Understanding Karate Practitioners

[wayneshin]

> How did you first become interested in martial arts?

A school was opening nearby and a friend asked my brother and I to come along with him. This was 1978 and my brother and I are still involved along with 2 others who also started on that very first day.

2> What discipline did you decide to practice?

Shotokan

3> Why did you choose that specific discipline over the other disciplines?

Proximity – It was the only school in the area.

4> What is your skill level within your martial arts discipline?

Yondan.

5> What other things do you like to do? (When you're not in the gym/dojo, what else do you like to do with your time? This can be physical or nonphysical pass times)

I have very little free time. I like to spend what I have with my family. I love to travel – mostly karate related.

6> What are the first 3 martial arts related brands that come to your mind. (FIRST, not BEST).

Arawaza

Tokaido

Shureido

7> How do you decide what martial arts gear/equipment to get? (How do you select one type or brand over another?)

Comfort and quality. I spend many many hours in a gi.

8> Roughly how often to you buy new martial arts equipment?

For myself never. For the club – maybe fortnightly.

9> Where do you get your equipment from? Is there a reason for this?

Z sportwear. They have been excellent to deal with.

[GojuRyu Bahrain]

Hello. I am a college student. I am conducting research for my senior project.

My task: I am supposed to identify the behaviors and motivations of martial arts practitioners.

I hope that some of you will be willing to answer a few questions below to help me understand participants involved in martial arts. If you feel that there is any other information that might be helpful, I would greatly appreciate your insight.

There are no right or wrong answers, please answer the questions to the best of your ability. This information is confidential and will not be linked to you in any way. I am merely looking for insights and patterns within the community.

Questions: (Thank you all for your time and willingness to help me!)

...

6) What are the first 3 martial arts related brands that come to your mind. (FIRST, not BEST).

7) How do you decide what martial arts gear/equipment to get? (How do you select one type or brand over another?)

Roughly how often to you buy new martial arts equipment?

9) Where do you get your equipment from? Is there a reason for this?

Maybe I am just too suspicious, but are you sure you are a college student interested in martial artist's motivation?

The use of slick marketing terminology and the extreme interest in our MA equipment purchasing habits (4 out of 9 questions ), which is highly unrelated to your introductory text makes me think that (in the best case) you could aim for a high-flying career in marketing, or (in the worst case) you might already be in such a job and try here to get into the KarateForum participant's commercial habits.

Again, maybe its just me being paranoid..

[sensei8]

Hello. I am a college student. I am conducting research for my senior project.

My task: I am supposed to identify the behaviors and motivations of martial arts practitioners.

I hope that some of you will be willing to answer a few questions below to help me understand participants involved in martial arts. If you feel that there is any other information that might be helpful, I would greatly appreciate your insight.

There are no right or wrong answers, please answer the questions to the best of your ability. This information is confidential and will not be linked to you in any way. I am merely looking for insights and patterns within the community.

Questions: (Thank you all for your time and willingness to help me!)

...

6) What are the first 3 martial arts related brands that come to your mind. (FIRST, not BEST).

7) How do you decide what martial arts gear/equipment to get? (How do you select one type or brand over another?)

Roughly how often to you buy new martial arts equipment?

9) Where do you get your equipment from? Is there a reason for this?

Maybe I am just too suspicious, but are you sure you are a college student interested in martial artist's motivation?

The use of slick marketing terminology and the extreme interest in our MA equipment purchasing habits (4 out of 9 questions ), which is highly unrelated to your introductory text makes me think that (in the best case) you could aim for a high-flying career in marketing, or (in the worst case) you might already be in such a job and try here to get into the KarateForum participant's commercial habits.

Again, maybe its just me being paranoid..

Hhmmmm...interesting...I missed that possibility...hhhhmmmmmm.....

[P.A.L]

i don't think that you are a college student , it sounds like a cheap way of gathering marketing information. a survey cost you less that 50c each through Amazon.com. how much you saving? $50?

somebody delete this survey.

[mushybees]

I assumed the OP was a college student studying business and using our answers for some kind of marketing aspect of his/her course.

Maybe I'm dense but I don't see anything wrong with that.

It's a very inefficient, amateur way of gathering data otherwise.

[sensei8]

I might be wrong, but I doubt that we'll see acott001, any time soon. I hope I'm wrong!!

[Hawkmoon]

1. How did you first become interested in martial arts?

I was watching a Bruce Lee movie - Enter the Dragon.

2. What discipline did you decide to practice?

The one on the screen, no idea what it was, my only memory was the guys wearing the white suits!

3. Why did you choose that specific discipline over the other disciplines?

Ignorance! I had no idea there were multiple styles. I walked in club one day and it was the 'stuff' I'd seen in the film, so that was that!

4. What is your skill level within your martial arts discipline?

Shodan.

5. What other things do you like to do? (When you're not in the gym/dojo, what else do you like to do with your time? This can be physical or nonphysical pass times)

Read and research this or that mainly history type stuff

6. What are the first 3 martial arts related brands that come to your mind. (FIRST, not BEST).

Isami, Kwon, Shogun.

7. How do you decide what martial arts gear/equipment to get? (How do you select one type or brand over another?)

There is only one supplier, my options are kind'a limited!

8. Roughly how often to you buy new martial arts equipment?

last purchase was a few months ago, to replace a Gi after a wasjing machine accident. Else its replaced when its worn out or broken!

