How old were you when you first started Martial Arts?

[Ninway J]

I know what you mean about being gunshy Terry. I don't think I ever felt as physically helpless as when I broke my back. I had help from a lincoln town car hitting me at 50 mph at a stoplight. My training officer in corrections used to say that in the battle between flesh and steel, steel always wins. On the plus side, being injured reinforced doing all physical activities as mechanically correct as possible to avoid any further injury. I worked with my chiropractor when I started training again so that he could keep me alligned as I trained and was healing. Hopefully for you a little magnesium, calcium and zinc supplimentation will help with the osteoporosis. Thanks for the lesson about the pain killers. I don't know why, but I chose not to take anything, OTC or prescription. Everyone thought I was crazy because I was in so much pain I didn't sleep for the first twenty four days and wouldn't take anything. I suppose I figured if I didn't feel pain I would mess up and overdo therapy.
Be well
Your friend Tony

My sifu, before she became sifu quite awhile ago, started taking taiji classes as rehabilitation while recovering from a very bad vehicle accident. She was a bit skeptical about taiji at first, but she didn't want to take any OTC or prescription medications. She figured that there must be something to this "tai chi" thing, and practiced 1 1/2 hours a day, 5-7 days a week. One of her legs, that became smaller than the other, eventually grew back to normal size, and says she is very healthy. She doesn't do anything else for exercise. Now, of course, she is sifu, teaching taijiquan.

 

[Chronuss]

...everytime I'm at the kids class, I always wish I could've started at their age...even if I didn't understand some of the things I do now, I just wish I could've gone through the motions and started learning at their ages...guess I'll have to make up for it as I go.

 

[Aikikitty]

I started Aikido when I was 18 (my mom and I started together). I'm 20 now but still not very good at Aikido.

Robyn :boing1:

Wow! I didn't realize that this thread of mine was THAT old! I just felt like updating that I'm now 22....and yes, I'm still very clumsy in Aikido (but better than I was 2 years ago!).

Robyn :asian:

 

[Ninway J]

Wow! I didn't realize that this thread of mine was THAT old! I just felt like updating that I'm now 22....and yes, I'm still very clumsy in Aikido (but better than I was 2 years ago!).

Robyn :asian:

Hey Opal Dragon, I guess you might be a good person to ask this. I've never taken aikido. I know no one can probably master everything about aikido, but I was wondering how long does it take the average person to attain black belt? I'm guessing probably around 10-15 years at least?

 

[Aikikitty]

Hey Opal Dragon, I guess you might be a good person to ask this. I've never taken aikido. I know no one can probably master everything about aikido, but I was wondering how long does it take the average person to attain black belt? I'm guessing probably around 10-15 years at least?

I think it depends how coordinated and quick to learn that person is. Also how many times a week you go to class and practice. It varies for everybody. I don't think I personally know or have heard of anybody who took 10-15 years to get there blackbelt (unless they quit in-between for several years). One guy in our dojo got his blackbelt after 6 years and another after 8 (I think). But I'm sure that there are Aikidokas out there who never quit and did get there blackbelt in 10-15 years. I suppose it depends on the curriculum, the senseis, how often they let you test, etc. :asian:

Robyn

 

[plumflowerfist]

I was 4 years old when I began study in 6 Hormonies Fist, then I started with Plum Blossom at 12. I am 29 now....woo, 1 year from 30....now why...why did I just remind myself 30 is on the way?

 

[Ninway J]

I was 4 years old when I began study in 6 Hormonies Fist, then I started with Plum Blossom at 12. I am 29 now....woo, 1 year from 30....now why...why did I just remind myself 30 is on the way?

Those are a couple martial arts that I've never heard of before. Sounds like they could be CMA. Any more info?

 

[terryl965]

Well Opal My father tought judo and karate in the marine corps. so i can remember to the young age of five when we really began training I'm currently 45 and all three son have been competing since they where four. My youngest is five my middle is three and the oldest is 10 we do both AAu and USTU all went to puerto rico last march and competed and came back with gold in both Kata and Fight my 5 and 10 years old was in the grand champion in forms and my oldest would like to compete on the Olympic team in TKD. so i believe training can start a very young age. God Bless America and your family

 

[ace]

I Was 2 or 3 When My Dad started Teaching Me Karate & Lucha
it was more for shape than anything Else In In 1997 I Started
Training In Modern Arnis & Ju Jitsu & Submisson Wrestling in 2000
MMA in 2002. Im 29 Years old

My Record In Ju Jitsu (USJJF/JJIF) is 19 & 4 With 2 National Titels,2 N.Y. State
3 N.Y. Opean & the 2001 North American Titel. I Also Have 1 silver & 1 Brnonze. I won the 2001 Best Tecnique Award

Im 6-2 In Grappling I was the 2001 J.G.C. Champion & won a Bronze Metal as Well in 2003

Im 3-0 In MMA & The Current Extreme Fighting Challenge Lightweight Champion.

I am a Black Belt in Modern Arnis (WMAA) & Ju Jitsu (NAJJF)
artyon: artyon:

 

[blackbelt4me]

i was 28 and now iam 33, and in the best shpae of my life
i always wanted to do either aikido or judo,then a friend of mine was 1st dan in hapkido and showed me a simple joint lock that had me in tears, opened my eyes and joined hapkido
even if i don`t go to class i still train at home stretch, go through everything from white belt all the way to 1st dan every other night
this is a part of my life and i will never give it up

 

[Tony]

I was 21 when I officially started training in my present style of Shaolin Long Fist Kung fu but I had always been interested in Martial arts at a very young age. I first started Judo when I was 10 and I only know a couple of techniques from that! Afterward I would try to teach myself from books and then I had a friend of my sister teach some basics of Lau Gar when I was 14, so I was already quite flexible by the time I started training in Shaolin Long fist! I recently got my Yellow sash!

 

[TigerWoman]

TOO OLD! This is definitely a young person's sport (Taekwondo). I started at 47 so I've been doing it heavy 3-8 times a week steady--going on 8 years soon.

I'm almost 2nd dan, I have one more break to do - God Willing! I've been going through about 8 boards a day trying to do Jump back (2) + Jump Spin Heel (2 finger hold-1) Everything seems to be hurting right now - knees, neck, hamstring, shoulders - too many pushups- 100. Pray for an angel, I don't believe in luck! Thanks!

 

[Danjo]

11 when I began Shotokan. I did that for a few years. Then on to a lot of other stuff for very brief periods, i.e., one semsester of Aikido, one semester of Judo, one year (once per week) of getting the crud knocked out of me by two Escrimadores, boxing for two years in a local club etc. etc. Then, at the young age of 36, I began formal training again in Shaolin Kempo. I enjoy it very much.

 

[MichiganTKD]

Started Tae Kwon Do when I was 14 years old (I'm 35 now). Haven't stopped training since. I've been with the same organization the whole time, and I've seen many changes in that time. It is still weird to me as an Instructor to be on the same level as the people I looked up to as a young student. I thought those guys were just gods (from my perspective), and it still makes me pause sometimes knowing that I sit at the judging table with them.

 

[ShaolinWolf]

I started at like the age of 4 or 5 in TKD, quit at yellow belt, started back up again when I was 8 or 9, quit at yellow belt again, then did judo when I was 11 up til I was like 12 or 13, then had to quit because of money(dang it, the one time I stayed in MA when I was young.) I started TKD again when I was 16. So, I've been on and off my whole life...lol...I'm sticking with TKD for now, until I can find a worthy school around here.

They have an isshin-ryu karate and something else all in one school downtown, but I haven't checked into it yet....

Hey, Michigan, what organization/federation of TKD are you with?

 

[Nightingale]

I was 10. been involved in one style or another for 15 years.

 

[MichiganTKD]

My organization is Tae Park Tae Kwon Do (GM Tae Zee Park, President). We practice Chung Do Kwan, and our GM is on the Board of the World Tae Kwon Do Federation. However, my Dan certificates are from Chung Do Kwan and the Kukkiwon.

 

[ShaolinWolf]

Nice...
:asian:

 

[Touch Of Death]

I was ten years old when I did a summer of lessons with Matt David, the artist formerly known a Sterling Peacock. I started up again with Skip Hancock in 1984 at the age of fourteen. What a long strange trip its been.
Sean (www.iemat.com)

 

[XkempoX]

I started Shotokan when I was 13 or 14 and did that for a couple of years. Trained in Shokokai and Shorinji/Aiki-Jiujitsu at 25 and did that for 3 years. Took a long break again, and trained in Shaolin Kempo for almost 4 years (but will be back). Presently, training in Muay Thai/JKD.