Whats the point of MA anyway?

[Evad]

So what's the point to all this training anyway? Why did we start taking "Krotty?" Why do we choose to eat bitter?

How did your career as a Martial Artist begin? What was it that set you on the road of kicking a$$ and taking names?

Why practice for decades? And none of the shallow answers of 'keeping fit' blah blah blah....what is it about MA that makes it so meaningful to those who study seriously? Regardless of where we come from, who we learn from, what we do, why is it that worldwide, MA is uniformly loved by millions of ppl? We're a sub-set group of athletes, so why do we do it?

It should be the one thing that we can all relate to and agree upon...hopefully.

Let's see if anyone can post some interesting perspectives or stories of why they started training in the MA to begin with, and what the result of that training has been.

[Laughing Cow]

For me it is because it adds in value to my life in general.

Took me a loong time till I found a style that really suits me. :D

I started MA because I thought it would be cool to be able to do those moves, etc.

Why do I keep doing it, simply the longer I do it the more I realise how much I love it and that there is plenty more to learn.

As for kicking butt and taking names, that I leave to the young and reckless bucks out there.
For me MA has become part of my life and I don't worry about goals anymore.

Cheers.

[Serpent]

I can't really remember why I started. It's just something I've always done and I couldn't imagine not doing it.

One of the things that keeps me at it is the knowledge that no matter how hard I train and how good I get, I will always be able to get better. There's no way I can ever know all there is to know about it. That's kinda exciting to me. A never ending journey where the destination is pretty much irrelevant.

[joedoe]

I have always had a drive to learn MA. I think it was because I was a kung fu master cut down in his prime in a previous life, and I am trying to regain some of my past glory :D

Seriously, I have always wanted to train for some reason. Maybe it was because my father was a brown belt in Tang Soo Do and he used to teach us how to kick and stuff. Or maybe I was just trying to fill in for some inadequacy in my personality. :D

[themeecer]

That one is easy for me Evad. I got tired of getting beat up every day. I was the smallest kid in my class. My birthday fell funny and I really should have been a grade behind. When class pictures was taken I was always on the front row, right hand side. I was literally tormented daily. I took it out of survival. Unfortunatly it took a couple of years to find a school but I eventually found one when I was 10.

Why do I continue to train? Obviously after several years of training I didn't have to worry about getting beat up anymore, that and eventually I hit puberty and grew bigger than most of the ones that picked on me. You know .. I ask myself this everytime I go through a wieght jacket class or iron shin training. The heck if I know. That stuff hurts!! LOL.

I guess I continue to train because it is a ballsy thing for me. That and I am a goal setter and I cannot stop till I hit my goals. I have the goal of being a master before I die.

[Serpent]

You're a Master Bator already! ;)

[Serpent]

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Let's get back on topic, it's a good thread.

[joedoe]

Originally posted by Serpent
You're a Master Bator already! ;)

lol. That's kinda cruel.

Good luck on your goal meecer.

[Yung Apprentice]

I used to get into fights a lot. One of the many dis advantages of living in a ruff part of town. I became very good at streetfighting, and basically just brawling. But I used to take alot of lumps in my victories. I figured there has got to be an easier way. Or at least a way of limiting the lumps I've been taking. SOOOOOO I took a look at MA's.

[Okami]

I started taking classes because my buddies were in the classes. It kinda sucked when they were all very senior to me. They were mostly brown or black belts when I started.

I stayed with it because I enjoy it.

People start studying MA for lots of reasons. People stay because it is fun.

[red5angel]

When it comes down to it, whats the point of anything we do? I learned a while back that you can't ask too deeply about something without eventually hitting a wall. Take martial arts for example. I don't get into a lot of fights and have so far, in general never been assaulted seriously. I'm not in it for the spiritual stuff some people might be, I'm in it to learn how to fight. Why? Because I want to. I because I get satisfaction from a good class or a good sparring session. Because when someone asks me about it I always get a "cool". Because my wife thinks it's sexy as hell I study the martial arts. Because it helps to keep me active and it helps me to push my limits.

[Surferdude]

I started when i was a kid, i saw Enter the Dragon... And said holy sh*t i wanna do that. So i started in ma.Now i study Shotokan Karate!!!:D :p
Why keep doing it... i dunno i just feel great after class, and while i'm in class:)

[Judge Pen]

I was visiting a friends' house when I was young and some out-of-town kid was there killing ants. For whatever reason the 8 year old that I was took offense and told him to stop. He got up and side-kicked me in the chest dropping me like a bag of potatoes. I got pizzed, got up, tackled him and beat the crap out of him. But dam that side-kick hurt! I was interested and started taking an American Freestyle/TKD class that was offered in town. It was a joke, so I bounced around a bit until I found my first real sifu.

I train now for defense and health. I'm very goal oriented and I want to keep improving until my body gives, and then improve on the practice of qigong and tai chi until I drop dead. I'm not worried about getting attacked or anything. The martial application is nice to know its there if you need it though.

[Shaolin-Do]

First time I started, I was 10 or so... Started taking TKD. wanted kung fu, no where here taught it. Instructor was abusive, trained by fear, not respect. Quit right when I got my BB. I was 12. Moved on to hapkido, then to BJJ. Currently I am training and have been, for self improvement. I was turning into all to lazy of a stoner. Needed to find a proper balance. Kung fu was it. Get used to physical activity while stoned, and you can stay stoned and not be a lazy f*cker! :)
+ I like the fact that all my friends know I can whoop their @ss. Got walked on a little bit when I was younger cause I was skinny, people thought they could take lip with me... Im very passive as well. I havent had to make an example out of anyone yet, thank god....

[ZIM]

I responded to an advertisement on a matchbook cover. It was either that or being a lawyer. So I took the higher road. :p

[Judge Pen]

Originally posted by ZIM
I responded to an advertisement on a matchbook cover. It was either that or being a lawyer. So I took the higher road. :p

:confused:

How did I take both the high road and the low road?

[Serpent]

Originally posted by Shaolin-Do
First time I started, I was 10 or so... Started taking TKD....... Quit right when I got my BB. I was 12.

:eek:

:rolleyes:

:D

[Becca]

Started for temper control. Kept it up partially because it fills the void for diciplan that the Corps used to fill, partially because of the feeling of belonging I get from being around my Kung Fu brothers and sisters. But still mostly for the self-disiplan I started for.

[Ray Pina]

My dad said I went around the house karate chopping stuff and he happened to work with a guy who had a black belt: my sensei. I was four years old and that was all I knew. I ate, drank and slept martial arts.

Got burned out by 7th or 8th grade and quit. Was the hardest thing I ever did, telling my sensei.

After H.S. football and a season in college joined the Isshin-Ryu club at the school, it was always with me. The teacher was a Jersey City cop with a ****-poor attitude and bad techiuque. Went back to sensei. I wanted to start as white to learn the katas over (I remembered the first 4 or 5). My sensei insisted I maintain my black belt and sit in front of class. Didn't last. I changed a bit though it felt good going back.

Graduated, moved to NY, fell into Wing Chun and Hung Gar. I liked the trapping and sensitivity in which karate lacked sophistication. Fell in with a S. Mantis crew that liked to fight. Learned a lot about intention there and then met an old student of my present master. Now I have found what I'm looking for martially.

Sometimes the question of why pops in but is kind of silly now at this point. What I do, and this sounds crazy, is cut class every once in a while ... if the waves are good. It means too much to me to ever get burned out on again. Besides, we should be training all the time anyway, right? While walking, opening doors, stepping off of curbs, ect.

Martial arts are great!:D