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Old 04-18-2006, 09:11 AM   #17
John Brockington
Dojo: Retsushinkan/Birmingham, AL
Location: Birmingham, AL
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 65
United_States
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Re: Deepening Our Training

I hope this isn't simply restating the matter, but I think it actually can be more important to train when things aren't going well, when the training itself is boring or frustrating or ineffective for the individual. It's easy and fun to train when the kudos are plentiful and everything seems to work, the techniques come easy and the ukemi flows. But, to me, in some ways this is only a confirmation of what is already known or ingrained. In a way, it is sort of self-congratulatory. But when the training doesn't go well, and I feel down on myself or doubtful of my ability, when I continue to train this down period usually is followed by a period of distinct improvement (I think). Probably, my assumptions are being challenged and later revised or removed, rather than just repeated. Stopping training at that point would be a huge mistake.
I think that shugyo is when the effort to succeed is greater than the likelihood of success.

John
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