Motivation for training?

[Connoisseur]

Just wondering what got everybody here into training, striking/ grappling/ MMA/ whatever.

Personally, I became interested in MMA after getting sucker punched/ KO'd by a crackhead, without any provocation. After that, I decided to take up some kind of self defense so that wouldn't happen to me again.

I'd done Judo in the past (as a kid, didn't really remember anything), and so I went to a Hapkido gym (lol) where they taught me some nifty wrist/ fingerlocks. After becoming interested in MMA and dedicating myself to getting in shape (I went from a fat 250 to a lean 175 at 6'2, and have gradually lifted to fill out), I went to a jits gym (Legion BJJ) for a summer where I did no- gi and wrestling. The next summer, I took the plunge and bought a membership to Xtreme Couture and trained for 3 hours at a time 2-3 times a week, doing MMA/ boxing/ MT/ Jits/ Wrestling classes as they happened. This summer I trained at XC for a month and then at a Jits/ boxing gym while doing summer classes before I injured my knee (sprained MCL) a month ago. I'm looking to get back shortly.

But I digress. What're your training stories? I'm interested to see what compels people to train.

 

[c0r1nth14n]

I have some friends who are into martial arts, and I'd been meaning to do it forever, but I was working odd hours, and freelancing, and my life just wasn't stable enough for me to commit to it. Things settled down in January, I started doing muay thai, and I got hooked instantly. It would be hard for me to pinpoint exactly what it is that has me hooked, but I think a big part of it is a growing realization over the years that physical wellbeing is intrinsically tied to mental/emotional/spiritual wellbeing. I've generally been much more into stuff like computers, books, theology, and so on - not a whole lot of interests that kept me in great shape or pushed my body. Maybe 4 years ago i started to make the connection, gradually improved my eating habits, started exercising, things of that nature, and I was ready to take a big step forward.

 

[Connoisseur]

I agree with that. It's important to be well rounded, to be healthy in all aspects- physically, mentally, socially.

For me, training has become an engaging, challenging, and interesting way to stay in shape and push myself physically/ mentally. I've learned alot about myself just by seeing how much I can push myself, where I want to quit and finding a way/ motive to push through.

It's all about having a healthy and dynamic equilibrium between different aspects in your life. Like anything else, we all have our strengths and weaknesses.

 

[sh1tehawke]

i lifted weights for years but started to get a bit tired of it. was thinking whats the point of getting strong just for the sake of it?? so i took up kickboxing, initially just to get fit but have now found i love it and spend all day when i should be working, reading about training and tactics etc. :icon_chee

i like how it is incredible for you physically but also has a big mental side, there's a lot more too it than lifting weights.

 

[xilliun]

Always wanted to get into a striking art, there's a good muay thai gym just down the road from me ended up being a good match.

 

[neomage2021]

MY friend had been training for his amateur mma debut and his motorcycle died. HE asked if i coudl give him a ride for a week or so (the gym is 70 miles away). i said sure and since i was going to have to wait around for him anyway or go do something else I decided might as well give it a go.

I got a 30 min private form greg jackson and a 30 min private from the kick boxing coach before my first class. First class was kickboxing and it kicked my ass. After an hour of class and 30 mins of sparring i went to the grappling class and again got my ass kicked. IT was fun. I signed up that night and havent looked back since.

 

[mjw1]

I think I'm really just addicted to it though as a young kid I would go to my Dads Karate class where we would go out for pizza afterwards. I remember my first fight where I looked an older kid in the eyes and kicked him in the nuts. Then later about 14 I trained myself in an Okinawan Hybrid system of such where I later moved on to WC fought a full contact kickboxing match but then went away to a 4 year college after the community College and thought I grew out of MA until I then took a job with a Sheriffs Department and I stared the academy way out of shape so when I was done and back in shape I said I was lucky to get a second chance at being in shape so I kept running every week and started BJJ started competing in grappling tournaments where then about a year later I just had a big urge to "pound flesh" so I then started cross training in WC again and have been doing both WC & BJJ ever since......

 

[AllKnowing]

The most interesting way to stay in shape. Like another poster, I lifted a lot of weights but the same routine month after month just got boring. Not to mention, you were rarely ever put into a position to actually test your physical strength against another person.

Tried jujitsu for the first time back in 2007 and haven't looked back. Met some awesome people and learned self defense. Beats the hell out of the mindless weight lifting.

 

[ASEGSEA]

Originally I just wanted to take a self-defense class. Being in a smaller town, my options are limited, but I joined an Israeli self-defense course at a school that also has boxing and Muay Thai instructors. After a few months of the self-defense class, I read up on BJJ and how effective it was. Then I saw GSP on Primetime when he had a fight with Hardy coming up, and his philosophy about understanding losing is the difference between being more hungry than your opponent really stuck with me. So, between wanting more grappling technique, and seeing that MMA isn't just brawling, I joined up with the other two coaches, and have been training ever since.

What keeps me motivated to continue training is another question. Lately, boxing conditioning has been getting real repetitive. Bag work, plyometrics, blah blah blah. I enjoy sparring in the ring, but all that conditioning is repetitive, especially because I have different goals conditioning wise (need to get my heart rate down). Muay Thai is always fun, because we at least do drills. But for boxing all those Mountain climbers, running in circles--I get it helps you in the ring, I got that, but five hours a week of nothing but is burning me out.
So to continue motivation, I've decided to switch gyms all together and train with a strictly MMA studio. And they even said I'm good on my feet, and terrible on the ground. So learning more grappling is my motivator.

 

[Higus]

My initial reason was pretty simple: I get chubby when I don't work out, and jogging is boring. Today I find MMA mentally engaging, which helps keep me motivated to improve and get better. I like testing myself and tracking my improvement. The training is like making an investment on yourself because it gets you in shape, you gain confidence, and you learn to defend yourself.

 

[snowolf17]

similar to AllKnowings' i got bored with the weight room and wanted to mix it up. I love learning new things and really enjoy walking out of a class having learned a new sweep, submission, etc i also enjoy the competition with the other guys in my gym, its like a chess match to me. (especially BJJ)

 

[lucid]

Honestly, i trained tons earlier in life. Then i got very sick. Long story, i basically gave up training after my looooong health layoff.

i got back into it honestly because i was trying to impress a girl who was a top fighter. lol Well the girl didnt work out, but it motivated me to get back on the "path" and been doing it since.

I go cuz i'd miss the guys and my team i train with too much if i was gone for too long. theyre fun bunch of good guys. I enjoy training and enjoy the company... thats what i need atleast to keep going.

 

[spyu]

Growing up in Michigan about 25 yrs ago. I was the only Asian kid around and naturally got bullied all the time. Plus Bruce Lee was my idol. The two things naturally came together and I told my mom I wanted to learn Karate. She enrolled me into Tae Kwon Do. From there I have always been into learning different things that have to do with fighting. Got into some wrestling and muay thai down the road and joined the Marine Corps out of college and learned some of their stuff which is interesting.

 

[Clint07]

I started in order to stay in shape and learn more about striking in general. I keep up with it because it is fun.

 

[Connoisseur]

It seems like there are 2 common reasons for training- it's an engaging and fun way to get into/ stay in great shape, and for self defense because of bullying other things.

I for one am going back to my gym for the first time in a month+ this afternoon (knee injury), and fully expect it to kick my ass. There isn't anything else like it though. I can motivate myself to stretch & do some calisthenics at home (pushups/ pullups/ abwork), but I don't think i'll be lifting until the dead middle of the winter, it just gets so tedious after a while. It's good to be able to see your strength gains and improvements, and I like learning new workouts, but after a while, it's all the same.