Your first class

[John G]

I was right down the back in a class of about 40 students the first class I attended, thinking to myself what on earth am I doing here.

 

At 38 years of age and 20kg heavier than I am today, everything was difficult and awkward, the warm ups just about killed me, and my eyes nearly popped out my head just watching people stretch (ouch!! that's got to hurt).

 

I remember being awe inspired watching the students go through their patterns (tuls/forms/katas) whilst pathetically trying to learn the first fundamental exercise 'Saju Jirugi' from an ever so patient instructor.

 

These days I'm one of those down the front and have a lot of time for the 35+ year old students remembering how awkward and dumb I felt on my first day. (I still hate stretching)

 

_________________

 

John G Jarrett

 

1st Degree ITF Taekwon-Do

 

(Au-1-881)

 

[ This Message was edited by: John G on 2002-06-14 03:26 ]

[monkeygirl]

Ahhh I remember my first class like it was yesterday...I started with my Dad and brother and his best friend. The class had about 15 people in it, and the instructor was great. They taught us how to make fists and fighting stances. We did line drills and learned kicks, and were constantly surrounded with positive reinforcement.

 

After class the instructor came up to me and told my father "I want to order about 20 of those! Talent like that only comes along once every 10 years." pointing at me. From that moment, I was hooked.

 

Now, 2 1/2 years later, I look towards my blackbelt test. It's strange to think how far I've come. In all of the classes I've attended, I think that first one took the cake.

 

 

[ramymensa]

I've studied only Shotokan so it's easy to remember my first class.

 

Well it was horrible

 

I trained in sport equipment, because my karategi was on it's way to me

 

so I felt like an alien, though there were many practitioners who weren't wearing a gi. I fount it strange ... I refused to kiai, because I though it to be stupid. Now I do it

 

I respected the bowing and the other stuff, but I was kind of martian because I didn't know the names of the techniques and I haven't had the opportunity of knowing the guys and the girls.

 

Things changed now. I've studied a lot of things about shotokan, get along great with everybody and feel like home.

[LeaF]

I often think back at my first class, when I was first taught where to chamber you hand and how to do the very basic techniques. I remember watching the other kids do Taikyoku gedan. It looked so amazing, I never thought I would be able to learn all those moves. I think I cried after class (I was 8 ) I had so many mixed emotions, I enjoyed it but it seemed sooo imtidating Edited September 3, 2002 by LeaF

[ramymensa]

Yeah ... the "I can't do it" feeling ... Frustrating

 

Fortunatelly we come to do those things so the "line" is drawn a little farther.

 

And then we do other things and so on.

 

Evolution ... so easy to see in karate

[three60roundhouse]

When I took my first TKD class, I was 11. My brothers were 9, 7, and 5, and had already been in the beginner class for a few months. Usually a kid gets a free introductory class before they start with the group (just so they learn attention stance, how to bow, front kick, roundhouse kick, etc.), but the instructors randomly decided that I didn't need one because of my brothers. Anyway, I was totally lost! I was also the oldest in the class by two years...most of the kids were around 7! All the parents were staring at me....I won the game at the end of class (and did every class after that until I was moved up into the intermediate class). My brothers graded a few days after that for their high white belts, it had taken them about 3-4 months. It took me two months. We were all moved up into the intermediate class 3 months early, I think because there were so many of us, and they wanted us to be in a class with more kids my age! We are now pretty much a school legend, we've been training for about 4 years and are the highest ranked "family of four" (there are also quadruplets below us, so we are no longer the ONLY family of four). I don't train with my brothers anymore, but the three of them is still a lot in one class! I had to deal with being the oldest in that class, and now I have to deal with being the youngest in the adult class! It never ends!

[shotochem]

Ill never forget when I started. I was 50lbs heavier and I could hardly touch my toes. I could barely survive the stretching. The sensei and a couple of the other adult students helped and encouraged me to keep going. They told me what I now tell others that are just starting.....

 

"we all were the same when we started.....if you fall down we are here to help you back up.... just keep trying... .

 

I have not looked back since!!!!!

[BlueDragon1981]

My first ever class I was really nervous. Once got going I was fine.

[ramymensa]

My first day of martial arts happened to be my birthday, and it just happened to be Shotokan. As a lot of karateka can tell you, birthday rituals in the dojo are not pleasant. The first taste of Karate I got was a Tiger Tail, in a class of nearly 40. It was not pleasant, to put it lightly

That's why I never told them when it was my birthday

[ZeRo]

what the "tiger tail"? it doesnt sound very friendly.