Why do you do martial arts?

[italian_guy]

The reason I do martial art is mostly for fun and self-improvement.

 

The fun comes from the fact that I like every part of it I like practice basics, forms, sparring self defence ... every aspects of it.

 

The self improvement is because it helps me staying fit, focused, improve my attention, balance, coordination etc.

[AngelaG]

I find it fun. It gets me out the house. It keeps me fit and healthy and flexible. I have made some great friends from the people there so it has seeped into social life as well. It's exciting and everything is achieved on my own merits - I can take full credit for where I am today.

 

Somewhere along the line it got under my skin and now MA seems to exist in every fibre in my body.

[jarrettmeyer]

I can definitely see why people say MA completely takes over your life. Instead of just being a workout at night, I've also been stretching in the morning and practicing my techniques on the off nights and weekends.

 

Getting out of the house is a great point, too! Even though I work 12 hour days, when I go home and do nothing I get irritated, depressed, and very grumpy. That single hour invested at the dojo somehow pays for the other 12!

 

Plus last nice was really great. I made through my first practice without getting so winded that I had to ask Sensai for a break. I know to some of you that may not sound like much (or may even sound funny), but for me that's a huge win.

[aefibird]

Somewhere along the line it got under my skin and now MA seems to exist in every fibre in my body.

 

I agree! MA is certainly now "in every fibre of my body".

 

I get grumpy when I can't train, I think about techniques at work, at church, out shopping, heck I even practice kata in the toilets at work!!

 

I really am a martial arts junkie.

Plus last nice was really great. I made through my first practice without getting so winded that I had to ask Sensai for a break. I know to some of you that may not sound like much (or may even sound funny), but for me that's a huge win.

 

Hey, that's great! It shows the positive effect that MA is having on your life.

 

I don't think it's funny - I remember how I felt after my first karate class. The next day I could barely get out of bed I was so stiff. But after a few lessons the stiffness and the aching and the tiredness all wore off, which I considered a 'mini milestone'.

 

I think that martial arts are full of these mini milestones, and they're all different for everyone - such as when you can remember and perform a kata all the way through, or when you get your first grade or when your teacher tells you that your technique is good or whatever. They may not seem like much to others, but to a MAist they are important and we need these milestones to help us to keep on training and keep going.

 

Good luck with your training jarrett!

[aes]

I started because I was interested in it generally, but it was to give me physical exercise with a purpose. Pushing weights etc in a gym is all fine, but if I am going to do exercise I figure why not get some practical benefits from it. IE self defense, better focus, self dicipline etc.

[AngelaG]

heck I even practice kata in the toilets at work!!

 

You'd think someone else coming out with a confession like that would make me feel less insane but.. nope. It's the way you have to jerk to innocent attention if someone comes in unexpectedly!

[aefibird]

heck I even practice kata in the toilets at work!!

 

You'd think someone else coming out with a confession like that would make me feel less insane but.. nope. It's the way you have to jerk to innocent attention if someone comes in unexpectedly!

 

Yeah, and try and pretend that punching air in the toilet is a perfectly natural thing to do! lol

 

Personally I've found that my work bathroom is the perfect size to practice the Tekki kata series.

[MenteReligieuse]

When I was younger (like...up to 12 yrs old) I always did lots of physical activities and sports. I couldn't stand in one place for long, always had to move.

 

Then when I got in my teens I kinda stopped doing sports...other than the school's basketball team. Well It wasn't enough. I got heavily depressed shortly after. Few years later I tried working out in a gym, but couldn't get motivated for long.

 

Martial Arts always seemed interesting for me (thanks TMNT) but never got myself to do some.

 

A friend of mine who was doing kung-fu finally convinced me to check it out. Loved it ever since.

 

MA has everything I had in mind when I thought of being "in shape". Physical strenght, agility, cardio, coordination, concentration. It just has so more depth than any sports or gym workouts I ever witnessed. Plus it is a great (and much needed) stress relief and fun hobby to have.

 

And now that I do MAs, it gave me a new motivation to workout at a gym between MA sessions .

[username9]

Well i started when I was about 6 or 7 - I think because my Dad thought it might be good and I saw a demonstration and thought it was cool.

 

But then obviously I was only little and enjoyed it for years , then I went off it for a bit but kept training for the sake of it. When I got to about 11 or 12 I got more into it - and by the time I hit about 15 (I was training for 2nd Dan at this point) I was loving it like an obsession and I wanted to learn more M.A's - not just Karate!

 

So now it is a passion, an obsession, a lifestyle, a hobby and a calling! hehe

[jarrettmeyer]

And now that I do MAs, it gave me a new motivation to workout at a gym between MA sessions .

 

I totally understand that. For whatever reason, I can't jog or do pushups for the sake of jogging and doing pushups. But as a motivation to get better in MA, those are completely reasonable activities.