oblar

I am curious how many other TFPers are into martial arts and if so what style do you practice and why did you choose that particular style?
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I recently started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Royce Gracie style) and Krav Maga and have really enjoyed myself thus far and would love to continue in both of these styles, but alas, I am moving and neither one is offered in the new locale.

I had an interest in the BJJ since I love ground work and wrestling in general, although I didn't have any formal training in anything of the sort, but I had heard a little bit about it and sought it out. I found a place nearby that taught it and Krav Maga. I had heard of Krav before, I have heard it called Israeli Martial Arts, and was interested in it as well. I tried both styles out for a day and signed up, so I have been doing them both this summer.

The BJJ satisfies my need for ground fighting another and trying to get in/out of various holds. Krav Maga offers the "holy shit, that looks painful" aspect of things as well as a major body work out. After every Krav practice my shirt is soaked and I drip sweat onto the mats. Heck, I begin sweating within the first 15 minutes.

Due to the moving I have looked for anything close and I found a place that offers submission grappling (a no-gi mixture of BJJ, wrestling, and a few other forms), yoga, muay thai, and filipino martial arts (particularly Kali when I would start). I am very tempted at this since I am interested in the FMA and I wish to continue with something similar to BJJ. However, I also have an interest in Aikido to work on balance and I have a friend talking to me about Danzan-Ryu. I wish I could continue with the Krav and BJJ, but that just isn't an option, at least for a semester ... I guess it is my desire to get better rather than dip my toes in something and then immediately try something new.

As much as I would love to participate in all of these forms, I really can only join a single gym and participate in whatever they offer (and still make time for school)... I am leaning towards FMA/Submission Grappling just to keep up with something similar to BJJ, but the Danzan-Ryu is very tempting. I think this is the time to just use all of their promotional periods *grin*

If anyone has any expierence in any of the forms I mentioned here I would love to hear from you. Perhaps mentioning what you consider to be the nicer and weaker aspects of that particular art.

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almostaugust

There are quite a few TFPers into Martial Arts from recollection.
I really like your choices of styles. Ive heard alot about Krav maga (its the Israili thing hey) and BJJ is very useful. Your attitiude towards them is healthy. I have so many friends who wont get out of thier comfort zones to try new things, just becuse they arnt good or experienced in them. I think most martial arts have something to offer. I took up Muay Thai 2 years ago and never looked back. For the last 6months or so, ive been mostly concentrating on the boxing side of things. To me, boxing (western) is an art that should never be overlooked.
I'd love to do a more grappling based art at some point, but by nature im more of a 'striker'. I'd definately advise looking at Muay Thai. The fitness element is intense, and people with backgrounds in other styles can usually adapt them into it. I guess one of the weaker sides of the art is advanced grappling.

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hunnychile

It is time that I train in some form of martial art, but I'm not sure where a short middle-aged lady can find the best form without lots of study and reading & pain. I have little need of intense self defense - but I recognize the need to be prepared and I want to be in great shape and very aware of my surroundings and the involved levels of consciousness. I have spent time around guys who use the staff & the shadegans (sp.)and do goshen jitsu, but there was a very intense dark aura around that sensi in particular and it was alot like "kill or be killed" for me. Would someone kindly share a little insight and expound upon various types thay might help me reach a decision or at least know what questions to ask a master? Generally, I am a very peaceful non-threatning warrior-ess.

Thanks in advance...hunnychile

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oblar

thanks for the replies so far, I guess I will answer both of them

almostaugust, I will check out Muay Thai a bit. I expect it to be fairly similar in work out as the Krav Maga is for me currently, but as you stated, you are more of a 'striker'.. That stuff just isn't for me for the most part, but I will give it a shot. No harm in trying it out for a night *grin*

hunnychile, if you can find it in your area, Krav Maga is being taught at my place as Women's Self Defense. It is a workout, but it is very effective in real world situations. I would give it a shot if I were you. There is a wide variety of people in my Krav class ranging from 16 yr old girls, to college students, to guys in their late 40s, to people (women and men) easily in their 60s. It is something you can do regardless of age since the techniques are meant to eat the "tender" spots.

I knew there were quite a few martial arts people on here, but just not many perusing this thread. Oh well, that happens sometimes

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.All that we can do to help ourselves is stay alive." - Rush

ratbastid

I practice drunken boxing.

Oh, no. Sorry. I'm just drunk.

MontanaXVI

I was fascinated with Capoeira after seein gthat movie with the school lkids and the teacher who used it in class. Also Wesley Snipes practices it. No place near me that I ever found that did it so interest waned.

