I'm joining a Martial Arts program...What should I expect...?

Question

and what do I need to know before I go into it?

Answer 1

Very strict exercise and well organized. A lot of warm-up activities and punishments in form of exercises if you did something bad. You'll be sore after the first few sessions but it'll grow on you.

Answer 2

Be humble, and go for it. Tae Kwon Do is very good exercise, lots of stretching and kicks etc. if it's with Hapkido it also has very good joint locks etc.

Answer 3

Its fun and a great work out... People are usually friendly and eager to help. Doesn't matter what martial art it is (I've done 5 styles), everyone in the gym will aid you. If you told us more about what style it was then maybe I'd be a little more help, but just expect to have fun and good competition, which will build you physically and mentally.

Answer 4

Karate is fun.  Do a little research.  Some martial arts are very Asian.  They go into things that are religious in nature.  If you don't mind doing that, it's not a problem.  But if you don't want to follow someone else's religion, then choose a different place.

The American Society of Karate is a good place to start.  http://www.askkarate.com

Answer 5

It really depends on the style of the Martial Arts program. The martial arts are as numerous as they are varied and so your program could focus on avoidance, stand up fighting, ground fighting or a little bit of everything. If you could offer a little more detail (like the name of the program/style) I would be able to offer a more precise answer.

If the program is just a martial arts fitness class, I would expect a lot of cardio work swinging punches and kicks. There will likely be a bit of bag work as well.