I must have been 9-10 when I started in Tae-Kwon-Do, with my older sister (12-13). When I was 11, we moved, so I didn't get too far. Shame, really. I would have loved continuing up to now.
^^ It was amazing because there were people younger than even me there, and older teens. I loved it.
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Great, now I want to go searching for the Xmas group photo. *bolt*
I was 10. I began training with my uncle in Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do. We worked out a deal with the landlord of my building that in exchange for the basement, which we converted into our studio, I would be the super. I mopped the hallways, set the building's trash on the curb on pick-up day, and swept the sidewalk in front of the building every morning before school.
I started Wado-Ryu Karate when I was 14, Genbukan Ninpo when I was 15, Aikido when I was 16, Wan Hwa Do when I was 18 and Haidong Gumdo when I was 19.Im still doing all of them by the way, despite a tendency to avoid gradings.
Its been just about 10 years since I began, plus or minus a month.
Started when I was 10, in 5th grade. Didn't know it at the time, but I was in a McDojo. Luckily, I moved from there within 2 years. The next 6 years were spent doing TKD. I had 4 years of formal training and 2 years as a teaching assistant to a 3rd Dan who taught me, but couldn't promote me. After I graduated from high school, I did a year-long cultural student exchange to Japan and practiced kendo there with the high school team (2-3 hour practices 6 days per week, year round). When I got back to college, I dropped TKD, started up on Shaolin-Tao, and have been with it for 2 years now.
I was 23 when I began training seriously and have been consistent ever since. I just turned 29. I did actually train for a class or two when I was real young, but was a big baby and that didn't last. Then about 10 years ago, I met my teacher, took less than a dozen classes and dropped out. I went on to have my family and career and quit smoking and then miraculously found the same teacher from 10 years ago and here I am. A great story, but maybe for another thread.
I started when I was 39. My son had already been involved for about a year and I thought it would be a great way for us to get together and share an activity. I also was looking for a new way to keep an uncoopertive gut in check. Both have proven to be successful. Although I do have to work alot harder on the latter.
I was 16 when I started (began learning how to hurt people on Valentine's Day, go figure). I too wish I'd started at a much earlier age. The benefits of martial arts can't be stressed enough.
I started in the arts when I was 4 years old and at 12 went to live in a temple training continuosly since then. Now 58 years old and still have much to learn. Trained in various other arts also while still training in Kara-Ho. Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Hsin Hsing Yee Ti Kung Fu, Combat Tai Chi Chaun, Kajakenpo & Aikido.
Grandmaster Kuoha
Prof. Chow's Chinese Kara-Ho Kempo Karate System
I was thirteen when I started training in Kenpo, and have been training kenpo and other martial arts since. I guess I had a break for about a year while I was in high school, but other than that, it has been constant.
Acutally, I guess I had a couple lessons in Tae Kwon Do when I was eleven, or so...
I was 5 when I went to a karate school, took 2 years off tho, but i've been training 7 days a week, for 9 years, only time i couldn't train was when i was in the hospital lol.
I started in Judo and Kendo when I was six.
I moved to a new town when I was nine and started TKD (which I trained in until I was about 16 at which point I moved again and started Kyokushin karate). Also started Western Boxing when I was 12.