Why dont more people learn martial arts?

SClausen2012

I tried it, but I am not good at memorizing a series of moves, required to get to the next belt. At first they told me that I could just come for the aerobic activity (which is what I was looking for anyway), but at the second class, I was being forced to memorize a series of moves that I could simply care less about. And the women my age there aren't any slimmer than I am, yet are very close to getting their black belts- which tells me this is probably not helpful in achieving my goal- namely to get in shape. To me Zumba holds my interest more- and I have seen others get great results from Zumba.

As far as protecting myself, I think practicing situational awareness, and the willingness to act like a crazy mad woman screaming "fire" will help me out just fine, if I should ever need it.

susannamarie

I'll be doing muay tai when I'm close to my goal weight. My hubs does it already. A lot of people are talking expense - hubs pays $10 a session. My daughter also takes taekwondo -$10 a lesson again, different places. =/

I'd LOVE to pay that amount! It cost my son $35 per week for one session, which was 45 minutes. This was the kiddie class.

Holy COW! That is a lot! The normal mat fee I pay is $5/2 hour class.

zorbaru

IF martial arts are so important for everyone to know, WHY is it priced out of reach for a single person living on one income? ask your sensi that

my karate classes are less than half the price of my kids swimming classes

i pay $40 per month for 1 session per week at 1.5 hours per session. (you can also play $70 per month for 2 sessions per week). plus we have a sister school that we can train with another 2 sessions per week. my sensei also makes a loss. he does it because he loves it, not because he wants to earn a living from it.

my kids swimming classes are $17 per session for 30 minutes. (fyi they dont train karate as the eldest is only 3 years old)

susannamarie

I would love to! However, I feel like as an adult I would look ridiculous starting off, unless there are adult beginner classes? Also, as a former esthetician I am loathe to have bare feet on an exercise mat like that....

I don't know about other MA's, but in ours most people begin as adults. Yeah, you look ridiculous, but so did everyone else when they started, and we remember it and coach through it.

Also, the bare feet (at least in ours) is more for traction purposes -- we don't want injuries from silly things like slipping in socks, and shoes damage the mats.

HorrorChix89

My brother learned how to swim for free. He was pushed off a cliff by his friend and was told "if you want to live you better swim to the floaty."

He learned within a few minutes. Me on the other hand, I took lessons but after not swimming for a year or so I completely forgot how and now have a fear of water deeper than 4ft.

I did taekwando in middle school to boost self esteem which really only made it worst cause I wasn't allowed to beat up the people teasing me. Then they found out I was taking taekwando and teased me even more. Honestly though, my brother learned how to fight for free just by watching other people and real martial art movies.

Jennyisbusy

I am kinda interested but I have a few reservations. First problem is money, second is being a Mom so I have to do something with the kids, third I have no idea what most of the different names that I am hearing (other than kung fu, karate etc) actually mean - I don't want to accidentally sign up for 'kick you in the face lots' class. :P

Another thing to consider is it is intimidating to me (and probably other people) to imagine walking into a dojo to sign up for classes. Maybe having open houses where people come in and talk and look around would be helpful?? Being approachable may make a difference on the bottom line.

susannamarie

I am kinda interested but I have a few reservations. First problem is money, second is being a Mom so I have to do something with the kids, third I have no idea what most of the different names that I am hearing (other than kung fu, karate etc) actually mean - I don't want to accidentally sign up for 'kick you in the face lots' class. :P

Another thing to consider is it is intimidating to me (and probably other people) to imagine walking into a dojo to sign up for classes. Maybe having open houses where people come in and talk and look around would be helpful?? Being approachable may make a difference on the bottom line.

Any dojo should let you come in and observe a class. Any dojo that will NOT let you observe a class before signing up is a giant red flag and probably something that you should stay away from.

Step 1) Locate several different local martial arts that take adult-child classes if possible.
Step 2) Ask friends for reviews or search the web.
Step 3) Call the most interesting couple and ask if you can observe a class.
Step 4) While observing the class, watch how the instructor interacts with the students. Are students challenged to improve, but not beyond their capabilities? Are accomplishments praised? Is the class mainly on-task or do they run amok?
Step 5) Ask questions such as how often belt tests are, how much they cost, how often tournaments are and if they're required, etc.
Step 6) Make a decision based on your impressions.

Honestly, at this point, the instructor is more important than the art. I'd choose a good instructor in any art over a mediocre instructor in any other art.

zorbaru

couldnt have said it better myself

also ask how long the instructor has been training.

i would be wary of anything less than 5 years.

Rayman79

Great post susannamarie, very good advice for anyone thinking of starting out - I am sure it is extremely intimidating if you haven't been around MA training before!

