# New to website.



## Will_Christian (Jan 6, 2017)

Hi, My name is Will. I am 14 years old. I am new to this website if you haven't been able to tell from the title. I do Taekwondo and Wing Chun. I just wanted to say hi to everyone who sees this. Over the last 1 and a half years i have loves martial arts more than anything. It really isn't good, but it put it before most of the important things. But it just has been really fun to learn and enjoy. Over the 1 and a half years i have watched more martial arts movies and shows and watching tons of little clips from tournaments. I just done know if i am to obsessed. I try to practice every day, at least 1 hour. Honestly i want to do more than 1 hour. I want to do 3-5 hours a day... Someday i want to get into the olympics so i really need to train more.

Also looking into other martial arts besides taekwondo. There is a Shoulin place around where i live, but i have heard they don't have original Shoulin. There are also 2 karate schools my by house, and one bjj place a few miles away. Would any of these be good? Thanks.


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## wingchun100 (Jan 6, 2017)

Welcome to the boards.

Also, I want to say that I would like to hear in the future how you are able to mix such different styles as TKD and Wing Chun, especially since I started a thread about this very topic in the Wing Chun forum.

As for looking for other schools, take a breather. You are already doing 2 styles while only 14 years old.


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## Tony Dismukes (Jan 6, 2017)

Hi Will, welcome to MartialTalk!

We have no way of knowing whether the schools near you are good just based on the arts they teach, but if you want to provide links to their websites, then some of us might be able to provide some insights.

If you really want to get to the Olympics, however, then you need to be focusing on the sport you want to compete in. Practicing Wing Chun, Shaolin, Karate, or BJJ will not help you reach the Olympics in Tae Kwon Do.

Reaching the Olympics is a lofty goal, but I would never discourage anyone from aiming high. Realistically, here's what you would need to get to that level.

An unusual degree of natural talent and athleticism.

A coach who has experience training world-class competitors.

Training partners/teammates who are high level competitors (doing well at least at the national level)

Make it to every class and training session your instructor offers, pay attention to everything your coach tells you and work your *** off every time.

On your own time, put in additional hours of hard work every day practicing technique and working on conditioning.

Compete in every single tournament you can get to. This will require time, money, and effort from your parents since they would be the ones paying for entrance fees, paying for classes, paying for uniforms, driving you to tournaments, and so on.* Better keep them happy by keeping your grades up in school, doing your household chores, staying out of trouble, maintaining a good attitude, and so on.

Keep doing all of the above consistently for years, even when you're exhausted, frustrated, hurt, mentally burned out, or have other important things going on in life which distract you from your goals.

Get lucky. You can have the potential, do everything right, and still not make it to the top due to factors beyond your control.

You can't be sure of getting to the top, but you can be sure of getting very good at your art if you put in the work as described above. 

It's also possible that if you spend some time working at the level I've described, you might realize that you don't find it worthwhile to put out that kind of effort for the long term. That's fine, most people don't. Even most martial arts instructors never put that level of commitment into their art. Olympians and world champions sacrifice a lot to get where they do. 

*(Leaving aside potential Olympic dreams for the moment, if you want to try additional martial arts on top of those you are already studying then your parents will be the ones paying for and driving you to the extra classes. Unless your parents are unusually accommodating, you may have to stick to one school at a time.)


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## Jenna (Jan 7, 2017)

Will_Christian said:


> I just done know if i am to obsessed. I try to practice every day, at least 1 hour. Honestly i want to do more than 1 hour. I want to do 3-5 hours a day... Someday i want to get into the olympics so i really need to train more.


Hope you stick around Will, there are a lot of folk here with enough experience to give you good advice  And maybe you are not too obsessed, maybe you are dedicated.  And that is a good thing. Welcome aboard.


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## Flying Crane (Jan 7, 2017)

You are 14 and have been training for a year and a half?  Were you twelve, or thirteen when you began?

I was thirteen when I began, I'm 45 now.  Thirteen was a good age to begin.  I hope you have many decades of good training ahead of you.


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## Tames D (Jan 7, 2017)

Welcome


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 7, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> You are 14 and have been training for a year and a half?  Were you twelve, or thirteen when you began?
> 
> I was thirteen when I began, I'm 45 now.  Thirteen was a good age to begin.  I hope you have many decades of good training ahead of you.


Agreed. I was 11 or 12 when I started. I'm 46 now (can still say that for about 3 weeks). I'd hope everyone starting at that age has as much fun (and gains as much) as I have.


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## Will_Christian (Jan 8, 2017)

Flying Crane said:


> You are 14 and have been training for a year and a half?  Were you twelve, or thirteen when you began?
> 
> I was thirteen when I began, I'm 45 now.  Thirteen was a good age to begin.  I hope you have many decades of good training ahead of you.



I had just turned 13 when i began. I am about to turn 15


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## Bill Mattocks (Jan 8, 2017)

Will_Christian said:


> Hi, My name is Will. I am 14 years old. I am new to this website if you haven't been able to tell from the title. I do Taekwondo and Wing Chun. I just wanted to say hi to everyone who sees this. Over the last 1 and a half years i have loves martial arts more than anything. It really isn't good, but it put it before most of the important things. But it just has been really fun to learn and enjoy. Over the 1 and a half years i have watched more martial arts movies and shows and watching tons of little clips from tournaments. I just done know if i am to obsessed. I try to practice every day, at least 1 hour. Honestly i want to do more than 1 hour. I want to do 3-5 hours a day... Someday i want to get into the olympics so i really need to train more.
> 
> Also looking into other martial arts besides taekwondo. There is a Shoulin place around where i live, but i have heard they don't have original Shoulin. There are also 2 karate schools my by house, and one bjj place a few miles away. Would any of these be good? Thanks.



Welcome to MT!


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## Buka (Jan 10, 2017)

Welcome aboard, kid.


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## Jedmus (Jan 24, 2017)

Welcome to MT . I'd say an obsession for martial arts is definitely more like dedication and it's really good to see! If you want to compete at Olympic level you should really concentrate on your TKD. Keep at it and stick around on the forum, you're sure to get plenty of good advice on here


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