why did you choose your art?
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bydand
Senior Master
I chose my art because it "fit" what I was looking for. I continue, because it still fills my needs and is still FUN to do for me. I had tried several different arts and just never found an art that fit the way my body could move, what I knew worked, and the right feel to the school. I have trained with people who were really talented, but their teaching styles were horrible, the inverse is also true; I've trained with people who were dynamic teachers, but their skills were shaky. When I walked into what was to become "MY" art and home dojo, the feeling of family between students there was one you couldn't miss, the skill level of the Instructors was almost scary good, and their teaching styles were the perfect blend for me. I have changes schools and my Instructor is somebody I started this art with as white belts together, but the family feeling and "togetherness" of his Dojo is the same as when we started together many, many years ago.
Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu
Blue Belt
I originally began in Aikido because I spent way too much time watching Steven Seagal movies and thought the way he foughts was the be all end all (back in the day.) I then changed my main style of study to Shogen Ryu Karate mainly because of the instructors. I have stayed there because everything we do makes sense to me.
I didn't choose it... it was chosen by the guy I was dating at the time, who had earned his blue belt in TKD in high school and wanted to get back into it; after a month or so of convincing me and trying to teach me things he half remembered (it had been 6 or 7 years) I tried it, under protest and more interested in exercise than any MA - and purely by chance I found an art and an instructor that was right for me.
newGuy12
Master of Arts
I am not in a position to join an American Kenpo School, as there is not a school in my area, only private instruction. But, if I were to have my first choice, that would be it, because it is a standardized curriculum, and very interesting to me, with many different strikes, locks, throws, kicks. Many different motions.
Because it is standardized, you could move from one area to another, and still people would be doing about the same techniques. Parting Wings is BASICALLY Parting Wings whether in Louisville KY or in Washington DC.
Also, the students of American Kenpo have FAST HANDS!!!
Robert
Because it is standardized, you could move from one area to another, and still people would be doing about the same techniques. Parting Wings is BASICALLY Parting Wings whether in Louisville KY or in Washington DC.
Also, the students of American Kenpo have FAST HANDS!!!
Robert
tellner
Senior Master
Back when I was in kindergarten the school librarian read us a story about a monkey who learned fencing. It sounded fascinating.
There was a number of martial arts over quite a few years. I ended up with Silat for a few reasons. It seemed very practical and looked like it would go well with the FMA that I was very into. My wife had seen some while she was in grad school and spoke highly of it. And a Silat teacher showed up at the Arnis school I was at. I was a lot more impressed with him than the Arnis I was learning. Eventually I ended up with my current teacher.
Why do I stick with it after all this time? Some of it is personal and social. I like the group of people well enough to hang out with them for a decade and a half. The teacher really is world class in terms of his technical skill, understanding, ability to fight and quality of instruction. The material is well-suited to my personality and physicality and is taught with great depth. Sometimes narrow and deep beats wide and shallow.
There was a number of martial arts over quite a few years. I ended up with Silat for a few reasons. It seemed very practical and looked like it would go well with the FMA that I was very into. My wife had seen some while she was in grad school and spoke highly of it. And a Silat teacher showed up at the Arnis school I was at. I was a lot more impressed with him than the Arnis I was learning. Eventually I ended up with my current teacher.
Why do I stick with it after all this time? Some of it is personal and social. I like the group of people well enough to hang out with them for a decade and a half. The teacher really is world class in terms of his technical skill, understanding, ability to fight and quality of instruction. The material is well-suited to my personality and physicality and is taught with great depth. Sometimes narrow and deep beats wide and shallow.
Steel Tiger
Senior Master
When I was younger, much younger, I started studying a form of JKD, very pragmatic, very straightforward. Come 1986 and I had to relocated to a different city to attend university, but I still wanted to study martial arts.
The university had a wide variety of choice, though most were of Japanese origin (no TKD, which was kind of surprising), but there was one class in a CMA which just suited me. The instructor was in the same department as me (classics) and we just clicked. It was just a bonus that it was an internal art which fascinated me. And so, 20 years later, I am still doing the same art and have not looked back.
The university had a wide variety of choice, though most were of Japanese origin (no TKD, which was kind of surprising), but there was one class in a CMA which just suited me. The instructor was in the same department as me (classics) and we just clicked. It was just a bonus that it was an internal art which fascinated me. And so, 20 years later, I am still doing the same art and have not looked back.
william276
White Belt
I started studying Hapkido simply because of what I had heard about it.
Now i'm doing it, I love it because it's so well rounded.