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shakran

muay thai is a very effective style, as is kali. The fact that you've found a dojo that combines those two and adds in grappling skills is pretty impressive. You should definitely give them a shot.

And hunnychile,

Short answer? You can't. There is no martial art that will turn you into a jedi overnight with no hard work. There is no martial art that will teach you to fight well without pain being involved. I'm not saying you'll be limping home from the dojo every night in search of bandages and a tourniquet, but you have to expect to take a few hits if you're learning to fight.

Anxst

I personally practice Aiki Tenshin Shokai, a form of Aikido influenced by Iai and the Way of Bushido. I enjoy it quite a bit,. Like most Aikido, it focuses on the techniques as a way of unifying mind and body, with the uses for it in combat being secondary (but still important).

Hunnychile, you may wish to try an Aikido school in your area. They often start slowly, and focus on movement and focusing Ki to begin with. Call around, and many of the sensei will let you come and watch a class or two, or even participate in a beginner's class for free to see if you like it.

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hunnychile

Thanks all for some good input!

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archpaladin

Tae Kwon Do for 15 years and still going. Also Aikido for about three months, and plan to continue regularly. Eventually I want to pick up a style of Kung Fu as well.

Practicing grappling/boxing styles such as Muay Thai and Krav Maga seem quite interesting, and I certainly give the people who practice them respect. Personally they don't interest me so much as Aikido, which focuses a whole lot more on evasion and nonlethal redirection. And then there's also Chin-Na, which just looks incredibly painful but extremely cool to know.

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oblar

I have also looked into Capoeira, but not so much as a martial art, but as a dance It seems like a lot of fun, but I think I would need to limber up quite a bit to even give it a try. I don't know of any places nearby that teach it though

archpaladin, Chin-Na seems to be very interesting and that a lot of those aspects can be found in Danzan-Ryu. The parts of Danzen-Ryu that really interest me are its Healing Arts.

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WillyPete

hunnychile:
First analyse what you'd like to do.
You've represented yourself as a passive middle-aged woman, with a minor interest in self defense but also interested in the art side of things.

For the art or personal well being, why not try one or two nights a week with yoga or tai-chi? Good for the body, flexibility and for meditation and the mind.

For the self-defense, at the risk of sounding chauvinist, I'd steer clear of grappling or offensive styles as I don't see you wanting to get into a brawl or punching/kicking match.
Jiu-Jitsu based styles, if taught well, will teach you to manipulate the attackers motions and forces into your strengths by diverting their attack or using their momentum against them.
Good JJ teachers will help you learn moves that will permit you to get out of holds and typical mugger assaults where the intent is to quickly subdue and get away with the 'loot' - realistically the primary danger you'd face.Neither of you would want to go into a protracted fight and your main intent is to stay alive and disengage /get away.
Combine the hold breaking moves and limb twists with a few competent strikes as taught with styles like Krav Maga and you should be able to meet these requirements.

Fourtyrulz

Quick note: I'm not taking it, but I know my university teaches it as a personal wellness class. Perhaps a local university offers classes to the public?


This thread is exactly what I'm looking for. I'm done with football, but I'm looking for something intense to stay in shape and relieve stress. Martial arts have always interested me, but I've always been too busy with other sports to ever get involved. The mind/body connection aspect is very important to me in looking for a style to start, almost more so than self defense (although you probably can't have one without the other). What do you ninjas recommend for this former footballer?

Edit: Found a campus Brazilian Jiu-jitzu club, but is that really the best place for a complete newbie?

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Misz

I was thinking of doing judo or hup keido (sorry for the bad spelling)

WillyPete

Fourtyrulz:
You done with football from injury or simply finished school?

Have you considered joining a local rugby league? Even for touch rugby.

A lot of ex-footballers I know really got to like it and it seems to be catching on well in the US.

gal

I agree with shakran: if you can combine grappling and muay thai, then go for it. I don't know if you're into competition, but both these clubs are likely to train with that in mind. In my experience, there is a huge difference between clubs that train for competition and those that don't. I've shared mat space with aikido, hapkido and danzan, and they all seemed very staged; "you do this, I do this" kinda thing. I guess it can still be fun to learn new stuff, but I prefer techniques to be reality based rather than check-this-out-this-looks-cool based. In the worst case, the students go around with a false sense of confidence, maybe ending up getting hurt in a street fight when they should have been running.

Hunnychile, check out jet kune do if you have that where you live. There should be no zen or dark aura, but that's really up to the instructor.

