Why do you train?

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by NielStewart, Jul 1, 2002.

  1. NielStewart

    NielStewart New Member

    Ok I'm new (ish) so don't sue me if we have done this before - I have had a look and can't see anything so here goes....

    Why do you train...?

    Self defence...
    health...
    fitness...
    weapons training...
    forms/sets/kata...
    fighting (tournaments etc)...
    combinations of the above...
    or something I have missed...?

    It will be interesting to see who trains, for what reasons and what your respective arts are.

    So to kick us off I used to train in freestyle Karate, I joined the class because I was impressed with the teacher (who was Bob Sykes - then editor of Martial Arts Illustrated). I joined because I had just started university and wanted to learn how to fight incase I needed to defend myself.

    I left for a number of reasons...and i now do Lau Gar Kung Fu...again I chose Lau Gar because of the instructor I liked the fitness skew of the class (I knew nothing about Lau Gar at the time), since which time I have enjoyed the sets/form work although I can't help thinking it's practical/self defence aspects are lacking in our club...

    So I am thinking about a combination of Wing Chun for fighting/self defence and either Chen or Cheng Man Ching Tai Chi for the weapons and set/form work.

    so how about you....?
     
  2. pesilat

    pesilat Active Member

    I honestly don't remember *why* I started (started at 8). I'm pretty sure "Enter the Dragon" had something to do with it ;) But I honestly don't remember.

    I stuck with it, though, simply because I enjoyed it. I love it all. I love the exercise I get ... since it's the *only* exercise I get, I have to love it :) I love the fact that it has a practical side in increasing my odds if I ever get in a another fight. I love all the stuff it has done for me over the years. It's kept me out of a lot of trouble and helped me walk (or, in one instance, drive) away from 3 guns and a knife without a scratch. I love the fact that it's kept me out of the hospital in the handful of fights I've been in.

    I love the fact that it helped my maturity level. Which, in turn, is what attracted my wife (who's 15 years older) to me. And since I think she's the best wife in the world (for me), I *really* love that.

    I love the history and the esoterica (BS aside ... though weeding out the BS is sometimes entertaining and always educational).

    I love teaching MA.

    I love talking about and writing about MA.

    In short, I love everything about MA ;)

    That's why I train.

    Mike
     
  3. Melanie

    Melanie Bend the rules somewhat.. Supporter

    Hmm...well it was only two years ago why I started and I most certainly wasn't eight! I started at 25 and started because I was able to offer training in return to the Sensei. He wanted to learn about computer applications but couldn't afford to pay me. He offered to train me in martial arts in return. I attended one class of Shotokan and have never looked back. After the first lesson I bought a Gi and then made enquries into books and videos to learn more about the history.

    The reason why I continue is for so many reasons now. I enjoy the physical aspect, getting the "burn" or "adrenaline rush". The classes at both dojos have been structured and interesting. I enjoy training with the type of people that martial arts seems to draw and I like the personal challenge that my chosen art has given me. I love kata too and marvel at times how beautiful a Kata can be when watching a team perform a kata as one. The history into the kata and combinations interest me as well as does the explainations and interpretations of the applications. I also feel I benefit with the self defence training - but read my article to find out why :D

    I love MA as Mike does and I hope to one day be able to achieve a miniscule of what he has - to be able to teach is a goal of mine - even though I know thats years ahead of me!
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2002
  4. Darzeka

    Darzeka New Member

    Okay I've been doing Ninjaki Taijutsu for around 5 months now.
    I started for a combination of reasons.

    Fitness - I've been playing a sport since I was ten and was bored after stopping cricket. And I was also starting to loose shape (I need to keep at it or loose it real quick).
    Defence - I go out on average 3 nights a week to pubs/clubs so the chance of me getting in a fight is quite high.
    footwork - Just the way it helps me with my carriage allday now is awesome. And it has made danceing quite interesting and dancing has provided me with a place to practice footwork.

    I saw the black GI and heard Ninja and came running.
    It has given me a confidence with knoweldge of how my body moves and mad emy movements easier, more flowing, more confident.
    "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" was playing on foxtel every two days and I watched every thrid one. This sparked me to find an art.

    The people at my Dojo are similar to me and it is the place I have felt that I fit in the "most" for a while. I just don't like the people Football and cricket attract.

    Pain. I just love being thrown and hitting the mats hard. Dojo was closed yesterday and the three day break has me in withdrawal already.

    Weapons. Need I say more? Okay, Katana, Wakazashi,
    Manriki-Gusari, bo, Hanbo, Jo, knife, Karma, Naginta, the list is pretty much endless. Can't wait.

    And another thing that Iloved from the first is the freestyle nature of the art. You get shown what you are meant to do and from there you experiment on each other, in essence learning all, taking what you like to perfection and making a "personal" art.

    No tournaments. You only compete with yourself and seek to better yourself.

    Self discovery - meditation is a big part of the art and I have found it very relaxing and helpful in slowing down my thoughts so that I can use them.

    Violence. Everything we learn has a purpose, application and work (unless there is a physical deformity). And nasty too - stop (dead, unconcious, wailing in pain) opponent in easiest way possible.

    These are the things that brought me to this art and have kept me here. Looks like I'm in for the long haul.

    OH and wrestling. Now I have started it there is now I'm leaving till I'm good but then if left then I'd only have my brother to wrestle which would get boring.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2002
  5. KarateKid1975

    KarateKid1975 New Member

    Same here, Melanie. I started 2 years ago, for self defense purposes (I did security at the time). I could fight, but not very well. So I wanted to learn how to kick some a$$ LOL.

