Xazy

I have been thinking of taking up Martial arts for a while. And I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice on what to take. I have tried to read online as much as I can, I am looking for something for mental/fitness/self defense. I am 30, 5'6 160lb, and I know size and body can affect a little of what you should take. There is a lot that appeals to me (of course the video clips of every form is designed to make it look appealing), but the one I have been thinking perhaps about was Aikido.

Anyway would love any thoughts or advice thank you.

shakran

Aikido is good as a part of your bag of tricks, but unless you're VERY high up it's probably not going to be the most effective self defense system. I like muay thai, kali, and kenpo myself- - - but the most important thing is to make sure the school you're considering actually does what they claim. MANY schools claim to teach self defense techniques that work, and then don't.

Willravel

I think the best martial art to start with if you're really looking to jump in feet first is kung fu. After a few years, then you move on to something else. You'll start slow, but end up better than everyone else who decided to start with karate or tae kwan do.

pig

interesting thread; i've been wanting to get into a martial art for a little while as well. i did amercian style karate (kickboxing as far as i can tell) when i was much younger, and would like to get back to something. i practice yoga now, so i'd like a martial art to complement my practice of the non-martial art. i had friends who were very big on both muay thai and kempo; will, you're suggesting kung foo to get a primer?

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Willravel

Like I said, if you really want to jump in head first. If I could do it all over again, I would have started with Kung Fu. It's less sport and more philosophy, whcih is something that's been steadily disappearing for decades (maybe centuries).

pig

i mostly want a teacher who is serious about fundamentals and form. i don't want a bunch of horseshit; i practice iyengar method yoga; its very much a science. i don't care so much about someone telling me why to act or when to act; although i'd hope they would be knowledgeable and able to give guidance. what i want is a "when you do this, this happens. an adversary will likely do y, and then you can respond with z" sort of study. its one of the things i loved about my yoga instructor previously; so i've been spoiled.

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squeeeb

if you can find it, take jeet kun do. a punch is a punch, a kick is a kick. it's the style bruce lee formed, based off wing chun, but the philosophy is "absorb what is useful" and "form without form." it is a great fighting system, if you want to fight. it will get you in shape, if you want that. it is "easy" to learn and encompases the best part of all different styles. it's not pretentious and most of the people i've seen in it are pretty cool. good luck with whatever you choose.

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Willravel

I took Jeet Kun Do. I don't know if that's a good place to start. They often (though not always) expect a decent history of martial arts history, and most of the schools that don't aren't really teaching Jeet Kun Do.

pig

what's the main thing y'all have found that you appreciate from your martial arts training? i suspect i may have some clues from my own practices, but i'm trying (and i assume the op is too) to discriminate between some different styles. i'd like something that makes it a science.

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Willravel

I, personally, like a martial art totally effective in hand to hand and non projectile weapons not only against other martial artists but untrained individuals as well. I also like the idea of there being a philosophy that can allow one to create a synergistic relationship between the martial art and the lifestyle. It makes the process easier in that it integrates into everything you do. Also, I like having an instructor that can easily kill anyone at any time, but who teaches almost absolute non-violence. It's important to instill responsibility in those that you arm. That's something that the pro gun crowd and I agree on.

filtherton

I took the jeet kun do for a while - it was actually just a mix of bjj, muay thai, some kali stick and knife stuff plus a little bit of the gung fu. It was a pretty broad sampling of martial arts, so if that's what you're looking for it might be a good bet. It's pretty informal too. It's what i'd be doing right now if i had an extra $90/month and 5 hours/week.

shakran

I'm sure this was said tongue in cheek, but it's important to note here that no matter how good your training, there will always be someone who can beat you. The concept of easily killing anyone is by definition impossible.

The first rule of a fight, is to run away from it. Literally.

Willravel

Of course.

Ch'i will get off work in a few hours. I'm sure he'll be able to speak at length on the subject.

Supple Cow

When I practiced karate in Long Island, it was Koryu Uchinadi, an ancient style that was basically reintroduced by a dude named Patrick McCarthy. Xazy, if you don't mind driving out to Elmont (just on the border of Queens/LI) or taking the metro out there, my old dojo is well worth the effort. I don't know the new schedule, it used to be three weeknights from 7ish to 9 or 10, depending on what we were doing that night. He started introducing weekend classes during the warmer seasons (and depending on his work - he's in law enforcement). I believe he also started having a judo teacher friend come in and supplement their training sometime after I left.

