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.
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.
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
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.
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.