What do you practice martial arts for?

[JR 137]

I constantly try to achieve "The Glow."

[bushido_man96]

I constantly try to achieve "The Glow."

Love it! Still one of my favorite MA movies!

[JR 137]

That movie never gets old. Being the Shogun of Troy, NY and telling people to "kiss the converse" is another goal, but the glow tops it.

[bushido_man96]

That movie never gets old. Being the Shogun of Troy, NY and telling people to "kiss the converse" is another goal, but the glow tops it.

...and catching bullets with your teeth....

[Luther unleashed]

I have never heard of the glow, I'll have to check it out!

[ShotokanMaster]

I Practice Martial Arts Because

1 keeps Me Healthy

2 For Self Defense

3 Martial Arts is good for Stress

4 To get me Motivated

5 Learn self Discipline

6 to be a Role Model for my Family and Kids in the Martial arts

7 To be a Great Instructor One day

[JR 137]

I have never heard of the glow, I'll have to check it out!

It's from the movie "The Last Dragon." A must see 80's cult classic.

[Lupin1]

I practice martial arts because I enjoy it. It gives me a chance to do something active a few times a week and, most importantly for me, lets me volunteer teaching something positive to the kids.

Being completely honest, if it wasn't for helping out with the kids' class and feeling like I'm doing something awesome for them, I probably would've quit a few years ago. The kids keep me going.

[CTTKDKing]

Lots of interesting and fun answers (ie "The Glow"). For me it's more serious. I do enjoy it and like the social side of it. I've been practicing for over a decade and have cultivated some amazing friendships from training at my old dojang and the newer dojo. I'm 31 years old and have recently decided to return to college online to finish my bachelors degree, something I've been putting off for way too long. I have a toddler at home, a house and a wife so my time is extremely limited. Despite my time constraints I schedule in 3 mandatory training sessions, no matter how tired I am, a week for the following reasons.

1) Sanity/stress relief (probably my top reason right now)

2) Physical health

3) Experience so that one day I can teach (high importance long term goal)

4) Because I love it and feel incomplete without it

5) I also would like to look like Bruce Lee if possible.

[JR 137]

To add to my serious post, and not so serious ones, the single biggest reason I've had lately is that the dojo is the only place where I can go and totally take my mind off the stressful stuff in my life. For that hour and a half or so that I'm there, my problems are completely forgotten. It's impossible to think about the possibility of getting my hours and pay cut at work when someone's throwing punches at me. I have no time to think about my young daughters not listening to what they were told when I'm doing knuckle push-ups on the hardwood floor. How I was right and my wife was wrong about the argument we had over insignificant nonsense is the last thing on my mind when I'm going through a kata.

It's the one place I can go and be isolated from the outside world. And it's funny how all those stressors and more seem to weigh less on my mind after I'm done. Things become a lot clearer. Other physical and non-physical activities give me this benefit, but to nowhere near the extent karate does.

It's been a tough week at work. A lot of people have been given bad news all week, and I'm meeting with my boss next week. My wife asked why I've gone to karate every single day this week. I told her "it's the only place I can go and completely forget about what's going on for a little while." She's never been more supportive. Gotta make sure I don't over-use that line though lol.