Oh, and since I posted in here I might as well make a relevant post.
I never considered karate for the exact reasons Jedi Vargus and Master Alpha said... Besides, I figured I stood more of a chance of A) going Pro, and B) picking up the ladies playing organized sports (baseball, football, etc). Seemed a more practical use of my time, rather then, as Vargus put it "holding your fist out in front of you for 3 minutes and not gain ANYTHING from it".