When Did You Know?!?

[sensei8]

When did you know that the MA was for you??

Summer of 1965!! Van Nuys, CA!! 2nd Annual San Fernando Valley All-Open Karate Tournament!!

I was nothing but a frail 10th Kyu; still afraid of my own shadow. I was 7 years old! Two left feet...all thumbs...always putting my gi top on wrong...couldn't tie my own obi to safe my life...couldn't find the door if I was lead to it.

I struggled quite a lot on the floor. I was a mess!! The three K's, for me, were difficult, and even if the three K's was as simple as 1-2-3 to other 10th Kyu's, it might as well have been calculus to me.

Dai-Soke encouraged us to attend tournaments, even though he despised Sport Karate, but he allowed it in his students in the hopes that the experience might help us with our self-esteem. He couldn't stop us from wanting to attend Karate tournaments because our curiosity was getting the best of us. So, Dai-Soke felt that if we were going to attend tournaments, then he'd make sure that we were at least not walking into the experience unprepared.

I was signed-up, by my mom, on the day of the tournament in every division that she could possibly sign me up for; Kata and Kumite.

I was a dismal failure in Kata, Taikyoku Shodan, last place. I was in tears!! I wanted to go home!! Mom wouldn't let me. Then came Kumite..."will this ever end", I remembered thinking that to myself. Surely, I didn't want to fail twice on the same day.

In Kumite division for boys, ages 7-9, was a huge division.

Round one: I advanced; shock!!

Round two: I advanced; shock and dismay!!

Round three: I advanced; shock and dismay and hope!!

Round four: I advanced; shock and dismay and hope and a trace of a smile on my face!!

Round 5: I WON; shock and dismay and hope and a big fat smile on my face!!

Trophy wasn't that big, it went up to my chin, but it was mine; I earned it! I retrospect, that trophy looked life the Empire State Building to me.

That was all it took for me to fall in love with the MA. Weeks prior to that tournament, I was ready to quit the MA...to quit Shindokan...to bow off the floor for the rest of my life!! I was lousy on the floor and my confidence in myself was at its lowest, and I thought that Karate was for others, and not for me.

That tournament win helped me in building up my confidence just enough for me to remain on the floor. Close to 50 years later, I'm still on the floor!!

After that tournament, I was still nothing but a frail 10th Kyu; still afraid of my own shadow. I was 7 years old! Two left feet...all thumbs...always putting my gi top on wrong...couldn't tie my own obi to safe my life...couldn't find the door if I was lead to it. But, I was getting better...in time.

That tournament was when I knew that the MA was for me!!

[Zaine]

I didn't fall in love with MA until after achieving 1st dan. I like it enough, sure, and I was committed to it but it wasn't until I moved away that I found the love for it. I noticed that I was thinking about it a lot and constantly practicing. I studied more of its philosophies and fell in love with it. I may have been a late bloomer in both MA and the love for it but I'm certainly glad that I never gave it up.

[sensei8]

I didn't fall in love with MA until after achieving 1st dan. I like it enough, sure, and I was committed to it but it wasn't until I moved away that I found the love for it. I noticed that I was thinking about it a lot and constantly practicing. I studied more of its philosophies and fell in love with it. I may have been a late bloomer in both MA and the love for it but I'm certainly glad that I never gave it up.

Thank you for your post!!

It's quite true..."Absence makes the heart grow fonder!!" I believe this is what you're speaking about, and I agree wholeheartedly. You liked it, but never loved it, and this I can complete respect and understand. But, in time, you fell in love with the MA; you never gave up on it in any shape, way, and/or form.

[Harkon72]

I was watching David Caradine's Kung Fu series as a child. My father said; "See him, I taught him!" I was hooked, and only recently after my father's death did I realize how ironic his words were.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I realized Karate was for me when i received my Shodan (and subsequent Nidan at the same time) last year.

And that was 11 Years worth of training underneath my belt.

Because it made me realize to an extent that I was just going through the motions for so many years and wasn't being creative or wasn't completely enthusiastic about it.

When I received my Shodan-Ho (in 2008) I got the kick in the butt i needed and i worked harder ever since.

[pittbullJudoka]

Great story Sensei8. Mine was nothing that exciting. I once trained as a teenager and had to quit due the job I got after graduating high school. My mind often wondered back to those times and longed to have the knowledge of black belt like my brother. Eight years later he pressured me in to attending the club he was taking part in. At first I struggled getting back in the grove. But after getting knocked around by senior students I began to feel complete. I soon found realized that martial arts was my drug of choice. And there I've been ever since. I never thought I'd reach shodan let alone nidan and be running a dojo.

[Rateh]

I wanted to train as a child but my parents didn't sign me up due to cost and time constraints. As a 12 year old my mom signed me up, then told me later. Within a couple of months I knew that I wanted to do martial arts forever. We met in various public schools during the evening, in cafeterias and gyms. I remember deciding to "make a memory" and looking up at a particular part of the ceiling, and focusing very hard to remember that moment, that I wanted to do martial arts forever.

Well, it worked, I remember that moment. It's almost 18 years later, moved 5 times since then, still at it, can't imagine my life without it. In fact, I work full time as an instructor, and its awesome.

[bushido_man96]

Early on in my career, I found that it was something I wanted to do for the long haul. So far, so good!

[sensei8]

Fantastic posts...ALL; thank you for them.

While ones MA journey is the long and winding road, it's great to see that others, from time to time, have allowed others on partake of their journey.

[hammer]

When I started almost 15 years ago at the ripe old age of 35. Was taking my son and the club had a great family discount, but what really appealed was the physical challenge. As time went on I also appreciated the mental challenge.