Did your attitude and ego change when you...

[TangSooGuy]

The whole "walk away" thing doesn't always fit in with the true spirit of the martial arts.

You should NEVER let anyone damage your spirit. If it's a one time thing, you can usually walk away, but if it is chronic, you need to stand up for yourself.

I learned that lesson the hard way. I had a guy in high school constantly on me, every day. Finally one day I grabbed him by the troat and put him up against the wall.

I shouldn't have waited so long. That was all it required, and the kid never bothered me again.

That was many years ago, and I'd like to think now that I could have stood up for myself differently, but physical confrontation is sometimes necessary, and it is one of the reasons we learn what we do.

It's actually what I was saying about balancing my ego. As a kid , I didn't have enough. Through my training, I learned when it was necessary to stand up for myself, and I did so. My ego developed to something healthy by growing.

Other people have too much ego. They go around flaunting it, or even looking down on others. These people need some of their ego removed...

Edited May 17, 2005 by TangSooGuy

[Bleeding Lion]

^^^

So so true.

[ramymensa]

My MA training has made me calm and collected. I do avoid conflicts and I'm ready to run if needed. My MA training has helped a lot with my running speed

[Muaythaiboxer]

i have always had a healthy self esteem but martial arts have made me even more confedent

as an athlete i have never had a bully problem but the thing martial arts really helped with is giveing me a goal in life! i now have something to shoot for!

[KarateChick06]

I was self-confident before I started martial arts, and I thought I was pretty tough.

Now, I'm still self-confident in general, and confident in my MA ability. Not so much in the dojo, but outside. I could easily get killed in the dojo, but you know the untrained people..... lol. I feel pretty confident that I could fend off the .... uh, overzealous boyfriend.... ahahahahaha.

You know what's funny is thinking about my untrained friends who think they know stuff... ..... this one girl specifically. She once told me that she was confident that she could defend herself because she "took a self-defense class one weekend." I asked her to show me what she learned, and she did this little sequence or mini-form of about 5 moves. It was like a snap kick, a punch (done wrong of course), a eyejab, elbow, and some block thing. Me -- "Oh. [ ]" hehehe sorry that was random but it just came to mind.

[MMACHAMP]

I dont know about you guys...but im so confident in my fighting abilities that yeah i have fought alot more and now people dont mess with me...because they know....they know ill get them on the ground and im just too good there..what can i say?lol. As a matter of fact....i fight professionally now..so i would say definately.

[pineapple]

I find that in general and there are exceptions, most martial artists who get into a lot of fights are those with limited training. When I began my training, I got into lots of fights but as became more knowledgeable, I avoided conflicts.

I am now very afraid to get into fights because of the possibility of getting arrested or getting sued!

[The Phenom]

I'm no professional figher but MAs have improved my outlook and energy in many ways since I started.

It has helped me through my teens very well, as now I have more focus and inner calm. I'm a lot more confident - but this isn't in an "ego" kind of way because I never show off.

There are people who wish others harm but if these people got into MAs if they already haven't then they too would be calmer and less aggressive.

Less aggression doesn't mean weak spirit though. I think MAs have lots to do with courage and honour and a practical lifestyle.

[scottnshelly]

I have very few memories from before I started Martial Arts; I started on my sixth birthday. So, in a way, I owe everything to Martial Arts. I can't say what I would be like had I not started. I would like to think that it hasn't effected my ego in a negative way, but I really don't have anything to compare my current self to.

[CrazyChild13]

Well when I spar in karate I get angry if the person is beating me then I tend to lose my temper and just go at it as had and aggressivly as i can. So martial arts actually made my temper get higher insted of lower because I used to be really easy going when it came to that stuff...........