How did you get started in martial arts?

[a_ninja]

When i was about 10 i think my cousin who learned from different people taught me what he knew and it was a long time before I found a school, but then at the age of 14 i started taking shotokan karate in a community center.

[baronbvp]

I started judo as a young pup, since a "friend" of mine was bullying me in school. Turned out he was in my judo class and did it there too. Gave it up after he rolled me up in a judo mat and almost suffocated me.

I wrestled and fenced for a year in high school. In college I joined one of my friends' shotokan/judo club. (Early MMA!) After that, various sparring with friends and acquaintances, military combat arts, knife and gun fighting, etc in the Navy. It was too hard to stay committed with as much deploying and moving as I did. Watching Muay Thai fighters in Thailand on several deployments and seeing Royce Gracie own early UFC taught me that MT and BJJ rule the new day.

Shorin Ryu is the style I trained in most recently and I guess most extensively. It taught me that I am too old to spend all my dojo time on kata and simple group exercises, that I prefer to spar over dance, and that I like to kickbox. I liked karate, though, and would go back to that dojo if I could. I would just spar even more.

Now I take Muay Thai and will add BJJ next month. I'm 45 and loving life! Hope to get good at one of these styles someday.

[Shotokan Dan]

I started in Wado-Ryu Karate when I was about 12. My mate at school did JuJitsu, so he got me interested in martial arts. Then there was an ad in the local paper for Karate classes, so I just went along and was hooked. I stuck at it for 2 years, but when I reached orange belt I just stopped going. I was suffering from low self-esteem and my parents had just got divorced at the time, so I didn't think I was good enough and had other things on my mind.

I've regretted it ever since, so just last June (2006) I joined a local Shotokan Karate class and I've been going ever since. I'm sticking with it this time, and wish I had never left before. I was also fascinated by JuJitsu and decided to take that up shortly afterwards (November) so that I could learn throws and holds etc.

I've always liked MA films, and I think they've fed my interests.

[The BB of C]

How I got into martial arts is a long story. I'll give it to you in a nutshell.

I think I got a push start when I was 7-years-old from my older brother. To "beat the stupid out of me" and get me away from the television he'd make me practice with him. We'd spar and he'd teach me some fighthing techniques, things like that. But I never really took an interest to it until I was 12 and I was getting picked on a lot at school. So it was for the most part self defense is why I got into it. The next thing I knew it became a full out hobby of mine and I take a lot of interest in the martial arts.

[Ippiki_Ookami]

I first wanted to try martial arts about a year or two ago (I was 12 - I'm 14 now). I didn't really have enough self-esteem to participate in a club then, so I decided not to.

A few months ago the urge came back to me, and as my confidence had improved a lot I joined the local Shotokan karate club. I'm glad I did - it's been the best decision I've made in my life for a long time.

[baronbvp]

That's great to hear! Welcome to the forums.