When Stupidity catches up with Ignorance, its training burnout

I see all these martial artists and fitness geeks going OOOH and AAAHH about PAIN, SWEAT and PUSHING ONE-SELF. 
I will explain why it’s a put-off to anyone whose IQ is above 80, and stays there in spite of a testosterone surge.

Most Instructors wont tell you this. Because its bad for business.

Do I hear “You are an Oldy. Just shut up and move aside”?!

Even gym instructors who spend hours watching YouTube and munching bland boiled eggs think I am crazy to do all this at my age. I have been doing physical things (Weight-lifting, Rowing, Karate, long Bike rides, KravMaga) for 40 years now.
But reducing these passions to a physical level is like declaring your love to a girl with vulgar hip-thrusts, in front of her face.

"See how much I love you?!" 

How to “Pace your Passion”
Many days I teach for more than 8 hours. I realised the value of taking it like a marathon runner. Pacing steadily, conserving body and mind, and bringing them together in a focussed burst at the critical moment. That has kept me going for 4 decades now, with body and mind intact, and not rattling with every movement.
Also, this attitude gives you the space and time to become a more all-round personality, with varied interests. Not just a hulk that looks good till he opens his mouth. (..or drops his pants...which is another blog. Later!)

Something wrong here! What could that be?! Hmmm

Why is it important to pace the fitness regimen?

I constantly see the damage done by these sudden burst of physical exertions. Last few years,  I have been watching the trainees who walk in. I see these highly enthusiastic, energetic youthful guys come in to my class, eyes gleaming in anticipation. 

I am impressed. 

Then they start doing research on how to improve speed, develop power and be invincible in techniques. They jump on to a Spartan schedule, drinking litres of protein shakes. Their entire day is scheduled around work-outs. They grunt and groan to impress everyone around.
... and ... They are the first ones to drop out.
Its simple reality, that their Body and Mind can’t sustain that kind of intensity. They just burnout!

Raising the bar?!!

So, you show me a motivational poster which appear in fb posts and ask me...

”Does not the best character of a person comes out in his effort to raise the bar?!"
Oh, Yes, It does come out. No doubt. But in which domain are you raising the bar?  Unless you are a professional athlete this is a total waste of productive time.
Only the cerebrally challenged will be impressed with all this guts and glory stuff.

The irrefutable logic behind violence

In martial arts we meet another bunch of confused primates.
No. They don’t have any professional athletic aspirations. They just want to be the best fighter on the street! 

Huh!? Did I get that right? Whom do you want to fight? Are you in some racket where you have made lots of enemies, who are now prowling around for you to relax, so they can stick a knife in you?
It’s as ridiculous saying I am going to wear rubber suit and gloves 24x7, in case I accidentally touch a high voltage wire someday.

Paranoid ?

How many fights you expect!?

An average Joe will probably get into 3 or 4 ugly situations in his entire lifetime. 2 of them could have been avoided by saying ' Ok, Bro, no hard feelings.' or  'I am sorry Mate." One situation could have been solved by running away asap. One more could have been solved by handing over the purse, which probably has Rs1000 and your wife's photo! 

He thinks he is a tough fighter, because he knows techniques!

So for 4 occasions which end in average 5 seconds (that’s 20 seconds in your entire life time) you are going to sweat, develop cramps, suffer ligament tears, shin fractures, thumb dislocations and walking around always paranoid thinking about fight?!
Don’t you have anything better to do?

Most Fighters don't look like Brad Pitt

So, You say , “ Boss! You are confused.. And you are confusing us now.”

OK, I appreciate physical fitness...But I also value mental fitness.
Go ahead, do your exercise. That’s good; it makes you a better person - healthy, energetic,  good-looking and no illness.
But get your priorities right. I see around me that the world gives more value to the brain than the brawn.

So, don't get carried away with what you see the health, sports, martial-arts celebrities are doing. Physicality is their life. Millions of dollars depend on them being the best in the trade. These super-star athletes have an entourage of support professionals to take care of them - Fitness Expert, Physio-therapist, Nutritionist, Psychologist and past champions who give their gyan.

Self opinion vs Reality

If you try to emulate them, after looking at some YouTube videos, this is what generally follows. After a month of adrenaline driven high, you will hit a low from which recovery is going to be one long road.
Mostly you never resume training.
So, as a person teaching KravMaga this doesn't make commercial sense to me - amongst other misgivings.

Business Goals to Training Goals!

Net take –

• Train with realistic objectives of sustainable overall development.
• Don’t become a monomaniac and burn out

Don't bull-shit trainees and drive them to injury

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Related links-

• 4 questions to evaluate a street self-defence technique
• SMART STREET FIGHT - CLASSIC EXAMPLE

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S.SREERAM
KravMaga TamilNadu, Chennai
Mobile: 93400 06600
kravmaga.chennai@gmail.com
 www.kravmagatamilnadu.com
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