Your martial art (s) why did you choose them?

[thomaschippendale]

This is the obvious reason kids should do martial arts in this day and age to get active and moving. In case you haven’t noticed, we have an epidemic when it comes to our nation’s obesity problem. We’re also increasingly unfit in addition to being overweight. The problem is particularly alarming as it relates to our kids. Youth sports and physical education programs are great, but not every kid is an athlete and many schools no longer offer PE. The martial arts offer many benefits, but when it comes to fitness, becoming a true martial artist means becoming a supremely fit person. When I was practicing boxing or muay Thai kickboxing on a daily basis, I was in the best shape of my life by a long shot. Martial arts can help your child to get fit and healthy.

[Zaine]

Firstly, welcome to KF!

Youth sports and physical education programs are great, but not every kid is an athlete and many schools no longer offer PE.

I am interested as to where you got this information about many schools not offering PE? There are a lot of programs that promote PE in schools and it is still a core part of schooling in the U.S.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Well I didn't get a chance to choose my martial art (Goju-Ryu Karate) because of my parents chose it for me (I was 9 at the time). And i had absolutely no idea of the styles within' karate at the time. But glad they chose Goju-Ryu for me because it suits me so well (Including my personality).

I chose BJJ through my later years of high school because i wanted to learn grappling, throws, locks etc. and it helped my knowledge of karate expand even further. And my ability to use my groundwork and throws during my karate training.

Balintawak Arnis i chose by chance because my sensei from karate is a practitioner of it (Bobby Taboada's school) and is preparing for his Instructor Level Promotion at some point (just have to wait for GM Taboada to come to Melbourne, Australia). But it is a fun thing to train in (until you get hit in the hands when you don't block properly)

[Montana]

I started during the Bruce Lee Era way back in January 1975. During that time period there were only 2 instructors in my small Montana town of 12,000 people that I lived in. One taught TKD, and the other Hawaiian Kenpo. neither of these instructors was "desirable" in my opinion as both would go out into the bars on the weekends and pick fights. Not my idea of what a good martial artist should be.

When I got out of the Army in September of 1974 I started back into college and pretty much gave up the idea of ever learning the arts, until January of 1975 when I called a friend of mine up to see if he wanted to go out drinking and chasing chicks! lol A favorite pasttime of ours. He told me he would meet me later after a karate class he had just started. I asked him which of those 2 guys he was taking from and he stated "Neither, there's a new guy in town..."

Long story short, I went with him to the class just to watch and ended up in line and continued for about the next 30 years.

[cathal]

My father was a veteran and police officer. He felt it was important that everyone know about martial arts. He taught us what he knew but felt an organized system was important to learn from. It would also benefit in learning socializing as well.

But my father didn't just want us to know one system. He encouraged and helped us learn the systems that were available in our area at the time. While my brother settled on Judo, my other brothers and I settled on Jiu-Jitsu. That's what got me started on my path.