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Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
LOL Don! That’s one of my favorite cartoon moments.
Y’know, maybe Crash and I are girly-men (I mean, I do have a Disney princess on my current profile pic), but I think some of our comments illustrate the unspoken sentiment that if one asks for “help” in KM (i.e. go slower or easier so one can learn), one will be considered weak, slow or too uncoordinated to learn the techniques.
Please note that by no means do I think KM classes should be “easy”, because the street ain’t “easy”, but I think it’s important to remember that self-defense skills are something EVERYONE should have or at least be able to learn, not just the young, strong and athletic among us.
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
quote Magpie:Y’know, maybe Crash and I are girly-men (I mean, I do have a Disney princess on my current profile pic), but I think some of our comments illustrate the unspoken sentiment that if one asks for “help” in KM (i.e. go slower or easier so one can learn), one will be considered weak, slow or too uncoordinated to learn the techniques.Or, you’ll be seen as someone who wants to learn and is determined to get it right. thumbsup
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
Maybe I have a different take on this I don’t know but my personal 2 cents is I don’t teach techniques as much as I try and teach a mindset that empowers students to have the confidence they have the tools to deal with a bad situation.
It’s the “I refuse to be a victim” mantra that gets them back off the ground when their heads about to be stomped on, when a large man grabs a smaller female she does whatever it takes to go home safe etc.
I feel that proper training starts with you, and how you personally dig down to find motivation.
You don’t need to be young, strong or athletic; you need to be motivated to survive.But hey that’s just my opinion I could be wrong.
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
quote Crash20:Then one weekend morning on the way to class I feel my gym bag suddenly and forcefully move. I had it slung across my shoulder and back. My response was completely different than the pre Krav Maga me. I turned instantly to see what and who was doing whatever. This young homeless guy or so he seemed was just walking away with his eyes averted.
I kept staring at him sure that he had just tried to either swing at me or at least do something to the bag. I stood still and kept my eyes on him he eventually turned to me looked right at me and opened his arms wide as if to say so what. To my surprise I stood right there and did the same. I was not walking away and I was not going to have him come running after me and attack me from behind. Fortunately nothing happened he walked on and I went on to class and kept my eyes opened.quote CJs Dad:Maybe I have a different take on this I don’t know but my personal 2 cents is I don’t teach techniques as much as I try and teach a mindset that empowers students to have the confidence they have the tools to deal with a bad situation.It’s the “I refuse to be a victim” mantra that gets them back off the ground when their heads about to be stomped on, when a large man grabs a smaller female she does whatever it takes to go home safe etc.
I feel that proper training starts with you, and how you personally dig down to find motivation.
You don’t need to be young, strong or athletic; you need to be motivated to survive.
But hey that’s just my opinion I could be wrong.
Crash, it sounds to me like you may have learned more Krav than you give yourself credit for, at least the way CJs Dad defines it (and he knows a helluva lot more about it than you or I.) The way you handled that situation is pure Krav. It’s all about attitude and you are the only one who can do anything about that. Try to be happy that you have learned as much as you have instead of being bummed about what you haven’t learned yet. Glass half full, pal.
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
quote catapult:Try to be happy that you have learned as much as you have instead of being bummed about what you haven’t learned yet.Word, Cat. This week I went to a couple of L1 classes because I’m easing back into KM after an injury and also my mental funk 😉 Besides, I like to review and refine my basic techniques as much as I can; I feel it makes me a better L2 and KM student in general.
Anyway, in each class there were a couple of newbies who I was happy to train with and encourage. I’m not tooting my own horn or downing their performances, but working with them really showed me how far I’ve come in my relatively short time in KM. It made me feel a lot better about myself. 🙂
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
quote Magpie:LOL Don! That’s one of my favorite cartoon moments.Y’know, maybe Crash and I are girly-men (I mean, I do have a Disney princess on my current profile pic), but I think some of our comments illustrate the unspoken sentiment that if one asks for “help” in KM (i.e. go slower or easier so one can learn), one will be considered weak, slow or too uncoordinated to learn the techniques.
Please note that by no means do I think KM classes should be “easy”, because the street ain’t “easy”, but I think it’s important to remember that self-defense skills are something EVERYONE should have or at least be able to learn, not just the young, strong and athletic among us.
Someone once told me “slow is smooth, smooth is accurate, accurate is deadly.” Wonder who that was… Just kidding, it has been beaten into me by CJ’s Dad :abx:
But that’s the point of KM… techniques that work for the average person. Leverage over brute strength.
