Why you started Karate?

[JR 137]

My father and his brothers were tae kwon do black belts but they stopped training shortly before I was born. My father always wanted me to take up the art but he never followed through on it.

I've had an interest in martial arts for as long as I can remember. We watched Kung fu theater religiously along with Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris movies. I saw what I now believe to be a kyokushin demo when I was around 10 - nothing flashy, nothing fancy, just a very no-nonsense fast paced and hard hitting art. My father refused saying "it's too aggressive."

A girl I dated during high school's mother ran a daycare out of her house. A friend of a friend that owned a kyokushin offshoot dojo was hurting for students, and she got him about 10 families to sign up. For that her family, including me paid $20 a month each for lessons.

I stuck with it until I left for grad school, about 6 years later and six months away from my nidan test. The rest left after a few months to a year.

14 years and 30lbs later, I began training again at a Seido school. Wearing a white belt and starting all over again is great. I'm not chasing ranks; I'm enjoying the process. I'm not trying to out do everyone or anyone else. I'm trying to out do myself. So much more rewarding. Promoted for the first time last week. I realized how much came back in the 3 months I've been at it. Putting on the new blue belt (2nd belt in Seido) made me miss the white belt, as stupid as that sounds.

[neoravencroft]

When I was in elementary school, my parents took me to learn Shorin-Ryu because all of my friends did it. Did it for a year and got to green belt, then stopped because we couldn't afford the tuition anymore.

Now 20 years later, I went back to karate under Uechi-Ryu to help supplement my Wing Chun style due to Wing Chun being very close quarters that it doesn't have much for mid and long range attacks.

[mushybees]

I always wanted to learn a martial art is a kid but my parents didn't have the money to send me to classes. By the time I'd left school I'd become a super serious teenager, scared of ridicule so joining a class full of kids and wearing funny clothes was a roadblock.

Later on, work, marriage and 3 kids took care of all my free time and disposable income

Until we enroled my eldest daughter on a karate tots class. She was timid and meek even compared to other four year olds, I was determined she'd grow up a confident kid.

I sat in her classes for 6 months and watched her grow in confidence and also saw all the adults of various grades arrive for the following class. I decided to take the plunge last November and I'm really enjoying it.

The club has an unusually high number of adult students. The kids love the club so stay on and the adults follow so its like a big family.

One of the best decisions I've ever made.

[positivew]

Might as well make my first post here

I started my karateka experience at the beginning of my first year of high school (or secondary school or whatever you call it). I did it because I felt it was time to do something different and it seemed cool. And so it was.

I loved the sport and the people in my group. I practiced for two years and reached 6. kyu (green belt), but then life took over and finishing high school became the priority, after which it was turn for university and so on.

However there seem to be two hobbies, which are so close to my heart that I couldn't quit them for too long if I tried - music (been a choir singer since kindergarten) and karate. I always regretted quitting my training, but had either too little time or insufficient income to re-join (weak excuses, I know). But last fall, about 7 years after I quit, I decided to give it a go again and I'm so glad I did. I thought I'd have to start from 10. kyu again, but my sensei actually remembered me and thought I should pick up from where I left off. So I did and last week I passed my 5. kyu exam (blue belt, half way, yay!).

Hopefully I won't have to quit again and I look forward to the rest of my journey to shodan and beyond.

[bushido_man96]

Might as well make my first post here

I started my karateka experience at the beginning of my first year of high school (or secondary school or whatever you call it). I did it because I felt it was time to do something different and it seemed cool. And so it was.

I loved the sport and the people in my group. I practiced for two years and reached 6. kyu (green belt), but then life took over and finishing high school became the priority, after which it was turn for university and so on.

However there seem to be two hobbies, which are so close to my heart that I couldn't quit them for too long if I tried - music (been a choir singer since kindergarten) and karate. I always regretted quitting my training, but had either too little time or insufficient income to re-join (weak excuses, I know). But last fall, about 7 years after I quit, I decided to give it a go again and I'm so glad I did. I thought I'd have to start from 10. kyu again, but my sensei actually remembered me and thought I should pick up from where I left off. So I did and last week I passed my 5. kyu exam (blue belt, half way, yay!).

Hopefully I won't have to quit again and I look forward to the rest of my journey to shodan and beyond.

Welcome to KF, and welcome back to your journey!

[sensei8]

Might as well make my first post here

I started my karateka experience at the beginning of my first year of high school (or secondary school or whatever you call it). I did it because I felt it was time to do something different and it seemed cool. And so it was.

I loved the sport and the people in my group. I practiced for two years and reached 6. kyu (green belt), but then life took over and finishing high school became the priority, after which it was turn for university and so on.

However there seem to be two hobbies, which are so close to my heart that I couldn't quit them for too long if I tried - music (been a choir singer since kindergarten) and karate. I always regretted quitting my training, but had either too little time or insufficient income to re-join (weak excuses, I know). But last fall, about 7 years after I quit, I decided to give it a go again and I'm so glad I did. I thought I'd have to start from 10. kyu again, but my sensei actually remembered me and thought I should pick up from where I left off. So I did and last week I passed my 5. kyu exam (blue belt, half way, yay!).

Hopefully I won't have to quit again and I look forward to the rest of my journey to shodan and beyond.

Welcome to KF, and welcome back to your journey!

I too, wholeheartedly concur with bushido_man96!!

[Safroot]

I have started karate mainly to improve my fitness levels and not to start medications when I was 30 .

The other reason was for self defence as I always had a problem with self-confidence, being raised in a way of " Better stay away from trouble " has its marks in my life, I am always afraid to be involved in a fight / bullied or any sort of trouble, so starting karate was a big challenge to myself to see if I can overcome that confidence problem or not.

[Iskrax]

I have started karate mainly to improve my fitness levels and not to start medications when I was 30 .

The other reason was for self defence as I always had a problem with self-confidence, being raised in a way of " Better stay away from trouble " has its marks in my life, I am always afraid to be involved in a fight / bullied or any sort of trouble, so starting karate was a big challenge to myself to see if I can overcome that confidence problem or not.

Did you overcome your fears?

[Safroot]

I have started karate mainly to improve my fitness levels and not to start medications when I was 30 .

The other reason was for self defence as I always had a problem with self-confidence, being raised in a way of " Better stay away from trouble " has its marks in my life, I am always afraid to be involved in a fight / bullied or any sort of trouble, so starting karate was a big challenge to myself to see if I can overcome that confidence problem or not.

Did you overcome your fears?

Not yet, I have trained for about 5 months back in 2014 & then stopped due to work/ family & will restart training again after Christmas hopefully.

While I was training I was feeling really good but I wouldn't say I have overcomed my fears. At least health & fitness wise I was doing really good.