Kung Fu Class

[ShadowCat]

I go to Kung Fu pretty much every week. It's on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I've been going for about a month now. Now my problem is, before class for about 15 minutes, you're supposed to stretch. Most of the people just talk to each other. I haven't made any friends here and I find this part sort of frustrating and depressing. Everyone else is talking and laughing and I'm just there, unhappy, stretching. This is really the only negative part of the class for me, but I find it so bad, it makes me not want to go at all. I've been skipping a lot of the classes. What can I do to become less stressed about this? Most of the people are about 10 years older than I am and I find them sort of intimidating so I wouldn't ever really want to talk to them in the first place. Gahh, what can/should I do?? I feel so stupid about not going to Kung Fu just for this reason, but it's so bad I really don't want to go.

 

[ShadowCat]

I chose not to go today, I feel sick about it. I feel like crying and throwing up. :x

 

[Sue]

i went to two places and got my ass kicked lol. didnt feel comfortable because i hate hurting people and avoid voilence of any sort..well i did after those classes anyway.

i was thinking of taking it up again....then i fell about laughing..
no thanks :lol:

 

[black_mamba]

I haven't made any friends here and I find this part sort of frustrating and depressing. Everyone else is talking and laughing and I'm just there, unhappy, stretching. This is really the only negative part of the class for me, but I find it so bad, it makes me not want to go at all. I've been skipping a lot of the classes. What can I do to become less stressed about this?

I did the same at my boxing club, ended up leaving as a result which I now regret a lot. :?

Firstly, if I was in a group like that and there was a younger member taking part, I'd immediately have respect for them for simply being there. So don't worry about what others are thinking of you.

Did you want to make friends or just want to feel more relaxed around people?

I think mentally, the best thing to do would be to concentrate on what you're doing and forget about the people around you. When stretching concentrate on the particular muscle you're working on, making sure you're peforming the stretch correctly and effectively. Thats the sort of thinking that helped me have fun in boxing. I was pretty much feeding off the praise from the instructors though. I'm crap at making friends, so can't help you there. Doh!

Do you think you'll stick at it? [I hope you do!] - then you cn teach me some kung fu moves.

 

[Kezada]

ye i hada hard time goin kick boxin wen i was younger, if i heard 1 person talk while i was up there i wud stop and look round 2 see who it was and if they was talkin bout me or takin the piss, was propa paranoid so i quit.

Kezada

 

[black_mamba]

didnt feel comfortable because i hate hurting people and avoid voilence of any sort..well i did after those classes anyway.

Oooh sue you would've loved one of my instructors, he made me punch him in the stomach to proove that no one in the female boxing club could hurt him. No one could. God damn, I gave it my best shot but...pfff, nothing, not even a wince. 8O

ShadowCat do you ever have to do similar exercises?

 

[ShadowCat]

Did you want to make friends or just want to feel more relaxed around people?

Of course I wouldn't mind making friends with someone, but I just want to feel relaxed and happy.

I think mentally, the best thing to do would be to concentrate on what you're doing and forget about the people around you. When stretching concentrate on the particular muscle you're working on, making sure you're peforming the stretch correctly and effectively. Thats the sort of thinking that helped me have fun in boxing. I was pretty much feeding off the praise from the instructors though. I'm crap at making friends, so can't help you there. Doh!

I'll have to try that. Thanks!

 

[ShadowCat]

Humming your favorite tunes to yourself while you stretch might help. I go workout at Curves for women and a lot of the ladies don't work out very hard, they just chat while doing the motions. I never want to chat so I stare at a focus point and hum to myself during the workout and also when I'm stretching afterwards. Probably anything like that where you bring your focus into yourself will help, you might be too distracted with your inner activities to notice the others around you. Also, I find it's kinda meditative to do.

I'm too self conscious to hum out loud at class :? . I guess just doing anything to take my mind off of what other people are doing would help though.

 

[Neebo]

I once did kickboxing a few years ago too but because of my SA/SP I gave it up too. I also regret quitting and now looking back wish I'd have stayed But it wasn't just my Socialphobia that made me give it up. It was also because I found it very hard work and very demanding and it was three days a week and I just wasn't cut out for the commitment of it three days a week. I've always been quite interested in the martial arts and I would like to take it up again. Although this time I would like to do karate because kickboxing is quite demanding and very energetic and you have to have lot of stamina to be committed to it. The only thing thats holding me back from taking up Karate and joining a club is of course my SA/SP :x I'm just not confident enough yet.

 

[Kezada]

yo neebo, i did lickboxing to, when i was 11-12. i loved it, i was proper dedicated to it, but i got to paranoid about other people and it was putting me off and was driving me crazy. so i was forced to quit the sport i loved.

Kezada