Now i'm doing it, I love it because it's so well rounded.
searcher
Senior Master
Was that Journey To The West?
OP- I did not choose to train with My Father, it was expected in my family. I then went to Kenpo due to the lack of striking ability and the desire to break away from My Dad. I then left when the school started having problems and went to what is now my primary, Chito-ryu. I started studying Kobudo at Orange belt, it is a stand apart style from C-ryu. I also studied Isshinryu and someother styles while teaching C-ryu. After teaching it for several years I had some trouble with the head instructor and soem of the other BB's, so I decided to leave and start teaching on my own. I have kept with it due to the diversity I have been allowed to explore with the Okinawan arts. While training in C-ryu is great I felt it was lacking in developing my kicking skills, so I started up training in TKD. I have stuck with TKD in addition to my C-ryu and Kobudo training. I have been fortunate to have now trained in several styles and with some great instructors. My only regret I have is not getting up to BB level in Kenpo. I love the system and would love to have the knowledge base it can give me.
Dumb luck...
I wanted to learn a martial art. I was fascinated by ninjutsu (this was in the mid '80s...) but couldn't find any classes in my area. A few of my friends saw a demonstration by my instructor, and they started taking classes. They told me what they were doing, and I gave it a try... After more than 20 years... I'm still learning. I like the people I associate with in my system, I've found that it works under pressure and in the real deal... So, till I've mastered everything I've been taught -- that's where I'm staying.
Big Don
Sr. Grandmaster
I didn't really choose Kenpo. In the town I live there is one martial arts school and one boxing gym. Aside from Rocky movies, boxing never appealed to me. My son was about to turn 9 and wanted to learn karate, I called and spoke to the man who became my Sifu for nearly an hour and enrolled my son the next week. The first week my son was in class I sat with the other parents and watched, and it drove me nuts, I just HAD to be on the mat. Two and a half years later, I have earned my Green Belt and the dojo is a second home.
I first studied TKD because it was the first school to open in my area. When it came time for me to find more training and to learn more I had two choices that I considered worth while. One was in Conn. and one in NH. I got a job in NH first and thats where I studied until it came time for me to move around the country. I stayed with that style all my life, until poliics got in the way of truth, but have also studied the system of the man in Conn., because I wanted that training also
tellner
Senior Master
It's been over 30 years, and the memories are hard to access. But I don't think so.
KempoGuy06
Grandmaster
I always wanted to learn MA but never got into it as a kid. I hurt myself and needed something to get me back in shape. After searching a while I found my current school, I joined up there because of the instructor, He was very nice and very passionate.
I stick with it because I love it. In all honesty I didnt think I would stay in it, I thought I would give up after a while, but the more I learn the more I want to learn
B
I stick with it because I love it. In all honesty I didnt think I would stay in it, I thought I would give up after a while, but the more I learn the more I want to learn
B
Darth F.Takeda
Blue Belt
What I do now is a progression that started when I was 10 or 11.
Step Dad was my first instructor, teaching me things he learned from Muay Thai,and TKD from when he was in S.E. Asia and stuff he learned from being in street fights. So my intrest has allways been SD 1st, I was allways concerned with combative reality, but with an open mind that basic slam and bang, while effective was not the most efficient way to dominate an enemy.
I studied TKD under Jung Soo Park, who taught it with an eye towards fighting for life and limb more than tournaments for 2 years as a teen.
Durring that time, a man named Kenneth Burchum mentored me. He was a multiple BB holder and had a background in Judo, Jujutsu and Aikido as well as TKD,Karate and Boxing. From this I allways had an eye out towards old school hand to hand combat Jujutsu, but could never find a school that really taught it, just Karate schools that taught watered down Jujutsu locks and BJJ to me looked like it focused on only 1 part of Jujutsu.
I fought a good deal as a teen and young adult, so I was not going to waste my time with anything that did not focus on the street.
I did some Choy Lay Fut Gung Fu, Goju Ryu and Kenpo between then and 1996.
One day I was walking my dog and saw these guys at the rec center doing what looked to me as Judo. I got a flyer from the office that said " Traditional and Street Combat Jujutsu" that was the class I saw, so I went for a trial session the next available class.
