What got you into Martial Arts????

[Perpetual White Belt]

WMAC Masters & Power Rangers

Hot Damn! It's now offical!! :lfao:

 

[bookworm_cn317]

Hot Damn! It's now offical!! :lfao:

What's official?

 

[Sabo]

As a youngster living in Southwest Missouri I used to stay up way late each night to watch Kung Fu Theater. I always wanted to join a martial art program but the parents refused. In my early 20s (SE Missouri) I began training casually at a guys house that I had just met (now a good friend for 20+ years). We all eventually joined a local organization. I bowed out of classes for 12 years at the rank of blue belt to persue a carreer and family. Got back into it after both had settled down and also to regain control of my health. Now here I am. Just received my 1st Dan before I turned 40 (the goal I had set) and looking forward to seeing what road awaits ahead. Now I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had not taken the long break but wouldn't trade my job or my Granddaughter for anything in the world.

By the way: Greetings to all. I recognize a few members on this thread. Your instructor suggested that I check this forum out and become a member.

HOSHIN!

 

[tkd75]

My brother. Not that watching Chuck Norris movies with my dad, and the Karate Kid, didn't influence me wanting to do martial arts. My brother started (he's 21 yrs older than I) and I was there with him, his wife, and oldest kid (2 yrs my junior). Dennis had some training when he was in the Marines, and had always wanted to continue it. We all went to class for a while, then the instructor left and it wasn't fun for me anymore. I started back in 2003, once again because of my brother Now we're both 2nd Dan. He's almost 53, but he sure can move!

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

The old Jhoon Rhee television commercial, the one before the Nills Lofgren penned jingle, but the same footage of Rhee kicking and punching. Don't know if it was in color or not; our television was black and white at the time.

I also watched channel 20 action theatre, which featured all sorts of chop socky movies, some with Kuan Tai Chen, others with Bruce Li (Bruce-ploitation movies). But Jhoon Rhee's add was the biggest motivator.

Daniel

 

[IcemanSK]

WMAC Masters & Power Rangers

Haha My friend Bridgett Riley played on both shows. As "Baby Doll" on WMAC Masters & as the stunt double for the yellow Ranger.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

The Power Rangers: one of my many guilty pleasures Love the original MMPR and the two movies. I kind of lost track of it as they got into the lost galaxy, dino force, and SPD arcs. Fun show. While it doesn't display much in the way of actual martial arts (lots of gymnastics, though), it does portray the values that the martial arts promote very well.

Also, Jason Frank is the real deal as martial artists go; seventh (?) dan in, I believe, Kyokushin karate. I've met both he and Austin Saint John. Both gents were fantastic and were very kind to my kids. No pictures, sadly, but Austin signed a copy of my son's MMPR comic book that we do still have.

If anything, the Power Rangers are what first got my older son interested in the martial arts. Rurouni Kenshin is what got my younger son interested. If you've never watched it, it is a fantastic show, though I didn't care too much for the third season (not bad, just not as good as the first two and had a serious confusion over direction) and felt that the first season was the strongest of the three.

Daniel

 

[kwaichang]

Haha My friend Bridgett Riley played on both shows. As "Baby Doll" on WMAC Masters & as the stunt double for the yellow Ranger.

Nice friend.

 

[arnisador]

I was always interested. At 14 my pediatrician felt I needed more exercise and I wanted to learn self-defense. I sold my mini-bike to pay for the lessons!

 

[foggymorning162]

Growing up I wanted to be "Grasshopper" but with four kids my parents couldn't afford MA classes. When my son started showing an interest in MA ie: Power Rangers and TMNT I signed him right up well after watching his classes for 9 mo. I decided maybe I wasn't to old to start.

 

[IcemanSK]

Nice friend.

Wow, that photo actually makes her look cute.:ultracool j/k

She's a great person outside the ring & mean as a snake inside the ring.

 

[Mimir]

My brother. Not that watching Chuck Norris movies with my dad, and the Karate Kid, didn't influence me wanting to do martial arts. My brother started (he's 21 yrs older than I) and I was there with him, his wife, and oldest kid (2 yrs my junior). Dennis had some training when he was in the Marines, and had always wanted to continue it. We all went to class for a while, then the instructor left and it wasn't fun for me anymore. I started back in 2003, once again because of my brother Now we're both 2nd Dan. He's almost 53, but he sure can move!

Yeah, he is one of the fastest sparring partners I have ever had

Of course, you are not exactly slow either....

 

[Perpetual White Belt]

What's official?

I'm officially old.

 

[karatemom]

When I went to sign my son up (he didn't stick with it) the instructor talked me into taking classes, I was like yeah, right! but after I got into it and met other ladies around my age (and older) taking classes I enjoyed it. It's been the hardest thing I've ever done but I love it!

 

[IcemanSK]

I actually got into MA to fight a bully issue in jr. high. Although I didn't start until high school. Wouldn't ya know that kids change & the bully problem wasn't a problem in high school.

I also had gotten a trial subscription to "Kick Illustrated" magazine in jr. high. I poured over those 3 issues constantly. The night I signed up for classes, my dad & I went to see Chuck Norris' "Forced Vengence" & then I signed up! That was more than 26 years ago.

 

[bookworm_cn317]

I'm officially old.

Why do you say that?

 

[Chuck]

So I could be like our president(LOL)

 

[Kwanjang]

So I could be like our president(LOL)

I will Chopificate and Kickafie... to help the sparification. (Frank Caliendo humor)

 

[girlbug2]

Kung Fu with David Carradine was just so cool, I wanted to be able to fight like that! Then Karate Kid cemented the idea in my mind. But my family couldn't have afforded karate lessons, so I never bothered to express my interest in it.

Fast forward until I met and married my college sweetheart who is a blackbelt that I met in a self defense college class.

When our kids were old enough, I watched as they trained from the sidelines and the instructor noticed my particular interest. The rest is my journey as a martial artist.

 

[YoungMan]

Bully issues in junior high. I think Chuck Norris films had something to do with it, but it may have started before that. I just was interested for a long time, and kept pestering my parents until they relented when I was 14. I do know I joined before the Karate Kid so that wasn't an issue. Chuck's films just reinforced what I already wanted to do.

I also think the reason why you join helps determine how good you will be. People who join for exercise or because a friend talked them into it strike me as having a more casual attitude, which reflects in their training.