Why were you influenced to join karate?

[BLueDevil]

Well, what reminded me that I wanted to find something was the movie "Hero" I saw that and I said "man I need to learn SOMETHING!"

[Goju_boi]

Well, what reminded me that I wanted to find something was the movie "Hero" I saw that and I said "man I need to learn SOMETHING!"

but the stuff in hero looks nothing like kempo and hung gar

[Menjo]

actually now that i think of it, mainly becuase of my father

[usc96]

I'm a relative old fart here (35), so my main influence was health and fitness.

Growing up I didn’t have a problem with weight. I was an average size kid, and I ate what I wanted, when I wanted. I played sports so I guess what I ate wasn’t really a problem. Even in college I maintained a reasonable weight for my height (6’1”). It was probably due to my hobby of bike riding and the physical nature of the jobs I had then. It wasn’t until the year following college that I started putting on weight. I ate and drank what I wanted, when I wanted it. In addition, I wasn’t exercising a bit. In that one year alone I jumped from 170 to 200 lbs.

The next year I went to grad school got myself into shape dropping my weight to around 170. However, life interfered (job, family, etc) and the weight came back.

After my second son was born in August 2001, I crossed the 200 mark and kept going. I was doing the gym thing and was seeing some progress, but when Sept. 11, 2001 hit, I quit going because I decided it was more important to spend time with my family than to go to the gym after work. That decision was probably correct, but on August 16, 2003 I hit 216 lbs. I don’t know exactly what clicked, but I think it was my seeing some pictures of myself playing with my kids on the beach. It was at that time I decided to make a life change.

I jumped back into weight training wholeheartedly and made a conscious effort to add cardio. I also did something I hadn’t done in the past and that was researching and studying what I should be doing. I knew I was great at taking the weight off, but I was a failure at keeping it off.

It’s been almost two years since I started, and about twenty months where I’ve maintained a fairly consistent 180 lbs.

This commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle led me to martial arts. I did the weightlifting thing pretty hard for the first year (I still lift, but not as often), and I got back into biking and surfing. I was looking for something new and thought "I've always wanted to take karate." I did a little research, then drove over to the local dojo. The instructors were friendly and there was a class starting in 30 minutes, so I dressed out and joined the class. It's been four months and I haven't missed a class. My class meets every Monday and Thursday at lunchtime.

[makiwaraman]

I started karate to encourage my son to go as he felt more comfortable with me there. I also did it for fitness and to learn control, and once I started I realised that I enjoyed the training and that is my main reason now.

Regards maki

[Hecklerboy]

Growing up I always wanted to learn a form of martial art. However being raised in a very strict religion that condems martial arts I was never allowed to persue it.

After I left home and was on my own I was able to do the things I wanted. Recently the gym where I work out started offering adult karate class which just happen to be taught by a friend of mine. The class was mostly kids so I assumed that it was a kids only class. Now I'm hooked and can't get enough. I go to the adult class and the kids class. All the kids love sparring with me and I get a real kick out of the kids.

[BLueDevil]

Well, what reminded me that I wanted to find something was the movie "Hero" I saw that and I said "man I need to learn SOMETHING!"

but the stuff in hero looks nothing like kempo and hung gar

I was looking for something practical so I went to EVERY place in my little city. I knew that stuff wasnt what I was going to learn, it was just a MA reminder that I wanted to learn something

[Goju_boi]

Well, what reminded me that I wanted to find something was the movie "Hero" I saw that and I said "man I need to learn SOMETHING!"

but the stuff in hero looks nothing like kempo and hung gar

I was looking for something practical so I went to EVERY place in my little city. I knew that stuff wasnt what I was going to learn, it was just a MA reminder that I wanted to learn something

gotcha,you practice some pretty cool styles anyways

[Oss]

I joined because all of the choices except the 1st and the 2nd.

[Goju_boi]

I joined because all of the choices except the 1st and the 2nd.

can you specify?