This week training wise hasn’t been as martially packed as I hoped it would be, mainly because I’ve managed to pick up the standard cold that’s doing the rounds. That’s right. It’s that time of year again and I’ve been sick as a dog. Moaning aside, I intend to hit the ground running next week onwards and carry on as normal.

Even though I’ve only managed to get to the gym a couple of times this week it’s still been time well spent and I need to make sure I’m consistent with training if I want to get back to a place where I know I can make good progress. The will’s there and when I find that well I usually find a way. Despite what I tell myself.

Recently I’ve been walking around with a lot of mental baggage that seems to have well and truly found it’s home with me, and no matter what I do seems to be determined to make it’s presence felt. Plate spinning is a fine art but it’s one I’ve got good at over time and I often value time spent training as a way to unwind after a particularly long day.

Just recently and ultimately frustratingly problems have refused to leave themselves at the door and have instead decided to grace me with their presence right from the beginning of a session until the end. It seems that some days (not every day) Sparring is the only time I manage to switch off.

I’ve written about staying in the here and now or present on a few occasions whilst writing this blog and just recently I’ve felt that it’s something I need to spend time focusing on again. As soon as I switch off energy is directed to all the right places not into day to day negatives that seem to be getting under my skin.  Energy flows where attention goes.

It’s been a while since I’ve thought about focus and it’s something that’s just as important as the physical techniques we get taught week in and week out. As I’ve mentioned already recently I’ve found myself drifting a little bit in training so next week I want to make sure I stay in the here and now.

Constant chatter can wear the best of us down. And sometimes it’s easy to feel like your at war with yourself, whether it be pre-fight nerves or anything else I think it’s something that ideally should be kept on top of.

I’ve always found it interesting that I naturally switch off when fighting. I feel very much in the here and now. At the very least I’m most certainly in the moment. Maybe it’s the first steps towards higher consciousness through harder contact. to coin a phrase. Either way it’s something I’d like to be able to apply to the rest of my life. I think I’ll have to learn how to take it home with me.

I think next week I’ll have a little more to say about training and all things martial but I’ll keep you posted about how my little experiment with focus goes in the week ahead. Just recently  I’ve found myself returning to a few areas   I was working on and put down,  and like someone once said to me always make sure you finish one thing before you start another. Until next week, train hard  and just like the last time.. I’ll see you on that road.