9. Where do you get your equipment from? Is there a reason for this?

There is only one supplier, my options are kind'a limited!

[JR 137]

1. How did you first become interested in martial arts?

I was watching a Bruce Lee movie - Enter the Dragon.

2. What discipline did you decide to practice?

The one on the screen, no idea what it was, my only memory was the guys wearing the white suits!

3. Why did you choose that specific discipline over the other disciplines?

Ignorance! I had no idea there were multiple styles. I walked in club one day and it was the 'stuff' I'd seen in the film, so that was that!

4. What is your skill level within your martial arts discipline?

Shodan.

5. What other things do you like to do? (When you're not in the gym/dojo, what else do you like to do with your time? This can be physical or nonphysical pass times)

Read and research this or that mainly history type stuff

6. What are the first 3 martial arts related brands that come to your mind. (FIRST, not BEST).

Isami, Kwon, Shogun.

7. How do you decide what martial arts gear/equipment to get? (How do you select one type or brand over another?)

There is only one supplier, my options are kind'a limited!

8. Roughly how often to you buy new martial arts equipment?

last purchase was a few months ago, to replace a Gi after a wasjing machine accident. Else its replaced when its worn out or broken!

9. Where do you get your equipment from? Is there a reason for this?

There is only one supplier, my options are kind'a limited!

Kyokushin certainly makes it very easy with their Isami gear!

[JR 137]

Since I take this thread as marketing research and not truly what the OP states, I'll rant a bit about MA suppliers...

1. If you don't have the item in stock, DON'T TAKE THE ORDER!

- Why is it every time I order something, I get an email back a few days later (if they bother) to tell me it's out of stock, and they offer me somethings else for the same price?

2. Don't tell me what I want or don't want. Tell me what I'm inquiring about isn't what I think it is and I most likely won't be happy with it, but don't tell me "You don't want that."

3. Don't lie to me.

- Don't tell me something is an inferior item when I know both items and the one you're trying to sell me instead isn't better. Don't tell me the material isn't cotton canvas, but rather twill when in fact it really is cotton canvas.

3. Ship the stuff out the same day I order it, unless I messed the cutoff time. If I messed the cutoff time, ship it the next business day.

4. Give me a tracking number. I want to know when to expect it.

Due to all of these things, I'm done with Kinjisan. The most recent is my sparring gear order. I ordered last Saturday. I got an email saying the order is pending review. I emailed back on Wednesday, got no response. I called Thursday and was informed they're waiting for a shipment from Century to come in that night. He told me he'd send it priority mail (like he was doing me a favor). I emailed Saturday about the status of the order, with no response. Here it is 10 days later and I highly doubt the stuff has shipped. I'll call again after lunch today. Most likely going to cancel the order and pay $20 more from Century directly.

A while back I asked about the Shureido K-11, as I was looking for a medium weight gi. I was told it was twill and not canvas. I was also told they're not made in a traditional cut. And I was told there's a problem with Shureido's factory and no one in the US had access to their stuff. All lies.

Then there's the fiasco of every time I've tried to order something, they're out of stock and I'm offered a "better" thing for the same price. Hasn't been better yet.

Edit: To follow up, I called them yesterday. I was told it was shipped on Friday and should've gotten a tracking number. I was told he'd email me the tracking number.

2 hours later I got an email saying it was just dropped off at UPS and I should get it the next day.

So no emails were answered, and it wasn't until I called that they realized they never sent my stuff out (4 days later). What if I didn't call? Wonder why I'm done with them? With a free shipping coupon, Century would have been $11 more. Should've went with them. I want to support the Mom & Pop guys, but it's getting ridiculous.

Edited April 13, 2016 by JR 137

[sensei8]

Since I take this thread as marketing research and not truly what the OP states, I'll rant a bit about MA suppliers...

1. If you don't have the item in stock, DON'T TAKE THE ORDER!

- Why is it every time I order something, I get an email back a few days later (if they bother) to tell me it's out of stock, and they offer me somethings else for the same price?

2. Don't tell me what I want or don't want. Tell me what I'm inquiring about isn't what I think it is and I most likely won't be happy with it, but don't tell me "You don't want that."

3. Don't lie to me.

- Don't tell me something is an inferior item when I know both items and the one you're trying to sell me instead isn't better. Don't tell me the material isn't cotton canvas, but rather twill when in fact it really is cotton canvas.

3. Ship the stuff out the same day I order it, unless I messed the cutoff time. If I messed the cutoff time, ship it the next business day.

4. Give me a tracking number. I want to know when to expect it.

Due to all of these things, I'm done with Kinjisan. The most recent is my sparring gear order. I ordered last Saturday. I got an email saying the order is pending review. I emailed back on Wednesday, got no response. I called Thursday and was informed they're waiting for a shipment from Century to come in that night. He told me he'd send it priority mail (like he was doing me a favor). I emailed Saturday about the status of the order, with no response. Here it is 10 days later and I highly doubt the stuff has shipped. I'll call again after lunch today. Most likely going to cancel the order and pay $20 more from Century directly.

A while back I asked about the Shureido K-11, as I was looking for a medium weight gi. I was told it was twill and not canvas. I was also told they're not made in a traditional cut. And I was told there's a problem with Shureido's factory and no one in the US had access to their stuff. All lies.

Then there's the fiasco of every time I've tried to order something, they're out of stock and I'm offered a "better" thing for the same price. Hasn't been better yet.

Super Solid Post!!