It was mostly to prove that I could do anything I put my mind to,regardless of my size and gender. If my dad hadn't been such a whereabouts it I don't think I would have been so determined to succeed in it.
When I was a kid my dad took brothers,not me though. I wasn't allowed to go for a long time:
"Why would you need to defend yourself?your brothers and future husband will do that,besides your a girl and girls don't fight" I had five brothers,so by his faulty logic,I would be safe.
I didn't understand why I couldn't go. The stereotypes hadn't been ingrained into my child's mind yet, I just remember thinking the world was so cruel. Little did I know how cruel it would become...
So I enviously watched as my brothers learnt,i used to practice on my own after watching their sessions. As you can imagine this taught me little/nothing but I just wanted to train sooo badly!
Then at the age of 9 I was kidnapped. Not gonna go into the details but basically it showed my dad that him my brothers won't always be there to defend me. They weren't there when I needed them most. After I was free I forced my dad to let me take martial arts. This time he couldn't say no. 14 years years later, I'm sufficient in judo,kickboxing,jujitsu,muay thai and eskrima (only started eskrima a year ago though) and I kick all five brother's asss.
I suppose if he'd never taken my brothers I wouldn't have found the arts. I know what it's like to feel vulnerable,frail, and completely dependent on the mood swings of someone else. Hopefully never,ever again. My past contact with despicable people is often what fuels me when that point of utter exhaustion is reached.
Martial arts is now my life. And even though dad didn't want me to train,he's pretty impressed by my dedication. Almost proud,almost. I wouldn't ever even consider giving up martial arts,it's a lifestyle. Not a sport.
When I was in high school, I tried different martial arts because one became popular, Kickboxing, Aikido, whatever was the flavor of the month. I college Thai Boxing became popular so I joined a gym. I will say that the comercial schools never really taught anything. When I was in Grad school, I met a friend who had been trained under a Shito-ryu Karateka in Hawaii. All the sudden I saw the power of real technique. From then on, I was able to follow Karate to it source in Okinawa. When you see a 79 year old who can produce more power than a 25 year old you get interested right away
As a kid, i grew up around martial arts. My stepfather was a Bujinkan Ninjutsu instructor so i used to watch him train in the back yard. Then came the 80's & early 90's and with it...Ninja Turtles, The Last Dragon, The Karate Kid & Bloodsport...etc. I started Karate at 10, then found an interest in boxing in my teens...and in my late 20's i discovered Wing Chun...been there since. :D
Part of me always had a fascination with it. But I don't think that's why I really started.
I started it as an outlet and a way to defend myself.
I had a very rough past, mixed with divorce, abuse, constant bullying, and suicide. I was very angry, sad, and bitter, and often at times, didn't really know what I felt.
I was sent away to live with my father and stepmother for protection against my step father.
They didn't want me taking martial arts, bc they thought it would make me even more angry or worse, dangerous.
So I would take "Bike rides" or go on "walks" and was in secret learning Tae Kwon Do from a man in town, who was kind enough to take me in for free.
It was an outlet. I remember just getting all my anger out during training. All my frustration, all my hurt, and just wailing on the bag, I put everything into my martial art.
After about two yrs, I had gotten it all out my system. I had forgiven those who wronged me and for the first time in years I felt happy on a day to day basis.
It also improved my life at home, I got along better with my father and step mother and realized just how much they love me. And it gave me discipline. I started raking leaves and mowing lawns, to pay for classes. I told my parents about my training and just went on from there.
I started to embrace martial arts. It became a lifestyle. I would teach what I learned to my brothers and sisters and I loved it.
Now I do it simply bc I couldn't imagine my life without it and it's just fun. I love learning and soak up martial knowledge like a sponge.
I wanted to train for years, But never got a chance to train. Then when I began high school I was the new kid in the school and district. One of my peers told me that our World Cultures teacher teaches martial arts after school and it was going to start soon1. I found out the date I told him I was going to sign up. I asked if he was going to go too. He thought about it, but talked himself out of it. He was nervous about going. He said he would just stick with boxing. He admitted that it might be more than what he was ready to try. We became friends. He was a gang member at our school. I still run into him every now and then. He turned pro in boxing and met a lot of high rollers. He is now a police officer. We're suppose to hit the range one day. I remember one day in class my sensei threw him with a wrist lock. He came up behind him to ask a question and touch him to get his attention. As son as he touched him he grabbed the wrist and he hit the floor. My sensei apologized but he didn't know that he was behind him. I tried to get him to come to class after that, but again he said no. He didn't want to get thrown around like that...lol
I have been training every since.
I do want to add that martial arts is not combat. If you want combat join the military. Martial arts is life preservation; not combat. There is a huge difference. Combat is fought with long range weapons. Some may define martial arts as hand to hand combat or close quarter combat, but the reality it is not a war. It is just for survival, even if that means to escape and run.
I was unfit and wanted something more interesting than going to the gym.
As for combat, I have no interest in combat, I don't train for combat, I train purely for either enjoyment or self defence nit combat/fighting.
As a little kid I thought "Cool, I wanna be a ninja!" Stuck with it for a few years, then left until a friend in Jr High invited me to his dojo. I've been into it ever since and now teach.
I was a kid and I thought Kung Fu was super cool. Over the years I just maintained a level of fascination with martial arts all around and kept on going.
My father/uncles were all instructors and my father ran his own business, so basically i grew up living and breathing it at home from a young age
with my legs
What made u step into the dojo/gym for the first time? What made u want to persue combat skills? No analyzing here, a simple answers good.
