KnightKraler Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 hi, i am 15 i am going to get into martial arts, but i am worried on how i am treated because of my skill compared to people that started when they were younger. will i be disrespected or be welcomed? i hope everyone is nice, but you know..... -Knight
omnifinite Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 Well, you could also look at it this way. You can start at 15 and be worried about it or you can wait and start at 16 and be worried about it. I don't think you'll have a problem. There will be new students older than you I'm sure. If people are there to show off rather than learn from each other, they have the wrong mindset anyway. 1st Dan HapkidoColored belts in Kempo and Jujitsu
karate_woman Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 Start whenever you feel you are ready to. Age is a funny thing. You're 15 and worried about being mistreated by students who started younger if you wait another year. If that happens you're in the wrong school, in my opinion; martial artists are supposed to be courteous and respectful. The only thing I've noticed about really young children (pre-teen) and the martial arts is that their attention span is lower so it generally takes a bit longer for them to progress than adults do. On the other spectrum I have seen people start karate in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and continue training to black belt. You can bet your boots they were never disrespected for being white belts at whatever age they were, nor did they disrespect their much younger (20's) instructors. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. -Lao-Tse
G95champ Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 If your not welcome something is wrong. LOL. MA is all about respect. It may take a while for you to catch up to the people your age who started before you did but not big deal. Lean at your own speed and don't rush it. (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."
theswarm Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 if your worried about direspect get in there, train hard so you can become a good martial artist and everyone will respect you for it
Red J Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 Respect is usually a school rule in most dojos. Most people are nice and inviting because its the right thing to do, oh yeah, its also good for business. So, have a good time and meet some new people. You're going to love it. I had to lose my mind to come to my senses.
monkeygirl Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 KnightKraler: Are they going to throw you in with the kids' classes? At my dojo, kids over 13 are in the adult classes. I could see where you might be uncomfortable if you're the only 15-year-old in a group of 9-year-olds. If you're in the adult classes, however, it might be less of a problem. For one thing, it can be much more challenging...if you were to learn a shoulder throw, for example, which is going to be harder: throwing a 9-year-old or a 39-year-old? There is no wrong age to start training in Martial Arts. As everyone else has said: respect is a HUGE part of MA, and no good instructor would put up with ANY student being disrespected. Good luck in your search for a school! By the way, what style are you considering? 1st dan & Asst. Instructor TKD 2000-2003No matter the tune...if you can rock it, rock it hard.
wcnavstar Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 Some of the greater martial artists of the modern age have started late in life. Bruce Lee was only 14 years of age when his father took him to train in Wing Chun under Yip Man. Master Ho Kam Ming, one of Yip Man's students did not start until his forties. And today he is a very respected master of Wing Chun. I can assure you that there are many other great martial artist out there who started at alater age. And for the most part anyone who has been doing martial arts since their early days of childhood is nothing more than a carbon copy of the teacher and not a complete fighter. They simply do not have the mental capacity to adapt their style to any situation. So in that respect you have a big advantage over them. "We work with being, but non-being is what we use" Tao Te Ching
Kaju_influenced Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 Go for it friend i started MA when i was very young however i stopped and picked it back up at around 13, my point being is not to worry about what other ppl are going to think bout ur skill. Have fun training and always work hard at it and u will see the results, its your body and mind not others "Sweat more in the dojo,bleed less in the street"Kajukenbo fighters axiom.
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