Fun beginner hobbies (that need no skill)
- Written by Jennifer Martinez
When I was in my very early teens, I was convinced I was put on this planet to become the next Bruce Lee. After begging my parents for lessons, I eventually joined no less than four different martial arts clubs (not all at the same time, but there were cross over periods where I would be attending classes most nights of the week). You see, Bruce Lee invented his own style of martial arts called Jeet Kune Do, which implemented all the best practices he had picked up from different styles over the years. The only problem with Jeet Kune Do is that it’s very balletic in its appearance, with ornate arm gesturing and tip-toe balancing between spins and unnatural stances. In short, it’s not the kind of thing the average teenager with minimal training is ever likely to use in a serious scuffle with a would-be attacker. But the idea of mixed martial arts stuck with me, and today, of course, we know that MMA is now a global discipline.
After five years of switching classes and gaining different coloured belts as I went through my grades, I decided that perhaps the whole angry-white-pyjamas scene wasn’t for me after all. And the bedroom cupboard door was closed on two shelves packed with trophies and medals. This got me thinking. Hobbies are hard to come by. They require so much time to get good at even the basics. So, what are the hobbies that get results from day one?
Point. Click. Every Trip.
Photography is so difficult that only a handful of people in the world should be trusted to get it right. Nah. Only kidding. While true photography requires knowledge of how to frame and light your subject, with ‘timing’ arguably playing the role of an innate skill, there’s nothing easier than pointing and clicking while out and about (see crkphotoimaging.com.au to find yourself a camera). Getting good will take time. Getting results you can be proud of takes seconds.
It’s just a step to the left
No, not the time warp. Hiking. What’s that, you say? Walking isn’t a hobby? Oh, yes, it is. Hiking is a pastime that attracts people who want to get out, see the countryside, regain some fitness and stamina, and meet new people. Choose your own speed and difficulty level, choose the views you want to take in, choose what you’re taking along for light refreshments, and choose your new walking boots.
