Considering not training for a long time, advice?

hey guys, i dunno what to do really
basically ive not been to a single mma class for almost a month, not since the sean b seminar in essex. ive been telling myself its cos i didnt have any money but the fact is i spent the money as soon as i got it rather than set some aside for training like i used to. i think im definitely going tomorrow, hopefully to start making it a regular thing again. but a big part of me doesnt want to :(

you gotta understand, im a lazy guy lol i have trouble sticking to any routine or focusing for more than a week. so going to mma classes for a solid 4/5 months was a good accomplishment for me. but it feels like im not progressing at anywhere near the rate i should be. i guess one lesson a week isnt really gonna cut it, but thats pretty much all i can manage money wise, if i wanna keep it going.

sorry for ranting but i just cant find the motivation to bother with it right now and was wondering if any of you had any similar problems, and how you overcame them
thanks a bunch guys :)

If you can only manage one a week then do it once a week... just find something to keep you in shape or focused until you can go back.

Still too early for you to be hitting a plateau in your training, you just started! I think the probem arises from what you have already knowingly admitted; your lazy. Not really a desired trait when it comes to MMA training or any kind of physical activity, but the fact that your acknowledging your faults is the first step towards reversing it. In a nutshell; stop being lazy, if you address the underlying reasons of why you find yourself to be such a sloth perhaps you'll find new reasons to take your training more seriously. And while I don't encourage belt chasing, set a goal to recieve your blue belt by the end of the year and you may find a new pool of motivation to draw from. Hope some of this helps, good luck!

Consistency = The secret to getting better. Its hard to show up regularly and not get better.

Like Compella suggested, take a hard look at while you are lazy. Being lazy is a symptom to something much bigger. It could be a number of things. I always suggest to start by taking a look at your eating habits*, most people's diet is horrendous. A poor diet can lead to sloth like behavior.






* considering there isn't all ready a pre-exsisting know issue.

To get motivated, watch some MMA HLs. They almost always get me pretty pumped, especially before a class.
And if you feel like you are plateau-ing, look up moves on the youtube. Study them and try to pull them off in class.

The internet is a wonderful resource; use it!

I would say that you do not like mma as much as you think you do. You like it to a point to watch the UFC's, youtube videos and forums. You like it enough to talk about it on your daily life, etc. But you do not like it enough to a point where it will beat your laziness. If laziness is overcoming something that means that there is not enough fire in you. I'll give you an example. Some days I would just have 0 interest in going to the gym. I mean, I would want to come home earlier, get to do some internet warrioring, socialize with some girls, study for my classes a bit more, basically doing things that I did not have time for when I was training 5 days a week. I also had episodes where I would come out of school and this irresistible urge would tell me to just go home, make some dinner and relax. Right then and there I would think my goals of getting better, I would think of me getting smashed by purple belts that are half my size, I would think of that moment where I shot the triangle and got my guard passed and mounted at the same time due to lack of technique and being weak. These thoughts would fuel me to overcome that relaxing feeling of going home, I would direct my 95 4runner to the gym and get on the mat. I would still get smashed by someone better but on the way out, I would feel much better almost proud of myself knowing i put in the time, and I am just a bit better than I was this morning. A bit more stronger, athletic and technical. Try it out. It may help you.
By the way I do not train mma, I only do jiu-jitsu and your issue may also be due to the mma training. Not a whole lot of people want to admit it but mma training is fairly hard on your body and taking shots to the head during sparring "our guys spar 4-5 times a week I am not sure how is it over there" can easily discourage a prospective student. It may also be the fact that mma training is intended for your to get better in every aspect of the game, clinch, wrestling, boxing, kicking, take downs, submissions etc.. If you are only training once or twice a week, your learning curve is not going to be very steep hence you may get bored after a while since you are not showing a lot of improvement for the time that were training for. In that case, you could try to stick to just jiujitsu and get better at that aspect of the game. You will see that you are learning and understanding concepts a bit better and this may re-ignite the fire in you to train.

Dude not good, If once a week a is all you can do so be it. I think the guys have hit the nail right on the head. You need to ask yourself if you really want to do it. I can only do 1 class a week due to work and family commitments but I do it because I enjoy it. But then I enjoy all kinds of training. I think you need to find a buddy who can push and motivate you to improve and to train.

Small Steps Karim, try not to focus your attentions on the negative aspects and more on the positive aspects. Also don't think of all the negative things as a collective, take one thing you are not happy with and work just on that till you are happy with it, you have to approach things from different angles and perspectives. Look at the good things you have already and build on them while at the same time improving the not so good things little by little, look back at what you have achieved already and look ahead to what you want to achieve and set yourself small achievable, realistic goals. That way every time you accomplish your goal you will be left with a great sense of achievement and satisfaction. Sometimes we look at what's ahead and are easily mentally beaten before we even start, this is your first step, don't look too far ahead just keeping chipping away at it my friend and before you know it you will surprise yourself. Del (via Sarah's account)

I never really consider quitting, but every time the notion of quitting as a possibility enters my mind the next thought then is immediately "well, what would I rather do with my life?" and the answer is "Nothing." That's how I know I'm a martial artist. After almost three years full time that fire is still there, I still run my body into the ground trying to get better. You should ask yourself the same question and answer honestly because the fact is maybe you SHOULD quit, maybe you'd be happier doing something else, you just gotta figure out what it is you want and fucking go for it brother.

Man it really boils down to will you regret it. If the answer is yes then how can you? I make so many financial and career sacrafices to continue being able to train at the times I do because life just isn't as good without it.

I have found it very useful to have a system in place in order to hold myself accountable and monitor my progress. With a system in place you impose discipline on yourself. Over time you can tailor the system to fit your personality and needs. As time progresses, your adherence to the system, or lack of adherence, will be a great aid in revisiting what you really want from training and/or life in general. Some suggestions:

Write out what you want to achieve and hang it where you will see it every day. You can have a primary goal (i.e. I will train x number of days this week, one day at a particular school and the other days drilling on my own) and then the steps you plan to take to acieve it (i.e. what will you do, when will you do it, for how long etc.). Allow yourself the flexibilty to adjust as you go. Don't be too hard on yourself, but hold yourself accountable. Without a goal in mind your could be wasting a tremendous amount of time and effort. The goal does not have to be elaborate. Start simple and grow from there. It is amazing how many people really do not know what they want. Accept that it is ok to chage your mind and your direction.


When you have written down what you want, keep a training journal (which at first could simply take the form of a checklist and grow from there) of what you do each week. Again, start out simple. As you fill the journal you will see what has been accomplished. That can be incredibly motivating and be a great tool in reflecting on your goal(s). You may come to realize your original goal(s) were dead on or need to be re-evaluated.

Regarding training. You can do a lot of drilling/supplementary training on your own. It would be nice to have more time at a school with people of a like mind, but that is not always possible. Personally, as a father of three, and working full-time, I can relate to issues of limited resources (money) and limited time. But, use what you have (i.e. park, heavy bag etc.). I have mats in my basement and a grappling dummy, and I drill, drill drill.

I hope this helps. Best of luck on your path wherever it takes you.