Your Very First Martial Art Class

[Alan Armstrong]

Do you remember your very first martial art class?

Share your experience on how it was back then compared to now.

Or share how you felt being a newbie surrounded by experienced martial artists.

Were you like a fish in water in the Dojo or were you like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car?

[MatsuShinshii]

Yes it was in my teachers back yard and there was snow on the ground. I was told to take off my shoes and join his other students.

My father found this man through one of his friends at work. It was shortly after I saw "Enter the Dragon" and would not leave him alone about learning MA's. His friend studied Gung Fu and offered to ask his teacher if I could join. I met his teacher that first night of training. He taught Fu Jow Pai and was very old (not sure of his age) but was extremely hard core and would often fight (not spar) with his senior students. He was gruff and not very amenable to excuses. One of the students showed up a few minutes late and he had him doing push ups and run around the rest of us until the end of class.

It was exciting the day before and even during the car ride to his house. Standing out in the cold was not so exciting nor was the prospect of sparring with the other students as they were all older than me but I had my mind set on being the next Bruce Lee so I gutted it out and went home with a few bumps and bruises. I remember him telling me that I was soft and needed to get tough after the end of class but I found out later he said this to all of his students and he rarely if at all gave compliments.

Being hard headed and single sighted I showed up for the second night of class for more punishment.

I later found Karate and never looked back. Classes were much more hard core than they are today.

[Alan Armstrong]

Yes it was in my teachers back yard and there was snow on the ground. I was told to take off my shoes and join his other students.

My father found this man through one of his friends at work. It was shortly after I saw "Enter the Dragon" and would not leave him alone about learning MA's. His friend studied Gung Fu and offered to ask his teacher if I could join. I met his teacher that first night of training. He taught Fu Jow Pai and was very old (not sure of his age) but was extremely hard core and would often fight (not spar) with his senior students. He was gruff and not very amenable to excuses. One of the students showed up a few minutes late and he had him doing push ups and run around the rest of us until the end of class.

It was exciting the day before and even during the car ride to his house. Standing out in the cold was not so exciting nor was the prospect of sparring with the other students as they were all older than me but I had my mind set on being the next Bruce Lee so I gutted it out and went home with a few bumps and bruises. I remember him telling me that I was soft and needed to get tough after the end of class but I found out later he said this to all of his students and he rarely if at all gave compliments.

Being hard headed and single sighted I showed up for the second night of class for more punishment.

I later found Karate and never looked back. Classes were much more hard core than they are today.

Must agree, classes were more hard core in the past. Example: I have only had a busted nose twice, just happened to be from the same person, a fellow student from Thailand; from the kick boxing days in the mid 1970's twenty years later all types of protection gear was available.

Back in the day, foam filled shoes and gloves, mouth gaurd and a groin cup was it; with full contact karate and kickboxing.

[sensei8]

I was 7 years old; scared out of my mind!!

It was the basic of the most basic Kihon mixed in with some drills as well as some Tuite.

[Alan Armstrong]

Think I was bout 11 years old in a Judo club. I was having a bout with a local bully about three years older than me. Well I beautifully done a hip throw on him, as thrilled as a kid could be. He on the other hand was not impressed and started beating me up with his fists.

I remember very clearly saying to him (I was still exited at throwing him) "wait! wait! I can see stars!" (A strange sensation just like in the cartoons) He said "You will see more than stars in a minute" and continued to beat me up.

[Marlon Bangkil]

I was 12 years old then my first Martial Art training/club is Teakwando,

[MatsuShinshii]

Think I was bout 11 years old in a Judo club. I was having a bout with a local bully about three years older than me. Well I beautifully done a hip throw on him, as thrilled as a kid could be. He on the other hand was not impressed and started beating me up with his fists.

I remember very clearly saying to him (I was still exited at throwing him) "wait! wait! I can see stars!" (A strange sensation just like in the cartoons) He said "You will see more than stars in a minute" and continued to beat me up.

Those days are long gone. Boys being boys isn't within the politically correct spectrum. Do that today and parents are up in arms because their kid got whipped and it's all over the news or someone is getting sued, or worse the kid goes postal. Today as compared to when I was a kid is night and day.

When I was coming up it was just boys being boys and nothing else. It built character and taught you life lessons. It also made you humble when you realized after the first time you got beat that you were not as bad as you thought you were. You respected others because you never knew what might happen if you didn't.

I remember being the guy on the mat with someone pummeling me to a pulp. I can tell you I never made fun of that kid again. All apart of life's wonderful lessons when you could learn them and the only thing to fear was a good thrashing and going home with your head down to tell your parents why you have a shiner. Certainly not the same as today's youth.

Ah simpler times!

[LLLEARNER]

Imagine that. Letting kids settle things between themselves develops problem solving skills. In my experience boys that fight often become good friends (if they weren't already).

[ashworth]

I was 5 years old, I vaguely remember odd bits about lessons back then, but can't really remember my first lesson...

[JR 137]

I was 18. My girlfriend at the time started training there 2-3 months beforehand. I gave her a ride one night and stayed to watch class. I've always had an interest in karate, but I didn't have any intention on signing up. I was so impressed by the sensei that I signed up that night while she was changing.

My first class consisted of about a 45 minute private intro lesson with the senior-most assistant instructor. It was brief history, protocol and expectations, followed by basic stances, blocks and punches. I was supposed to watch the rest of the teens class and have another private lesson, but sensei invited me onto the floor. Honestly, it wasn't anything groundbreaking. I don't remember doing more than a few line drills and trying to follow along with Taikyoku 1.

My first full class was drastically different. It was all ranks adults. I wasn't aware (I don't think any of us were actually aware, come to think of it) that sensei had the kumite portion of his yondan test the next day. The class sparred all night, and sensei lined up with us. Bare knuckle. The students took it easy on me, relatively speaking. Sensei was a bit more fired up. He had this look in his eyes that I haven't seen since. That taught me to never look my opponent in the eyes. Getting changed in the locker room, I looked down and saw a straight line of bruises all the way down my sternum.

On the way out, sensei pulled me aside and said "you did great tonight. Please don't take getting hit personally, especially getting hit by me. Some nights we go hard." My reply: "I love it. If I didn't want to get hit, I wouldn't have signed up to take karate. See you Monday!"

Part of me really misses bare-knuckle Friday.