It ain't a comeback...

**Hiro Protagonist** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 1:18pm

(Sorry, didn't really know where to put this.)

...If you don't come back.

So, I've found excuses to shun MT training all of this week, to the point of my instructor calling and asking what's up.

The point is, I don't really know how to say it: I feel pretty embarassed; I have trained for half my life, yet I have no tournament medals, nor any fancy high rank belts to show.
I probably could wipe the floor with all of the newbs there, but when I see that 20-year-old kid that goes 7-0 in amateur MMA, that kind of depresses me.
It's like the first time that I experience something alike. Won't hold me back from going there and fight my ass off, but it something, but is sort of curbing my enthusiasm. - Not that I envy the kids, or anything, but it certainly shows me where my limits are.

Not sure why I post this, and not another "Rafe goes emo" - thread, but I wonder how others think about it/experience this.

In a few years, I guess my trainers will be younger than myself.
The mere idea of it makes me wince.

**pauli** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 1:20pm

burnout is the first step towards a mid life crisis. take a vacation.

**KiwiPhil889** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 1:35pm

Hey Rafe,not sure how old you are,but umm couple of my trainers are already younger than me (i'm 40) and i'm still getting in the ring. However,i suck,so finding someone to fight is alot easier for me. This being said,i'm intending to keep fighting for as long as they can find a match for me and i hope to suck less each time.

Not really sure what you're looking for tho. If you're wanting an amateur career?? then depending on ya age,then it might be too late.reality sucks,deal with it. I would love to have found my club 20 yrs ago,but i didn't ,so now i do it for shits 'n giggles and its a helluva lota fun with no "career" pressure,cuz it aint gonna happen lol.

You can still ring fight,just maybe not like you envisige.Forget about the medals ****,and just get in the ring and try to smash someone lol.

**Hiro Protagonist** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 2:09pm

Originally Posted by pauli

burnout is the first step towards a mid life crisis. take a vacation.

Hehe, I am sorta coming off such a vacation - or better, a three-month-layoff.

But, yeah, I think the so-called "quarter life crisis" has hit me pretty badly. :happy4: Not that I regard that as a bad thing, though, all to the contrary, it's a great chance to get some **** done.

Originally Posted by KiwiPhil889

You can still ring fight,just maybe not like you envisige.Forget about the medals ****,and just get in the ring and try to smash someone lol.

Hehe, I am 27, and I never earnestly considered to turn amateur fighter, or anything, but having the possibility was pretty nice. However,
instead of training like t3h r34l ninjer, I enjoyed the booze, reading comic books, getting laid, wearing silly basecaps, and playing D&D.

You know, like in Snow Crash:

Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest ************ in the world. If I moved to a martial-arts monastery in China and studied real hard for ten years. If my family was wiped out by Colombian drug dealers and I swore myself to revenge. If I got a fatal disease, had one year to live, and devoted it to wiping out street crime. If I just dropped out and devoted my life to being bad.

I guess it's just a momentary feeling, but I am an animal that needs his pack close; beginning anew at zero, after so many years of experience, is kind of discouraging.

***jnp*** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 2:20pm

If you're unhappy about your current set of martial skills, and you want to do something about it, I have only one thing to say.

Less whining, more training.

**The Question** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 2:29pm

Originally Posted by Rafael

Hehe, I am sorta coming off such a vacation - or better, a three-month-layoff.

But, yeah, I think the so-called "quarter life crisis" has hit me pretty badly. :happy4: Not that I regard that as a bad thing, though, all to the contrary, it's a great chance to get some **** done.

Hehe, I am 27, and I never earnestly considered to turn amateur fighter, or anything, but having the possibility was pretty nice. However,
instead of training like t3h r34l ninjer, I enjoyed the booze, reading comic books, getting laid, wearing silly basecaps, and playing D&D.

You know, like in Snow Crash:

I guess it's just a momentary feeling, but I am an animal that needs his pack close; beginning anew at zero, after so many years of experience, is kind of discouraging.

Rafael, you're 27? 27? As in twenty-motherfucking-seven.

I don't really understand what the bitching is about then. You're really not that much older than the 20 year old kid. You can still do that ****. Get some fights in, bro. Make your fucking memories now before time runs out. Get 10 fights in the next few years, knock some motherfuckers out, make a highlight reel and then later you can watch it/show it to people and say "yeah, that's right. I was a bad ************ in my prime".

Fuckin' do it, man, fucking do it.

That's what I'm planning on doing. I'm 24.

**MMAMickey** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 2:34pm

yeah everyone shits it before getting in the ring but doing it makes you feel fucking great win or lose.. jus pile up the fights you can't possibly lose them all

**The Question** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 2:50pm

Originally Posted by MMAMickey

jus pile up the fights you can't possibly lose them all

**** yeah. That is one great outlook.

**Kintanon** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 2:56pm

Dude, I turned 30 today.
I've been competing in grappling comps for the last few years, I've done ok. I'm JUST NOW feeling like my MA career is starting. I'm planning my first amateur MMA fight for my early thirties, 32-33, somewhere in there. I'm not gunning to be a champion, but I know I can pick up 3-4 Ammy fights to go with all of my grappling comps. At 27 you're just hitting the stage where you have to quit fucking around and get to work.

Your opportunity hasn't passed you by, it's knocking right now. Answer it, get out there, train your bitch ass off and go **** someone up.

**BackFistMonkey** · Posted On: 2/28/2010 3:02pm

Originally Posted by Kintanon

Dude, I turned 30 today.
I've been competing in grappling comps for the last few years, I've done ok. I'm JUST NOW feeling like my MA career is starting. I'm planning my first amateur MMA fight for my early thirties, 32-33, somewhere in there. I'm not gunning to be a champion, but I know I can pick up 3-4 Ammy fights to go with all of my grappling comps. At 27 you're just hitting the stage where you have to quit fucking around and get to work.

Your opportunity hasn't passed you by, it's knocking right now. Answer it, get out there, train your bitch ass off and go **** someone up.

Happy birthday !

OP,

wut kintanon said .

I said about the same things you are saying at about the same age . Mortality sucks, but life goes on till it doesn't . You just gotta go with life and do what you can till you can't anymore .