Why did you decide to take up martial arts?

[seanyseanybean]

I am curious to see what differant reasons people have for spending a huge amount of time, money and spirit on the martial arts.

Also mention what your first art was...

fire away

[Oreomeister365]

I think fighting is a lot of fun.

fighting at a high level that is...not street haymaker 5000 types

[bigboywasim]

I was a really big guy and wanted to lose some pounds. Second I also wanted to learn how to fight ( for self defense) . That is why I descided to learn Muay Thai and BJJ. Yes, it is very fun as well.

[blitz]

I was really big too, and decided to lose some pounds but I did other sports(soccer etc.), but about a year ago I started taking Kali/Arnis and thought it was very fun however, i stopped after a little while, it took me a while to notice that I am very interested in martial arts and I wish I started long time ago, I think MA are much more fun than sports like soccer and basketball.

I have lots of reasons including self defense but then again i almost never get into fights, so my main reason would be I like to be the best at something special, I think martial arts are special and they definitely should be called arts because not many people know a martial art and because they show you how to use your body very effectively. So yeah I like being special at something which is unique, I know this isn't exactly unique but compared to your school studies and sports like soccer i think it is.

So basically it is a mean of being fit, having amazing flexibility, the ability to defend yourself and learn something different which you have fun learning.

[medic06]

I have always been drawn to it. I can't really explain why. Rationally I know it's a pretty pointless endeavor. My first art was My John Law Horn Style Kung Fu under Sifu Johnny K.M. Lee. . . .

[gregimotis]

I have always been drawn to it. I can't really explain why. Rationally I know it's a pretty pointless endeavor.

That's me, too. I just like it - I only fight at a low level, I don't street fight at all, it's just good fun poppin' your friend in the eye.

[danfaggella]

I've always been drawn to it as well. I think it began with an early fascination with oriental culture and an early hatred of bullshit american martial arts dojos. Finally I got ino it and now its a big part of my life, I'm just more and more interested every day.

[hanuman]

grew up watching boxing and uncles trained in thailand for thai boxing...plus i hate looking stupid when fighting, so i train to polish up and entertain...i guess its an ego boost?, but yea, i dont like looking sloppy..this all started when i saw people fighting in 8th grade and saw the fights as disgusting and gross, yet every1 would be like "yea you're the man"!, so i intentionally picked a fight and everybody was like "**** you looked cool! where did you learn that?"

[SamuraiGuy]

Cause its one of the most fun things in the world.....

Plus the feeling of accomplishment when you ko/tap another person as you move your way up in the world haha...

(Im coming for Matt Hughes's title at UFC 100!)

Assuming he hasnt lost it to GSP haha

[SweepEm]

I first started Martial Arts back in high school since I felt I didn't know how to defend myself in a fight. I trained for about 3 1/2 years and then my school closed down.

I played basketball for years to keep in shape but felt the need to get back into a martial arts program. I asked a friend a recommendation for a martial art to check out.
My friend works for several martial art magazines so I knew he was exposed to almost every type of martial art out there. He recommended going to the Gracie academy in Torrance. I took the first free class back in 1992, was impressed, started taking Jiu Jitsu and have been training ever since....

[treelizard]

I started taking karate when I was 12 because I saw the Karate Kid and I really liked it. Also because I got picked on a LOT in school and wanted to learn some self-protection skills. Then I was hanging out at my favorite comic book store, playing Magic: The Gathering and buying copies of Optic Nerve and Milk and Cheese (and Sandman, of course) and I found a flier at the store for karate classes for only $24 a month, that was for twice a week. And my parents let me go! We also had this awesome all-dojo nights where we would work so hard all day that the floor would be covered with sweat. Then I'd go home and be sore at school for the next three or four days. I can't say I got much practical skill from my karate class and it has let me down in times of need, but as a kid it kept me out of trouble. My teacher's teacher has since left the umbrella organization we studied under (and all of his students left with him) and now they teach real self-defense and some other stuff for fun. I still talk to my teacher's sensei (he told me never to call him that) about once a week, he is a good friend even to this day (about fifteen years later). And I train with them at seasonal gatherings when I can get there.

[Sagacious Lu]

This is a huge question... I'm sure I could ramble on until I put everyone to sleep and then keep rambling for a few more pages I always wanted to train growing up but I wasn't allowed because my parents didn't want me "fighting". So naturally I did the closest thing I could find- I started wrestling in jr. high and stuck with it through high school. I loved every minute of it. I finished high school a number of years ago and I still wanted to compete incontact competition so I started training the way I always wanted to but couldn't; at a TMA school. Hopefully I will be able to have some matches soon. That's part of it. Another aspect is that it provides me with goals that mean something to me. I work out harder because I want to be better at my art which is much more motivational then just doing it because it's good for me. There's always a new challenge to tackle.
On the other side of things training to me is a form of meditation. When I'm training it consumes all my energy and concentration so that I am completely focused on the present moment- in other words to me my practice cultivates a Zen mind. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, the people I train with have become great friends, like family in a lot of ways, and my life is much richer for being a part of my school's community.