Why did you start MA training?

[_Simon_]

My journey in the martial arts started because my girlfriend at the time challenged me to start taking classes with her and her brother. That was in 1981 and I was 19 1/2. I stayed because I enjoyed it and was interested in learning to protect myself. I met my sensei 6 months later when I went to a school that was owned by a kick boxer Demetrius "The Greek" Havanas. Soon after joining that school Greek was killed in a pane crash and the school ownership changed so my sensei left and I soon followed. I found him teaching at another school, then he relocated to his dojo at his house. Somehow I got invited to train at "The Dojo" and those were a rough 6-8 years of fighting in the Dojo and working out with college karate clubs on the weekends. I also left in 82-84 to go to college and trained with and taught their intramural karate class as a brown belt in 83-84. Moved back and trained at the Dojo till I relocated again back to Waco and studied Wado for a couple of years until I went back to Dallas and back to the Dojo. Till I moved to OK for 18 months and trained with a kick boxing club and then back to Dallas/Fort Worth and back to the Dojo. Training and fighting at the Dojo was a great time of cementing friendships for me.

My goal or desire was to learn to defend myself and in 1982 I went to a Dan Inosanto seminar (with my sensei's encouragement) where my martial study changed as I started a parallel track of doing the JKD, Thai boxing, Kali, FMA type arts while still doing the American Karate (Wado 1985-87) and American TKD with my sensei. In 92-94ish, I took a JKD Kali class then started with Hock Hochheim in late 93/early 94 and he introduced me to GM Remy Presas in 95 and GM Ernesto in 96. I was now teaching American Karate but my interest was in the FMAs and combatives with Hock. As an FMA junkie; I still tried out Pekiti Tirsa, JKD Kali, Garimot Escrima, and others but my passion was really Modern Arnis and Kombatan Arnis (the Presas brothers). In 2001 GM Remy passed away and shortly thereafter I started an ongoing training relationship with Dieter Knuttel, Dan Anderson, and later still Tim Hartman which I continue through to this day by having them in for seminars at my school. Still being an FMA junkie in 2017 I started training in his style of Mirarada Escrima under GM Art Miralfor in his apartment with one of my assistant instructors. We had a blast and we learned a lot from him and that experience.

My goal once I got past just the need or want to defend myself was to become a decent teacher. My sensei always taught us outside of the box so to speak and I wanted to give my students the same kind of drive or passion he gave me. Due to my job (I worked for an airline) and my drive to be a good teacher/student and to learn from the best I traveled all over the place to train with some of the top instructors in their chosen arts. In 2007 I started teaching my own program at the Rec. Center that I'm currently at, I started teaching American karate, Presas Arnis and Kobudo. With the help of my assistants we started cross training groups here in DFW area and TX in general in the FMAs and Modern Arnis/Kombatan Arnis respectively to train with other FMAers to continue to grow and network with.

In 2009 I started officially training in Kobudo as well blending my FMA understanding and applying it to weapons such as Sai, Kama, Tonfa, and Bo. Although I started learning Kobudo at the Dojo back in 1989. Soon after starting offically learning a set curriculum I started teaching my students the same weapons (to keep in practice with my formal lessons) even having three of my students join in the "Official" class in 2014 and testing for black in 2017.

Even though I moved and relocated due to school and work I always found a new place to train. When at work and on brake I studied my notes from class and the seminars I attended, which I made into teaching manuals and curriculums that I still use today. Being in the martial arts has allowed me to develop life long friendships and mentor ships, it has helped me to focus, it has helped me to grow and learn to be a better teacher, a better speaker, and a more confident person.

Still growing and going strong in my 37th year of study. I hope I'm still doing this when I'm in my 80's.

Wow, that's an amazing story, and such incredible experiences

 

[hoshin1600]

my mom had signed me up in 1978 when i was 9 after another fight (read that as i got my butt whooped) with the local bully. didnt last that long there but i was hooked. i watched a lot of David Carradine Kung-Fu tv series. then saw Steven Segal on the Mike Douglas show. (to bad he turned out to be such an &*%$$)
signed up by myself in 1983 and would ride my bike a few miles everyday to the dojo and back. the only reason i got a job at 16 was to pay for my karate classes.
my goal now it to pass on what i know to my young sons and others , to help make their journey in life a little better.

 

[Balrog]

If you’ve studied a few styles or at different times in your life, the very first time you began studying martial arts, why? What was your reasoning? What did you expect to get out of it? Why are you still studying MA now? Have your reasons changed?

I was bullied horribly in high school, to the point that I seriously planned to murder one of my tormentors. Fortunately, I didn't.

I didn't have access to training until I went to college. Joined Jhoon Rhee's organization, trained up to Brown Belt with them, then sat on my butt for almost 20 years. I restarted with ATA and am now a 6th Degree Master Instructor who loves to teach bullying prevention to school kids. If I can keep one kid from going through what I went through, I will consider myself to be a success.

 

[oldwarrior]

I started in Kendo ...I had a fascination for the Katana ...I was still at school and it was the only art nearby that taught anything like what I wanted, I was lucky in a way as my old man went to Japan and I had the great fortune to meet a business associate of his that taught Kendo and he taught me privately I think in another post I mentioned I always at that age and up into my 20's wanted to fight and win until I stood facing my sensei one day and stood for a long while just feeling ...after it I was upset I didn't get to fight and days later he asked me what I'd learned and it then dawned on me and I never fought competition again.

I progressed to Aikido thru the Kendo sensei as he said that would servr my needs both in style and in spirit and I did and it has ... even now I am looking at my sword will I lift it again maybe when I feel the time is right for me and I feel that I can again do it justice. Maybe sounds weird to people but that is me I guess my love of the sword will always be there but my passion for Aikido and all that has taught me is what has made me a better person

 

[Deafdude#5]

Early 80’s, my mom enrolled in karate for confidence & self defense against bullying.

I grew up watching Bruce Lee & Chuck Norris movies. So I was excited to learn. I kept at it for about 2 1/2 years earning up to green belt & competing in several tournaments. It was a good experience for me & set the tine for the rest of my life. It gave my the confidence to believe in myself & tryout for school sports. I ending up joint the wrestling team & cross country running club.

However I left as life in high school started to require more of my attention. It wouldn’t be for another 16 years till I started MA again. This time with my 2 daughters to give them the same experience as me. Well they lasted about 2 years but I was hooked & just kept going back.

 

[CrazedChris]

Is there a reason you disliked my post, @JRMFFL531 ?

 

[skribs]

I was going to the gym to work out but it was a fight with myself to go. I'd find all sorts of excuses to skip out.

Going to Martial Arts I have to convince myself to stay home even when I'm deathly ill.

 

[Mazouni]

I'm a big fan of Steven Seagal. After watching his movies made me want to study martial arts.