Why did you join the martial arts?

[BlueDragon1981]

Honestly I joined to learn how to win in fights. I have always been small and "week". So I started the martial arts after one of my cousins got in it. (smallest male in the family is me) I have been in it ever since. (Since 10 years old and im 20 now, almost 21)

 

It has kept me in shape, controlled my old really bad temper, kept me away from drugs, and most of all taught me not to fight and just be me. I think that is one of the things martial arts is about. Just giving you confidence to be yourself and not worry about what others think.

 

Also it keeps me from getting a lot of stress and helps me in my opinion with my two kids. They are a lot of work and all that (specially having two at 20) but I think my dedication to martial arts has helped me in my raising them. If I didnt have the martial arts I dont know where I would be. So the bad tempered little boy grew into a good man. That would be the story of my martial arts life

 

[G95champ]

I was a Fr in HS and I was looking for something to help me develope good footwork for football. One of my best friends was about ready to make his brown belt. He got me into class and I was hooked.

[KarateTips]

Hi,

 

A while back we ran two surveys on our site. One to survey visitors and one to survey our members. The member survey gave more choices (8 choices) than the visitor survey (5 choices).

 

Both the results were similar, though the member survey had over 12 times the number of responses.

 

What we found was this...

 

The number one reason why people begin Karate is for - Self Defence

 

The number two reason why people begin Karate is for - Fitness.

 

Here's a brief summary for you.

 

-------------------------------------

 

Visitor Survey - 33 responses (which is hardly conclusive given the low response)

 

Self Defence - 63% of the vote

 

Fitness - 18.1%

 

Other - 18.9%

 

-------------------------------------

 

Member survey - 410 responses (probably a fair indication)

 

Self Defence - 40% of the vote

 

Fitness - 23.75%

 

Other - 36.25%

 

The other choices for the surveys included the following: Competition, Strength, Mental Aspect, Discipline, Confidence.

 

Regards,

[ZeRo]

my bro came back from collage one day and told me that he´d been doin kickboxing. i thought this was cool so i asked one of my friends if they knew anywhere i could do it. he said no but he does jujitsu and do i want to come alone and have a look so i did. and i started kickboxing coz i was looking for a place and another one of my friends told me about one so i went.

 

i think most people get into it coz of someone they know. well most kids do not sure about adults.

[MonkeyNinja]

I have had an intrerest in martial arts since I was kid. But When I moved out on my own. I had to learn how to fight.

 

My other choices was to move or to buy a gun. Neither one appealed to me too well

 

MonkeyNinja

[Karateka_latino]

I joined in the martial arts because of the Movies.

 

When i was a kid my mom and my uncle used to take me to watch kung fu movies back on the early 80's when it was HOT lol

 

I'd say movies and self defense were the main reasons i joined into the martial arts.

[Wado Guy]

Throughout my life, I was fascinated by the martial arts. When i was 24 and in my last semester of a double major in college, I woke up, looked in the mirror and realized that I had spent WAY too much time studying and pulling all nighters. I was overweight, stressed out, not healthy at all. So, I made up my mind that I was going to study karate and better myself

 

So far so good

[ShotoAnn]

I was interested in martial arts for a long time, but never really had the guts to start. Then I met Laurie (karatekid1975). I found out she did martial arts. She showed me a lot of stuff (kicks, punches, basic blocks, and what kata ... forms looked like). I loved it. So, she actually went out and found me a dojo. Well, she found a few nonMcDojos, and let me choose from what was left. I chose Shotokan, and here I am

[taezee]

i started taekwondo in 1980 because i had a fight in school in which I wound up with a big bump on my head following a rank out contest on moms this kid named bobby( forgot his last name) started with me one day..so I took his school bus home..walked up to his door and as his mom answered I yanked him out on the front lawn and started wailing on him!! he was laughing the whole time..i tumbled with him and my forehead hit the curb resulting in a big baseball sized knot on my head..the next day at school he had told everyone that he had punched me there cuasing the knot!! i actually started martial arts by subscribing to a mail in karate lessons company which would show me "new deadly moves" every week!! I swore i was going to learn how to kill this kid with one blow..lol..soon my little brothers freind saw me practicing my "deadly moves" one day in my backyard and told me about a master he had started studying with (master Atef Himaya) and I begged my parents to enroll me that week..they said fine as long as I got a job..so I started my first job as a paperboy..and soon was learning TAEKWONDO..and also was learning that "deadly moves" was not what the martial arts was about..and I havent stopped yet..22 years later I still have to meet bobby again an seek my vengance!!..lol..my high school reunion is coming up..maybe ill kick his ass then..lmao!!

[Jade_Lotus]

My reason for studying the Martial arts is a simple one. the only reason I study is for defense, defense of myself as well as loved ones and those who need it(i.e the weak and innocent). That's it, that's my purpose for studying. No other purpose.