How has your training changed you?

[AllanF]

training has become like a drug to me, in that if i don't do it i get tetchy and bad tempered. Mind you i was the same way when i played rugby if i didn't train or if i had a bad game i would be in a bad mood for a couple of days until i got back out there. So i guess IMA hasn't changed me, i was a moody git then and i am still a moody git! HAZAH!

[CaliG]

I believe my training has made me a lot more practical about martial arts and life in general. I originally came from a very esoteric school that was very big on qigong, meditation, spiritual development and healing. At one point I was even standing for 4 hours straight a day. While I believe I gained something from that I also believe that these skills are different from the skills you want in combat. Yes a body is body so I do believe you gain from qigong and so forth, but I don't believe that qigong alone will make you a good martial artist unless you understand how to properly train.

My teacher in China turned me on to how to do that. I went from believing that doing the forms and qigong alone was enough to understanding these arts to realizing that back in the day the founders did a whole lot more to reach their level of skill. Now my training is much more well-rounded and not only am I healthier (not fat) and my body is in much better shape overall.

I find I'm much more practical about other things in life too. For example I used to over-analyze people and situations but now I just don't care. I think doing combat sports has that effect on you, you realize that you have your good days, you have your bad days and other people aren't any different.

[johnwang]

I felt very lazy yesterday. I looked at my KB and told myself that I would just do one set and that would be all. After I did 1 set of KB, my body told me that I could finish the rest and I did. I then did my Gon rotation, single head, tree kicking, tree hanging, double heads, ... and I finished my 2 hours of equipment training that I did not feel like to do when I started it. After the training, I felt I had more energy than when I started. That kind of "good feeling after training" give me motivation for my training through my life.

[wiesiek]

..."That kind of "good feeling after training" give me motivation for my training..."

endorphine rusch rulez!
im with you John



couple days ago i was in crowded tram,
during the ride i realized that i don`t touch anybody,
it was "automatic" reaction of my body
very stange experience, quite different than years ago when i would stay like tank and any comuter will be bounced off
now,
im melting and changing the schape