Tell me about your first day of training..

[SeanKerby]

Which style?

TKD...wanted to learn how to do all those kicks
Nami Ryu/Systema...Didn't wanna get tossed or rolled up.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

I'm a Teakwondoist (WTF/USAT), but more importantly, I'm a martial artist from the get go. Great stuff...:asian:

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

For those new to the martial arts and our various organizations and affiliations, a large number of us Taekwondo practitioners are linked to the following:

WTF - World Taekwondo Federation (Olympic sport governing body)
USAT- United States Taekwondo (USA sport governing body) for us Americans.

 

[Silverwing]

My first class... hmmm, six an a half years ago as an 10 year old with a bad ego problem I was actually referred to Tang Soo Do by my school guidance counseler because I was having problems with a teacher...

Anyway, at the time the studio had only been up for about a year and a half and had just gotten out of the YMCA kitchen so the highest ranking student was, if I'm not mistaken, a green belt, who is now a second degree black belt. I was sent off with another student to learn low block, center punch, and front kick from a girl who was also a green belt. After that we were tossed back in line for drill where I got completely lost. Now, at 17, and with a few tons of ego dropped off, I've made it to black belt candidate and will never stop training.

 

[soul_sword34]

My first day in Shotokan the only thing I can remember is that I wanted to quit. I was always the shining star in AAU wrestling, gold medals, state champ. I came to the dojo and everyone was better than me and no matter how hard I tried I could not do anything right. I remember talking to myself saying, "if they can do it then I can too". I stayed. I remember my second day vividly so let me share my embarassing story.

I came home that first day and took off my gi and threw my pants/underwear into the corner (I now fold them ) and went to take a shower, I was 10 years old at the time. Then next day I was running late and scooped up my gi after school and ran down the street for training white belt dragging in the dirt. I went into the locker room and put on my gi. Now while training it was time for Mae-Geri (front kick) practice. Up and down the floor. Instructor was calling out the numbers. "Ichi!", kiai, "Ni", kiai.....all I remember to this day of my second day is on one of the front kicks, I remember it was a right leg front kick, Kiai!!!! and out flies my underwear from the cuff of my gi bottoms. There they were in the middle of the Dojo, I thought I was going to die, I had forgotten my underwear were wrapped up in my gi and now my whities are in front of the entire class. I quickly ran up and grabbed them and tucked them inside my top behind my belt. The funny thing is no one ever, ever said anything about that.:idunno:

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

My first day in Shotokan the only thing I can remember is that I wanted to quit. I was always the shining star in AAU wrestling, gold medals, state champ. I came to the dojo and everyone was better than me and no matter how hard I tried I could not do anything right. I remember talking to myself saying, "if they can do it then I can too". I stayed. I remember my second day vividly so let me share my embarassing story.

I came home that first day and took off my gi and threw my pants/underwear into the corner (I now fold them ) and went to take a shower, I was 10 years old at the time. Then next day I was running late and scooped up my gi after school and ran down the street for training white belt dragging in the dirt. I went into the locker room and put on my gi. Now while training it was time for Mae-Geri (front kick) practice. Up and down the floor. Instructor was calling out the numbers. "Ichi!", kiai, "Ni", kiai.....all I remember to this day of my second day is on one of the front kicks, I remember it was a right leg front kick, Kiai!!!! and out flies my underwear from the cuff of my gi bottoms. There they were in the middle of the Dojo, I thought I was going to die, I had forgotten my underwear were wrapped up in my gi and now my whities are in front of the entire class. I quickly ran up and grabbed them and tucked them inside my top behind my belt. The funny thing is no one ever, ever said anything about that.:idunno:

Now that is embarassing! Yet, we all can get through those moments and if we continue on then when we look back they are really no big deal.

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

What a comical story, thanks 4 sharing. I can just imagine if I did a front snap kick and my chonies flew out and landed in the middle of the dojang... :lol:

Well, I'm sure a lot of us here have an embarrasing story to tell. Oh well, the life of a newbie martial artist.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I will never forget my first day of training. I was nervous and didn't think, after watching my children's class, that it was going to be all that hard. I was very wrong, but I was very hooked at the end of it. I enjoyed learning the new kicks and how to properly fall. The school was not a real "serious" place so there was lots of smiling and lots of laughter.

How about you? What brought you there and what kept you?

I was involved with a court case and I was a little stressed out.

A friend of mine told me to go to his class and train.

I remember I sweated and that I worked with a borrowed rattan cane to learn the strikes and blocks. (* I went back because it was a good work out and I was learning, and it was practical application, and maybe just maybe I could learn how not to break people with pure strength and or fear. *)

As to interesting early classes I think this may have been the first or second class, the Instructor was testing us on our basic blocks. He would tell you what block to execute and he would then strike you so you would have to block using the block he called out for you. I am at the end or front of the line with everyone to my right and the instructor calls off a block and I execute it. Then he goes down to the other people in the line and we all do the same block but he only strikes one of us. So when he comes back down the line, I was to execute a vertical block to be used against a number 5 or mid level thrust. I was ready and then realized the instructor was swinging a number 8 or backhand to my knee, so I stepped back as blocked with a down to the right as called for that strike.

Now the more senior color belts in the class speak out and say he did not do the correct block. The instructor asks me why I did not do the correct block? I explained I did not want to get hit. He laughed and said, "You will do fine in this class." The others were told be quiet.

