Why do you do martial arts??

[Tez3]

It's not just the girls that get this effect, when the guy who is junior to me in our class started, he was gawky, uncoordinated and looked scared of his shadow. Now after learning for 4 months, he's looking so much more confident and he's filled out his stature, he looks like he's put on body shape, a lot of it is the way he carries himself but doing TKD has given him some core strength too, he's now self confident and no longer looks like someone who's bullied a lot, he looks like the guy you don't mess with. All after 4 months training and a little encouragement.

Good for him! I love hearing things like that! It works the other way too, our best pro MMA fighter is 19 now but his mum brought him to us when he was 13 and being a real pain in the butt, thought he was hard and was getting in with the wrong people. he got knocked around a bit because he went in thinking he knew everything, He stuck it out though and is now a pro fighter who is quite, confident and mature! He teaches the children who adore him and he is respected and listen to by the adults including some of the best fighters in the country. Currently he's a British title holder and ranked 2nd at his weight. We are very proud of him ( and his mum is very relieved!)

http://www.mmauniverse.com/fighters/SS14964 (this isn't up to date though)

 

[kidswarrior]

I think you are teaching something beyond just being able to defend themselves. People who do martial arts walk and carry themselves with more confidence than those who don't, they 'project' that they aren't victims so tend not to picked on by bullies or attackers so much in the first place. Abusers too look for people who look like 'victims', that won't hit back, they won't touch someone who looks as if they can 'sus' them out. It's important for boys to be able to defend themselves of course but for girls I think martial arts/self defence is totally and absoulutely vital because it affects so much more of their lives!
To use a cliche it does empower girls being able to fight, I watch the girls I teach grow in confidence in all parts of their lives and it's a wonderful thing to see.

True stuff, Tez. Thanks for the encouragement for the girls--and me too.

 

[kidswarrior]

It's not just the girls that get this effect, when the guy who is junior to me in our class started, he was gawky, uncoordinated and looked scared of his shadow. Now after learning for 4 months, he's looking so much more confident and he's filled out his stature, he looks like he's put on body shape, a lot of it is the way he carries himself but doing TKD has given him some core strength too, he's now self confident and no longer looks like someone who's bullied a lot, he looks like the guy you don't mess with. All after 4 months training and a little encouragement.

Also very true/representative of the gawky/'nerdy' guys I've seen. The club motto on my promotion certificates reads: One who learns to fight rarely needs to do so. Both Shaderon and Tez have given us great examples of this, for which I'm going to try to slip past the repping Gnomes and give them proper credit.

 

[Jdokan]

My intrigue for the MA started when comic books sold for a dime....Frequently in those days there would be an ad inside the cover: "learn judo" .25c I gravitated to "injun fightin" watching Danial boone on TV...My Ma brought me to the YMCA after reading an article the MA helped to enstill self-discipline ( I had an explosive temper), etc....that was 35+ years ago....I've been a student ever since...God willing I'll be a student for another 35+ years....

 

[Sukerkin]

The Gnomes have it in for Shaderon, I'm sad to say, so I'm afraid a "Hear hear" post is the best I can do . That young chap sounds like he's maturing nicely now.

I found a similar thing happened to me when I started iaido.

Because of the many years of being afraid of hurting my 'wonky' arm and also of knowing that I couldn't really defend myself if I needed to, I'd 'slumped' into myself (taken on a round shouldered, hunched, 'ignore me' posture). That was in part to protect my arm from getting knocked but was also an outward sign of how my confidence (and my musculature) had dwindled.

A few years of iai and I'm standing straight and walking with some zest again. Plus, altho' you'd never think that just swinging a couple of pounds of steel about is much excercise, my shoulders have never been so broad (I've had to pretty much throw away all my old suits and shirts) .

 

[terryl965]

I have said this before because my father tought and had no choice still in it for the love of the Arts, maybe one day enlightment will come and then I will finally understand everything about my choosen Art.

 

[tellner]

It started with a Chinese folk story the teacher read to us in kindergarten. Someone went to Rabbit to learn to fence because Rabbit was a fencing master. I asked what fencing was, and the teacher said "It's waving swords around." That sounded really fun.

Well, that and necessity. As I mentioned in another thread being a member of a minority religion thirty some years ago presented ample opportunities for seeing how your steel was tempered...

 

[bookworm_cn317]

It's fun.
It beats sitting around the house, dying of boredom.
It helps me lose weight & get fit.
It was something I thought was interesting since middle school (Darn those Power Rangers! Darn them all! ).

 

[chrismay101]

I started martial arts because I was very unfit and didn't do anything apart from Xbox. so I got off my *** and jumped in, now I love it!

 

[tradrockrat]

honestly? I started MA because I thought it was cool (hey, I was 8 years old), now I do it because I can't imagine not doing it. All the rest of the benefits are happy bonuses.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Just wanted to know why everyone took up there martial arts???

Well to tell the truth for a couple of reasons.

1) A friend of mine was already an instructor and took me to class.
2) I was looking for a release of tensions (* was involved in a court case *)
3) I was looking for ways to not break people when I touched them or moved them in a confratation. (* I was only a witness in number 2, but I could have been the defendant on other cases *)

I staid because I enjoyed the weapons training and the joint locks and controls.

 

[mjd]

My son wanted to take Martial Arts, He joined a local TSD club, I watched every class for a year, the head instructor ask me to join every class at least once, sometimes twice, He just wouldn't leave me alone, so I joined, fell in love, and that's mt reason.

 

[FearlessFreep]

zombies

 

[Langenschwert]

zombies

Ah yes. It's amazing what can be done against zombies with a shotgun and a chainsaw. Especially if the chainsaw is attached to your arm. Shop smart, shop s-mart.

Best regards,

-Mark

 

[kidswarrior]

Shop smart, shop s-mart.

Best regards,

-Mark

Alright, this is the second time I've heard this. What's s-mart? :idunno:

 

[MBuzzy]

THE ARMY OF DARKNESS!!! Classic "horror" movie. More of a comedy. Highly recommended.


THIS IS MY BOOMSTICK!!!

 

[Shaderon]

The Gnomes have it in for Shaderon, I'm sad to say, so I'm afraid a "Hear hear" post is the best I can do . That young chap sounds like he's maturing nicely now.

.

Yep them gnomes don't like me much at the moment

I was so proud of the young guy last night (he's 17), he is wearing braces inside his teeth, we didn't know. He took a smack in the mouth and blood was showing at the side of it when he was resting between sparring bouts. As I was benched and talking to subum about the others we spotted it, all the young guy said was "Oh I'm not bothered about that". I was bursting with pride! My liddle junior is maturing!

 

[NDNgirl4ever]

I've been interested in martial arts ever since I was in elementary school, but my mom wouldn't let me take lessons then. I started Shorin Ryu karate early this year. I'm a yellow belt now and I love it. I take karate because I'm a female college student, and I feel it's important to know how to defend myself beyond what's taught in those one-two day "womens self defense courses". Also, it's great exercise!

 

[Xue Sheng]

Alright, this is the second time I've heard this. What's s-mart? :idunno:

The store from the movie much like K-mart but with an S, and of course the occasional possession and demon attack.

 

[Cirdan]

THE ARMY OF DARKNESS!!! Classic "horror" movie. More of a comedy. Highly recommended.


THIS IS MY BOOMSTICK!!!

Love that movie!

"Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas."