Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Martial Addiction
Old Guy Xingyi
Hi, my name is D.R.
-(Hi D.R.!)
I'm addicted to Xingyi.
That's why I entered the 12-Animal, 5-Element form program.
I know I've had bad habits.
But I can get better every day in every way.
It started when I had my first taste of Tai Chi Chuan.
Sure, all the cool guys were doing Karate, I tried it and used it for years.
I was a glutton for punishment.
I often found myself on the floor.
I had injuries I couldn't explain.
I thought I could get by just using Karate.
But I had never tried the Chinese stuff.
A guy offered me a little Tai Chi Chuan.
He said I already used Karate, and I wouldn't get hooked.
And that's when I got in deep.
There was so much resource material, and I wanted to sample all the varieties.
I tried Bagua, and found my life spinning in circles.
Finally, I got in with a group of guys in the city. They were messing around with Xingyi.
I thought; "Hey, all the guys are doing it".
And before I knew it, I was chasing the Xingyi Dragon and had the Xingyi Monkey on my back.
I often find myself really drawing inward and doing some Xingyi all alone.
I mainly use it for maintenance now, but every so-often I really cut loose with friends.
So, I'm here to discuss my addiction, and hear the stories of other martial addicts-
And seek serenity in the Martial Arts...
Hi D.R.,
ReplyDeleteI am Strange and I am a martial addict. I got punched a bunch as a kid, so I decided to spend some years as a puncher. My youthful metabolism could handle it...and I wasn't addicted. But little did I know Tae Kwon Do is a gateway art.
My life used to be a straight line. Then I found Aiki and it sent my head in circles. I often hit the aiki so hard I stumble around the room until I fall over. I will stand back up and do it again and again.
Sometimes I will get into the hard stuff and go on a judo binge. One of my buddies will ask, "you want some of this judo?" I respond, "twist my arm!" One taste of that is like having your feet sweep away. The shame, the harsh come down - I usually open my eyes to find a fat dude sitting on my head.
Worst of all I found the blogosphere, where other addicts hide when they can't train and tell everyone else how addicted they are. It's sick. We even track our addiction and have ratings.
*sobbing*
I don't have a martial addiction. I can quit anytime I want!
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I have quit several times already. Sometimes, I've had instructors move away or close their schools on me.
Sometimes, I've had injuries, like the sprained shoulder I had in 1981 or the knee injury three years later.
Sometimes, I've been broke and couldn't afford to pay for lessons.
Sometimes, I just plain burnt out.
But I always come back because I don't know what else I can do that is as good for my mental and physical health as martial arts.
Go ahead, vent, let it out my martial brothers...
ReplyDeleteAnd remember, there is a higher power- the elixer of life... Beer.
admitting it is the important first step.....
ReplyDeleteBeen running the Chinese stuff for a while myself. Some days it can be 10, maybe 12 animal forms.
ReplyDelete(Nice piece. DR)