthusiasm you once might have. Is there a magic cure to a training slump?

Has anyone gone through this and if so, how did you remotivate?

I 'quit' karate in July last year and started back at the start of February this year. Many reasons for stopping training but the experience in itself has been pretty frustrating. It wasn't a huge break by any account, however, I personally felt as if I came back with less vigor and subsequently found it difficult to return to a reaonable skill level by my standards. I was basically kicking myself that I didn't have the fortitude to just push through everything that was going on. I graded to 4th kyu in June and for a little while felt great. In recent months I have had a massive slump, where similar to markp, I just felt totally crap, I had very little will to go to training, and though I did train in all of my usual classes, there was just the little part of me that was missing. My approach this time was probably the better option. I have accepted that craziness at uni probably did result in an inability to devote myself to training, but staying dedicated to training every week leaves the door wider open when it comes to getting remotivated.

In my case, in the past week or so, I took a look at why I was still training and decided that being disillusioned with my ability was doing nothing for my progress. In my case, karate has very much been the biggest (and most fulfilling) part of my life and that was built on a genuine love for it - a love that seemed to have gone missing. I have opted to focus on ENJOYING every class I go to above doing everything to a certain standard, and my past two classes have been THE BEST I have done in months. So I guess what I mean to say is - keep training and always keep some perspective on why you are going to the dojo in the first place.

I first really started going to karate to get fit - then I realised that the only reason why I was getting fit was because I was cycling 4 miles a night to go and train!
So then I started to get into the whole kata thing, and realised that there was so much more I didn`t know. So I trained in other styles, and with other people, and in other forms of Martial-Art - and eventually travelled much further than I thought I would!

I still don`t know what I want out of my training, and I know I`m still only at a fairly basic level - but God help me, I`ll get there one day, and I know i`ll have had a damn good time getting there! Whether it be a medal at a tournament, or training with numerous dan grades - and those styles which didn`t need `em...

So maybe, the trick to beating training slumps is to seek out a new form, and maybe you`ll find something that will help you to carry on, Tai-Chi has helped my karate enormously, not only with my state of mind but my sparring and kate...

I was about to start a new post about how I wasnt feeling like doing Karate much anymore when I found this post.

I guess this is what you call a Training slump.
Im due to grade to 2nd Kyu.
Actully Grading was last night...I didnt go.
I just dont feel up to it lately.
Dont get me wrong. when I train I love it I feel that buzz. I enjoy it.
But the problem is it quickly fades,and I go back to thinking of reasons to not go.
Is there a way to beat this?
Other than changing styles that is.

Oh very nicely said.

Take a break. Thats all i can say. Take a break from the bullshit (read the forums for more info on THAT little chestnut ), the politics and the pressure.

Read the forums....Ive just finished a month or 2 endeavour to actually read the forum from beginning to end.
I realised last time I was on that I ignored the people that mattered and trusted the people who didnt.
Ive also enjoyed reading how you have all grown in your journey.
Though I have to say that There are some exellent posts in the earlier less cynical times.

I'm slowly getting out of a slump at the moment. Basically the club's Xmas break was TWO MONTHS long, and I got comfortable with staying home every weeknight.

It's great now, I actually have to use my brain in class.

nyeh.. I have been slumpy for a couple of months now. Graded to 3rd kyu a few weeks ago but am beginning to think that if I decided to stop training today, it wouldn't really be a big deal to me. In saying that, I do know why I am so out of it.. but if only I was motivated enough to do something about it!

I totally know where your coming from there.
Mind you, nearly 15 months and I still can't do a round kick! It's really begining to bring me down.

Why can't you do a round kick? Injury?

Mike

[hijack]




You read the ENTIRE forum???? Man, theres some stuff buried back there I'd rather stay buried



Yeah.... things were mellower then.


[/hijack]

One leg?


I hope there's no one-legged people to read that

Anon

Just not good enough

Have you tried breaking the movement down into its component parts to see which bit is causing you problems? Take particular note of
1. where the foot of your supporting leg is pointing
2. making sure the supporting knee is point in the same direction (as the foot)
3. where the knee of the kicking leg is pointing (often people get it wrong by allowing the knee to point downwards, out of line with the direction you're kicking in).
4. making sure the knee of the supporting leg is bent.

Try kicking gedan to get a feel for the kick without having to worry about flexibility. Also try kicking from the front leg to make it easier to get the pivot of the supporting leg and alignment of the hip right (you could do this on the spot or by sliding the rear leg towards the front leg before kicking).

Hope that's of some use, although I appreciate you've probably looked at most of these things already.

