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

[pocketwitch.livejournal.com]

I've never been into martial arts, but I've thought that it's something I would enjoy doing given the right opportunity. For me, the right opportunity would be a teacher I can relate to, and an atmosphere that wasn't too terribly testosterone-soaked.

It seems like it would be a good way to learn a form of self defense that isn't just a violence-focused thing. That would be my main motivation for wanting to try it.

My main concern, like I said before, would be finding a good teacher & atmosphere. If I met someone like you who was teaching a martial art, I'd definitely want to sign on. :D

[twistedchick]

I'm into tai chi (when I have room) and tai chi sword (when I have more room, and non-freaked neighbors). I've had good impressions of people doing tai chi, aikido and judo, less good of karate people. Some of the karate people have tended to want to show off a lot, and in some cases to try to pick fights.

I got into it because I was in grad school and desperately needed something to do that was active but not high-impact, and it has been very helpful. I would have liked to learn aikido, but haven't found a local dojo whose sensei I know well enough or have heard enough about to trust. A friend broke her ankle badly at aikido by falling between the mats; I'm just clumsy enough to do worse than that.

[cimmerianwillow.livejournal.com]

I've always had a pretty positive outlook towards martial arts, even though these teenaged boys who take karate for a few years and suddenly think they're Bruce Lee annoyed me growing up. lol I took a semester's worth of karate in college and liked it okay, but I'm very shy about such things. If I had a one-on-one mentor, or a very small class, I would be much more at ease. I think martial arts allure the most because of the physical beauty and skill involved. That kind of discipline is something I've always admired.

[gnulfy.livejournal.com]

I've always wanted to learn martial arts, anything really, except Judo, because that seems to be mostly about body contact and one of the reasons for self defense would be for me to be able to avoid too close contact.
I've done one semester Jujitsu (spelling?) for women, in a once a week meeting. It was mostly centered on 'how to get free if someone grabbed and held you' and I liked it a lot, but there wasn't a follow up course.
I love swords and the likes and really would love to do something where sometimes in the future weapons would be involved. I've just been to a Tai Chi lesson (taking a look) and there they used a fan, that was the most complicated of lessons, but the one I liked best.
Still, the reason I don't go to a club to learn something: I've the feeling most schools only have starter courses for children. Or mixed courses. I'm not really good in sports and would feel uncomfortable around people who are trained and slim and already know what they have to do. Sigh.

[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.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

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?

when i was a kid, my dad was all about making me take karate, so i could "protect myself" or whatnot. so of course, i then had no desire to ever, ever learn karate, because he bugged me about it for years. lately, though, movies like Crouching Tiger and Kill Bill (not to mention Samurai Jack--**awesome** cartoon!) make martial arts look really, really cool. i took a self-defense class last year in greensboro and really enjoyed it. i would like to learn some sort of martial art, particularly for the physical keeping-in-shape aspects of it, but my focus right now is yoga (mostly because i can take yoga classes for next to nothing). if there was a martial arts class that i could take cheaply, and it provided a good workout, i would be all over it.

[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!

[amedia.livejournal.com]

If I met someone like you who was teaching a martial art, I'd definitely want to sign on.

{blush} Thanks! And thanks for your answer, too; very helpful!

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I'm not really good in sports and would feel uncomfortable around people who are trained and slim and already know what they have to do.

I hear you! One of the things that helped me enormously when I was a beginner was that one of my teachers was a 60-something grandfather. He was only a little taller than me, at least as pudgy as I am, and even less flexible, with more arthritis. But he had earned his black belt! I looked at him and said, "Wow, if *he* can do it, *I* can do it!"

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Hi! Remember me? The one who forgot her uniform so you couldn't beat her up? :) Why didn't I know you had an lj?

Before I started taking martial arts, I thought it was a good thing if one had the right attitude. Self-defense is a positive, and it would be a good work out. I started because a friend of mine was doing it and she convinced me to try it, even though I was desperately out of shape. And I've thanked her repeatedly for the change it has made in my body, my mind and my life.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Deb! (jumping up and down waving)

Actually the reason I was told we couldn't beat each other up was because of liability issues - the con didn't have insurance for ninja-pakua demonstrations! But it was great showing what we could, anyway!

