# Hi there!



## Orion Nebula (Feb 8, 2019)

Greetings!

I'm new to the forum and sort of new to martial arts. I studied Goshin Jutsu as a teen for about two years and earned up to my purple belt (yon kyu). I also studied Aikido for a little less than a year, as there was a class offered once per week after our Wednesday classes. I really loved it at the time and got into great shape. I was a fat kid basically my whole life, and karate completely reshaped me. Regrettably, my first year of college didn't mesh with the dojo schedule, and being young and dumb, I prioritized other things and never made it back. 

People joke about the freshman 15, but I gained maybe 5 pounds. However, my second year of college (coupled with working at a fast food place) resulted in about 40 - 50 pounds. It only got worse from there, although I did a lot of yo-yoing over the years. I'm now in graduate school, and extremely overweight. It's been about 15 years since I was last in that dojo.

I've been looking at the martial arts schools around me for about 2 years. I've been really nervous about returning to the martial arts because of my size (I'm over 300 pounds) and lack of fitness (although I'm actually more flexible and fit than I look). Now and then I'd send out an email asking about a place, but I somehow managed to pick all of the ones that wanted $20 drop in fees or for me to commit to a contract before starting (that's a hard pass from me!). 

However, I emailed a Shotokan school a little over two weeks ago and they told me to come see how I liked it. So the next day I summoned all of my courage and walked into that dojo and prayed they wouldn't tell me to get lost. The sensei was super friendly, chatted with me about my past training and told me to take it easy so I don't burn myself out, and allowed me to take a break no questions asked when I thought I was going to pass out. 

I came to the next class with a different sensei (there are two who alternate) who was also really nice. I made it through that class without stopping, although I felt like I was going to vomit part of the time. At this point, some of my past training was coming back to me. The other students told me I was really coordinated for someone in their second class, and sensei told me it was obvious I had trained before. Granted, I still struggled with a lot, but apparently not as much as a true beginner.

So it has been two weeks since my first class. The classes push me close to my limits, but I no longer feel sick. I get frustrated sometimes because I know how a technique should look, but I can't quite get my body to do it. However, I do enjoy it! I was also invited to a college class that one of the black belts teaches at my university. I started that this week and it's been great extra practice. It's also interesting because there is a teaching assistant who does Kenpo, and this changes things up a bit, particularly for sparring.

So yeah. Hi. I look forward to chatting with you all. I don't have any martial arts friends (yet) and my husband is baffled by what I'm doing, so it will be nice to have people to talk to about it!


----------



## Gweilo (Feb 8, 2019)

Hello Orion and welcome to Martial talk, good for you on having the courage to face your weight head on, Martial arts are a great way to help control your weight and get into shape, and your katas will help you to continue at home. Don't worry, and don't rush, it will come. Just remember to drink plenty of water, if you can 3 litres a day, this will keep you hydrated and help flush out toxins etc. Look forward to chatting in the future.


----------



## ZockerSWAT (Feb 8, 2019)

Hello!

I am a true beginner to martial arts and I am trying to learn muay thai!
I face the exact opposite of your problem, but we still went to martial arts for help, which makes me want to greet you even more!
I am 6ft and I am about 123 pounds (I am 14.). I also went to martial arts to get more fit, or at least get the knowledge how to
defend myself, defuse fights (my friends can be really roudy), or defend my siblings.
Because I am so underweight, I thought that martial arts would help me feel more confident about myself as well.
I eat as much as my friend who is 16, and I think he is about 266 pounds, and it never helps me get anything on.
We are simillar, but different in our own ways.
I met some people on this forum for a few weeks ago, and all of them are awesome people and are trying to help you in any way they can.

I can hapily say, that it will be a pleasure to see you on this Forum.
Welcome to the MartialTalk Family!


----------



## Tony Dismukes (Feb 8, 2019)

Welcome to MartialTalk! Congratulations on getting back into training.


----------



## Christopher Adamchek (Feb 8, 2019)

Glad your getting back into it!


----------



## Orion Nebula (Feb 9, 2019)

Thanks for the warm welcome!


----------



## Gerry Seymour (Feb 10, 2019)

Hey, welcome to MartialTalk! Here you'll find a wide range of opinions, experience levels, and body types. We all have our own challenges, and most of us whine way more than you did in your intro. 

Seriously, good on you for gathering the nerve to go in, and sticking past those first few days. More people quit in those days - sometimes with a lot less reason than you'd have had.

You mentioned "goshin jutsu" - do you know the background on that? I know that term is sometimes used (more often by instructors who've left the NGAA) to refer to Nihon Goshin Aikido (my primary art) or a derived system. I've also seen it used as a generic term (it basically just means "self-defense skill") for self-defense training derived from a Japanese art.


----------



## dvcochran (Feb 10, 2019)

Hello and welcome to the forum. Hang in there, it will get easier.


----------



## Orion Nebula (Feb 10, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> Hey, welcome to MartialTalk! Here you'll find a wide range of opinions, experience levels, and body types. We all have our own challenges, and most of us whine way more than you did in your intro.
> 
> Seriously, good on you for gathering the nerve to go in, and sticking past those first few days. More people quit in those days - sometimes with a lot less reason than you'd have had.
> 
> You mentioned "goshin jutsu" - do you know the background on that? I know that term is sometimes used (more often by instructors who've left the NGAA) to refer to Nihon Goshin Aikido (my primary art) or a derived system. I've also seen it used as a generic term (it basically just means "self-defense skill") for self-defense training derived from a Japanese art.



Thanks - those first few classes getting back into things were pretty rough, but I knew it would be ok after a week or two!

I should have been more specific, since I do know that it is also a generic term for self defense. The style was Goshin Jutsu Karate and seems to be centered around the PA and NY region of the US. Its origins are somewhat nebulous. Its founder is Gerald Durant, but where and how he got his training appears to be up for debate and the history of the style is somewhat different depending on which dojo you ask. I know that if you Google it, there's a series of posts on another forum by a guy who _really _hates it and has put a lot of effort into discrediting it.


----------

