Why do you use karate?

[trekmann]

I started Karate because my wife left me and I needed something to put focus back into my life. Now I enjoy karate for both physical and spiritual aspects. I must admit it has enveloped my life. I am a KARATEHOLIC.

[Monkeymagic]

Ironberg - Is competition really important to you? Do you see competition as something that came from the original karate or that has been created by the modern form of karate?

 

trekmann - How long have you been practicing? Have you found a different reason for continuing karate? (hope you don't mind me asking - just one of the aspects i'm focussing on)

[aefibird]

Aefibird - thank you for your comments. I will be posting another focus question soon, so your comments there would really be appreciated too. Why did you choose karate over other martial arts?

 

I initially chose karate because of a friend - she started and I joined a few weeks later. I wanted to do judo when I was younger but my parents would never let me, even though my dad used to do judo and my brother is a first dan and competition winner. It was really unfair!

 

I've always wanted to do martial arts, but I got into horseriding and competing in horse trials (eventing), so I never really had time for it. When I started at university I didn't really have much money to keep on keep on competing at horse trials so I was sort of looking for something to take up instead. it wasn't until my friend started karate that I really thought seriously again about staring martial arts. I started aikido because I wanted something that would complement my karate training. I was looking for a judo club but there isn't a good club in my area so i chose aikido instead.

 

I still get my competition 'fix' by competing in karate competitions, just small ones usually, although I have been to quite a few 'biggies' too. My karate competition career has given me lots of shiny medals and trophies to dust, but I think that there's a lot more to karate than competition and if I was never able to enter another karate competition again I can't say that I'd be overly bothered. It's just a nice added bonus to get a trophy or two!

[Ironberg]

Ironberg - Is competition really important to you? Do you see competition as something that came from the original karate or that has been created by the modern form of karate?

 

Yes, to me, practicing the martial arts as a sport is also important. It's not merely for the image, or the trophies - it's the idea that I can apply what I do to some degree, and enjoy the rush of doing so. Going into traditional tourneys or the ring is alot better than taking it to the street (I'm sure we agree there).

 

Yes, competition can be misleading to tradition, but I don't think it will make me less of a martial artist.

[krunchyfrogg]

I initially started taking karate (well, for the first time since I was a little kid) for fitness purposes.

 

I started in September '03, and am getting married in Sept. '04. I wanted to look and feel better for that day.

 

Self defense is also important to me.

 

Anyway, a mere 7 months after I began my training, I am getting compliments on the way I look from many people, I feel better than I ever have, and I exude a certain amount of confidence I never knew was there. I've been offered promotions at work that would never had been offered me before, I've stood up for myself where I would have just bit the bullet and bottled those emotions, and I feel like a better person overall.

 

I've gotten more out of these 7 months of training that I'd ever thought possible, and so much more than I was looking for. I don't think I'll ever give up the martial arts, unless it's because of injury.

[Monkeymagic]

Ironberg, trekmann and krunchyfrogg - why did you choose karate over other martial arts?

 

':-?'

 

I have just interviewed my sensai and have a few more ideas and and direction. I will hopefully be posting more questions on this forum with different focuses.

 

Thanks for writing, keep it coming please

[ShotoMan]

I would not say I am a super-duper expert who is a top technical specialist...

 

I just realised I left out the word "not" in my original reply here!! Must have been a Fruedian slip!

 

I have corrected it now!! Just in case anybody who read it thought I was being a bit big headed!!

 

[searcher]

I started my training after finally getting tired of getting the crap beat out of me by the same group of guys. I had a lot of family resistance, except for my dad. I endured the daily butt kickings until I was old enough to drive. I had a friend who was being instructed in Hawaiian Kenpo Karate, so I went and joined the class. Now this is not to say the only reason that I joined, afterall I grew up on Kung Fu and the numerous other sunday afternoon kung fu shows. I had started picturing myself as becoming a master and smoothly kicking the "bullies" teeth down there throat. This mentality changed very quickly as I started getting some mediocre skills. As I got better I found myself realizing that I was gaining an unfair advantage over my so-called enemies in that I trained to fight every day of the week and the only fight training they had was bullying other kids, myself included. I have to admit it, but I was slowly gaining self-confidence and this is actually what made my bullies leave me alone and go on to an "easier" target. After a while I forgot all about getting even and became really focused on my training. Now as to answer why I am still training today, I met my wife in one of the schools that I was training at and we both love training together. We both still strive to improve our skills and we hope to pass on what we have learned to our children. We train on a regular basis for competition and for personal advancement. I have given up on getting a higher dan rank than I am already at. It seems to me that once you reach 4th-6th degree Black Belt it is less what your karate training has done for you and more what you have done to advance your style.

 

p.s. When it came to getting bullied it was not like I was a runt or a "geek". I was one of the best high school track and football athletes in the country. I was also not fat or had anything that made me stick out, I was the target of choice and that is the way it was. As for the bullies that I had, I see them once in a while and they won't even look me in the eye. Bullies tend to be cowards, especially when they are not in their pack.

 

I hope this helps you out and I apologize if I rambled on endlessly.

[trekmann]

I have been practicing Karate for 6 months. It is still has a large focus in my life as I am not 100% over my separation. But now I really enjoy training for the physical aspects like fitness, flexibility and co-ordination skills.

 

I choose Karate over other art forms as it is steeped in tradition and I really do enjoy learning and practicing Kata's. But I am not going to limit myself to Karate training. Once I become more advanced and a lot fitter, I would like to start taking Japanese Ju-Jitsu, as I believe a good knowledge of a grappling art really compliments a striking art like karate. As you can see I have taken a real liking to the Japanese arts.

 

[Ironberg]

I'll be honest concerning my choice of karate.

 

Firstly, it's the best my small corner of the earth has to offer. The reason I don't get much competition is because people are generally lazy in this town.

 

Secondly, I can't say much for the fellow practitioners, but my instructor isn't lazy. He has taught me alot of things that have helped me succeed in this art. I look forward to learning and developing more, but I feel I've hit a strange plateau lately and am not improving at the rate I desire. True, work and school has recently been a deturrent.

 

I will say this much, if a kickboxing gym opened up around here - I'd be the first to sign up. That doesn't mean anything much against karate, cuz I'd still be studying karate because of the different perspectives it offers, and because of kata, etc.

 

Sorry for the ramble