Vintage Martial arts Pics from my past

[Alex A]

I thought i would share a few....

I started training at the age of 12 under one of the top Martial Arts Masters in the world.. His name is Takayuki Kubota and is still alive and training at over 75 years of age

( http://www.ikakarate.com/frames.html )

At the time he had a dojo in Hollywood California then moved to Glendale California ..

I was pretty hardcore.. I was a young, short kid ... So Karate was a great sport for me.. And I obsessed over it.. I trained every day to become the best i could.

I didnt have a car at age 12 and the dojo was 15 miles from my home so i took the bus to train at the studio

I worked my way up from ... White, to orange belt to purple, to Green, brown then Black.. I competed in at least 20 tournaments in Kumite( sparring).

Martial Arts is a great discipline. Im one hundred percent sure that i learned my dicipline to get through college and to bodybuild from martial arts.

After training for 10 straight years and earning the rank of Sensei.. I got into lifting weights to make my kicks and punches stronger and harder..

Then i started obsessing in bodybuilding and believe i have always been able to diet super hard from the discipline i learned from Karate, particularly Kubota... the Grand master...

I was wondering how many of you guys got your start in martial arts.. I know for sure this is what got me into bodybuilding...

 

[Alex A]

look at the date in the lower left corner of that pic...

 

[Alex A]

.....

 

[pesty4077]

Well, now we know where you got your discipline from. Classic pictures.

 

[malcom young]

My son loves it. He started when he was four, is now two belts below earning his black belt and has a room full of medals and other awards.

At eleven years old he hasn't progressed very fast, due in part to his interest in other sports; seven in all: swimming, sailing, diving, track, soccer, fencing and of couse Tae Kwon Do.

All of that and he is also on the A B Honor Roll. My son is awesome!

 

[VTliftVT]

I believe in todays world every child should have some form of disciplined sport to be involved in at that age. With obesity rates climbing, younger and younger kids getting knocked up and causing trouble....anything to keep the youth focused on achieving goals and simultaneously learn respect and ethics to a degree is a must now.

 

[JETHRO TULL]

I love this stuff, Alex.

I'd share some of my older pics, but mom had me enrolled in ballet.

The only thing I got out of that is my current graceful walking style.

 

[michelin]

Great pics Alex

I started Wado Ryu aged 7 and got my black belt at 15 then I stopped and started chasing girls instead. I took it back up aged 18 in the Forces but only for 2 years. I enjoyed the discipline and structure but my knees still don't thank me for all those snap kicks

 

[Alex A]

Jethro: please post some pics.. its ok to hijack my thread with ballet pics... we all would love to see


I really think that Martial arts something great for kids to get into.. It has made a huge come back and it is popular as hell..

To be honest.. The reason i got into Martial arts was to ...... KICK some ASS!

I wanted to be a awesome fighter and Bruce Lee was my idol...

I used to watch all the Bruce lee movies and it inspired me.

When looking for a dojo.... I was lucky to find this older Japanese master here in Los angeles.. His school was huge, popular and thriving...He was a famous master and i was thinking..." wow... i can train with this guy..."

This guy was one of the best you could train under with a ranking of 8 degree at the time.. He was not a nice guy... All business, discipline and structure..

but even at age 12... somehow i strived to enjoy it and wanted to be my best.. i was so motivated ....

I was too young to lift weights.. He had a bench press at the dojo and some dumbells.. but i was so young.. So i started doing Pushups, and lots of situps..

by the time i was 13... I was developing a decent chest.. And the first time i benched i benched 160bs.. which was good for a kid of 13..

then i started benching each few days.. In high school i enrolled in a weight lifting class.. by the time the class ended.. i was benching 280lbs at 150lbs bodyweight.. by the time i was 18, i could bench 315lbs.. 3 plates was a huge accomplishment for me.

Martial arts led the way for me to pursue bodybuilding.. It really helped in my sparring sessions to be stonger and have stronger kicks and punches...

I put in many years in Karate but... I started to love bbing too much and now im not actively in martial arts but i still run through my Katas( forms) and its still in my head.. It always will be because of the repetition and discipline.. It was great for me push myself hard each day when i was so young..

It taught me a lesson that i can do anything.. I figured this.. If i can earn my black belt.. then i can ge through college and do anything..

I was lucky i trained at a real Dojo and i want my kids to train their too. I hope they have an interest in it.. They are half asian..maybe its in their blood.

Thanks for taking the time to read all this stuff and whatever your background or future... remember discipline is the key to success....

 

[RONJON]

WOW!!! Those are some really unbelievable pics..so cool Alex!

...gotta be something to these things going together (bbding and martial arts)

I have a cousin that was pretty successful in both and have met a few guys around who have done both. Maybe the discipline that you learn in the martial arts can transcend to the bodybuilding? Wow...wish I would have done the karate thing growing up..

..anyways cool pics

 

[Alex A]

Great Stuff Alfresco....

I thought many people in bodybuilding had a start in martial arts, but its funny many good martial artists are not big and muscular..

At the dojo i trained at.. I held my own in kumite( sparring) but there were some average sized guys that could kick some serious ass..

But i will tell you .. .Lifting weights does help you in the Martial Arts... You may lose some flexibility but you make up for it in power.

People used to ask me..." arnt you worried about losing your flexibility?" and i used to say.. Im still very flexible but im so much damn stronger...

I have always had a double my bodyweight in bench press...My main issue with the marial Arts was time.

If i had all day to just train.. I would lift, do cardio, go to the dojo, eat, take a nap, etc.. etc.. Not enough time in the day for everything.

I want to get my daughter into Karate.. Shes half asian and slim.. Good for self protection..

 

[SOCOM]

Great pics Alex!

Damn, Bodybuilder AND a Sensei...I pitty tha foo who'd try to mess with you!

My girlfriend is a 2nd degree blackbelt in Karate, she always tried to get me into her karate school but I didnt like her Grand Master..she loves doing demos with her Horse Cutter and teaching the little 5 year olds.