What got you into martial arts?

[Kenpoguy123]

So I was wondering what are different people's reasons to start training.

Mine are first club ishinryu karate I started because my dad kept nagging me about it saying it'd be good to learn self defence and I saw a beginners class and decoded to try it.

kenpo I started because I was getting bored in ishinryu I didn't think it was a very practical martial art and the whole lesson was just basics going up and down the hall punching and kicking for an hour so I wanted to do something more self defence orientated.

Kickboxing more recently I started just for a work out and get some fitness work in and see how they do things

 

[Paul_D]

Initially, as a kid I caught the tail end of the Bruce Lee craze in the 70s.

After that, a desire to learn self defence, and the mistaken belief that learning martial arts meant I was learning self defence.

Now? Many reasons, but mostly it’s fun, I’ve made some good friends which continue to lead to numerous enjoyable social events, its fun, getting my **** of the sofa has improved my fitness, and did I mention it’s fun

 

[Buka]

When I was twelve I saw Ed Parker on the Lucy Show. The episode title was Lucy and Viv learn Judo.

Been hooked ever since.

 

[JowGaWolf]

weapons. swords, spears, daggers and anything else with a blade

 

[Andrew Green]

The Karate Kid & Ninja Turtles (originals obviously )

 

[Flatfish]

Dunno, Judo sounded cool as a kid and some friends were doing it so I joined for a couple of years. As an old fart I started TKD with my son to get him to do something besides flop around in the living room. Been at it for two years now.

 

[elder999]

Moving out of the NYC in 1968, my father taught us the judo, boxing and karate he learned and taught in the Navy (though he'd boxed for years before joining the Navy-back then, lots of colleges had boxing clubs, and he'd been disqualified from participating because of his experience, so he coached....) later, on my 11th birthday, I started to get the more formal training I'd been asking for for years.....Bruce Lee helped (as in "The Green Hornet," called "the Kato Show" by me!

) and the Kung Fu TV series came out the next year, and made me stick with really hard training with the adults (scary men!

) though I missed two seasons for boarding school......

bottom line, though, I wanted to study martial arts because I wanted to be James Bond.....

 

[Bill Mattocks]

So I was wondering what are different people's reasons to start training.

Mine are first club ishinryu karate I started because my dad kept nagging me about it saying it'd be good to learn self defence and I saw a beginners class and decoded to try it.

kenpo I started because I was getting bored in ishinryu I didn't think it was a very practical martial art and the whole lesson was just basics going up and down the hall punching and kicking for an hour so I wanted to do something more self defence orientated.

Kickboxing more recently I started just for a work out and get some fitness work in and see how they do things

I started Isshin Ryu and I'm still doing it. For what it's worth, it is self-defense oriented and not just basics up and down the hall. I suspect you didn't stick with it long enough, but that's just a guess.

As to the reason I started, that's pretty simple also.

When I was in the Marines, I was an MP and I was stationed on Okinawa, Japan (1980s). I worked with a Japanese Security Guard who was pretty highly placed in the Isshin Ryu organization, Master Angi Uezu. I did not train at that time; I was kind of more interested in drinking beer back then. But I never forgot about Isshin Ryu; it is basically the unofficial Marine Corps martial art (I have plenty of Jarhead friends who study other arts, but Isshin Ryu is or was at that time very popular with Marines).

So some time ago, as a late 40-something fat guy, I decided to finally 'get around' to starting martial arts training. There was a dojo less than a mile from me, and the instructor was a second-generation student of the founder. I visited, started taking classes, and just never stopped.

I'm a second-degree black belt now. Still a student, but I help out teaching the kids' classes and adult beginners as I am able, under supervision by my sensei. I'll be 55 this year.

Sorry you got bored with Isshin Ryu. Your characterization of it is entirely incorrect, however.

 

[Andrew Green]

Sorry you got bored with Isshin Ryu. Your characterization of it is entirely incorrect, however.

Probably more a characterization of his school, not the style as a whole which is going to vary considerably in how it's trained depending on who is teaching it.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Probably more a characterization of his school, not the style as a whole which is going to vary considerably in how it's trained depending on who is teaching it.

I agree, but I read this in the OP's statement: "I didn't think it was a very practical martial art..." It is a very practical martial art, and I want to correct any misconception that it isn't.

 

[Danny T]

Probably more a characterization of his school, not the style as a whole which is going to vary considerably in how it's trained depending on who is teaching it.

Yep
And is true for most all of the martial arts.
They all can be excellent or can be terrible. I've seen terrible wc, terrible muay thai, terrible bjj, terrible shotokan, ...etc.
Doesn't mean those arts are terrible only those particular individuals at those schools/gyms. Then I've seen some terrible schools/gyms but that doesn't mean the art/s taught there are terrible. It all comes down to the training and how the individual trains and practices. Doesn't matter what it is called, what matters is 'how' you practice it.

