Martial Arts is not a pastime, it’s a way of life

Martial Arts is not a pastime, it’s a way of life

My good friend said that Martial Arts is not a pastime, it’s a way of life. Thankfully, I’ve never had to say that Martial Arts is something I used to do. Admittedly, the only important endeavor in my life I ever gave up on was my marriage, and although I’ve made the best of that decision, there’s still a part of me deep inside that knows I was the one who gave in and stopped doing my best. I told myself I’m no longer in love with my wife. But the truth was that I no longer wanted to do the things necessary to stay in love with my wife. I think our martial arts practice is very similar. At the beginning of our journey, everything seems so new and exciting, and we put lots of effort into practice and gradually things seem mundane and less exciting so we stop trying as hard and, inevitably like my marriage, we tell ourselves we’re bored, or we have other things that get in the way. And like me, instead of reaffirming our commitment and efforts we quit never really understanding that the answer to staying in love with martial arts is to love the martial arts. To continue to work hard and reignite our passion every time we come to the dojo. For me and my marriage it’s too late, but for you and your journey to black belt and beyond, you always have a chance to stay in love with the martial arts. The answer always has been and always will be showing up to class, regardless of how you may feel and training with focus and diligence.

written by Renzo Gracie blackbelt Gene Dunn