What was it that made you decide to take up Martial Arts?

[Dragon Fist]

As I stated earlier, Bruce Lee was a big influence in me taking Martial Arts. But if I look back a little closer, I remember my uncles teaching me FMS when I was younger. Plus we also did it for P.E. in school.

 

[Dragon Fist]

Here are the updates of the counts so far.

• Family or Friend - 7
• TV Personalities (Bruce Lee, Ninja Turtles, Matrix, and Jedi) - 4
• Attacked or picked on - 2
• For Fitness - 2
• Dated Instructor - 1 - hehehehe

 

[chinto01]

My uncle got me a gift certificate for Christmas. I will have been studying now for 18 years this coming January. Little did he know at the time the effect it would have on my life. Little did I know!!!

 

[INDYFIGHTER]

As far as movies that inspired, I don't see anyone mentioning "The Karate Kid" and I for one watched that movie at least a hundred times when I was a kid.

Wax on, wax off Danielson.

 

[Dragon Fist]

As far as movies that inspired, I don't see anyone mentioning "The Karate Kid" and I for one watched that movie at least a hundred times when I was a kid.

Wax on, wax off Danielson.

Lol, your are definitely right about The Karate Kid!

When that movie came out, I remember the students at the dojo that I was going to at the time, more then doubled. Bloodsport was another one.

 

[Aqua4ever]

I had absouloutly no interest in martial arts, then a guy in my german class (total of ten kids so we had a lot of time together, i've been in school with this guy since grade 2 but didn't really know him) asked if i wanted to try tae kwon do completely out of the blue (he;s different..but now my very best friend)my response...uhhh NO! for some reason he kept at me every day and another friend joined in (the first is a black belt and incredible, the second just beginning) so one day i went in just to get them off my back..still didn't seem like my thing until i tried a class. The energy i got from it and the incredible feeling of accomplishment got me hooked! still going strong almost a year later and hope to be here for many many years to come! Sorry this is such a long reply to a simple question....just started typing
take care
Aqua

 

[Dragon Fist]

I had absouloutly no interest in martial arts, then a guy in my german class (total of ten kids so we had a lot of time together, i've been in school with this guy since grade 2 but didn't really know him) asked if i wanted to try tae kwon do completely out of the blue (he;s different..but now my very best friend)my response...uhhh NO! for some reason he kept at me every day and another friend joined in (the first is a black belt and incredible, the second just beginning) so one day i went in just to get them off my back..still didn't seem like my thing until i tried a class. The energy i got from it and the incredible feeling of accomplishment got me hooked! still going strong almost a year later and hope to be here for many many years to come! Sorry this is such a long reply to a simple question....just started typing
take care
Aqua

What a nice story, I hope that you enjoy it (martial Arts) for many years to come.

 

[KajuMom]

I second the "I had absolutely no interest in martial arts..." category. After my second child was born, I was looking for a way to get in shape that could accomodate a life that included two kids and work. I've always been very athletic, but 5-hour mountain bike rides don't mesh well with an infant and grade school child. My son was taking classes at a kajukenbo school that offered women's kickboxing classes...and the rest is history.

I started taking regular classes and just fell in love with it. I still run 3-4 times a week, in addition to working out at the dojo 3-4 times week and expect to test for my black belt in Oct. 05. I've made some great friends, met some incredible martial artists and feel blessed with patient, positive, awesome instructors.

I was able to attend a seminar in Sept. at which I met the Kajukenbo founder Sijo Adriano Emperado--another great experience.

My husband thinks I can be a little obsessive (like hunting down a school to train at while visiting family in Kaua'i for 3 weeks), but he's also commented on my improved balance, patience, and self control. I'm sure the brand new ab muscles don't hurt our relationship either

I have nothing but good things to say about my (admittedly limited) MA experience thus far.

 

[Dragon Fist]

I second the "I had absolutely no interest in martial arts..." category. After my second child was born, I was looking for a way to get in shape that could accomodate a life that included two kids and work. I've always been very athletic, but 5-hour mountain bike rides don't mesh well with an infant and grade school child. My son was taking classes at a kajukenbo school that offered women's kickboxing classes...and the rest is history.

I started taking regular classes and just fell in love with it. I still run 3-4 times a week, in addition to working out at the dojo 3-4 times week and expect to test for my black belt in Oct. 05. I've made some great friends, met some incredible martial artists and feel blessed with patient, positive, awesome instructors.

I was able to attend a seminar in Sept. at which I met the Kajukenbo founder Sijo Adriano Emperado--another great experience.

My husband thinks I can be a little obsessive (like hunting down a school to train at while visiting family in Kaua'i for 3 weeks), but he's also commented on my improved balance, patience, and self control. I'm sure the brand new ab muscles don't hurt our relationship either

I have nothing but good things to say about my (admittedly limited) MA experience thus far.

Wow, I love reading all the great stories of how martial arts have become such a big part of people’s lives.

 

[Dragon Fist]

Score two more for Friends and Family.

Here are the updated counts so far.