Fourtyrulz: Everyone has been a newbie at some point. Go check it out

Supple Cow

Hmm, not sure why I haven't posted in here yet. I started training in Koryu Uchinadi Kenpo Jutsu in June. I picked it primarily because the instructor I found runs his dojo by donation instead of requiring tuition, but I like the style because it combines the Okinawan karate tradition with practical self defense applications. My instructor was trained in Jiu-Jitsu and Judo as well, so our classes combine principles from the three styles.

The only downside (which is entirely a matter of perspective) is that it's pretty impossible to practice this style if your aim is to avoid fighting. It's more about the combat than the art.

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ManWithAPlan

I do karate, but it's my personal opinion (shared by a group of people actually), that martial arts out in the States are rather poor in the grand scale of things. In other words, anything is as good as the next thing in my opinion, unless you're looking to be extremely devoted to it.

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ann

i am 32 and i started taekwondo when my eldest child wanted to start that was 6 1/2 years ago.
i have wonderfull instructors who teach a range of fitness, self defence, wrestling, and basic and traditional taekowndo. they also hold fight class for students who want to compete in competion.
i can not iminagine my life with out tkd, i train 3 nights a week, i believe it has kept me sane, and saved my life!

Sun Tzu

If you can find a Jeet Kune Do instructor (preferably a student of Dan Inosanto) I humbly believe you will find what your looking for. They are ususally expensive though, but very much worth it.

http://www.jkdworld.com/

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handsolow

Hapkido I've been taking it since my freshman year in college 6 years ago. I enjoyed it alot (i've also dabbled in S. Mantis kung fu, aikido, and kendo).

But I've stayed with hapkido the whole way through, it was the most... well rounded style that I found. There, I was taught both ground fighting, as well as standup tradtional fighting (and sparring). Hapkido tends to be fairly efficient, no big fancy moves, and often similar to aikido in movements and in the ways that you counter/control/redirect an opponent. It also takes a large cue from taekwondo in kicks (the similarities are especially similar in point matches).

The difference between hapkido and aikido is mostly in the mentality of it. (Well that and hapkido is korean, and aikido is a japanese art). Aikido wants to subdue an opponent, by controling him, you take away his will to fight. Often aikido could cause serious harm and/or pain to an opponent if you wanted it to, but it is not the goal in of itself. In hapkido, at least in the way I was taught, the idea is to 'take out' your opponent. If you want to merely put him in submission, so be it. If you want to break his arm, so be it. If you want to (heaven forbid) kill him... so be it.

I've found it to be more vicious, and practical than any other martial art (although muay thai guys seem to be the toughest guys, they can take some -serious- pain). That's not to say that hapkido is all about violence... but it could definetly get the job done should the situation arise.

Commentary on any martial art: I'm probably preaching to the choir, but find a martial art you enjoy. They all have their appeals and charms. But understand that it's not all about "A Muay Thai fighter can beat a Taekwondo fighter, but loses to a Judo guy". It's all about the art you choose to persue, and your personal reasons and goals for doing so. Mine was just to learn to control my body. And as a parting note, I'll leave you with something my master told me on my first day of training:

"I teach Hapkido as a form of art, not just as a way to beat someone up. If you practice, train for, and study hapkido, you will certainly learn how to fight well. But if that is your only goal, the best way to get good at that is to just pick fights in bars." -Thom Abelew

apolian

Kendo, just because my friends were doing it. I quit after a few years though because other commitments were getting in the way.

Slavakion

I'm taking a kempo class at my college. It's a mixture of karate and ji-jitsu. I don't know how effective it is, but the class is definitely gonna get me in shape.

howdydave

Howdy!

I used to take Tae Kwon Do.

These days I practice Tai Chi.

In my experience quite a few people flock to martial arts with the expectation of learning how to beat somebody to a pulp. I haven't found this to be the case in Tai Chi.

Tai Chi is a great martial art to practice in conjunction with yoga.

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ChrisJericho

I did Shotokan Karate for 3 years in high school, had a brown belt. I realized how unrealistic it was and pursued other martial arts when I went to college. Did some judo, then I found Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

My school is heavily influenced by the Machado style of bjj. I've been doing it for a total of about 2 years and I still proudly wear the dirty white belt and a gi that has lots of blood stains on it.

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Nimetic

I did Judo for about 3-4 yrs, and KF for 3-4 years also.

It was Hung Fut style - which seems pretty similar to Hung Gar (Tiger and Crane) at lower levels. My knees couldn't take it though and I stopped. I always wish there were more opportunities to watch real forms (kata), as traditional styles look great. Very aesthetically pleasing when done well.