And great to see you again - thanks for answering the survey!

martial arts

[lhd.livejournal.com]

I'm not 'into it' as in formally studying. However, having been influenced by my father, (who showed me a few nifty things any girl should know, which he learned in Basic in the Army during WWII) and then having spent much of my youth impressed by the grace and marvel of swashbuckling, hand to hand, guys who were more dangerous than they looked, and spy stuff and msytery, I have a really favorable impression of the martial arts, in general. I'm also heavily into history, where they came from, WHY they happened, and how they evolved, so.... I've been to demonstrations, and have watched the competitions on TV. very cool.
I wouldn't mind trying if I had the bucks, time, and a sensei who could help me past the total wreck my skeleton is. I wouldn't try it because one wrong fall in the process of learning how to fall could put me in a wheelchair.


J

panel thoughts & martial arts thoughts

[mamabeast.livejournal.com]

First ladies, grand panel, I learned a great deal & it reinfoeced the thought that plus sized women can be healthy, beautifully curvey & inshape

I took a semister of Tai Chi 3 years ago & while I enjoyed the class I was having travel issues & any good I got out of the class was gone by the time I got home

as for the more Martial Martial Arts of late my mian reason is off beat............. I'm very much in to this "doing MY THING" and as my one friend was taking classes with the town instructor I damn well wasnt going to. there is a new place opening up & I do plan on looking in to what is offered there (& was thinking of contacting you amdeia (sp) about things)

one of the things that I know would help me is the concentration & relaxion that can be learned in these disiplines & with my ADD & Depression both are desperatly needed

hoped this helped

PaulaB

[(Anonymous)]

I am a friend of mama_beast. I have been interested in martial arts for as long as I can remember. It was not something I pursued, because of body shape/size, transportation issues, and money.
I did take a couple of months (many many moons ago) of Tae Kwon Do from an instructor, moonlighting extra training classes from his house. I would have continued it, but he moved.
A local black belt opened a school in town. Out of curiosity, I visited and took the "free class". It was cool, but I wasn't ready.
Years later, I started taking the classes and was a month from testing for my green belt when I broke my foot. I haven't gone back because I don't know what happened to the extra time I had for the classes. But I am going back!
I link my instructors philosophy. Where some disciplines won't advance you unless you mastered everything at the lower level, where I train as long as you are able to perform the moves, proficiency will follow.
The instruction is a combination of various disciplines including karate and akido. We do escrima (Philipine stick fighting) and practice defense against weapon attacks and spar 2x a month. There are special classes offered including swords. Personally, I hate the 1,000 kicks classes.
Bruce Lee (who died 32 years ago) was a big influence, but with today's movies, the effects are great, but they paint an unrealistic view of actual fighting because of all the special effects.
My name is Synlab and mama_beast knows where to find me if anyone wishes to follow up with more questions or comments.

Re: martial arts

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I'm also heavily into history, where they came from, WHY they happened, and how they evolved

Cool. This is something I've really enjoyed learning about, although the early history of ninjutsu is shrouded in secrecy and thus difficult to pin down.

Re: panel thoughts & martial arts thoughts

[amedia.livejournal.com]

First ladies, grand panel, I learned a great deal & it reinfoeced the thought that plus sized women can be healthy, beautifully curvey & inshape

I love this! I've read it several times and it makes me grin every time. :-D

there is a new place opening up & I do plan on looking in to what is offered there (& was thinking of contacting you amdeia (sp) about things)

Please do! Would love to help out in any way I can.

one of the things that I know would help me is the concentration & relaxion that can be learned in these disiplines & with my ADD & Depression both are desperatly needed

It's helped me and my son quite a lot (we both have ADD). He doesn't need his meds any more at all, and while I still need mine, I feel like I have things a lot more together.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I am a friend of mama_beast.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, Synlab!

I link my instructors philosophy. Where some disciplines won't advance you unless you mastered everything at the lower level, where I train as long as you are able to perform the moves, proficiency will follow.

I like this, too. It seems similar to my instructor's way of looking at things. As a trainee instructor, I've been told not to expect perfect forms or movement from the students, especially the beginners, because a lot of things will get fixed naturally as they progress.

The instruction is a combination of various disciplines including karate and akido. We do escrima (Philipine stick fighting) and practice defense against weapon attacks and spar 2x a month. There are special classes offered including swords.

This sounds like a really cool program! I have to confess, I feel as if my IQ drops about fifty points every time I pick up a weapon... but I keep reminding myself, ken tai ichi jo, the body and the weapon are one!