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
Ok Thanks for the support. I am not sure what the comment about being a girly man refers to, but whatever. Going slow is great and helpful I have no problem with that. Going a little faster and a little harder is no problem also because it helps with developing my aggression. I think I have mentioned that one of the problems I have is that I am one of the larger guys in the class. I therefore get two main reactions, guys who what at first to work with me and then they move on to the other guys and people who want to work with people their own size. The end result is that I end up with the new guy which is fine but allot of times this new person has no idea of the routine and you end up trying to proctor them through the exercise which is a big no no or you end up waiting until the instructor gets to you to help the newbie out and in the mean time you don’t get the practice you need or worse the person is so uncoordinated that it is almost impossible to get the exercise done at all most likely they are just nervous. So there has been one very big change in the school. The workshops are no longer opened to all the white belts it is by invitation only and no longer costs anything. Also no teaching is done in the workshops, you will be told this needs to fixed or that and you can or can not test on date so and so. I’ve been in class and practicing on my own as much as I can. They are really trying their best to get the white belts through to the testing asking each time what is holding you back. The problem is that my corrections are all over the place. One day it is you are not maintaining your defensive stance during the 360 which they have done more often now, one is the need more shoulder with my strikes and more pivot. My elbows still come out to far during my strikes and my fist is not tight enough I do get some positive feed back my forward roll is still off but improved and occasionally I get a good on some of my techniques stuff. I forget who said it but you’re right the classes are filled with yellow belts trying to clean up their moves. In fact one guy who became a yellow belt a month or so ago and was there when I started classes has a some what off round house and I was surprised that he was allowed to move on with that. I know I know don’t compare your right. So not sure where I stand. If I had a yellow belt I would most likely still be in the same classes working on improving my foundation which is where I am now but I would also be working on the newer stuff as well. In a few weeks this all ends and I have to figure out one how to practice on my own and make the corrections. Two if I go back to it or do I give up completely or try some other form of self defense. If i decide to start practicing again do I go back to this school or do I try another. One thing I have decided is that three times a week is not enough and I sparring or training partner would be helpful. At any rate cheers and thanks for all the guidance.:beer:
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
By “girly-men” I meant no insult; it was a reference to the old SNL “Hans and Franz” skits, in which any guy who was not big, buff and tough was called a “girly-man”. I often feel like one compared to all the big, buff and tough dudes in my classes.
For what it’s worth, I ALWAYS can find things to improve in the execution of my techniques. I try to improve one or two things at a time. For example, today in class I may focus on recoiling my punches faster. Next class I may focus on being sure to pivot when delivering a strike. And so on. It’s a lot easier than trying to improve everything at the same time.
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
Crash, I think you may be overthinking all of this. Some of the things you are concerned about – for example, keeping your elbows down when punching – are things that people work on long past their L1 test. (if it makes you feel better, I’ve seen instructors correct a L3 about his elbows) They are not looking for perfection at this point – just knowledge of the techniques, and more importantly, that you don’t give up during the test. If you make a mistake during a defence, keep going, don’t stop and try to start over, improvise and keep going. Different instructors will give you different feedback – it can be confusing at times, but eventually, everything they said will come together.
Good luck – I hope you get to test soon so you can stop agonizing! Once it’s done, you will realize that it was one of the hardest things you’ve ever done – and one of the best things you’ve ever done!
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
i know the belts are great and it’s always nice to be recognized for your accomplishments,but to me at least,the ultimate question you need to ask yourself is are you better prepared now, after taking Krav to defend yourself and your loved ones than you were before you trained? If the answer yes,i’d call that a win and continue to improve from there.Just how i see things YMMV.
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
When I started KM, I was out of shape and very little MA experience (middle school TKD). It took me about a year to pass level 1 and about a year or more for each level after that. I saw plenty of folks pass me up. After I felt ready, I took the test. It was never about the level, but being confident in my technique. I’ve been sitting at my current level for a few years now. I don’t feel ready for the test yet.
I thought briefly about trying out other MA’s, but ultimately stayed in KM. KM by design is easier to learn, retain, and execute than other traditional MA’s. I felt that I would get the most out of spending my time and money in KM than MMA or BJJ.
You seem determined to succeed in KM. Put in the training and you’ll be fine.
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
Hey hope all of you are well and had a great holiday. I worked myself but for a number of reasons did decide to take a little time off from classes. My right shoulder was bothering me. It started months ago with the first forward roles we were practicing and then I did something in the gym and then you add all of the repetitive motions from the class to say nothing of the physical nature of my job. Of course one of the other reason was to give myself some time to think things over. I most likely will go back and finish out my membership in june. After that I will have to decide if I should continue which I would like to. Then the question becomes where do I continue when I’m ready to return. The same school or try a new place. The biggest question is how do I practice on my own and truly be ready to return on top of my game. I am also looking for some inspiration to help keep me on the path any ideas.
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
It’s a good idea to take some time off if you have an injury. Better to take some time off now rather than risk it becoming a serious or permanent injury. I would suggest you do some shadow boxing at home – it’s a great way to work on your technique. YouTube has loads of good videos that can help. It also has a ton of crappy ones – so I would stick to KMW ones, and I also really like Kevin Mack’s vids. While they do not replace attending classes in person, they are great reviews for what you’ve learned in class.
Have a look at these by Darren Levine and Eyal Yanilov:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNaGEuDYCDI&list=FLXsD0LOVjOmvJm1L0SaUh3g&index=18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6blxK02E7U&list=FLXsD0LOVjOmvJm1L0SaUh3g&index=16
Good luck!
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
quote Crash20:I am also looking for some inspiration to help keep me on the path any ideas.At a certain point you have to stop looking to everyone else for inspiration and look to yourself. If you can’t dig deep and find the motivation/inspiration to train then no amount of words from any of us will be able to supply it for you.
Re: Can’t get pass the white belt level and now I can’t sleep
quote PinkGloves:At a certain point you have to stop looking to everyone else for inspiration and look to yourself. If you can’t dig deep and find the motivation/inspiration to train then no amount of words from any of us will be able to supply it for you.This^
The only person who can make you train is yourself. You can feel inspired by watching/reading something, but that effect will probably wear itself off within a month or two.
There is someone that I know whom I partner up with from time to time. His techniques are not as sharp as they should be for his level, and it takes him a while to understand the techniques. But he is there, in class, at least 3 times a week. He has plenty of heart, and because he keeps showing up he is getting better every time he trains. I use to be able to light him up while sparring, but since he’s gotten better, I have to be more cautious of his counters.
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