justatexasguy Posted December 27, 2004 Posted December 27, 2004 Hi. I am from texas and am considering joining martial arts for a variety of reasons. I am 29 years old and weigh 255 pounds. I know I would be in the heavyweight division. I was told that the heavyweight division isn't as "populated" as the others are, especially here in texas. I have a friend who won state last year and he said that I could dominate if I stuck to it and learned everything I could. While I want to learn everything I can and lose weight as well if possible, I am interested in the tournaments but a little scared and not sure if I could be any good. Any advice or opinion would be greatly appreciated. thanks.
Hengest Posted December 27, 2004 Posted December 27, 2004 What style are you looking at? Hengest"A coward believes he will ever live if he keep him safe from strife: but old age leaves him not long in peace though spears may spare his life." - Hávamál, Saying 16
aefibird Posted December 27, 2004 Posted December 27, 2004 Hi TexasGuy! Welcome to Karate Forums. Have you found a Tae Kwon Do school near you? If so, then see if they'll give you a set of trial or free lessons for you to take so that you can try it out. if there isn't a TKD school near you that you like, try searching for a karate or sport karate club. As for being scared... don't worry about that! Many people are scared when they first join martial arts - I was convinced I was going to be hopeless at it! See my article about Why I Love MA for further info. However, with hard work and determination I'm sure that you'll suceed. Tournaments can be very nerve-wracking things, but as long as you go and give it your best shot then no-one will be able to say anything against you. Yes, winning medals and trophies is nice, but I like entering karate tournaments for the sense of personal achievement that it gives me - I can also see where my mistakes are and try to correct them for next time. Plus, tourneys can be fun! If you have any further questions about TKD or Sport MA or just Martial Arts in general, then please don't hesitate to ask. There's a lot of knowledgeable folk on this site, so I'm sure you'll get great answers to any questions that you might have. Good luck with starting MA! I hope that you enjoy it. "Was it really worth it? Only time and death may ever tell..." The Beautiful South - The Rose of My CologneSheffield Steelers!
justatexasguy Posted December 28, 2004 Author Posted December 28, 2004 thanks to those who responded. I am looking at a few schools. One is the TBBKA, by Larry and Rose Wheeler. Not sure if anyone knows anything about them. I have a few questions as others have been answered by my best friend who desperately wants me to be in it with him and thinks I can do good at the tournament level. Is the majority of the tournament and competitive styles heavyweight or under? I can always remember seeing a couple of heavyweight guys but not very many. Is this traditionally the case?
bmw323iswiss Posted December 30, 2004 Posted December 30, 2004 I am also from TX (Galveston) and I used to do Isshin-Ryu Karate when I lived in Massachusetts.....I moved and now I am looking to try something new....mainly competitive fighting oriented to push myself to the max and become physically optimized. Any ideas on what I should go into. Kickboxing? Muay Thai is so interesting but no schools near me. Anyone know of anything in this area/south Houston/Galveston?
strangepair03 Posted January 1, 2005 Posted January 1, 2005 no more isshin-ryu? or just can't find it? A punch should stay like a treasure in the sleeve. It should not be used indiscrimately.Kyan Chotoku Sensei
CloudDragon Posted January 1, 2005 Posted January 1, 2005 Don't start MA because of tournaments. If you train regularly you might get into a different division because of weight loss. When you want to learn a new way of life and have a new passion, then start MA. The weight classes in a tournament won't mean anything. If you want trophies, just go get them made, joining a school and competing because of your weight class is not reason enough to dedicate the time and energy needed to excel in tournaments. A Black Belt is just a white belt that don't know when to quit!
AngelaG Posted January 1, 2005 Posted January 1, 2005 Don't start MA because of tournaments. If you train regularly you might get into a different division because of weight loss. When you want to learn a new way of life and have a new passion, then start MA. The weight classes in a tournament won't mean anything. If you want trophies, just go get them made, joining a school and competing because of your weight class is not reason enough to dedicate the time and energy needed to excel in tournaments. Different people go into martial arts for different reasons! Tokonkai Karate-do Instructorhttp://www.karateresource.com Kata, Bunkai, Articles, Reviews, History, Uncovering the Myths, Discussion Forum
Hawkeye Posted January 1, 2005 Posted January 1, 2005 Hi there, TexasGuy. I'm still fairly new to martial arts as well but I am very glad I started learning one. Not only has it been very good at improving me on a physical level (weight loss, increased strength, flexibility and balance) but it is a great overall stress reliever as well. As I also like to compete, the fact that my dojo will enter tournaments is a plus as well. Whatever MA('s) you decide upon, good luck in your training. Every timely action will bring results ... Without difficulty. Every untimely endeavor will fail ... If the moment is premature or if the right moment is missed. - The Tree Poem
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