Why you?

[Andy Murray]

I was wondering..............?

Some people have given us a little insight into their backgrounds and ideals already, but........

I would like to know a little more about folks here. What got you into MA, and/if why you stayed involved. What's your personal story?

Personally.............


I played Rugby from when I was 7, had a bad knee injury at 18 and never had the courage to go back into a match. As the injury healed, I was focused on music. I was involved with the industry, playing and working with bands.

One night a friend of mine got a kicking outside a club, and I felt powerless to intervene. Nothing happened for a while, until one day a musician friend of mine mentioned a new Kung Fu club in town he had started going to. I joined with a bunch of other musician friends (two of em were drummers, so I suppose they don't count as musicians). The other guys dropped out real quick, but I got hooked on the competitive environment.

I got interested in everything MA. I crosstrained in a few other things too, and I guess I'll be learning as long as I am able.

Were it not for the MA, I'd probably be some spliff smoking, alcoholic ex hippy.

1/ I kind of wondered what got you started?

2/ What kept you going?

3/ Where you think you would be without MA?

Andy

[waya]

What got me started..... Well, it was mostly for something to do with me when I was little, run off energy and eventually learn some self control (I had alot of issues with this as a child, and still do sometimes :) ).

As I got a bit older it just became a natural part of life. I can't remember being without the arts in some form, other than not being able to train for what seemed like forever after I broke my knee. And the fact that I am always learning keeps me from becoming bored with training. And learning is my #1 thing.

Without training I am miserable. The more I am in class, or working out in some form, the better I feel mentally and physically. I can't really imagine not having it still in my life in some major way.

Rob

[Spike]

I first got started when I was about 8 or 9 years old and to be honest I can`t really remember why I started.

I kept having to stop classes because my family kept moving around (no comments about thieving gypsies Freeform) and I always tried to find a class sometimes there weren`t any I liked but I enjoyed doing MA so I kept looking.

I don`t know where I`d be without MA, I`ve not really got into that much bother in my life, but I don`t think I`d be the same person I am.

Ps. Andy, what instrument do you play? You`re not a nancy-boy guitarist are you?

[Freeform]

I kept having to stop classes because my family kept moving around (no comments about thieving gypsies Freeform)

Wouldn't dare mate, theres more of you's than me ;)

I grew up in the countryside on a farm until I was 10 when my dad changed jobs and I moved into the town (a rather nasty part of the town) and kept getting kicked in from the local gangs for being a 'Country Boy', 'what do you mean I'm dressed funny' I'd say standing in my wellies and wax jacket in the middle of July.

I took up MA when I was about 11 to look after myself so that when they tried to kick me in, I kicked them in, they started to use weapons for an advantage, so I trained harder, eventually when I was about 19 they'd either grown up, been killed (not by me!), were in jail, in rehab or had just gotten the message. When I realised this I also realised that MA was such a part of my life and has made me the person I am and I just enjoy it some much.

Thanx

[Jim]

I got started when I was about fourteen and 5 guys beat me up for my pushbike. My Brother's friend was about to start a Judo club in town and I decided to take a class.

It was all downhill from there.

[Andy Murray]

Originally posted by Spike

Ps. Andy, what instrument do you play? You`re not a nancy-boy guitarist are you?

Hi Spike,

Keyboards mate. More of a leaning towards screaming Hammond and original material than anything else, so I'm definitely not for hire for cocktail parties and weddings, though I kid on I'm a jazzer sometimes.

On a further note to my own personal story, I remember being five or six, and tieing my dressing gown's belt round a pillow as a mock opponent for my 'Zorro' alter-ego. I also remember my dad dragging me away from the picture house as we walked past. I can still see the promo posters for 'Enter the Dragon' outside. I think I was always going to end up in MA.

I got into a lot of fights when I was a kid, cos I have an older sister who is mentally and physically disabled, and I was always defending her. Also later, at school, cos my dad was a (hated/feared) English teacher there, and I used to get some second hand aggro cos of him. I felt kind of impotent until I started MA.

I did start with some vague idea of payback in the back of my mind, but I'm pleased to say the MA has been an outlet for my anger/frustration, and I think I've become a better person for it.

:D

[stump]

I always wanted to do a martial art but had parents who disapproved (and still do to some extent) of the martial arts. I went to boarding school and got to train in judo for a little while in the school until lack of interest overall closed it down.

When I went to Uni at 18 I joined a kickboxing club who also trained in a peculiar thing called Lau Gar ( :) ) I wasn't particularly interested for the first year, I'd go along twice a week but could take it or leave it.

I had a car crash about 12 months into my training and sfuked up my knees in a big way...I had to give up training for 6 months. During that time not being able to train really annoyed me and when eventually I could rejoin I restarted with a motivation that's not left me since!!!

The most important occurance in my training so far was meeting an instructor called Anton StJames in Plymouth. He introduced me to the Filipino martial arts and they've been my main MA focus. He's a fantastic instructor and a really nice bloke aswell.

I can't imagine a world where I didn't train in martial arts. I certainly don't think i'd be in prison or on drugs, but being Irish, I'd probably hit the pub a lot harder and more frequently if I wasn't training :)

[KarateKid1975]

I was always into MA in some form or another. My dad watched the Bruce Lee movies a lot. He also taught me how to fight (red-neck-do hehehehe). Then the Karate Kid movies came out. They really sparked an interest. But my family didn't have much money, so I couldn't join a club. I did take up music instead. I played drums off and on for about ten years. I got bored with it, though.

Then I got a job as a security officer, and I decided that I needed to learn a bit of self defense for the job. So, I hunted down my Tang Soo Do school.

