Why do people join Martial Arts

[still learning]

Hello, Many of us experience "bullies in our life. A lot of us want to learn to self-defense.

Today I really enjoy teaching and sharing our life experience with the younger students. Judo verbal / avoidance is big part of my life in sharing with the class.

Why I join? To fight back ( younger days). Today the excerise means alot. ...........Aloha

 

[Eric Daniel]

Hello, Many of us have experience of "bullies" as a part of our life. No one wants to be a victim. Martial arts do give you confidence and gives you experience in learning to defending yourself.

Today I enjoy teaching and sharing our knowledge of life with the younger students. Verbal judo / avoidance is something that is growing in my part to share with the class.

When someone bullies you, the bullie doesn't expect you to fight back so he will be suprised if you do fight back. Also bullies don't like much attention when there picking on someone, so if you something like stop, leave alone real loud and get the attention of others the bullie will most likely run away. Bullies are most likely going to pick on someone smaller than them and who looks like a victim. What I mean by LOOKS like a victim is that if you are walking with your head down, it looks like you are an easy target, but if you walk with your head up and full of confidence they will leave you alone.

 

[bluemtn]

I got interested in MA at a fairly young age. At that time, of course t.v. was what sparked my interest, but I also had my friends, and my brothers friends that pushed the interest further. Unfortunately with all the moving my family did, I couldn't get into MA until I became an adult. By that time, it was just fitness, self- defense, and not something everyone my age in the area was doing.

 

[hong kong fooey]

There are many different reason whya person might want to pratice martial arts. it could be to get into shape or for self defense or maybe just to try it out

 

[Solidman82]

I joined half because I was inspired by a certain role model I've always had. And Half because it seemed like my life was missing something, and when I joined it appeared to complete the picture.

I believe a related thread to this would be "What benefits do you get from training"

 

[autumn1973]

I did it for multiple reasons.

I was supposed to be a partner of sorts for my daughter so she would have someone other than her father (who only started taking MA to watch over her- he was supposed to only go 1 month but he's still at it 5 months later) to practice with and to get into shape, but I find the techniques themselves intriguing, and it is good to know that perhaps I can defend myself out there (once I get out of my own way, that is), and it can be, dare I say, fun sometimes as well.

 

[Shaolinwind]

Why do people join Martial arts? Is it to get in shape? Is to gain confidence? Is it to know how to defend yourself? Is it because they saw a movie, thought it was interesting and decided they wanted to learn how to do what they did in the movie? I think people join for all these reasons. I also know that a movie about martial arts is NOT neccesarilly the way you practice a martial art because in a movie the fight scene is rehearsed many times.
what is your perspective?

I joined kung fu because I wanted to be an outright bully and pick fights with people I don't know. :uhyeah: j/k

Actually, It's because I wanted to get some excersize in and the movie thing you mentioned totally came into play. I had no idea it was going to be a lifestyle choice.

 

[splazzatch]

I joined for 2 reasons: 1. I was bored and wanted something to do to suck up my time in highschool.

2. I am not athletic at all and I can not play any sports. I am 6'5" 225ish pounds I can't play basketball, football, or baseball or anything else...except karate...I have found that I can do it and I don't ever get bored with it. It is amazing in the lifestyle change it involves.

 

[DeLamar.J]

Why do people join Martial arts? Is it to get in shape? Is to gain confidence? Is it to know how to defend yourself? Is it because they saw a movie, thought it was interesting and decided they wanted to learn how to do what they did in the movie? I think people join for all these reasons. I also know that a movie about martial arts is NOT neccesarilly the way you practice a martial art because in a movie the fight scene is rehearsed many times.
what is your perspective?

There are a few reasons why. The main three are self defence, sport, and fitness.

 

[Danny T]

I don’t think I joined Martial Arts. It was more of an outcropping or a continuing of training. I started out boxing as a youngster and did some wrestling in high school along with other sports; football, baseball, & track. Continued training with boxing and wrestling in the military and shared some training time with others who were training in other aspects of fighting, I.e. Martial arts. TKD, Goju Ru, Judo, Shotokan, and wing chun. Never any formal martial arts school training, No belts, no ranking only training how to fight standing or on the ground, After returning home from a stint in South East Asia, I quite all fight type training for a few years only to realize I missed it. I started boxing again and working out with a few guys who also did some muay thai training. Started wrestling and grappling again and shortly after that ran into a high school friend who had a martial art school. Got my oldest son started with him and I also started training with him. From there met Sifu Francis Fong; Wing Chun, Tuhon Bill McGrath; Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, GuroDan Inosanto; JKD and Master Chai Sirisute; Muay Thai, started training with them and it continues today. Started my own school of mixed fighting ways, boxing, wrestling/grappling, kickboxing, and whatever 10 years ago and today we provide instruction in the martial arts of Wing Chun, Muay Thai, Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, as well as Grappling, Fight Conditioning, LEO Manadnock and Control Force Police Tactics, Small arms tactics, Home defense tactics and in the last 2 years anti terriorest tactics along with some survival tactics. So I can’t say I ‘Joined’ the martial arts but simply grew into them.