In 10 minutes I knew I had found real Jujutsu, the first technique was from a gun jammed into the back of your head. You came off line, hit him with an elbow, enveloped his neck, bent him back and used a killing move on the attacker. The head Sensei was a former NY Street cop, his #2 was at the time still in Special Forces, the rest of the class were all SF, cops and Marines, with a couple civillian hard cases mixed in. They did everything up to the point of blackout pain or damage, so you knew if the technique would work or not. The Sensei said "We are not here to make you better people, attain inner harmony or any of that stuff. If that happens, good for you. We are here to train to kill or maim some lowlife that would attack your family or yourself. We are here to give our Military students tools to use when they are to close to use their weapons.
I was hooked. I am still with them, I am a Nidan in Icho Yama Ryu Aiki Jujutsu and a student of Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu Kodo Kai.
I also study Pekiti Tarsia and Silat with Dave Wink, my former Sempai (the afore metioned SF Officer, Jim Tirey R.I.P.) introduced me to him, I occasionaly crosstrained with them, but when Sempai died in March, Dave asked me and my training partner to come on board and help complete the crosss pollination of the FMA/IMA they do and the Jujutsu we do. I love PT alot, as I have studied knife work under Jim since starting Jujutsu and PT and Silat are taking things to a new level.
Step Dad was my first instructor, teaching me things he learned from Muay Thai,and TKD from when he was in S.E. Asia and stuff he learned from being in street fights. So my intrest has allways been SD 1st, I was allways concerned with combative reality, but with an open mind that basic slam and bang, while effective was not the most efficient way to dominate an enemy.
I studied TKD under Jung Soo Park, who taught it with an eye towards fighting for life and limb more than tournaments for 2 years as a teen.
Durring that time, a man named Kenneth Burchum mentored me. He was a multiple BB holder and had a background in Judo, Jujutsu and Aikido as well as TKD,Karate and Boxing. From this I allways had an eye out towards old school hand to hand combat Jujutsu, but could never find a school that really taught it, just Karate schools that taught watered down Jujutsu locks and BJJ to me looked like it focused on only 1 part of Jujutsu.
I fought a good deal as a teen and young adult, so I was not going to waste my time with anything that did not focus on the street.
I did some Choy Lay Fut Gung Fu, Goju Ryu and Kenpo between then and 1996.
One day I was walking my dog and saw these guys at the rec center doing what looked to me as Judo. I got a flyer from the office that said " Traditional and Street Combat Jujutsu" that was the class I saw, so I went for a trial session the next available class.
In 10 minutes I knew I had found real Jujutsu, the first technique was from a gun jammed into the back of your head. You came off line, hit him with an elbow, enveloped his neck, bent him back and used a killing move on the attacker. The head Sensei was a former NY Street cop, his #2 was at the time still in Special Forces, the rest of the class were all SF, cops and Marines, with a couple civillian hard cases mixed in. They did everything up to the point of blackout pain or damage, so you knew if the technique would work or not. The Sensei said "We are not here to make you better people, attain inner harmony or any of that stuff. If that happens, good for you. We are here to train to kill or maim some lowlife that would attack your family or yourself. We are here to give our Military students tools to use when they are to close to use their weapons.
I was hooked. I am still with them, I am a Nidan in Icho Yama Ryu Aiki Jujutsu and a student of Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu Kodo Kai.
I also study Pekiti Tarsia and Silat with Dave Wink, my former Sempai (the afore metioned SF Officer, Jim Tirey R.I.P.) introduced me to him, I occasionaly crosstrained with them, but when Sempai died in March, Dave asked me and my training partner to come on board and help complete the crosss pollination of the FMA/IMA they do and the Jujutsu we do. I love PT alot, as I have studied knife work under Jim since starting Jujutsu and PT and Silat are taking things to a new level.
I love that instructors out look on TEACHING
dru123
Yellow Belt
I chose Kajukenbo because I wanted to study a MA that combined both striking and ground work (if you are not familiar with Kajukenbo, it stands for "Ka - Karate, Ju - Judo/Jujitsu, Ken - Kenpo, and Bo - Chinese/American Boxing).
Also, the more I read about Kajukenbo and it's nononse approach to self-defense, the more I knew it was what I wanted to do. After I met my instructor, I knew he was the one I wanted to train under.
-Dru
Also, the more I read about Kajukenbo and it's nononse approach to self-defense, the more I knew it was what I wanted to do. After I met my instructor, I knew he was the one I wanted to train under.
-Dru
My best friend & I were really into Chuck Norris movies & Black Belt magazine in jr. high. When I was 14, my folks bid & won several weeks of TKD lessons at an auction. He was a natural athlete, I wasn't. Eveyone thought he'd do it forever, & I'd quit after a few months. He quit after 6 months. I feel in love with it & have been doing it for 25 years.
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