training schedual... what do YOU do?

do you have any goals for you MA training? what are they? how are you getting there?  is the means the end for you?

At the moment, I'm simply trying to get myself to classes frequently enough.  Once I start getting my butt to class a minimum of three times a week on a consistent basis I'm hoping to go through some of the BJJ books that I bought and start working on the techniques in addition to what's shown in class.  One of the guys just bought some 1" mats so I may end up doing some training on the side with him.

I'm with you too.  Most weeks I go 3 times a week.  I can go up to 7, but have a hard time fitting it in to my schedule with a 17 and a 7 year old at home!  Unfortunately, I can't get home in time to get my young one to the kids' class.   It has been wonderful for my older boy, though!   It really brought him out of his shell!  Maybe now that my hours go back to normal I can make arrangements.  I think it's great for kids!

I think that the kids' classes can be as much if not more beneficial for the adults who assist with them than they are for the kids.  Not only do you learn or review a technique, but you have to look at it enough to help someone else to do it.  Also, the more time on the mat you can get the better imo.

I don't really have a goal for the BJJ or any other martial art beyond just having a blast as much as possible...even taking into account the days where I just plain suck or am too tired to work out well overall I have so much fun that it's completely worth doing.  My instructor will work out whatever rank increases are necessary as the appropriate points come along.

From an initial point of view, my goal is simply not to wimp/girl out.  If I slack too much then the warm up kills me, especially since I do have exercise induced asthma from time to time.  So going enough is important.  Also, I prefer to be safe, so going enough is also important so that I don't inadvertently injure others or get hurt myself.

Beyond that I would like to at least hold my own with the guys who are approximately my size and level.  When I get to that point I'll try to review and see what I might be missing.

From an aikido point of view, my primary purpose is to help some very nice people.  While I am no longer a regular student, I did learn my skills and techniques from my sensei and contributing back to that is something that should be done imo.  Either just helping where I can or teaching classes to help those who may be feeling overwhelmed.  I want to go at least once a month to keep the techniques and skills fresh in my mind.  I don't expect to learn a whole lot doing that, but even when I was going twice a week there were very few advanced classes so I typically ended up teaching or assisting with the instruction.

i agree that kids classes can be great for adults for a variety of reasons. 

i asked the question because i am struggling with my own goals for judo.  i love it, but for some reason, i can't seem to let it be an end in itself.  we'll see how i feel about that if/ after i compete in October. 

I like that i feel more physically fit when i do judo, but that is is still extreamly physically chalenging for me.  i am in the process of  reevaluating my goals and trying to determine why i am doing this and where i want to go with it. 

Well, since I don't have kids (not yet anyway and none on the immediate horizon), it's all about me!  So the things that I truly enjoy are well worth doing even if the only outcome is that I enjoy them.  Hopefully my hobbies will give me a better base for life when I'm busier and don't have time or for the point (far in the future I hope) when my ability to be quite as active isn't there (grandma w/ alsheimer's is a case in point).

In looking at my grandma now that she's retired, she really doesn't have a whole lot of hobbies, she worked all the time and now she simply cannot, so she is frequently bored/lonely.  So I think that both the mental and physical stimulation are very important as well as giving yourself something that you can do outside of work that is fun and that if you had to you could coach/mentor if it came down to it in addition to a group of people that you know currently or may have yet to meet that have a similar hobby.