Fun? Really? I assume it is dependent upon what you might be doing within the martial arts to categorise it as fun. Or in case you are a sick, twisted idiot that’s into self-abuse and mayhem, brutal martial arts training will be fun. It boils right down to what your motivation for training is. In case you are into competition, patches, trophies, name recognition and glory then a business school oriented to the sporting elements of martial arts is where you desire to go. In case you want realistic self-defense training perhaps going to a dojo with fewer trophies on the wall is something you desire to seek.
Different cultures have different martial arts and it could take a couple of tries to seek out one that matches you and your personality. Personally I even have been looking for my path within the martial arts for over forty years. I even have found some really great schools and top-notch instructors and I even have found some schools that I’d not waste one other second investigating. But my motivation for martial arts training shouldn’t be similar to everyone else’s motivation. It might be similar however it shouldn’t be the identical.
My martial art training shouldn’t be done as a hobby or a sport and even a nice past time. Sometimes it just plain hurts. Yes there may be pain involved but that doesn’t mean that the training doesn’t have its own rewards. The camaraderie and bonding that takes place if you place your life within the hands of your training partner achieves a really high degree. It’s true that we don’t train for fun but occasionally we are able to rejoice training.
In case your goal within the martial arts is to attain a reasonably high degree of physical fitness, to take care of good muscle tone and suppleness then you might wish to take part in things like tournaments, and or demonstrations and that is a superb goal. It could be fun and supply motivation for setting goals or meeting people of comparable interests and talents.
In case your motivation to coach within the martial arts is to supply yourself a venue to learn to fight and defend yourself you’ll be able to still find an enjoyable experience however the bumps and bruises will probably be more extensive.
To hunt “budo” or the way in which of the warrior your path will probably be quite different than in case you were looking for the fun of competition. The potential of female participation is reduced but not eliminated. The concept of getting fun is just about out the window. The training will probably be brutal by necessity. On the warrior’s path you should not training to compete, you might be training to survive.
Back in 1967 after I began training in Shotokan my goal was to grow to be knowledgeable soldier. Vietnam was in full swing and I knew if I wanted a military profession, I’d should have combat experience. My dream was to affix Special Forces (Green Berets) and to command an SFOD – A. I believed I could be more and higher prepared if I had some real martial arts training. The club I joined was the Brigham Young University Shotokan Karate Club. There really was not a alternative if I wanted good martial arts training. There was nothing else available. The training was brutal. If we didn’t draw blood during a workout, it was not workout. That intense training served me thoroughly after I entered the military in 1973. I missed out on Vietnam (darn the luck! Shucks, I actually desired to go. Not!) in addition to all the other live fire exercises america became involved in up until 1990 after I was medically discharged. The martial art training during those early years was not fun however it saved my butt several times. Just with the ability to push myself beyond my perceived limits of physical endurance was a direct results of my martial arts training and it served me well. Now my martial art training could be very different from that in 1967. It’s more mental and spiritual and has way more potential for severe physical damage. It still shouldn’t be fun because pain is involved but we are able to rejoice throughout the training. The close-knit group of scholars who care about one another’s safety could be very much different than within the early days. I run classes in my dojo within the basement of my house and training is completed by invitation only. Lots of my students are prior or current military. Some have had law enforcement experience. The training is difficult however the banter and joking provide an environment that’s “fun”.
Karate is up close and private. Jujutsu is intimate. This makes some people uncomfortable until they get past the ma-ai barrier and learn to get near their training partner and perhaps their attacker. We must learn to depart our ego in addition to our gender on the door. The main target ought to be on training and learning. Leave the sexist crap outside. That said, then training can grow to be fun.
I even have had several junctures in life that if I quit training, retired my uniform and belt and pursued other interests in life it might be permissible. I’ve broken my back twice, broke my leg really bad and dislocated my ankle, got hurt on an evening parachute jump etc. etc. But I discovered that I can not quit. The martial arts have grow to be quite addictive. Perhaps it’s the flood of endorphins that keeps me coming back. Perhaps I’m just waiting for the fun to occur?