I started MA to learn self defense, but I got hooked. I was a victim of the ol' MA bug. I've been at it ever since. If I don't train for a number of days in a row, I go nuts. Like if I'm sick and have to stay home on class day, I get hyper and get this feeling like I am supposed to be doing something. It's hard to explain, but I know it's because I should be thraining that day.

[Fuzzy Panther]

I started Aikido 2 years ago because I have a member in my family who is mentally ill and can get violent. So, I do MA to protect myself and my family. I enjoy it for many other reasons now and I hope to be doing Aikido (or some form on MA) for the rest of my life!:love:

Fuzzy Panther
:Angel:

[Spike]

Quote form Andy Murray:

"Keyboards mate. More of a leaning towards screaming Hammond and original material than anything else, so I'm definitely not for hire for cocktail parties and weddings, though I kid on I'm a jazzer sometimes."

Hmm...nice

[morphus]

This is a popular thread - everyones got there story.....

I did karate for about five minutes when i was about 9yrs old, but my thing was football, i was encouraged all the way, not a day went past without training of some sort.
I discovered the fairer sex in my teens....same ol' story, that was it. I hung my boots up at the ripe old age of 18yrs.
I concentrated on being with my wife and children through my 20's. At the age of 28yrs, my sister of 19yrs dragged me along to see this martial art (choi kwang do) she'd found, i'd told her i wasn't interested but she twisted my arm(not literally); i kinda had the idea of enrolling the kids so they could defend themselves(we live in a quite rough area).
As the instructor(a very charasmatic guy) stood there explaining body mechanics and there relation to techniqes and the application in a situation, i found myself standing up on the side and trying it out - thinking to myself 'bloody hell this works, in a short while the instructor named Jamie treharne came over, introduced himself, told us about the art and some of the history.
The next lesson there were four new white belts(myself, the wife and my two boys) stood nervously at the front of the class. We all worked very hard, the training was so addictive (to me anyway); my wife dropped out 4 grades up, my youngest son aged 7yrs too dropped out 5 grades up(though has recently returned) - after a great deal of hard graft i was 1st dan and my eldest son aged 12yrs soon followed, we're both now heading for 2nd dan should get there in about a year. I now instruct and can not get enough of martial arts!(i study ju jitsu and a few other as well). My beliefs are that you should learn everything you can from anyone, if it doesn't work for you then don't use it. Martial arts have given me flexability, good health and the ability to think calmly under pressure. I look forward to many many years in martial arts! This is where i am at!

[Melanie]

Hindsights a wonderful thing. I started training mainly because I had always done some form of activity and hadn't for a few years, due to work and financial constraints. I noticed at the age of 26 that I was feeling very unhealthy and a bit directionless with my spare time and was easily talked into a class of MA training (Shotokan) by this chap who regularly came into the Petrol Station I worked in part time at the time. It was his suggestion that as I was short of funds for classes I could teach him Microsoft Office (which he wanted to learn for his work - he was self-employed). I attended one class, was immediately hooked to the discipline, hard work out and the fact the bloke who introduced me to it was a fair and decent Sensei. He was joined by another Sensei who showed much interest in the applications, history and language of Shotokan. I was quite fortunate to have both of these Sensei as the complimented each other well.

I was bullied at school and to be honest wouldn't have said boo to a goose until after I left school, but years of sales training have left there mark and I am a much more confident person for it. However, people around me and I have noticed myself that since I started training I stress a lot less, can be more focused under pressure and I put this down to the outlet that MA has provided me.

I have had to stop training twice since I started, once to a work related injury and another due to a minor injury I just ignored until after my grading (whoops!) which had got pretty serious by then! Both times I have stopped training I, just like mentioned before had this terrible feeling on Tuesday and Friday evenings of restlessness! (I did train other times outside of the dojo too) I hated it and returned as soon as humanly possible to training. I can appreciate that if I wait until things are properly healed I could potentially end up training for the rest of my life, so I "normally" do as the doctor ordered (well kinda).

Ever since I have started training I have been absorbed in more than just the techniques, however, I do still train regularly to keep these up. I have had my eyes opened by many people I have met through the web, from literature, Journals (bows to Ozebob ;) ), from seminars I have attended and of course from my own Sensei (past and present). There is so much to learn and to understand and I wish I had started sooner. However, as time goes on and my training continues I do hope to understand some of the fragments that have been fed to me and maybe, just maybe be able to pass these on to others if I am ever qualified and capable of doing so.

I shall do my best thats all I can hope for, but I do think without training in my life now, I would probably be very unfit with little confidence in myself and highly stressed. Doubt very much if I would be in prison though...or on drugs (least I hope not??)

[wayofthedragon]

I was into martialarts from as long as I could remember. Just something I was always interested in and always wanted to do. I guess watching old kung-fu movies when I was little set the paste, especally Bruce Lee movies. I was like wow. I want to be able to do that. So I use to try to imitate everything I saw in movies. My brothers and I would do this. As we got older, and our (my brothers and I) interest grew. We started buying martial arts videos to learn by, martial arts books to learn by, and magazines, stuff like that learning all that we can. No sight of a good instructor yet. In the late 90's we started looking for a good instructor. We found one and started our formal Martial arts training in August of 1997 in a combination style of martial arts based around jeet kune do, and kung-fu as well as a few others....I trained there until January of 2000. After that, I trained later on that year, like in september for about a month in wado-ryu karate. Since then, I've just been free training. No Martial arts class at the moment, just free training:D

Well, that's my martial arts biography