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[Michael]

Hey everybody. I really like Kyokushinkai Karate. But almost every week i feel that i dont want to train anymore, and that i want to quit. But still, i continue training. Is there any way to motivate myselfe and stop thinking about quitting. The worst thing for me now is to quit.

[Bloke]

Hi Michael

Its difficult to know how to motivate you unless you tell us why you feel like you want to give up. Can you let us know what the issue or issues are?

[Spirit]

Everyone goes through peeks and valley during there first 2 years, than again as you get older (40 or older). This also depends on when you started training (age) and how your dojo is doing ( big classes, new students, steady student base, etc) as well if you have friends to train and talk about Karate.
Also we get to a point when we still need to work on basics but we are bored of them and think we should be working on other things, more advance things.

Get a full-length mirror and do all your punches, blocks, & kicks in it. See if you are doing everything to your centerline or putting them in the exact spot... The mirror does not lie and will tell you truthfully if you are as good as you THINK you are. This should help you boost your desire to work harder at getting better and your desire to train should also grow

Set small goals, these goals should be easy to accomplice in, a day, week, month or so. If you set a goal of becoming a great fighter (which is a great goal) it will take years and your motivation will be hard to keep up unless you have a dedicated coach and or team behind you.
By setting small goals that you can cross off your list you will keep your motivation high and you will then get to your ultimate, goal no matter what it is... Focus on training, if you are bored with the instructor talk with him in honest. If that does not work than look for a dojo (no matter style) that fits you (you personally not what you think you want, but what you are as a person). The instructor not the style is what keeps you coming back each night or quitting and or getting bored

Motivation also comes from liking what you are doing, and liking what you are doing comes from (in Karate) the instructor and the students, NOT the style..(not until many years later in your training 10-15 years min. If you don’t enjoy the dojo you are in look for others or try reading about the Budo arts, remember karate, judo, kendo and aikido are really not Budo they are sport arts. read where these arts got their philosophy from (the Budo arts) this to can help you learn and motivate you...

You need to enjoy what you are doing, and not get caught up in the stigma of a style.
I fit in Kyokushin, but I would also fit into styles like Wado, Goju or any other hard style of Karate because I’m an aggressive person and enjoy hard training...

Now I realize that this is a lot to take in, but this is the physiological side to why we do things...
Find out why you are bored and why you need to be motivated to do something you really like doing?!?
If I really like what I was doing I would not need motivation, but I would need new goals and knowledge......
Good luck

[Azimuth]

Something that works for me is to pick somebody you
look up to / admire and try to become as good as he is
or even better .
Make it your personal private competition .
Everything is possible .
Osu

[Suhaib]

Osu Michael

I am quite new to Kyokushin too. I can't count the number of times that I have felt like quitting.

One thing that I found helps me keep training is that I train with my wife and we both support and push each other. Perhaps you could find a close friend to go to training with you. You can motivate each other, help each other with technique and most importantly, share the experience.

Another technique i use is similar to what Azimuth-san has suggested. Find someone you look up to. For me it was simple - Sosai Mas. Oyama. I have tried to learn as much about him, his life and his karate as I possibly can. I find that even in the darkest times I can find something in his life that relates to mine.

Finally, just one word - Osu. Learn about it's meaning, it's spirit. That will get you through the best and the worst.

Train hard. Osu.

[Michael]

I just came home from Training now, and i actually though the training was fun today.. It was great.. I guess im just coming out of one of those bad months where nothing good happens.. Thanks anyway guys! OSU!
And continue training!

[ksan]

I understand what you mean... i sometimes have this to... we all have it i guess... What i always think is no matter how much i feel i dont wanna go, i know i always feel really good after training... thats one of my main motivators... yesterday we did some strengthening on phonebooks taped in with ducktape... that was really good...

[effectz]

i dont have the feeling to quit, but sometimes i just feel blah. but my motivation comes from my sensei(who is at dojo day in, day out, even tho he has another job), my friends who train with me, shihan francisco filho (because he was the first non japanese to win a WT), and when i read about budo it inspires me to keep on pushing myself.