I learned M/A because...?

[Champ-Pain]

I took up Martial Arts because I wanted to learn how to fight... having nothing to do with having fun, staying fit or competition. I soon discovered the competition aspect of M/A, and found that I enjoyed participating in such events, a lot - but my primary reason always remained - to learn how to fight.

What was your primary reason to learn Martial Arts?

 

[Flea]

I used to live in a second-story apartment with its own private outdoor staircase. When I say private, I mean it was off the back of the building, facing a well-lit alley.

One night around 10 I stepped out to give my dog his evening walk. Halfway down the steps, I noticed some guy in the alley who was very brazenly standing watch. Staring directly at me. It went without saying that the walk was cancelled at that moment, but out of curiosity I stared right back at him just as brazenly just to see what he'd do. Nothing - he just stood motionless and stared back. So I did a quick scan of my surroundings to see what he what he was standing lookout for. Sure enough, there was some guy crouched in the bushes right under my stairs, also staring just as brazenly up at me.

I don't consider myself a weapons person (although that's changed somewhat since then,) to I opened up the classifieds in the Sunday paper and answered an ad for "women's self-defense." And thus the Flea was born. That was about three years ago, and it's radically transformed my life for the better.

 

[Sensei Payne]

I started training back when I was 17 years old.

My little brother got Guitar lessions and my sister got Piano lessions for christmas one year...and my parents asked me if there was anything that I wanted to do.

I told them I would think about it..

Until one day, i must have rubbed someone the wrong way, and enraged him enough to punch me in the back of the head in the hallway at school.

The thing was about it though, it didn't hurt, and he had a full head of steam before he connected and then got tackled by a teacher.

So later that week, of course after the kid got suspended for nearly enough for assult.(because I didn't throw a punch back) I told my mom I wanted to start Martial Arts lessions.

Really though I felt like my whole life was queing up to it. I grew up bullied and in a rough neighborhood. I used to get beat up because I was White. (Grew up in a mostly African American neighborhood, Racisim is on both side of the fence, don't be fooled.) FYI, I never have held a grudge, because there was just a lot of ignorence and children repeating and acting out what parents were saying.

My Dad, although he is a good one, never taught me how to fight, or how to play a sport, I kind of had to teach myself those things growing up. Being that I am the oldest of Three and didn't have a male older cousin to show me the ropes.

I was also diagnosed with "Ortho statis Hypo Tension" in my early Teens, its where blood didn't pump to my head just right and it threw off my equalibrim, so I would get dizzy and nausous. It wasn't till my Doctor said I had to get more Active and eat plenty of salty foods before I started feeling better...and Martial Arts was that Activity..so in a way you can say..

...Martial Arts Saved my life.

 

[oftheherd1]

I guess I was impressed by all the talk about Judo, Karate, and somewhat less, Kung Fu and TaeKwanDo "experts" and thought it would be cool to be one. I spent 18 months on Okinawa and never darkened a dojo door. When I came back to the States, I accidently ran across Jhoon Goo Rhee's studio, and decided to join. Didn't get far due to military duties, but always remembered how I had enjoyed it. I suppose there was some thoughts of self defense (like others, I was often intimidated by those tougher guys), but I just found I liked it.

I didn't do anything more for about 20 years. I had seen some Hapkido demonstrations, and thought it looked like a very interesting MA. I saw they provided MA instruction at the gym in Seoul, Korea, wandered in to the first one I saw, and lo and behold, Hapkido! I joined that night. Never regretted it. Well, except for the pain of stretching and the joint locks.

 

[MaxiMe]

Pretty simple story here.
Daughter got ito it. Dad realized he was sitting at a desk most of the time and hit a weight that he needed to recover from. I could have fun with her and lose a few in the process.

THEN I GOT HOOKED ON IT!

 

[sfs982000]

I primarily started learning martial arts at 10 years old to learn how to defend myself. I was bullied pretty badly in grade school. It eventually developed into so much more for me other than learning how to defend myself. I fell in love with it right away, the discipline, the comradere, etc..., I couldn't get enough of it.

 

[Nomad]

Picked on as a fairly wimpy, antisocial kid. Took up martial arts as an after-school activity and found I liked it.

Then took a long break and got back into it at 31 as a way to get into shape that was more interesting than using a stairmaster. Hooked ever since.

 

[Langenschwert]

I started Arnis de Mano to learn how to fight. Did it for a couple of years, then quit.

