Not long ago Mr. Strickland asked me to write something for the school blog. I chose to write about the fear and anxiety associated with walking into a martial arts class for the first time. Since then I have seen many students take that first class. I have also seen many students drift away. They stop coming to class and the next thing you know they have quit. There are times when people need a break. Everyone gets injured or gets bogged down with work. This was the case with me. Recently I have been dealing with injuries and a heavy workload at the office. During this time I decided to take a break from my regular martial arts classes. It was a necessary sacrifice. I was able to heal up a bit and focus on work. My sons also wanted to take a break to accommodate other sports, baseball, swimming and so on.

When does a break in routine turn into a trend or habit? That differs for each person. After one month I was physically ready to go back to class. However, I did not do it. I became lazy and I was content to just skip it. In the back of my mind I knew I should go. I wanted to go. There were days when I got my gear bag ready and set it by the door. I was hesitant because when I was gone, everyone else was getting better, stronger, and advancing in rank. I knew that when I went back I would be slower and weaker. The truth is I did not want my fellow students and instructors to think less of me. The real truth is that they would not judge me so harshly. The longer you choose not to go to class the more difficult it is to come back. Everyone needs a break. All too often breaks turn into extended breaks. Instructors see it all of the time. Long time students and friends walk in and say, “I’m coming back to class!” We want to believe it, but experience shows that they never do.

Make martial arts a habit. Make it a required sport for your children. Do not be the student that just fades away. Do not be the parent who submits to their children and lets them skip class. My kids try to do this all of the time. Yet they always have fun in class when they see their buddies. Summer is over and it is time to get back to class. I am feeling tired all of the time from lack of exercise. I am getting ‘soft’ and out-of-shape. It is all too easy to just sit at home. It is easy to not gather up my kids for class. I will choose to do what is hard. The next time you see an out of shape guy struggling to keep up, I hope it is me! ~ Mr. Eric Emerson