Your First Day

[elder999]

June 29, 1971. A present for my 11th birthday.

There were no "kids classes," and I trained with scary grown men-legends, some of them.

And I never looked back. Quit trumper lessons, eventually quit Boy Scouts, but kept on training.....51 years next month.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Quit trumper lessons, eventually quit Boy Scouts, but kept on training.....51 years next month.

We've all had interests that came and went, like infatuations or affairs with this or that thing or person. But MA training for many is more like a marriage. It may have started as just a fling, but grew and matured into something of greater depth and satisfaction. Those that have found a lifelong companion that can help your grow and keep you centered are lucky. Master Motobu Choku used a term, "meotode," referring to one's two hands being like a husband and wife. Perhaps this analogy applies to MA even more than he realized.

 

[Ashworth]

To be honest, I don't really remember my first class, I was 5, I have random memories from my first dojo but not enough to know what I was feeling at that time.

I remember the first time I sparred with a girl in that club though, she was a blue belt, I was nervous about fighting a girl... she kicked my butt!

 

[SifuLarry]

How did you feel the first time you walked into you dojo? Dojang? Kwoon?

Were you intimidated?
Were you nervous?
Were you immortal?

The first day I walked into the dojang, I was so anxious. I didn't really know what to expect; so, I puffed out my chest and called forth all the military discipline I could and stood as stiff as possible and did exactly what I was told.

My first sparring, too, was stiff and formal because I was certain I was going to go home with a broken bone or bloody something.

Naturally, I learned I could relax and I never got a broken bone; though, I have had several bloody somethings since then.

How was your first day?

Even though my first day with my teacher, the guy to the (left of me) in black in my bio picture was 27 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. My friend suggested that we should check out a school we drove by. He wanted me to check it out with him because I had prior martial arts training.

One thing led to another and I found myself being hit harder than I had ever been hit. So hard in fact I saw a white flash while he was hitting me and I felt it for a month after. I have been training with him ever since. He beat me up like i can only imagine happens in the movies.

 

[Buka]

The first day I walked into a dojo I thought, "I'm going to do this for the rest of my life."

So far so good.