A couple of classes later another instructor shows up and is teaching part of the class. He has everyone else so scared I am afraid to answer. When he asks for three areas on a stick to hit someone with, there are all these answers. I am thinking, a Cyclinder has three surfaces areas, but no I cannot say that as that would be the Smart Alec or Engineering student answer. Guess what that is what the instructor was looking for. So, I learned go with my best guess and deal with it.

 

[Bigshadow]

My first day... I don't remember a whole lot from it. The only thing that really stands out is the first thing the instructor had us do was do forward rolls. I am big guy, then I was much bigger and have had no training in any martial arts. So here I am in line and I get up to the point that I have to roll (The class made it look so easy) and I go for it. I crash into the floor, you could hear knees, elbows, clunking against the concrete. It was so embarrassing! After that mishap, the instructor sent me to the side with one of his better students to go over rolling. Even that was embarrassing! I carried scuffs on my elbows and knees for weeks following that.

 

[spiderboy]

I was a 19 year old TKD student, young dumb and full of energy - met an American Kenpo student one day at a friends farm, who gave us our first lesson right there in an old sheep pen. Had to kick the dung out of the way and throw bricks at the rats to shoo them, but best sparring lesson i've ever had.

That student became my instructor, and been doing Kenpo since

Alex

 

[chris_มวยไทย]

my first day of training was months ago , i went in , i was nervous as hell , and i was the only person my age there , and they were all staring at me , well , it felt like it lol , but after a while i got to know some of them a bit and there all great peaple , not big monsters who would try to kill me when sparring , they are atualy great people , and after the session i felt exelent , and i still enjoy training as much as i did that day , it has never , and will never get boring!

 

[lll000000lll]

alotta sweat, and the next morning sore muscles.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Wish I could, but I think that was around 1972

 

[Haze]

My 8 year old son was training and kept after me to join. Well, one of his Senseis offered me 3 free months. I remember the first class. Just trying to get through the 90 mins was all I could do. I was a 2 pack a day smoker. I was not going to let my son get the best of me. We trained together for 6 years. (lost him in a car accident when he was 15 yrs old in 1993) BUT................
GOOD MEMORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Elayna]

Wow, my first day of training seems like forever ago...but here goes.I was 7 or 8. I dont even remember what style it was offically...all I knew was that we had to yell alot. LOL. And I fondly call it....Using the little black stick. LOL. (it was only about 4 inches long, the size of a grown mans index finger..and great for getting the jugular..LOL).The first day, We walked into like the tiny tiny old house, that smelled. LOL. I was with 10 other kids that I homeschooled with, so talk about pier pressure. I was all nervous and jittery...i was so afraid that my shirt would fly over my head...(i developed early...very early)....and of course...It did.....and when it did....I just started crying and ran out of the smelly house. LOL LOL. Well because I liked most of the class, i decided to go back, but this time...I wore 2 shirts, with both of them tucked in. LOL. But the Sensei was so nice...it was like nothing happened even though i was like so embarrassed. LOL.So anyways.....Thats my first day. Hehehehe..

 

[profesormental]

I don't remember my first time... My older brother used me as a training tool for his karate classes... so I learned that way... then an elementary school friend used me as his training tool for several years in TKD (not olympic...) and Judo... the same with boxing... in high school I somehow hooked up with some Shaolin Kempo guys that trained in the university and some arnis guys... the same with my Wing Chun teacher...

Also, since I was in elementary school, I bought MA magazines (I have issues somewhere from 1987)... and I used my allowance and worked to buy instructional materials and books!

I don't really remember a time that I didn't train or practiced on my own some kind of training...


So I don't reemmber my first time... yet if I stuck around so much at it... I guess it was REAL GOOD!!

Sincerely,

Juan M. Mercado

 

[Azzy]

My first day of training ....... I had done some research on Bujinkan but still didnt know exactly what to expect. The dark run down building didnt help. Started on the leg and wrist stretches. To me it was insanely painfull - clenched my teeth and got through it somehow. Also had a problem with the rolling. In the end i was covered in bruises and had to ice pack my shoulder( the wall got in my way). But I loved every second of it. I know consider it to be one of the best days of my life.
Oh and going to the pub after training is pretty fun too.

 

[kingkong89]

my first day of training is a bit hard to remember, it has been about 10 years. i remember i wanted to fight as soon as i walked in the door

 

[evenflow1121]

I wanted to learn how to do flying kicks and leap from buildings...too much Samurai Sundays (though I do miss that show), then I got introduced to the proper stances punching and some blocking and thought well I guess I will learn how to thrown a flying kick on my second lesson.

P.S. I still dont know how to do a flying kick.

 

[RheaHS]

Remember being really quiet and nervous as I walked up to the door, came in just as the juniors finished. It took about half an hour before the instructor noticed i was there.
Didn't talk to many people. Remember being a bit scared of the line up (all in Japanese) and getting shown some defences against rear strangles, not much else.
Something drew me back for the second lesson, where I signed up. Possibly the fact I had been told about the high drop out rate. Something told me to stay, and it was a challenge.
This I can remember vividly, having the basic groundwork shown on me and going through 15 mins of pain and discomfort to another novice, then doing a load of groundfighting where I faced my (then) purple belt "nemesis" for the first time. I have had so much fun ever since, and I love it more every time I train.