Danny

 

[1redcat]

I can't say I've seen many martial arts movies, aside from a few Van Dammes and Siegals. (No Bruce Lee, no Karate Kid, no Ninja Turtles...) I didn't do it for the exercise, as I go to the gym and run for that. More, I was looking for a physical "hobby" that had an intellectual/thinking aspect and that I could grow in. (I used to ride horses competitively, which also filled those needs, but let us just say I spent less on a month's dojo fees than I did on a single riding lesson, on average. It's nice not to be hobby-poor for a change.)

The self-defense aspect is appealing as well, although I don't fool myself about my (in)abilities at this point. My best self-defense tactics remain avoidance, followed distantly by play as dirty as possible and run.

 

[Fluffy]

My parents adopted a boy and a girl from Soel SK in 1982. In an attempt for them to keep their Korean identity, we attended a number of Korean culture camps. There were WTF style TKD instructors teaching the very basics of the art. My brother as well as my father, fell in love with it, and signed up in 1985. With in three months my entire family was involved with the American Taekwondo Association. I, two brothers, a sister and my parents all made Black Belt. My mother, father and myself are still active.

 

[hongkongfooey]

Well lets see here. I have always been intrested in Martial Arts. I had a subscription to Blackbelt mag when I was a kid. That was where I first heard about Ed Parker's American Kenpo. It was those issues along with with a few Bruce Lee movies that really piqued my intrest. Sadly, I wasn't able to train until my late teens. Stayed with it for a few years then left after a few bad experiences with my instructor. I stayed out of it for about 12 years, though I stilled loved it and practiced what material I did learn, on my own. Recently I have found a great school. It is a Parker/ Planas lineage school. The instruction is first rate, and I look forward to every class.

Sorry for rambling on.

HKF

 

[hongkongfooey]

My parents adopted a boy and a girl from Soel SK in 1982. In an attempt for them to keep their Korean identity, we attended a number of Korean culture camps. There were WTF style TKD instructors teaching the very basics of the art. My brother as well as my father, fell in love with it, and signed up in 1985. With in three months my entire family was involved with the American Taekwondo Association. I, two brothers, a sister and my parents all made Black Belt. My mother, father and myself are still active.

That's a great story, Fluffy. Do your brother and sister every think about getting back into it?

HKF

 

[Kacey]

I originally started because I was talked into it... I was dating this guy, and we were looking for something we could do together that was exercise and not too expensive (we signed up at a YMCA), and he had earned his 4th gup blue belt in TaeKwon-Do in high school. He spent weeks talking me into it... I walked into this room, half curious and half scared silly, and saw all these people (mostly guys) dressed in white pajamas... Now, I was never athletic as a kid, never interested in sports - my father bowled and golfed, and my older sister was on the diving team, and that was about it for my family. I'm not sure what it was, but by the third class, I was hooked! I dumped the sweatpants I started in and bought a dobak (a considerable expense at the time - I was paying my own way through college), and never looked back!

I've never been sure quite what it was that hooked me, but as I moved up through the ranks the attraction changed over time. Having never been athletic, or even particularly coordinated, mastering my first tul (pattern) was quite a revelation. Passing my first test was even more of one. At a demonstration held to attract new students, I broke my first board... everything I did made me want to try the next thing. TKD led me to instructing, which led me to teaching, which has become my career. The boyfriend is, thankfully, long gone (after the divorce he moved out of state) but the art has stayed in my life.

At this point, it has become a part of my life, my lifestyle, and has affected me in ways I probably can't even see any more - I consider joining that class to be one of the best choices I have ever made, because through participation in TKD I have evolved into a much different, and, in my humble opinion, better person than I would have been otherwise, and I can't imagine NOT being involved in some fashion at any time in the future.

 

[DeLamar.J]

Why do people join Martial arts? Is it to get in shape? Is to gain confidence? Is it to know how to defend yourself? Is it because they saw a movie, thought it was interesting and decided they wanted to learn how to do what they did in the movie? I think people join for all these reasons. I also know that a movie about martial arts is NOT neccesarilly the way you practice a martial art because in a movie the fight scene is rehearsed many times.
what is your perspective?

I think there are 3 main reasons.
1.Self defence
2.Sport
3.Fitness

 

[Aqua4ever]

Kacey and I seem to come from similar starts..
I started because two guys in one of my school classes decided to "bring me out of my shell" and kept at me for weeks until I tried a tkd class out. I never turned back, two years later and I wish I'd started so much earlier!
Aqua

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Let me preface this by saying that every martial art has its positives and negatives for personal self-defense. But, IMHO, from what I've exerienced Krav Maga and BBJ are good MAs for practical street use.

 

[TigerWoman]

I was bored with my exercise regimen. I think it takes a certain mentality to want to exercise, to be able to have enough discipline to recognize that it is a part of life like brushing your teeth.

In MN. exercise is either a gym membership and weights/machines, the local aerobics classes or your own regimen. After alot of treadmill and floor exercises, my daughter dragged me to TKD and so I thought I would always just stay a white belt because I didn't want to break boards. Then I discovered it was fun and challenging. TW

 

[TheBattousai]

For me:
The first time:Self-defense (quit after 2 years)
The Second time:After seeing my step father and little brother start at my old school, I simply missed it. Now I'll never leave (No matter how much they change the locks )