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Martial Arts

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Nocturne83

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Jun 2, 2012
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Anyone here in recovery that does martial arts? I took Tae Kwon Do as a kid, but now, in an effort to stay in shape, decided to do martial arts again. I signed up for Shorin-Ryu Karate classes they have in a remodeled factory. If it works out, and I lose some more weight(already lost 6 lbs by changing my diet and going to the gym), I'll add Brazilian Jiujitsu, since I want to learn both stand-up fighting(Karate), and ground fighting(BJJ). The irony is that since I'm no longer going into dangerous neighborhoods to buy drugs, I'll be much less likely to ever have to use what I learn.
I've also gotta wait on BJJ due to financial debts(caused by drugs) that I'm still paying off. Once I take care of that, I'll have a lot more money to spend.
I find that between work, exercise/Karate, music, and video games, there's really no time leftover for me to get high. I also can't do any of these activities under the influence.
Anyone else into martial arts? Did you do it after you got clean, or before? How badly did using affect your training? How has it enhanced your recovery if it has?
 
I earned a black belt in Kenpo Karate in about 1993, I've been doing various MA for about 23 years.
Most recently I did a good amount of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, but I have developed a bum knee.
I can still do Tai Chi, and Chi Gung excercises and I have been doing the Chi Gung lately.

When you do MA there are different kinds of energy used, I assume that they are analagous to Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous system, and address them independently. I found that Kenpo and Kung Fu were very hard systems, but Chi Gung permits me (after having done it for 20 years) to move energy around in my body in much more subtle ways. I believe that as I taper down it will be helpful to build up the "pause and plan" response of willpower that resides in the paraympathetic nervous system. I have had a successfull downward taper step, and I think as I continue on this path to get off opiates that Chi Gung is going to pop out and end up being a crucial element to my recovery.

After I feel a little better I'll start up with Tai Chi again, I've taken about the past year off to do drugs instead.
 
^^ That's SO AWESOME space! You've definitely got some discipline!

I've been wanting to do some sort of martial arts ever since I got sober, and I'm finally in good enough shape form yoga and working out that I think I just might be able to make it through a class alive haha. Also I just moved into a new house today in a rough neighborhood, and being able to properly defend myself might be in my best interest... I used to carry a big ass knife on me when I was using because I was super skinny from being a junkie - but honestly I'm incredibly lucky I never had to use it because more likely then not my own knife would have been turned against me... >.<
 
Thanks, Case! :D

Doing the more external martial arts (particularly working with holding stances well beyond the limits of comfort) builds willpower in a very fast way;
I am convinced that internal self-discipline is at the top of its list of benefits.

Plain old exercise is nearly as good, I believe.

Anything where you are pushing against the lazy status quo of the monkey mind is going to weaken its hold, while at the same time strengthening the neo-cortex's resolve.

Super hard exercise *may*, however, have the effect of causing w/d's to be more intense, so I'm not sure where it fits into the schedule time-wise.

I am still of the mind that willpower / self control / discipline is like a muscle that you can strengthen by exercise.

This also means that it can suffer depletion, which is central to why it may sometimes let us down when we appear sometimes to fail to employ it.

It requires that a "reserve" be maintained in order to be effective.
 
Been a while since I started this thread, and there were a few changes since then.
I disregarded the Shorin-Ryu class because apparently, they changed things around so that all classes are mixed with children and adults. Thus, it's more of a family karate place. Don't get me wrong, I like kids, but I'm taking martial arts to learn martial arts- not to wait for the kids in the class to calm down.(the final straw that made me decide not to come back was when a kid let out a thirty-second long 'kiai')
Thankfully, no money was spent, as I'd used up my free trials by the time I decided not to come back.
I found a Judo club not too far from the ill-fated Karate place. The price is right, the lessons are on my day off, and since I joined the US Judo Federation, I apparently can train at other Judo places as well. That means if I ever have to deal with temporary summer layoffs, I can cope by going to Judo five days a week at the different schools.
When I've got a better job, I can start studying maybe Aikido as well, and in my spare time, use Youtube videos as refresher courses in the basic Tae Kwon Do strikes I learned in my youth(though adapt the stances to the limited Shorin Ryu I've learned).
When I was tempted to use on one of my days off, I actually kept myself from going to cop by spending the whole day wearing my new gi at home. It held me off until it was time for class. Then after class, I've got all those endorphins in me that I don't need any drugs. :P
 
I'm with you on the kids thing, nice to train with adults.
It can also be tough finding the right group to join.
I had a little interest in wrestling at one point, but I decided to stick with kung fu / karate in the end as it is generally more fun, to me.
Maybe it is something about spending hours with my face buried in some other guy's crotch that I found unnapealing (not that there's anything wrong with that for those who enjoy it. ;)
 
Yeah, the discipline involved in martial arts is something I sorely need. My primary interest in life is music, but it's amazing how little discipline is needed in the performing arts a lot of the time.
Case in point, some of the best musicians I've met were also the worst alcoholics/addicts, had severe developmental disorders(savants), or simply dependent adults in general.
With martial arts, though, it doesn't matter how talented you are, you can't just "pick it up" like a talented person can pick up guitar in a matter of weeks.
Because drawing and music came naturally to me, I became spoiled. Since martial arts didn't come naturally to me when I was a kid, I quit when I stopped passing my tests. I would have kept passing them if I practiced every day. I didn't.
I also never practice my music, since I know I'll still be a good bassist/songwriter the next time I pick up my bass or open up Logic Pro.
I need to develop physically. I've also got very weak knees, to the point of needing physical therapy. I hope Judo can supplement PT.
No crotches involved in Judo yet, thank goodness. ;)
 
I agree nocturne I seriously could use to extra discipline right now. I really need to get on top of joining a Dojo. I'm guessing the positive impact it will have on my life is pretty huge...
 
