How Karate changed your life ?

[Lupin1]

It's definitely enriched my life and added another dimension I never would have had otherwise.

As a child, it helped me vastly with my physical development-- it helped me become more coordinated and provided me with a source of regular exercise. I also believe learning and memorizing the movements of kata helped my memory develop as well as led to my above average kinesthetic intelligence-- I'm able to dissect and learn new movements more easily than most people. This wasn't the case when I first started, but it's an ability karate developed in me.

As an adult, it provides me again with a source of regular exercise and socialization (something I don't get very often other places). It gives me a sense of community purpose I believe most adults are missing in their lives. It provides another avenue for me to teach and develop others which, as a teacher, I believe to be my life's purpose.

It also gives me a confidence and situational awareness that I believe shows in all areas of my life. I feel like more of a sheepdog all around- prepared and mentally ready to protect myself and others in any situation that might arise. I've stepped up in emergencies and directed others. I'm also much more calm and rational in confrontations knowing I'm prepared to handle it. I'm much more likely to try very hard to find a peaceful solution and avoid violence knowing that if it came to that, I could actually hurt someone, which is something I don't want to do.

In other words, it's affected my entire mindset, demeanor and worldview.

[Zaine]

Great experience as well Zaine, just have 2 questions for you:

1- How karate helped you to control your anger (I really need to learn how to do it) ?

Anger many times needs and outlet. That outlet can be anything you would like it to be (although I would suggest it be something healthy). When you bottle it up it festers inside of you and eventually you explode. Karate helped me by both giving me an outlet for all the aggression and anger that I had built up and, when I started caring about what it meant to be a Martial Artist, it gave me an example to live with. It showed me how to let go of all of the things that I had been building in my twisted tower of hate. Once I was able to get rid of the anger and learn patience, my life got 1000x better.

2-was it easy to change your victim mentality ? how did you do it ?

sorry for lot of questions but theses topics are really very interesting to me

It was not easy. I made a goal for myself and through sheer will I overcame my insecurities. I had to teach myself that what others thought about me was not as important as I had made it. I learned to pick and choose what I let effect me and how it effected me. That wasn't easy. At first it was insurmountably difficult to separate critiques from personal attacks. However, through Karate I was again able to learn patience and learn how to have confidence in myself. Confidence is the greatest tool one can have to battle that victim mentality. Confidence allows me to take criticism and say "You're right, I could work on that" without taking it as a personal attack.

Thanks so much Zaine for taking time to answer my questions. it's actually a good answer that I really need

More than happy to help!

[Harkon72]

I have found myself looking from the mirror of my Budo; I am also alive because of my training.

[Safroot]

It's definitely enriched my life and added another dimension I never would have had otherwise.

As a child, it helped me vastly with my physical development-- it helped me become more coordinated and provided me with a source of regular exercise. I also believe learning and memorizing the movements of kata helped my memory develop as well as led to my above average kinesthetic intelligence-- I'm able to dissect and learn new movements more easily than most people. This wasn't the case when I first started, but it's an ability karate developed in me.

As an adult, it provides me again with a source of regular exercise and socialization (something I don't get very often other places). It gives me a sense of community purpose I believe most adults are missing in their lives. It provides another avenue for me to teach and develop others which, as a teacher, I believe to be my life's purpose.

It also gives me a confidence and situational awareness that I believe shows in all areas of my life. I feel like more of a sheepdog all around- prepared and mentally ready to protect myself and others in any situation that might arise. I've stepped up in emergencies and directed others. I'm also much more calm and rational in confrontations knowing I'm prepared to handle it. I'm much more likely to try very hard to find a peaceful solution and avoid violence knowing that if it came to that, I could actually hurt someone, which is something I don't want to do.

In other words, it's affected my entire mindset, demeanor and worldview.

Great experience. Thanks for sharing it with us

[Safroot]

I have found myself looking from the mirror of my Budo; I am also alive because of my training.

"To the point" experience, I like it.

[jaypo]

I started in my early teens. I was picked on a lot because of my appearance- I have a big nose, big ears, and always had thin hair. So I had a lot of things for kids to tease me about. Karate gave me a lot of self confidence and discipline. So early on in my life, that is what it did for me. I picked up my training again at the age of 36, and I finally received my black belt (last year). Now that I have, my confidence is where it needs to be, but I also like the fact that I feel comfortable in most situations to be able to protect my family should the need arise.

[Safroot]

I started in my early teens. I was picked on a lot because of my appearance- I have a big nose, big ears, and always had thin hair. So I had a lot of things for kids to tease me about. Karate gave me a lot of self confidence and discipline. So early on in my life, that is what it did for me. I picked up my training again at the age of 36, and I finally received my black belt (last year). Now that I have, my confidence is where it needs to be, but I also like the fact that I feel comfortable in most situations to be able to protect my family should the need arise.

Thanks for sharing your experience

[AdamKralic]

It's been the greatest bonding time for my son and I. Also he absolutely owned the Presidential Fitness Challenge test at school. He got the 2nd highest score in his school. (first was a ballerina girl btw)

[Safroot]

It's been the greatest bonding time for my son and I. Also he absolutely owned the Presidential Fitness Challenge test at school. He got the 2nd highest score in his school. (first was a ballerina girl btw)

It's nice when karate help you improving someone you love

congrats for your son btw

[kensei]

It truely is a hard one to answer, not because I dont have examples of how Karate has benefited me over the years but because I have to many.

When I was a kid I was out of control. Bad temper, did stupid things that probably could have killed me (jumping off bridges into rivers for fun ext) and I had a huge amount of pent up rage. Karate mellowed me out by giving me tools to deal with those issues I had growing up.

Karate matured me because I trained with adults at a youngish age. I was held to a higher standard of behavior from the start and I had to live up to it. When My parents split I had no problem dealing with it from a non-emotional point of view and just "letting it go" it was not me splitting but them and I still had a relationship with both of them.

When my brother died I had a very hard time but the Dojo family I had built up supported me and let me morn the way I needed to while acting as a crutch and supporting me.

Karate has been their for me my whole life pretty much and I grew up in the Dojo.