    But I fell in love with the forms. I love the pyung ahn (hiain, pinan) series. My fav is pyung ahn ee dan. I did learn how to fight, but I like the "mental" training too. I was taught how to avoid a fight, and "read" my surroundings (if I smell trouble, move along hehehehe). I'm more confident, I have more self esteem, and I know how to carry myself better.

    And the excerise helps, too :)
     
  6. Saz

    Saz Nerd Admin

    I started doing Karate when I was 10 for the same reason a lot of people start; because I was being bullied in school. It helped sort that problem out, and got my plenty of time off through suspensions, which I thought was great :D I broke my leg mountain climbing when I was 12, and that put me out for a year. I never really got back into the intensity of the training after that, and quit. I started again when I was 20, mainly because I never forgot Kyoukushinkai, and other styles just didn't suit me.

    If there's a tournament coming up, I'll train for that. When I started I had no intention of entering tournaments until I entered my first one. I got hammered of course, but I enjoyed the whole competition side of it so much I kept going back for more. I don't know about fitness, I've put on 2 stone since I started back, but its definitely made me stronger than I was before.
     
  7. Chazz

    Chazz Keepin it kickin TKD style

    I started when i was 9. My dad thought i was too shy for my own good and wanted a way to teach me to open up. I started back because i needed a way to free my mind and to condition my body. Now i train because its a part of me. I cant see my like with out it. Thats why i want to teach, because its in my heart.
     
  8. Silver_no2

    Silver_no2 Avenging Angel

    I started aikido almost two and a half years ago. I was working on the doors in Edinburgh while a student to help pay the bills. I didn't want to be reliant on the fact that I was a sixteen stone rugby player as there is always going to be somebody bigger and stronger than you. I wasn't looking to do an art that was centred around punching or kicking somebody too much as my aim was to be able to get people out of the pub without having to batter them senseless, though I was sorely tempted on a number of occassions. :D

    I had a chat with my uncle, who is a policeman (boo,hiss etc. etc.) and he mentioned that they used restraining techniques before they started to batter people with their truncheons (oooh err!). I had a chat with some of the instructors from the various clubs at the uni and decided that I liked the sound of aikido. It wouldn't give my knee too much trouble (damaged ligaments playing rugby) and met my criteria of not destroying people.

    I no longer work on the doors but I still do my aikido. I love the social side of the club, mainly down to the fact that it has an excellent social secretary (me :D), and love the training. I still like to look for real life applications to all the techniques that I am taught because you never know when you will need it, but that is not a problem because my sensei always shows us them. The fitness side of the club is minimal but, as FreeForm has pointed out, you attend class to learn the art/techniques/applications; if you want to do fitness then go to the gym in your own time.
     
  9. Andy Murray

    Andy Murray Sadly passed away. Rest In Peace.

    I started training because I wanted to be better than I was!

    I kept training because I wanted to be better than everyone else!

    I still train because I want to be better then I am!
     
  10. Freeform

    Freeform Fully operational War-Pig Supporter

    Aged 11/12 I'd started high school and got picked on because I was a country kid and then it got worse, because we moved into the town and townies would beat me up, I learned fast and became quite handy.

    A friend of mine suggested that we go to a Self Defence class that was running in town so thinking 'I can handle any of these MA poofs!' I went to prove my mettle...... and got beat up by one of the assistants....... who was 15........ and a girl!

    I decided I wanted to train with these guys so started initially for street fighting ability (I mean Sef Defence!), and over the years I've just become MAguy and its a part of me I think I'm a better person for it!

    Thanx
     
  11. wayofthedragon

    wayofthedragon The Defender

    Ok, I train for all of the reasons you listed above pluss more. I just love it. What more can I say:confused:
     
  12. Joseki

    Joseki Valued Member

    Love it to be honest and it helps cus I've been doing it most of my life so it's grown on me and is a part of who (or what if you like) I am.
     
  13. energyboost

    energyboost New Member

    I don't understand why i do this, much less why i keep going, more of a gut feeling than anything else. I don't do it to gain anything, other than improve my abilities in relation to yesterday.
     
  14. TkdWarrior

    TkdWarrior Valued Member

    dude i never got bullied :D i used to do that ...:p
    why i got into MA... lemme think..
    yea it was "enter the dragon" i want to be like Bruce, then Be like Jackie(after Drunken Master) n be like Jet li(after Once upon a time in china )
    ok i didn't become any of them . i think i stayed in MA cause i found THAT satisfaction which i couldn't find in things like painting, cricket, football, studies, astrology...
    -TkdWarrior-
     
  15. Acekicken

    Acekicken Submission Fighter

    To keep in shape
    to compete in MMA ( 1-0 )
    To do Ju Jitsu/Grappling ( 13-3 )
    For fun
    To cure bordem
    To test my self
     
  16. Dragon_Princess

    Dragon_Princess Princess Available

    to prepare for greater challenges, gain more knowledge, and basically to become the best of the best (if possible for me:))
     
  17. robertmap

    robertmap Valued Member

    Hi Gang,

    Why.......

    Because I can't imagine NOT.

    32 years of martial arts - I'm still bloody useless half the time, but I LOVE it ALL the time!!!!!!!

    All the best.

    Robert.

    www.p-k-j.org
     

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