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Post by robbo78 on Oct 5, 2012 21:57:41 GMT
Hi, just a question for all who have a view what does karate mean to you and why? Is it part of your life or just something you do, a hobbie as it were?
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Post by jimlukelkc on Oct 5, 2012 22:13:18 GMT
At one level, I treat it like going to work, turning up at the class every session, whether ill, injured , tired etc. On another level , it is my abiding passion. I read about it, I trawl the net for information, I socialise with like minded people and much of my spare time is devoted to it.
I believe this obsession has shaped my personality and character and I have never considered one minute wasted in its pursuit.
Is this normal behaviour? I have no idea, nor do I care particularly!
A hobby? no not a hobby. If it was just a hobby, the arthritis in my knees and ankles and.... well I would have quit long ago.
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Post by kensei on Oct 5, 2012 22:21:16 GMT
It started as a way of reaching out to my day dreams as a child. I saw Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Van Damme and the like on the big screen and wanted to be like them or do things like them.
Then in my teens it became my sport or hobbie and I competed for fun and loved tournaments and hard work outs. I went to the seminars and visited masters classes and pushed to be the best in the "Sport of Karate".
As I aged it became a great skill set to have and became training for usable self protection when I worked the doors at pubs (bars). it was neccessary to protect myself and others and I trained for realism in the Dojo, often getting concused and even stabbed once!....in the Dojo that is!
As I got older I realized that it had formed my charactor alot, I saw others who were of "lesser morals" and charactor and still insisted that Karate was good for you in all ways. I looked at the physical training as a way of forging my charactor and body together, it became a passion and training a great way to keep both physically and mentally active.
Now in my 40's I see Karate as a way of life for me. I could never imagine not doing Karate and showing up in my white PJ's to work out with friends and people I see as family.
It went from a curiosity, to a interest, to a obsession, to a passion.
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Post by Dod Watt on Oct 6, 2012 7:31:36 GMT
Good topic Robert, and it is one you could probably write a book about, so I'll keep my answer to this really brief, I just love it, started when I was 15, now 51 and still doing it, hobby, way of life and an obsession, every breath I take allows me to continue doing it!!!!!!!
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Post by malk103 on Oct 6, 2012 8:02:57 GMT
I started because I needed some fitness training and didn't like football and got bored in the Gym.
It then became something I did with my kids as they both followed me into it.
It then became a form of therapy as I went through a stressful situation with work stress.
Then I passed the main goal of my training and had something that I always wanted - a Black Belt!
Then I started teaching junior grades and now have the satisfaction of seeing others on the start of their Karate journey.
It's also great to help run the club and see it grow.
Karate gives me great pleasure when training and great satisfaction when teaching, most of my book shelf has now been taken over by Karate, if I ever lost my main job then I would consider taking it up full time.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2012 12:48:02 GMT
Broadly speaking for me it is a recreational activity. I love doing and teaching karate. I enjoy reading and researching about it. I enjoy the physical fitness and self defence side as well as the art for arts sake. It gets me out the house and mingling with others. It helps relieves the stress of life. kata and kumite gives me a great buzz, it is a challenge.
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Post by Paul Bedard on Oct 6, 2012 18:00:57 GMT
I have mentioned this before, but I certainly do like to express my opinion!!
In the begining for me Karate was about self defense as I got older, it was a good physical activity & a remarkable social outlet. Now at this stage of my life, with certain body parts trying to accelerate the aging process, it`s about self preservation. This is in both, my physical & mental health.
As others have mentioned that many of our fellow karateka become more like family & very close friends & to me this is special.
It`s a wondefull never ending journey. So yes it has become a way of life..
Osu
Paul B
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Post by rodders on Oct 7, 2012 7:27:22 GMT
I would love to do it full time one day, but you clearly need years of experience to do that. Therefore, I would have to say it's a hobbie for me at present. Although there isn't a day that goes by I don't read, write and practice my karate.
We are very fortunate people indeed!!
Rodders
7th kyu - Lancashire Shotokan
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Post by Bob Davis on Oct 7, 2012 11:13:54 GMT
If you look back at my post over the years I've always described myself as a "hobbyist" karate-ka. It's a part time activity that I do because I want to. I teach a couple of times a week, I train a couple of times a week and go on the occasional course, I read a bit, I chat on the forum and that's about it. I never took up karate to be able to defend myself, for fitness (there are far better ways), for competition or any of the other reasons people tend to give. I took it up for my interest in the art itself, it was something I'd always wanted to do. Now as hobbies go it occupies a lot of my spare time and it is defiantly a big part of my life BUT it isn't "my life", there are far more important things than karate (for me  ) |
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Post by snorri1 on Oct 7, 2012 15:08:25 GMT
Karate is definitely my hobby but that doesn't mean I haven't got a passion for it. I love it, I train as often as I can, go on courses at weekends, read books about it, spend hours reading about it and seem to spend a large part of my waking life thinking about it. It's a very big part of my life but people, especially family come first. My reasons for doing it are very similar to Bob's, I just enjoy it and I think it motivates me to keep fit. Any improvement in my ability to defend myself is a bonus but comes way down the list in importance. Over the last couple of years though I've been enjoying courses/seminars with people like Peter Consterdine, Vince Morris, Ian Abernethy etc and you tend to meet people from other styles and arts. This has made me think that if ever I needed to find another club for some reason I would be looking for the best traditional martial arts club rather than limiting myself to shotokan. So maybe it's something about martial arts that I enjoy rather than specifically karate and maybe I would be just as obsessed with something like ju jitsu.
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Post by nathanso on Oct 8, 2012 4:57:33 GMT
Unless karate is your occupation, it is by definition a hobby. Having a passion or even an obsession doesn't mean it's not a hobby. Being a hobby and "being a part of your life" are not mutually exclusive as might have been suggested in the starting post. Hobbies are part of a healthy life. Being passionate or obsessed with your hobby is OK, as long as you keep in balance with things that are really important.
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Post by th0mas on Oct 8, 2012 17:22:41 GMT
For me the draw of karate has all been about image.
I've always fancied myself in sweat stained white pyjama's and a threadbare belt...
Wearing trousers that are far too short just highlights one of my major assets, chicken legs and overly long toe nails :-)
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Post by Bob Davis on Oct 11, 2012 10:54:53 GMT
Is it just me who comes home from a session with arms and legs covered with lumps and bruises, having nearly had you ribs busted (again) and thinks "that was a good session, really enjoyed that!!" ? What sort of hobby is that? think I need to take up stamp collecting (I suppose in a way I do ) |
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Post by kensei on Oct 11, 2012 12:48:35 GMT
Is it just me who comes home from a session with arms and legs covered with lumps and bruises, having nearly had you ribs busted (again) and thinks "that was a good session, really enjoyed that!!" ? What sort of hobby is that? think I need to take up stamp collecting (I suppose in a way I do ) My wife aften looks at me and suggests I seek mental help of some kind.... |
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