Why Did I Start Training?

I get this one a lot.  Why did I start?  What made me want to get into martial arts training?  WHY?!

Before explaining the how and why, it's important to understand something about my childhood years.  Whatever sport was in season, I was playing.  I wasn't particularly good at any of them, but I did like practicing and competing with the team.  There was...a fraternity about it that I didn't understand then.  So, for YEARS I was part of a team that worked hard together to achieve a goal.  

Then college hit.  Then a young, growing family of my own...and life got incredibly busy.

When I started training, in October of 2005, I was about 100lbs (45kilos) heavier than I am as I write this.  I remember being sick and tired of being sick and tired and it hit me quite suddenly.  As I was playing on the floor with my oldest son, a switch flipped.  I did not want to "be" this anymore.  I wanted to be something better.  So, right there I made a commitment to begin living a healthier lifestyle.  I joined the local gym, began eating better, started making some serious changes.

But something was missing, but a good friend changed that.

I'll never forget the conversation.  My friend, Jason, came over and put his foot up on the arm of the couch to show me the bruise on his shin.  "Holy cow, what happened?" I inquired.  His response...I'll never forget it... "Dude, I found REAL karate."

I'd always been interested in training in the martial arts, but wasn't really allowed to when I was a kid.  Now was my chance!

That conversation with Jason was on a Friday.  The following Tuesday I walked into the dojo for my first class.  It was a quick reminder that from a fitness perspective, I had a ton of work to do BUT, I found the missing piece.  It wasn't exercise or nutrition.  I had those pretty well planned out.

I was missing the community; the fraternity of the journey.  I was missing the training alongside like minded people all reaching for the same goal.  I was hooked.  It's history from there.

So why did I start training?  Well, it was something I'd always wanted to try; and it gave me a community to train with and grow with.