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I´m a leaf on the wind...


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Hi peeps! I'm Jeffrey, 29 year old, Asian-European guy from Arnhem (The Netherlands).

 

I'm a Blizzard fanboy, love sci-fi, everything Star Trek, Gundam and Mass Effect. I love to roleplay, either in digital games or in board games. I'm also a great cook and consider the kitchen the most social place in my house. 

 

My journey begins in 2013. When I'm fed up of my lack of energy and overweight. I started walking, cycling, swimming and eating better. Cutting down from 95 kilo's (209lbs) to 69 Kilo's (149lbs), with a height of 1,77 meters. I felt a lot fitter and most of all, happier!  In 2014 I picked up MMA as a sports and have combined both MMA and Fitness (Strength training) till this day.

 

 

I've also implemented a few easy-life-hacks to help me in my daily life:

 

- A step counter to ensure a minimum of 10.000 daily steps

- Working on the 3th floor, I always fetch drinks downstairs on the main floor, and I always fetch my own drinks.

- I never skip a lunchtime walk, no matter the weather (colleagues think I'm crazy)

- I've always got a water bottle where I can see and reach it

- When waiting I never sit still, at home for example I try push-ups and when I can choose to stand instead of sit, I do so.

 

 

My adventure did not come without it's struggles. I have a very low self esteem and a great deal of performance anxiety.  Till this day, every single time I had left for the gym, I had done so feeling anxious and sick. Having to literally push myself out of that door! And even though 99% of the days I return home feeling amazing, it doesn't change how I feel. 

 

My greatest enemy is my mind.

 

I can't help compare myself to others. Being relative-new to fitness and a small guy to Dutch standards, I always find myself fighting against big, muscular, strong men (and women). (On the bright side, always fighting bigger man has turned me into an escape-artist when it comes to grappling)

 

My performance anxiety is an enemy because it slows me down. For example, I want to try that one extra plate when Dead lifting, but instead of pushing myself I convince myself I can't or shouldn't and thus don't even try!

 

The past year I've not once visited a public gym for fitness.

 

I bought some basic equipment for home. I did manage to push myself more, and I did make progress.  Yet still it feels empty and lonely. I would give a lot for finding a gym buddy that shares the 'way of the warrior' training style. 

 

That is why yesterday I enrolled to a public gym again... Once again I felt that sickness inside of me when leaving, but all I got to do now is push through! 

 

When I found NF, It not just hit the spot in terms of common-nerd-ground, it just felt good straight away. I’ve checked sites like bodybuilding.com often, but I never felt comfortable to post, yet here I’ve posted on my 3th day in.

 

I'm a wanderer, a listener. I strongly believe in: when you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new. This is why I will most likely be a lurker, but know I already love and appreciate the things I am reading here and when I feel I can give back to this community, I promise to do so. 

 

My goal is balance of the mind and body! 

 

My adventure focuses on becoming a better Monk, not just through skill and physical development, but also through the mind, to overcome my anxiousness, to find a calm of mind, to find inner strength and self-confidence as much as physical strength.

 

  • Like 1
Wandering Monk | Instagram
(Still reading up on how all these stats work)
 
"There is no greater joy than walking the world, writing your story.
It is the wanderer's way" - Chen Stormstout
 
 

 

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Hi Sayakajin! Welcome :) I'm kinda new too, and have a similar problem. Fortunately, in the two-ish weeks I've been here, the super kind folks have encouraged me and seen me through to tour a few gyms, and I've found a wonderful fit for me that I'll be signing up with after my free trial week is over.

 

(That's not to say that I have any interest in going today... I kind of woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but I suppose I will anyway. I always feel better after  :redface:)

 

Good luck with your new gym and if you ever need encouragement or just a friendly chat, we're here! 

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Well sounds like we are pretty much twins already. Except that i talk all the time! Happy to have you here

 

We are? ^_^ that's awesome! Well talk all the time + quiet guy = Balance, isn't it ^_^ 

Wandering Monk | Instagram
(Still reading up on how all these stats work)
 
"There is no greater joy than walking the world, writing your story.
It is the wanderer's way" - Chen Stormstout
 
 

 

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I don't know if we spar heavier than other cultures, but we are a very small country. Meaning that from top North to, bottom South, is easily driven up and down in a single day. This means that top fighters can easily train with each other without having to book hotels or whatever. So I guess it might also be accessability to proper opononents and challengers? Dojo's really know each other, trainers know each other, and its not hard to find a connection to trainers and people that fight professionally. And since MMA isn't a licensed or official sports, the scene is small(ish). Do I make sense here???

Wandering Monk | Instagram
(Still reading up on how all these stats work)
 
"There is no greater joy than walking the world, writing your story.
It is the wanderer's way" - Chen Stormstout
 
 

 

Link to comment

Technique is very very important... we all know this scheme i guess: 1. Technique > 2. Stamina > 3 Strength, however technique training is usually slower and involves more thinking (duh), it only really comes into practice when sparring, when you need to use it "for real". I think overall our training is made up of (ex warmup/cooldown): 

 

- 45% sparring

- 30% technique training

- 25% stamina/strength/endurance training

 

Once every so often we also spar for an entire training, so 1,5 hours of 2 minute sparring matches, no breaks... those are epic! Especially for endurance, at the end you dont have much left, or strength, so its all relying on technique. 

  • Like 1
Wandering Monk | Instagram
(Still reading up on how all these stats work)
 
"There is no greater joy than walking the world, writing your story.
It is the wanderer's way" - Chen Stormstout
 
 

 

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