I've started all of this blogging stuff at the tail end of 2009 and as an end of year, reflective kinda mood takes hold it all seems more than appropriate.

The last 12 months have been turbulent in all areas of my life for a million reasons. But I still turned up for training day in day out. I still went down in the dungeon and flung a kettlebell about, picked up a bar or got down on my knees for all sorts of calisthenics.

One of the reasons is my belief in the "Use it or lose it!" principle. A belief that if you stop doing what you do for just a fraction too long it'll be a long road getting it back. Another is the habit. Exercise, training and the stresses and strains of it relase different chemicals and hormones in the body, in short: it makes me happy.

The other reason to keep going is necessity. As someone entrusted to teach and help others it is my duty to maintain my trianing at all times, how can I expect my students to practice if I don't?!?!

Please be aware the reasons I train now are in some ways a million miles away from why I started. The journey we all go on in martial arts is (hopefully) a long one, but if years later you are still trying to perfect the simplest and humblest of goals that you started with; I would suggest something has gone wrong.

The ability to change and adapt isn't something that applys just to the classroom it should be something you have when approaching all aspects of training. Evolving your mindset and needs to meet ever increasing challenges is the key to success.

Appraising myself, my abilities and my outlook has been painful this year but necessary. In 2010 be prepared to do something new and different everyday, that's my advice for what it's worth. If you can't even consider changing your approach you'll never be able to do it and it's the area I'll be working on most......even more than giving up the sugar and getting that six pack!

So, why do you train? Whether it's exercise, martial arts, a hobby or a skill, why do you do what you do?