[caption id="attachment_2379" align="alignnone" width="500"] I look forward to our robot Krav instructors[/caption] Much to my surprise, it's already September. And everyone at Krav Maga Raleigh that I've talked to in the last few days shares the same sentiment: We can't believe how fast this year is going, doesn't every year seem to go faster than the previous one, remember when we were kids and summer vacation lasted forever but still wasn't long enough, etc. Actually I don't know why the fact that we're in the last third of the year sets off such a cloying bout of nostalgia, but the fact remains that fall us upon us, and for many people this season engenders a chance in either their schedule, their motivation, or both, and it is easy to start falling off of your training. You might be doing Krav Maga for self-defense, or fitness, or just for fun, but the benefits you are getting far exceed that narrow goal. Self-confidence, strength, reduced stress, and pride are benefits from training that affect every moment of your life. Think back to January first (or if you are a more recent student, think back to when you started). What were the reasons you started training? To learn to protect yourself? Get more fit? Find a community? Now ask yourself if those goals are still important to you. I'm guessing you'll say yes. The fact is training isn't easy, and there are only 24 hours in a day, so we have to remind ourselves from time to time why we are willing, even excited, to endure an hour of pouring sweat and burning muscles when we could be at home watching Dancing With the Stars. I hope that you will look at the remaining time of the year as an opportunity to excel in your training, and not let it get pushed aside. Whether you've been training for three weeks or three years, you've already invented more time and effort into yourself than many people do in their whole lives, and I'll be confident and say that you've gotten a good return, so why stop now?