It was a fantastic experience for me and that style incorporates all of that old time wisdom and kata (the more stylized, going through the motions kind of stuff) as well as very practical maneuvers for self defense. The grappling was probably my favorite, but we sparred as well (not as beginners, but after our first belt upgrade). The instructor's dojo is a converted garage in his home and he ran the classes on donations (still does as far as I know). The great thing was that it was full of adults who really wanted to be there, because of the way he set it up. I'm pretty sure he was running on a net loss for a long time just because he loved to practice the martial arts! He welcomes all levels. I highly recommend starting there since you are in NYC. Feel free to PM me for his info.

squeeeb

good point. i was thinking from the point of, if he hasn't taken anything before, he won't have any bad habits to break and "relearn." i had [briefly] studied other stuff prior to JKD, it didn't occur to me i "already knew" some things. i still think without prior training it is possible to "Catch up", as JKD is pretty straight forward. you don't have to learn kata, you don't have to learn forms. you learn the most efficient way of punching, blocking, kicking, fighting.

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Xazy

Thank you all for the advice, I appreciate it. I have a friend who takes Aikido so I did sit in a class last night. It was kind of interesting but one of the Instructors came over to me after and we talked. While I do not expect instant gratification (well all Americans do) he did say that he didn't feel for a few years that it was that applicable for self-defense. Also the whole style I enjoyed watching the flow and the motion but just did not chime for me. But I know that was one class and one of the several instructors there so it might just be that class so I will not pass judgement.

But on the Kung Fu note, isn't there several different styles. Is there a website, or a type that any would recommend?

Willravel

Kung Fu schools are not nearly as common in the US as Karate and Tae Kwan Do schools, so you sorta have to take what you get. Kung Fu basically means all Chinese martial arts except for Wushu, which is not combative. My personal favorite is Wing Chung.

Oh, I almost forgot, I took a 6 month course on Krav Maga, which is as Israeli martial art. It's highly effective in combat. If you're interested, make sure you're getting it from someone with a direct lineage to an Israeli Security Force so you're not getting the more common watered down version.

Toaster126

Krav Maga (to my understanding) is purely utilitarian and doesn't have any philosophy behind it other than trying to keep Israelis alive, lol. If philosophy is what you meant by mental, then you should find something else. If you meant mental as in building self-discipline and stretching the limits of what you can do, I think Krav Maga would be great, because it definitely will get you in shape and able to defend yourself.

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Ch'i

Xazy, I have three recommendations. Each of the three emphasize one of the benifits you wish to reap from the training. Krav Maga (self defense), Muay Thai (fitness), and some kind of old style shaolin kung fu such as Lung Ch'uan, Wing Chun, or Wushu (mental).

The most important part is finding a good school. There are certain things you want to look for when touring a dojo that can give some insight as to the school's quality.

#1: The Head Instructor/Owner
Watch this person conduct a few classes. Watch intently. See if his motivations are based in wealth or enjoyment. How comfortable is he in front of the class? Does he ever follow a script? Is he commonly refering to a class planner during the lessons? Get to know the man a little because the attitude of the instructor is invariably reflected by the school.

#2: Children
Are there tons of kids at the dojo? If so, you might want to reconsider joining. Their presence creates a cascade effect that degrades a school more often than not. It isn't the childrens' fault; its the parents'. Out of concern & overall paranoia about their child possibly being injured, they demand an abundance safety precations be put in place to ensure that such a thing doesn't happen. The school then becomes a place for soccer-moms to drop their kids off for an hour rather than a school of martial arts. Be mindful of the youth population.

#3: McDojo
The McDojo is a martial arts school formed almost entirely around buisness. Its design is to give a superficial understanding of whatever style they're teaching. Its basically a cookie-cutter dojo. Though these can sometimes be alright for starting out in the martial arts, I suggest you avoid them. They also usually have high prices.

#4 Students
Are the students fit? Are they skillful? How do they treat each other? A dojo really is its own community. When you visit a dojo watch how the members interact. The average fitness level of the students can clue you in on how good, or bad the training is. The same goes with the level of martial arts skill at the school. If most of the people look like they know what they're doing, you can bet the training method is something you can follow. That also hints at the level of aid members of the community give each other, or how mindful the instructor is of someone falling behind.

#5 Maintenance
Another sign of a good school is how well the staff and students maintain it. Is it clean? Is the equipment cared for and organized? See if some people stay after the last class to help clean up.

If you feel satisfied with these when visiting a school, take a few trial classes and see what happens.


Goodluck.

Telluride

That's what I was going to recommend. The problem is that it can sometimes be difficult to find schools that teach Krav Maga, depending on where you live.

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