Summer of last year I stopped my Kuk Sool practice.

It’s become evident to me based upon the past few months that my current “traditional” martial arts study is also going to go on the shelf for a bit.

My current study is under Ray Parra. Ray teaches Kali, Silat, Jeet Kune Do, Thai Boxing. It’s basically Ray’s blend of things and it works quite well. The study of it? Great. Ray’s a great guy, good teacher, good school, good curriculum. I like how they actually roll, hit, spar, throw down, and so on. The philosophy is very much in line with my own. It’s a friendly and useful environment. I really like how everything is done there. My backing away has nothing to do with Ray or anything like that.

Man, this sounds like trying to break-up with a bad girlfriend:

“It’s not you, it’s me.” 🙂

But that is the truth. Nothing about this decision has anything to do with Ray or what he teaches, his school, or anything of the sort.

It is me and what’s going on in my world.

On the one hand, I’m feeling spread too thin. Too many things going on in my life, and I just cannot give them all the attention they need. I’ve got some new endeavors, things with my kids, current pressures at work, all sorts of little things that add up. When the day is still only 24 hours long well, only so much you can cram in. Something has to give.

I don’t want to give up martial arts, because it’s something I enjoy. So I am not giving it up entirely, just the formalities. Fact is, if I can’t make it to class on a regular basis due to whatever reason, then I’m just fooling myself and wasting my money. So that’s what I’m removing. I will still practice on my own. I will still keep up skills as I can. Later this year Leslie Buck will be holding seminars on edged weapon defense; arrest & control / baton tactics; and weapon retention, disarming, and improvised weapons; it’s my plan to attend these seminars. I know I will also continue to have on-and-off private sessions with Kuk Sool instructors. So my empty hand work will not go away entirely, it just won’t be a focus.

What am I going to focus on?

Handgun.

Continue to take instruction. To dry practice every day and get to the range as often as I can (once a week would be ideal, but schedules aren’t always conducive to that). To shoot more competition (haven’t shot lately due to schedule conflicts). I want to really excel in this area, and to do that requires focus and dedication.

So martial arts aren’t leaving my life, just another evolution… just another step along the journey.