Attitude survey - all answers welcome!!!

[amedia]

I'm trying to get a handle on how people feel about martial arts - it's one of the ways I can become a better ninjutsu teacher. If you can take a minute and answer these questions, I'd *seriously* appreciate it!

If you are into martial arts...

Before you got into martial arts, what did you think about it? What kind of positive/negative ideas or impressions did you have of it? What was the positive idea that finally prompted you to become active?

If you're not into martial arts...

What's your impression of martial arts? Both good and bad impressions are valuable to know about. Is there anything you've heard/seen about martial arts that makes you want to try it? Is there anything you've heard/seen about martial arts that makes you not want to try it?

Comments

[young-egotist.livejournal.com]

First off, are you in the Bujinkan?

Secondly, before I started training in Bujinkan Ninpo Taijutsu I thought martial arts were a way of learning how to kick some serious ass. I saw it as extremely "cool", and a means for violence and "self defense" (though let's be serious on that one, I just wanted to be able to hand someone their ass if they even thought about harming me..). I had always wanted to take a martial art and finally a friend of mine in the Bujinkan told me I'd really enjoy it and pushed me in the direction of a local dojo.

Now, I am not sure what to make of ninjutsu. I came in thinking 'I'll learn how to really hurt people' and now I'm thinking 'I hope I will never have to use anything I'm learning'. I don't know how to express it, but I've been learning what the essence of ninjutsu is and it has nothing to do with maiming or killing or anything like that at all, and I *love* it. It is completely not what people think it is, I just don't know how to express the disorganized thoughts I have about the art.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

First off, are you in the Bujinkan?

Yes! I train at the Bujinkan Kuryu Dojo in Central Pennsylvania.

I have my black belt test coming up later this month... nervousnervousnervous

Thanks for your response - it was thoughtful & interesting! And ninjutsu is totally da bomb!

[young-egotist.livejournal.com]

Very cool! Good luck on the test!