• Family or Friend - 9
• TV Personalities (Bruce Lee, Ninja Turtles, Matrix, Karate Kid, and Jedi) - 5
• Attacked or picked on - 2
• For Fitness - 3
• Dated Instructor - 1

Influenced by a Family member or Friend, is still the number one reason that people have decided to take up martial arts.
(count is based entirely on what people have posted so far.)

 

[Simon Curran]

I must admit, my reason for starting is slightly more negative than the majority here, I had problems controlling my temper in my youth, and a school teacher suggested I needed an outlet.

Tried a little of a lot of things as I have moved around, and when I moved to Denmark I went looking for a club which was originally doing classcal Kung Fu, but my body frame isn't exactly suited to it since I am tall and heavily built, but the instrucor told me he was also starting a Kenpo class, I became his first student.
4 years later I am now his helper trainer and loving every minute of it.
(by the way my anger management by way of brute force and ignorance theory worked out ok...)

 

[flyingsidekick]

I alway wanted to do martial arts growing up as kid. I just never got the opportunity. The other reason (I was also really overweight, lacked confidence, and in major need of a stress outlet) When I was 19 I remember seeing a Taekwondo demonstration at a church picnic (by my current instructor and class) I was really impressed. Since I was already looking into others in the area I decided to give this class a try. Two month later I found myself in my first class which i immediately became hooked on, joined after only one class and I haven't looked back since.

Pam

 

[MichiganTKD]

I was tired of being picked on and put down in school. I also had a serious case of low self confidence. I didn't begin Tae Kwon Do to get revenge, it was something I had been interested in for a while. My first class, I knew I found a home.

 

[Hanzo04]

I got into tae kwon do because i wanted to learn how to use my legs and to be like Phillip and Simon Rhee from Best of the Best. I also took up martial arts to defend myself. I am very much into the warrior spirit and bushido. right now though i am trying to better my skills so i can get into the movies, someday. that's my 2 cents.

 

[still learning]

Growing up is not easy sometimes, the trouble makers, the bullies, and the low self-esteem and not knowing how to fight back was the main reasons for starting in the martial arts. Been afraid eveytime I went somewhere and wondering what would I do if I get involved with something or someone who is looking for trouble. That's why I started....today it is for different reasons also.

Today I enjoy the workouts, I enjoy help teaching and shareing the knowledge, learning new skills, my self-confidence has grown and the awareness to avoid the ulgy things has grown too. In the begining I thought it would take a few years to develop the skills of Bruce Lee....now I know it will take a life time of training to progress to get where I want to be. The best part is I feel good about my self. Life is more fun today because of the self-confidence......growing up is not easy...but can get more fun.....keep up your training........Aloha

 

[Shu2jack]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Seriously. The only reason my mom let me try out TKD was because usually I'll want to do something for a while a then let it go, but with "Karate" I kept insisting that I should learn it. So she let me try out a few classes, I liked it, and 11 years later I am still with it.

Oh, and Donatello was the coolest of the 4.

 

[kelly keltner]

Well I have been reading the posts that you guys have submitted so far and found that it was interesting to find that Family/Friends and TV Personalities were the primary reasons for getting into Martial Arts.

I would have thought that it was because we got attacked or picked on.



Here are the counts so far.

• Family or Friend - 5
• TV Personalities (Bruce Lee, Ninja Turtles, Matrix, and Jedi) - 4
• Attacked or picked on - 2
• For Fitness - 2
• Dated Instructor - 1 - hehehehe

hey dragonfist my instructor can beat up your instructor. hey wait a minute we have the same instructor. I knew I recognized that mon you use for a avatar from somewhere.
anyway back to the question.
where I come from you got 2 choices track shoes or martial arts.
I shoulda chose track shoes.

kk

p.s. I was supposed to email ya something what was it i forgot.

 

[Dragon Fist]

hey dragonfist my instructor can beat up your instructor. hey wait a minute we have the same instructor. I knew I recognized that mon you use for a avatar from somewhere.
anyway back to the question.
where I come from you got 2 choices track shoes or martial arts.
I shoulda chose track shoes.

kk

p.s. I was supposed to email ya something what was it i forgot.

LOL, hey Kel, Yup, we have the same Hanshi...hehehhee
Track shoes huh, haahaa thats funny.
You know what, I also forgot what it was you were gonna send me.

BTW, thanks for telling me about Martial Talk!

Sid

 

[Dragon Fist]

Here are the updated counts so far.

• Family or Friend - 9
• TV Personalities (Bruce Lee, Ninja Turtles, Matrix, Karate Kid, and Jedi) - 7
• Attacked or picked on - 4
• For Fitness - 4
• Dated Instructor - 1
• Self Discipline - 1

Influenced by a Family member or Friend, is still the number one reason that people have decided to take up martial arts. But TV Personalities/Media is catching up.
(count is based entirely on what people have posted so far.)

 

[greyghost]

My dad. He took Kenpo in high school, got to be brown belt before his mom moved the family again.

From the time I was two years old my dad started teaching me a thing or two, from self-awareness to what he wanted me to do to an attacker (dads can be brutal when it comes to their little girl!).

As I got older the fire to go kept burning hotter, but I never wanted to ask my parents to send me and I wanted to pick my own school. It wasn't until I was 17 that I went to my first class.