Nocturne83 said:
I also never practice my music, since I know I'll still be a good bassist/songwriter the next time I pick up my bass or open up Logic Pro.

No crotches involved in Judo yet, thank goodness. ;)
Click to expand...

That's cool, we have some things in common. I use ProTools and one of the big motivations to get off drugs is the level of concentration required to operate the software (I can't do it stoned).

The crotch reference was more directed to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (like mma), I went to a few classes and never could get into it.

Real Jiu Jitsu, OTOH, (Japanese style, of which Sport Judo is an off-shoot), I do find quite impressive. Aikido too. Very clean waza there with powerful, adroit and specific applications, demonstrable along the lines of "ouch, I bet that musta hurt." Good stuff as it was employed back in the day (WWII).

-SF
 
At the school I train at, they have Aikido classes on the off days. Sadly, I work second shift, and lucked out that my Judo classes happened to fall on two of my days off. For the third day I have off, I'm hoping the mat fee at the other Judo school will be reasonable and I can train 3 days a week every week.
As excited as I am about having Judo later today, it took a lot of willpower for me to take my suboxone. When I put it in my mouth, I felt really depressed. I hope I get over it. I don't want to use, yet I do. People here know how it is. I know I'll be happier when I get through this week having not used, but it's really tough.
 
I think eventually, Muay Thai will wind up being my striking art. However, I can't take it until I've got a better-paying job with better hours...and also when I can finally do 10 pushups. Right now, I can't even do one.
Sobriety's a bit shaky right now anyway. Almost relapsed today, and was so upset with myself that I skipped tonight's Judo class and holed myself up in my room. Not one of my best days. :(
 
Muay Thai is a great standing art, and BJJ is the best grappling art IMO.

I took BJJ for a year after getting clean a few years back and combined with weightlifting it was the best thing ever. Weightlifting took care of my skeletal and muscular systems and BJJ took care of my cardio and flexibility. But moreso than that, it got me OUT, with people and I had a great time. The whole time I was at the school I felt I had permanently put opiates behind me. Then medical probelms popped back up, I ended up having to quit, and had surgery and of course went back on pain meds. Still haven't been able to get back on the mat.

But for real, martial arts is one of the best things you can do for yourself in recovery, for SO many reasons. BJJ schools are a little expensive, but if you can do it, DO IT.
 
Personally I wouldn't bother with aikido, it's not of much use in a real life situation. Aikido fighters generally get destroyed by anyone with equal experience in muay thai. Muay Thai is pretty much the daddy of stand up arts, although others do have useful stuff to offer. Judo is a pretty cool martial art, very enjoyable and plenty of scope for sport competition, and limited real life application. If you're going for a grappling art then BJJ or wrestling are the only answers really.

Regarding the physical fitness, hang in there and things will improve. Do a mixture of burpees (with a push up in the middle) and sit ups five days a week and you will see a quick improvement. When you train, train until you want to curl up in a ball and die from exhaustion.

I went from this (apologies for the underwear) when I entered treatment:

NSFW:
8146163671_66119a71f2_c.jpg


To this a few months after I came out just with basic exercises and a good diet:

NSFW:
8643216172_1d9983d35c_z.jpg


More to the point I went from being able to barely climb the stairs to to being able to run 10km in 43 minutes. The great thing about being in a really bad physical shape is that you get to see the difference really quickly when you start putting the effort in! Martial arts and fitness is really rewarding.


Really wish I was still at that level of fitness.....
 
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Yeah by the way as far as weightlifting... I feel like I should be a little specific... stay away from those 3 1/2 hour booby-building bicep blasting 248768 exercises for each body part routines. Stick to the basics like heavy squats, deadlifts, presses, Olympic pulls, etc... just a couple exercises each workout, with maybe a sandbag carry for a finisher. No more than an hour each workout day, and maybe twice a week. That's all you need for weightlifting - that's what works. Just figured I'd throw that in there and let you know. And eat well of course. Lots of fruits/veggies and good sources of protein
 
That wasn't even from much weightlifting. That was primarily from bodyweight exercises such as push ups, burpess, sit up variations etc. No more than a couple of weight sessions a week really and I was doing fucking loads of cardio that would have burned off loads of calories that otherwise would have gone towards building muscles. Attending the gym was purely an exercise to enable me to become better at martial arts, not a vanity thing (although I've got to admit that after years of being a skinny junkie it certainly felt good having a bit of muscle on me).
 
Exactly - the best way to left is for an improvement in health and ability... not aesthetics. That's the way it should be.
 
IMO people who lift for aesthetics look ridiculous anyway on the whole. Functional muscle developed through athletic activity always looks better.
 
Definitely. Heavy leg and back training is everything. Most bodybuilders hate doing legs and back lol
 
I think martial arts are awesome for both your body and your mind.
I recently started a Kung Fu course (shaolin and tai chi chuan) and it teaches you discipline and also how to have a more focused and calm mind as well as a more elastic and strong body, not to mention the fact that after like some years of practive you can learn to use chinese weapons like blades, chains etc.
it's badass and not only is good to learn to fight but also for you as a person, I think it's great.
 
I got so much from judo beyond the physical. Unfortunately I did not keep it up (brown belt in my twenties) and at my age I am not likely to start again; but it is the whole metaphor of using what the opponent is throwing at you, actually using all his force and turning it around that has helped me internally so much. When I say metaphor it is because I have translated this from a physical self defense tactic to a mental self defense tactic. When your own thoughts feel like the enemy don't run from them, turn and face them and use what they are throwing at you to strengthen yourself. Agility, balance and flow.

@ Space_firebird--I think I will investigate tai chi at this stage of life.
 
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