JP Fitness Forums - View Single Post - Why did, do, you would you want to practice a martial art?

Rachaella · 05-25-2009, 06:03 PM

Peter,

Thanks for the question :-) In a way, it was a combination of things....shortly after I got my shodan in tae kwon do, my instructor had some family issues, etc., and was pulled away. In essence, my husband and I suddenly inherited the class (taught at the local Y; please no jokes about martial arts classes at the Y...my experience was excellent!). After 2 1/2 years and between my job in child welfare and my husband's swing shift job, we just could not run the class and chose to close it after referring our students to other tae kwon do schools in the area. I stopped doing martial arts for about a year and missed it. One day, I saw a story on the local news about a dojo sponsoring the AAU National Tournament in my hometown, went and checked it out and started the next day. The head sensei was in law enforcement and incidentally, is currently serving in Iraq.

So, I started wado ryu karate and got my shodan in 3 1/2 years. And yes, I did have to start over at white belt, but it was worth it. Overall, while there are some differences, the tae kwon do I learned was less sport-oriented and more traditional. Again, some differences, but in my experience, there are many more similarities and the transition is not a big deal. Admittedly, (at the risk of sounding arrogant), even at my "advanced age," I have the best kicks in my dojo :-D Realistically, wado ryu has more emphasis on using the entire body, while tae kwon do's strengths are in its kicks.

That's my story!

05-25-2009, 06:03 PM	#67 (permalink)
Rachaella Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: North Carolina Posts: 5	Peter, Thanks for the question :-) In a way, it was a combination of things....shortly after I got my shodan in tae kwon do, my instructor had some family issues, etc., and was pulled away. In essence, my husband and I suddenly inherited the class (taught at the local Y; please no jokes about martial arts classes at the Y...my experience was excellent!). After 2 1/2 years and between my job in child welfare and my husband's swing shift job, we just could not run the class and chose to close it after referring our students to other tae kwon do schools in the area. I stopped doing martial arts for about a year and missed it. One day, I saw a story on the local news about a dojo sponsoring the AAU National Tournament in my hometown, went and checked it out and started the next day. The head sensei was in law enforcement and incidentally, is currently serving in Iraq. So, I started wado ryu karate and got my shodan in 3 1/2 years. And yes, I did have to start over at white belt, but it was worth it. Overall, while there are some differences, the tae kwon do I learned was less sport-oriented and more traditional. Again, some differences, but in my experience, there are many more similarities and the transition is not a big deal. Admittedly, (at the risk of sounding arrogant), even at my "advanced age," I have the best kicks in my dojo :-D Realistically, wado ryu has more emphasis on using the entire body, while tae kwon do's strengths are in its kicks. That's my story!