Mike

I thought as soon as I graded to orange belt I was supposed to turn into an annoying Know it all . Maybe I have in the respect that I know that all my techniques are rubbish and needing some serious work. My worst is definately my round kicks...I know the (main) problem....I just can't seem to pivot the foot of my supporting leg, it just sticks stubbornly to the spot. I am definately going through a bit of a slump I haven't missed any lessons (well not since deciding to go back) but the motivation is definately lacking at the moment. I do miss my old Sensei in GKR but it isn't just that because I feel the same about the other training I do. I go but my heart just isn't in it.....Generally I just feel sooooooo cr*p at it all and pushing past that to try and improve is proving hard work at present.

Sorry for that ramble

Yes, Mike, I've tried all these. Your point's are most valid and should be practiced by all any way. But my guess is, a great many who attend a dojo do not practice at home too.

My "not good enough" remark was hastely put. I never had the time to post my reasons.
I'm extremely inflexable. My sidewards split's only gets as good as about 4' My leg length is 32'' and I'm 5'9'' tall. You address this matter in your post.
My other problem, the biggest one. I've had a reccuring hip complaint for approximatly 16 years. It's been so bad that I can't put any weight on it at all. Like right now! And yet I can go months without any pain at all.
I have been to the doctors and hospital many times. Each time I come away with the sense that they think I'm a hypacondriac. As they find nothing to be causing any pain.
Front and back kick's are rarely a problem. But Some stances and kicks are going to hold me back.
I've had to miss three dojo sessions lately. We are requierd to attend twice aweek for grading sake. If we cant make twice just make the time up on another week. Its grading time at the end of this month. I doubt I can make it!
Thats enough to get me ina slump for now!
Sorry I seem to be a tad bit misrable on this post but I'm suffering as I type.

Si

Congrats Jess. Why didn't you go "hey everyone, I graded" instead of "I graded. Meh."?


Mick

What about stretching to the front. Are your hamstrings flexible enough in that direction?



Therein lies the problem by the sound of it. Especially if your answer to the above question was 'yes'. You may have to agree with your instructor that you can only do roundhouse kicks to gedan, or perhaps not even do them at all. If the hip is that bad, you shouldn't be repeatedly doing something that will aggravate it. That is, if your absolutely certain that correctly performed roundhouse kicks do aggravate the problem. If so, speak to the instructor about your concerns. I've had to do this myself because of knee problems. Initially you may meet some resistance, but any decent instructor should try to help you work around it (if they don't then they simply don't deserve you as a student). Even if the instructor is fine about it, you may run into aggravation with others in the dojo, particularly the newer dan grades. Stand your ground. Just keep reiterating your stated position ("I don't do roundhouse kicks, they damage my hip" or whatever it is). If you demonstrate your willingness to push hard in other areas of training eventually they will accept that you're not just being soft and whining, although it may take some of them a little time.

I had exactly that experience in one dojo. I'd explain that I couldn't possibly kick high enough or frequently enough with my bad leg to 'forge my kicks into truly powerful weapons'. Some of the younger dan grades would get stroppy if I refused to kick whilst they were teaching. But when they saw how enthusiastically I would 'forge' my other weapons (how willing I was to go the extra mile) they understood that I wasn't a malingerer and accorded me the appropriate respect.



Don't let that wear you down. Many back complaints, for example, do not appear to be physical in origin - as far as any doctor can tell on examination or diagnostic scan. And many people are found, on postmortem, to have had serious issues with their back that, in life, never caused them any problems. Bottom line is the human organism is highly complex and medical science is nowhere near as knowledgeable as doctors would like to believe.

If the medical profession is unable to help you will have to find your own solutions by trial and error.



Which stances out of interest? Any kicks other than roundhouse?

Mike

Thanks Mick. as for why? lots of reasons - meh - not even going there..

Sounds fairly typical. When you have an injury the body naturally tenses up the surrounding muscles to better protect the injured part. This will tend to limit movement generally. When the injury is acute that's an excellent response, but less so when the problem is chronic (ie. long-lasting). Sounds like you have a chronic issue that's punctuated by acute exacerbations.



Good, it really helps to have the understanding and support of your dojo mates when it comes to injuries. Its nice to hear of dojos that don't have a short-sighted macho attitude towards injury.



Wholeheartedly agree!



That's encouraging, in that stances are generally OK - its only when you have an acute episode that the pain and tension becomes associated with other postures/movements. Fairly indicative to me that things should go well as long as you're able to either avoid or appropriately modify roundhouse kicks.

Let us know how you get on over time.

Mike

*Sigh*

Man oh man, I haven't been here in a long while, and so I am hijacking a slightly old topic... >.>

I seem to be in a slump of sorts that I can not get out of. It's like I have a glass wall between me and my training; I want to go, but I don't want to go either...

When I finally manage to make myself go, which takes a lot of effort, I enjoy the class immensely. I'm actually happy I went the instant I'm at the dojo...

It's just the whole... Getting there... And with a Sho Dan grading next up, I really should be focused, but I pretty much have the feeling of "I just don't care", until I'm actually training...

This isn't like other slumps I've had, so I'm not sure how to tackle this...