Finding Your Path!

[Brother John]

My uncle paid for my 1st lessons when I was 7 years old.
He knew I needed better self esteem and something to do with my freetime.
He knew my first instructor and got me into it.
I was hooked and haven't given it up since.

But that was back when wheels were made of STONE.

Your Brother
John

 

[Steel Tiger]

When i was a kid my father took my brother and me to see many a Bruce Lee film and that started my curiosity. However, it wasn't until my late teens that I actually began to study. It all became very serious when I went to university, however.

 

[Shotgun Buddha]

You DO know he was the bad guy right ?

Yep, partly why its so cool :wink1:

 

[pstarr]

When I was very young I aspired to learn martial arts and once I actually began, I knew it would be something I'd do for the rest of my life. Along the way, I discovered that I love teaching....and so, here I am!

 

[Bigshadow]

But that was back when wheels were made of STONE.

What wheels? :uhyeah:

 

[Kacey]

Unlike many of you, I sort of fell into TKD; I was dating a guy who'd gotten to 4th gup blue belt in high school and wanted to go back, and I wanted to get into some kind of organized exercise... after about a month of trying to show me things he half-remembered from training 10 years earlier, he talked me into trying it. Something in it just clicked, and I've been training ever since then - February, 1987 to today. But I didn't follow a path into it; I was dragged, against my better judgment - and I am SO glad my judgment was wrong; the effect TKD has had on my life cannot be measured.

 

[Cruentus]

Okay I know how I found my path in the martial arts. Basically as a kid I wanted to physically feel effective. See some movies and demonstrations hooked me that I could get this from the martial sciences and the rest is history. So how did you find your path?

Good thread, Brian!

I was sort of born into it. My Grandfather on my moms side was a bare knuckle fighter and goldern gloves champ who also took Karate and Judo and did some wrestling. This was back in the days when there wasn't the commercial environment available for asian martial arts as there is today. He was also an avid shooter, as was my uncle. He was true "american" martial artist. My Grandfather on my fathers side was a WWII vet, and my grandma's brother on my fathers side was also an avid shooter and "back country" american martial artist; he almost always carried a fixed blade knife. These individuals also carried firearms frequently.

My whole family had an understanding of "fighting" from an american perspective; so much so that they don't even realize that this is unique compared to other experiences.

But it was my grandfather that first started coaching me, and inspiring me to train. My mom was also smart enough to enroll me in a good 'kids karate' program; one that was attached to one of the best martial arts schools in the state at the time (1985). It was important to her and my grandpa that the instructor wasn't just good with kids; but that he was also an accomplished fighter himself. Because he was a world kickboxing champion, my grandfather was satisfied with that.

So that was how I got my "start." I was basically born into it, where "combative" type stuff was always an influence on my life.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

it's my mom's fault.

she sang me to sleep as a baby with stuff like 'the impossible dream' and 'we shall overcome' and then went and read me lord of the rings and stories from king arthur.

long as i can remember, the word 'Warrior' was a proper noun, if you get my meaning.

it was wrestling in high school, fencing and taekwondo in college, kenpo when i moved into the real world. lot of stuff since: cane fighting, arnis, aikido, mma, muay thai.

security work. bouncing. a little bodyguard work. a lot of 'hey, jason, my cousin's boyfriend is hiting her can you help us move her out? eventually spent a couple years training and coaching in japan.

and now i'm back home running a school where i teach children that Warrior is a proper noun.

 

[jdinca]

Interesting replies. I had only a passing interest in martial arts as a kid. A few years ago, a school counselor (LONG story there) suggested this ma school in Alamo as something to do with the kids. I thought, "sure, why not?". I was hooked five minutes into the first introductory lesson. The kids only lasted nine months, I'm a lifer.

 

[bookworm_cn317]

Even though I didn't start until I was 17, I got interested in the martial arts by watching the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (when I was 12). My mom signed me up for karate lessons in 8th grade, but I kind of chickened out(*). I was 'THIS' close to getting sick over it. Before that day, I had only ever gotten that wigged out over the dentist.

Maybe I just wasn't ready at 13. At least, that's the story I'm sticking with.



* I was shallow enough to freak out over what people would think about a bookworm(which would be me) doing a martial art. Silly, huh?

 

[zDom]

Even though I didn't start until I was 17, I got interested in the martial arts by watching the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (when I was 12). My mom signed me up for karate lessons in 8th grade, but I kind of chickened out(*). I was 'THIS' close to getting sick over it. Before that day, I had only ever gotten that wigged out over the dentist.

Maybe I just wasn't ready at 13. At least, that's the story I'm sticking with.



* I was shallow enough to freak out over what people would think about a bookworm(which would be me) doing a martial art. Silly, huh?

Some of the best martial artists I know are bookworms

I'm a bit of a bookworm m'self

 

[Kacey]

* I was shallow enough to freak out over what people would think about a bookworm(which would be me) doing a martial art. Silly, huh?

I'm a bookworm... always have been; I have one room in my house decorated in shelving; sadly, it's full, and I'm running out of places to put the books... What always seems to surprise people is that I do needlework (cross stitch and crochet, mostly) - it doesn't seem to fit with their image of a martial artist. :idunno:

 

[bydand]

Guilty on the bookworm brand as well. Difference was that I was a roughneck bookworm. People were more suprized to find out that I loved to read than the fact I liked the MA's. I think some of them were shocked to find out I COULD read, let alone discuss intellegently the "Classics" and the fact that my favorite authors are Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky.

 

[makoto-dojo]

Hello,

for me it was the old Kung Fu television show! (when it was originally on air... yes I am that old... ) I instantly connected with the flash back scenes at the temple, the training, the philosophy.. I loved how Cane dealt with adversity and bullies and what not. Still have a warm place in my heart for that show...

Then what REALLY set the hook, was seeing Enter the Dragon on the big screen in a midnight movie!!!! (With my Grandmother of all people LOL!) Seeing Bruce on the big screen was astonishing!

Finally The first book by Stephen K. Hayes, shaped the rest of my adult live to the present. Thank you Mr. Hayes from the bottom of my heart!

Sincerely,

 

[tradrockrat]

An ADHD kid before that term was common, I had more energy than I could handle - it was very tough going through life at 100mph. Sports burned off energy and reading calmed my mind, but a martial arts camp given by my neighbor did both. At 8 years old I found my path. Pretty lucky I guess.

 

[JasonASmith]

I was 7, and highly overweight...And loved Kung Fu theater...
My mother gave me the choice: either a new bike or martial arts, and I had a good bike, so off I go to the local T.S.D. place(which turned out to be a McDojo) until I was 10...My mother pulled me out, because of a monetary dispute...Plus, she is a fanatical Christian(I'm NOT) and didn't like the bowing and meditation before and during class...My fondest hope throughout my adolescent life was to start again, settle down with a system, become proficient in the system, and share my knowledge with other people...It only took me 21 years to get here...