Got into Historical European Martial Arts because it seemed fun. I mean, it's got swords (well, a lot of them do), and swords make everything better. It's as much a cultural pursuit as anything else. The practical modern day applications have always been secondary to me, even if the crossover is very apparent. After all, if a long-dead fight master who actually survived multiple knife attacks wrote down "when attacked by a guy with a knife, do XYZ", that's pretty good information to have today. Every week I have people try to hit me with swords, both nylon wasters and steel blunts with very little protection (fencing mask and padded gloves). New people often flinch when a steel blunt even comes near them during slow instruction. I can calmly deal with steel weapons coming at me at a good clip during sparring knowing that if I make a mistake, I will end up with a broken hand or worse, so I don't panic easliy. Also, compared to a flying piece of steel, few things in life are REALLY scary. If someone trys to hit me with a baseball bat or a pool cue, I have a really good idea of the possible angles it can travel and how to not be there when said object comes flying at my noggin at 40 miles an hour. We also train unarmed every week as well, so I know how to dump a person on their butt. I'm no match for a seasoned MMA practicioner unarmed, but I never claimed to be. And who cares anyway. The chances of me every having to use any of it are practically nil.

I also enjoy the problem solving aspect. Sometimes the masters were a bit terse, and a lot of experimentation is required to figure out what the author intended. This makes one focus on principles to a large degree, which is excellent mental martial training.

And I do the Japanese sword arts as a cultural pursuit as well.

I would say I learn MA because the intellectual, physical and emotional payoff for me is far in excess of the effort put in.

Best regards,

-Mark

 

[OKenpo942]

My dad had a friend that taught American Kenpo. After getting a gun stuck in my face on the way home from baseball practice by a couple of older kids (I was 13) and asked if I thought I was tough for no reason at all, dad made a phone call to his friend. That was that. I've absolutely loved it from my first lesson.

James

 

[ETinCYQX]

Looks like I'm in the minority. I never felt I needed to know how to fight.

I got into it probably for self improvement and development. I don't remember, I was six.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Pretty much by accident. I had done some karate with my dad as a kid and so had a good friend of mine, but didnt last long. We both felt it to be beneficial for kids to know and agreed that one day when we had kids of our own we would put them in martial arts. Twenty years later we both had our first kids within 2 weeks of each other and decided that when they started primary school we would sign them up. Anyway, on their first night they were a little bit over-awed and the instructor said we could join in if it would make our little 6 year olds feel more comfortable so we reluctantly joined the class. At the end of the class we came to two conclusions, the first was that our kids were too young to gain any benefit from martial arts, the second was that it was the most fun thing we'd done in years. We signed up then and there and have hardly missed a lesson since. So I didnt actually go into MA consciously looking for anything in particular, I basically stumbled upon it.

 

[Thesemindz]

I wanted to learn how to fight. I had a couple of buddies who practiced kenpo at a local school and I went in and tried some classes. Turned out to be the greatest thing ever. I learned how to fight a long time ago, now I train because it's become a way of life.


-Rob

 

[jthomas1600]

The primary reason I train is so that I can win a fight if need be. However, there doesn't need to be any threat of a fight in the future to motivate me. I love sport combat and would continue to do it if for that reason alone. I don't care what the rules are or what the style is...heck, I'd love to give sumo wrestling a go.

 

[Blade96]

I took up Martial Arts because I wanted to learn how to fight... having nothing to do with having fun, staying fit or competition. I soon discovered the competition aspect of M/A, and found that I enjoyed participating in such events, a lot - but my primary reason always remained - to learn how to fight.

What was your primary reason to learn Martial Arts?

Am a huge fan of the Blade trilogy with Wesley Snipes. He's a 5th dan Shotokan Karate.

Nuff said

I wanted to learn it. Joined in september 2009 a shotokan karate dojo - and never looked back. Now I been in it for nearly 2 years and have an orange belt.

I also like competitions - I have a gold medal and a bronze medal - both from katas. Also have earned my yellow belt and now this one. Like most people, I started as a white belt. (but some I learned started off as yellows - thats weird.)

 

[Chat Noir]

I wanted to learn because it looked pretty. I saw Bruce Lee on TV throwing guys that towered over him and being a small girl, I was impressed. I decided then and there to find out what style he studied and follow his lead. I stayed because I love learning about a different culture and language and I enjoyed the benefits of staying fit and being able to defend myself.

Laura

 

[Big Don]

I always wanted to learn karate. Other than that, no reasons that I can articulate.

 

[Narges]

I started because I wanted to learn how to fight, but I was soon attracted by the spiritual side of MA. It is now a part of me and the way I live my life.

 

[terryl965]

Because I wanted a klondike bar and this was the only way.

 

[Benevolentbob]

My parents signed me up for Tae Kwon Do in grade school, so I didn't really have much of a reason beyond that. However I recently started up again at 20 years old last year in a Kempo class because my friend suggested I try it with him. It reignited my love for martial arts but now my friend has moved away and after a few months I realized how much my personality didn't fit the school or the curriculum. Now I'm taking a short break and working really hard on getting into good shape while looking at a few different potential schools that seem like they would better suit me.

 

[Champ-Pain]

Here I am, almost a half century old - 4 operations on my left knee & 1 on my right... and I still can't think of any better reason for M/A - than to learn how to fight. Fun, Fitness, Competition - Discipline, Respect, Tradition, are secondary reasons, all of which are way back in the pack - compared to my original motive for joining M/A in the first place.