 

[elder999]

Yep
And is true for most all of the martial arts.
They all can be excellent or can be terrible. I've seen terrible wc, terrible muay thai, terrible bjj, terrible shotokan, ...etc.
Doesn't mean those arts are terrible only those particular individuals at those schools/gyms. Then I've seen some terrible schools/gyms but that doesn't mean the art/s taught there are terrible. It all comes down to the training and how the individual trains and practices. Doesn't matter what it is called, what matters is 'how' you practice it.

Looking back, I think some people would find my early training-as in the first 8 years or so- "boring." It's also about the individual attitude...I'm almost of the opinion that most Americans should take up knife-throwing before starting martial arts, so they have some experience with practicing the same thing over, and over, and over again, and getting it wrong many times before they get any gratification.........or piano.....or guitar.....

 

[donald1]

One day my mom told me about a karate school nearby and asked if I wanted to go. And I said "yeah, sure okay" and thats pretty much it... (I wish there was more detail but nope)

Probably my one of my biggest reasons for joining martial arts was the fact that I liked bruce lee and jackie chan movies. Turns out you dont get to swing swords in karate or wear sweet ninja samari costumes either...

But I stuck with it and found actual karate is interesting too.

 

[Danny T]

Looking back, I think some people would find my early training-as in the first 8 years or so- "boring." It's also about the individual attitude...I'm almost of the opinion that most Americans should take up knife-throwing before starting martial arts, so they have some experience with practicing the same thing over, and over, and over again, and getting it wrong many times before they get any gratification.........or piano.....or guitar.....

Practicing can be boring. When done as a boring exercise. There are ways to make practice fun, exciting, and different. Everything we do is movement and doing something specific within movement. Practice doesn't have to be doing the exact same thing in the same manner over and over. Techniques are particular movements done at specific times in a specific combination. Practice doesn't have to be, it can be changed up and the same movement performed with different timing and different scenarios and applications. For instance, a hook punch can be practiced over and over as a hook punch or can also be used with a different range, footwork, and turning movement and it now becomes a head lock or when the same movement is as a body punch it can now be a hip throw. Practice doesn't have to be boring when one knows how to use movement as different applications.

 

[elder999]

Practicing can be boring. When done as a boring exercise. There are ways to make practice fun, exciting, and different. Everything we do is movement and doing something specific within movement. Practice doesn't have to be doing the exact same thing in the same manner over and over. Techniques are particular movements done at specific times in a specific combination. Practice doesn't have to be, it can be changed up and the same movement performed with different timing and different scenarios and applications. For instance, a hook punch can be practiced over and over as a hook punch or can also be used with a different range, footwork, and turning movement and it now becomes a head lock or when the same movement is as a body punch it can now be a hip throw. Practice doesn't have to be boring when one knows how to use movement as different applications.

You likely need to read what I said over again:

[I think some people would find my early training-as in the first 8 years or so-"boring"

 

[hoshin1600]

I remember walking into my house after getting into a fight with the local bully "again"...my mom said "that's it,, enough" and went through the phone book and signed me up for karate class, I was really into it since I was a big fan of the kung-fu tv show.
I stopped after some time and the rocky movies got me interested in boxing.then I saw PKA kickboxing and I was hooked. Went back to training and never really stopped since then.

 

[GiYu - Todd]

In college, I got dragged to an aikido class by a friend who was taking it. It was fun, and helped condition me, and had some good people in it. I continued for 3 1/2 years, until moving away.
Each place I moved, I looked around without luck for a new place to train. Some of that was due to too many other interests and insufficient time. I was also not happy with the quality of some of the places I visited.
Eventually decided at 39, after moving again, that if I really wanted to train, it was time for me to get off my butt. I found a great kobudo school and have stuck with it for over 6 years. I don't heal as well as I did 25 years and 45lbs ago, but still love doing it.

 

[mber]

Moving out of the NYC in 1968, my father taught us the judo, boxing and karate he learned and taught in the Navy

I'm really curious, did the martial arts that he used and taught you differ much from how they're taught today? Are they still fundamentally the same styles?

 

[Kenpoguy123]

I started Isshin Ryu and I'm still doing it. For what it's worth, it is self-defense oriented and not just basics up and down the hall. I suspect you didn't stick with it long enough, but that's just a guess.

did it for 2 and a half years and got to second green belt so yeah I did stick with it long enough. Anyway I may be wrong but I think we're talking about 2 different styles the one I'm talking about was founded by ticks Donovan

 

[Flying Crane]

Practicing can be boring. When done as a boring exercise. There are ways to make practice fun, exciting, and different. Everything we do is movement and doing something specific within movement. Practice doesn't have to be doing the exact same thing in the same manner over and over. Techniques are particular movements done at specific times in a specific combination. Practice doesn't have to be, it can be changed up and the same movement performed with different timing and different scenarios and applications. For instance, a hook punch can be practiced over and over as a hook punch or can also be used with a different range, footwork, and turning movement and it now becomes a head lock or when the same movement is as a body punch it can now be a hip throw. Practice doesn't have to be boring when one knows how to use movement as different applications.

This is true. And yet, it's kind of sad that at least some people can't seem to stick with something purely for its own value. They won't do it unless they are at least being entertained, preferably paid.