List Your Motivations for Martial Arts Training

[Venrix]

As we are all aware by now - the most common question asked concerning the Martial Arts is: "Which is the best Martial Art?"

 

This question invariably leads (correctly) to statements like: "The question is not which is the best art. The question is - which is the best art for you."

 

For example - you may be interested in:

 

Keeping Fit

 

Self Defense

 

Being Part of a Club

 

Warrior Philosophy

 

Losing Weight

 

Gaining Weight

 

Our personal motivations behind training help decide the art that is best for us. It makes clear the simple truth that: "There is no best art - only the art that is best for you."

 

It would be interesting to compile a list of 'possible motivations' for training. It's important that we DO NOT fall into the 'my art is best' trap. We are not interested in the art - only in the 'motivation' for practising/training.

 

Please do not turn this thread into a list of reasons to practise YOUR art and keep the motivations 'simple' (as with list above). You may, of course, choose to outline (again in a simple list) your personal motivations for training.

 

This will be helpful to many who are still trying to understand their own motivations. It will allow them to make an 'educated' choice when choosing a Martial Art (and perhaps more importantly - a school). It becomes a simple matter of: "What are my motivations. Does this school/style fulfill them?".

 

-V-

 

[[Edits: One day soon - I will conquer my dyslexia. But, until that day comes - expect lots of edits on my post as my mistakes become apparent to me. ]].

Edited March 21, 2005 by Venrix

[Venrix]

My Personal Motivations:

 

Fitness

 

Self Esteem

 

Perfectionism

 

Warrior Culture (Combat)

 

Warrior Culture (Way of Life - Bushido)

 

Warrior Culture (Martial Art - Budo)

 

Social (Club Membership with 'like minded')

 

Interest in Philosophy

 

That's certainly not all - but it should get the thread started.

[italian_guy]

In order of importance:

 

Fun.

 

Fitness.

 

Self defence

 

Cultural aspects.

 

BTW I downloaded your Karate Guide, It looks quite good.

[A. Orstrom]

My motivations are as follows.

 

- Fascination of budo as a whole.

 

- The need to heighten my self as an individual, both physically and mentally.

 

- Learning to defend myself and others

 

- The feeling of accomplishment it gives me

 

- The joy of using my body

 

- Losing weight

 

- The joy of experiencing the more martial, agressive and combative sides of myself without injuring others.

Edited March 21, 2005 by A. Orstrom

[Kieran-Lilith]

My motivations:

 

~Absolute fascination with it since I was, as my friend would put it, knee high to a grasshopper.

 

~Love to learn the philosophy and concepts and beliefs behind the techniques.

 

~Self defense.

 

~Lose weight.

 

~Social. (I have a friend who brought me into this, and we're bringing the rest of the gang in now.)

 

~It's the one "sport" I'm good at.

[Cmon]

My motivations:

 

#Fun.

 

#Socialise.

 

#I love to learn how to use my body in effective ways.

 

#Keep fit.

 

#improve my body and mind.

 

#I love the history behind it.

 

#Stress relief.

 

#The feeling of achievement

 

#Self confidence/esteem.

 

#Self defence.

 

#Have i mentioned fun?

[Venrix]

I downloaded your Karate Guide

Glad you like it!

 

To all so far - thanks for the responses. Please keep 'em coming!

 

-V-

[smr]

I want to be able to beat people up.

 

 

 

Just kidding. I can't really explain why I do it. Maybe it's the kata, maybe it's the lore, maybe it's the budo philosophy, maybe it's the sport, the self defense, the nuances of technique, the people... I can't pin it down but I love it.

[ravenzoom]

My reasons:

 

Self-Defense

 

Another sport outside of hockey to keep me fit (well lose weight also)

 

Hoping to get some self confidence and self-control

 

Because I really like grappling

[taiji fajin]

Health (both mental and physical, both helping old problems and keeping new ones from happening)

 

Learn something interesting

 

Meet new people

 

Fun

 

Learn self defense