Zorbaru, out of curiosity, where do you train?

zafferFL

I was helping out my sensei in a shopping centre display last weekend, trying to bring more students to our school. When he was talking to them he made what i thought was a great point.

People learn to swim so they dont drown if they fall in the water. they do first aid courses to help people that are injured. why isnt learning martial arts to protect yourself from an attack seen as something just as important?

and lets face it. you arent around water all the time, and if you dont know how to swim, you probably wouldnt go near it anyways. but you are around people everyday. so what is more likely? being attacked in the street or drowning in the ocean?

for those of you that dont do it, i would like to hear your reasons why. this will help me (and in turn my school) bring in more students as we will be able to eliviate some of the reasoning that people have.

and if you want to lose weight (and i know you do, thats why you are here), punch "karate" into the exercise database and see what it comes up with. you will be buying those funny white pyjamas in no time.

In my 32 years I have never been attacked in the street, lucky me I guess

zorbaru

i train at a school called Denshinkan (previously Koryu Uchinadi South Australia)

the style is koryu uchinadi which teaches self defence methods based on the theory of Habitual Acts of Physical Violence (HAPV).

in other words, we dont learn the regimited attacks and defences you see when people think of traditional karate. no one is going step into a perfect long stance with a punch aiming at the point between your mouth and nose. its up close and personal.

everything we learn is done in a 2 person drill, and also has a solo version for practise.

the school is in the northern suburbs of adelaide.

_Ben

Im a black belt in Okinawian Sanchin-Ryu. Been studying for 14 years, teach a weekly class

catcrazy

One, the expense. Classes, registration and certificate fees, clothing kit price.

Two, I took my son to karate for a couple of years and really didn't like the "spiritual" part of it, did him the world of good. 2 of my other kids tried a local self defence jujistsu (sp?) class where it was more relaxed ( they werent bothered by uniform and you only paid per attendance) and would have considered going there but it moved further away. No real fees meant they went where they could get free/cheap space.

xginanax

I do Martial Arts! i love it! and have being doing it for like 15 years now! comes in handy when an *kitten* think they tough! hahaha

Di3012

I'll be doing muay tai when I'm close to my goal weight. My hubs does it already. A lot of people are talking expense - hubs pays $10 a session. My daughter also takes taekwondo -$10 a lesson again, different places. =/

I'd LOVE to pay that amount! It cost my son $35 per week for one session, which was 45 minutes. This was the kiddie class.

That is exhorbitant. Are there no other classes around where you live, what you are paying there is extremely expensive.

SilverStrychnine

I tried it. I didn't like it.

Di3012

I have a gun and family that make people disappear...nuff said

Not much good if they get the gun off you and shoot you first though.

emmaholmes38

I do kick boxing. Its great fun and great for keeping toned, flexible, fit and for losing weight fast. Its burns more calories than any other exercise.

The best thing is you learn self defence if however you need it at any point. I would recommend it to anyone especially women.

I also find it helps get rid of any anger build up just to go along and punch a bag letting of any steam.

Im totally addicted and do 8 hours a week and it works out cheaper and more fun than I pay for the gym.

newbeetler

I am thinking about takeing my girls to a class on a Saturday morning.

Local class has moved into the gym behind our house.

One of my daughter has Cerebral Palsey which affects her legs and co-ordination/walking. Although only mild.

Thinking about doing Tae-kwon-do as this is the class that is behind our house and I think the kicking will help daughter with co-ordinating her legs and keeping the muscle's worked which can waste away from cerebral palsey.

From my point of view I have always wanted to do a martail art but there has always been things holding me back :

1) Time
2) Money
3) Lack of respect. I am anti-leadership and see everyone as being equal. I fear that will breed in me a lack of respect for the sensei even if he/she could kick my *kitten*
4) Confidence. I lack the confidence to walk into a class. Maybe taking my daughters would help me get over that.

I do leave you with this one thought though and this is from personal experience.

Martail arts are good for helping you if you are attacked. That only works though if you are better at the martial art than the person who is attacking you.

A friend of mine had been doing Tae-Kwon-Do for 3 years and got attacked. He tried to use the martial art and was put into hospital for a week as the person attacking him had a black belt. My mate was of a lower skill level.

It might teach discipline but you still get muggers who use it to their advatange and do not respect the rules of the art in the street.

Kanlassak

For me, my parents made me take both swimming and martial arts classes when I was young. The swimming I loved so I kept up with it, but the martial arts was mostly frustrating to me. It's really hard for me to chain movements together the way it was being taught, so I stopped after one block of classes.

Now, if fencing counts, I have a lot of fun with that. But mainly it's the fun of playing with swords and stabbing people