Deaf Smith
New member
are you serious
I see so many of you recommending Judo over some form of Karate. Have any of you actually taken Judo? Karate? How long?
I've been in Karate (TKD, Tang-so-do, and others) over 20 years. Have a 4th black in TKD, red in TSD, and green in Judo. I tend to show up at other schools to see how they train and their techniques (no, I am not there to challenge or be tough, I keep an open mind).
I understand the original poster wanted to take just one semester. Pitiful. You will learn so little, and unless you practice what you learn often, you will forget. It would be like taking a basic NRA pistol class then never touching a gun again.
If self defense is what you are looking for, pure self defense, search around for a real good kick-boxing class taught by at least a state champion. The trouble with Judo is you have to get within kissing range to throw your opponent (though when you do throw, hard, it can take the fight out of anyone). Most people are not going to let you to go around hugging them. They will either keep just a bit of distance and punch and kick the dickens out of you, or when huggy time comes, elbow your teeth out.
Check the class you would want to take for such as this:
a) no kids in class, b) by the end of class everyone dog tired, c) lots of hands on self-defense and sparing, d) the instructor has rigid control over class (yes rigid, no joking, no talking, no goofing off. When he pops the whip, you do.), e) read the flyers the class puts out. If any 'you don't need a gun, this art will do all' type stupidity is printed, skip the class.
Put forth 110 percent at each class. Then practice outside of class what you have learned. Stick with it for at least a year. Who knows, you might just like it enough to become you idea of exercise (which is what happened to me). I consider Karate both my exercise and my basic form of self defense, just like I consider IDPA my form of relaxation as well as my training for self defense.
Deaf Smith
I see so many of you recommending Judo over some form of Karate. Have any of you actually taken Judo? Karate? How long?
I've been in Karate (TKD, Tang-so-do, and others) over 20 years. Have a 4th black in TKD, red in TSD, and green in Judo. I tend to show up at other schools to see how they train and their techniques (no, I am not there to challenge or be tough, I keep an open mind).
I understand the original poster wanted to take just one semester. Pitiful. You will learn so little, and unless you practice what you learn often, you will forget. It would be like taking a basic NRA pistol class then never touching a gun again.
If self defense is what you are looking for, pure self defense, search around for a real good kick-boxing class taught by at least a state champion. The trouble with Judo is you have to get within kissing range to throw your opponent (though when you do throw, hard, it can take the fight out of anyone). Most people are not going to let you to go around hugging them. They will either keep just a bit of distance and punch and kick the dickens out of you, or when huggy time comes, elbow your teeth out.
Check the class you would want to take for such as this:
a) no kids in class, b) by the end of class everyone dog tired, c) lots of hands on self-defense and sparing, d) the instructor has rigid control over class (yes rigid, no joking, no talking, no goofing off. When he pops the whip, you do.), e) read the flyers the class puts out. If any 'you don't need a gun, this art will do all' type stupidity is printed, skip the class.
Put forth 110 percent at each class. Then practice outside of class what you have learned. Stick with it for at least a year. Who knows, you might just like it enough to become you idea of exercise (which is what happened to me). I consider Karate both my exercise and my basic form of self defense, just like I consider IDPA my form of relaxation as well as my training for self defense.
Deaf Smith