Martial arts?

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Wayfaring_Stranger

New member
Who here practices martial arts an which ones? Are there any that are espesially useful for SD?

I was thinking of taking up Akido to stay in shape and possibly learn some sefl-defense moves. I was hoping it would also help my overall SD, shooting and hunting skills.
 
If I had it to do all over again, I'd train in jujitsu and boxing. I studied kenpo for a while. Now I do T'ai Chi (getting old, arthritis). T'ai Chi has some hidden moves that correspond to a lot of Chinese systems, but the emphasis is on the soft.
 
I think for serious self defence boxing/kickboxing will be more effective than all those funny asian martial arts. It will bring/keep you in pretty good shape too. Just my opinion though.
 
From what I have read, traditional Aikido is not a practical method of SD. It would require an awareness of an attacker and that the attack attempt to strike you or reach for you. There are more modern versions that can work but it takes a while before it becomes comfortable to use. Jiu jitsu would be a better grappeling but like you said you have bad knees so the wresteling is bad. However there are upright grabs and holds you can do (hammer lock for example). Tai kwon Do seems tp be out of the question too. Eskrima might be a good one but in an SD situation you would need to be able to get out your knife in time. You can pursue Aikido or somthing that you think suits your needs. It is up to you.
 
From what I have read, traditional Aikido is not a practical method of SD
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Yeah, I've been reading a little about it and I can't figure out if its combative or more like Tai Chi. They seem to preach a lot of peace and harmony stuff for a martial art. I'm a little confused about it and was hoping someone here knows more...
 
Wayfaring_Stranger,

It sounds more like you are really interested in combat/ confrontational training, rather than a traditional martial art. There are many good schools that can teach you decent hand to hand combat and self defense tactics and help you train on a regular basis - yes, just like firearms training you can expect to get good only after a significant period of time.

I clearly explain to my new students that what I teach is the art and if they are looking for quickly learned techniques to take out ten bad guys just like in the movies they will be disappointed with my classes. Some stay and some leave and that is fine with me.

Open the yellow pages in your home town, talk to friends that have any real life situational / or simulated combat training to find a school that focuses on that kind of martial training.
 
Hwarang Do, Kuk Sul Won, Hapkido

I'm a yellow belt in Hwarang Do. Research the styles I put in the title, they're all similar. Don't discount T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Ba'Gua or any of the "so-called" soft styles. They're more effective than most Americans know, especially at WAR range (within arm's reach).

In the end, my advice is to start learning any of them. The most important thing you will learn, IMHO, from any martial art is how to keep a calm and sharp mind in a stressful situation. After all, the mind is the only real weapon. Everything else is simply a tool.

Do it.
 
Style

I started off in Ju Jitsu for a few years then switched to Tae Kwon Do. After about 7 years in Tae Kwon Do our Instructor brought in a Gracie Ju Jitsu Purple Belt. Found out due to my size (5'10", 230 lbs) that I am much better suited for Ju Jitsu.

Normally the local schools will let you take a couple free classes... try several and see what you like best. If you pick something you enjoy and it fits your build/personality you are much more likley to stick with.
 
Solid advice, Dyoun06. I'd also recommend this site:
http://www.martialartsplanet.com/

edit: in Hwarang Do, we also had the option to come for extra classes in R.C.J Muchado Jiu-Jutsu....Gracie's cousins. Excellent training, I got to roll with "The Smashing Machine" Mark Kerr. I felt like a weak, little child. In Brasil they call him "The Specimen".
 
It is possible that in a SD situation, you may get injured (knife to the arm, hand etc.) Martial arts are a great tool for this situation. Furthermore, they train the mind. Just don't worry too much about the tournament fighting. It took a real toll on my bod (bad knee and hip, broken rib). Twenty years ago, I could have outrun anyone I know. Now I can beat anyone I know in a 20ft. race, then my knee would buckle. But I can draw my .45 in a heartbeat, two heartbeats with my left hand should my right hand be cut. I owe that to a great MA instructor who taught me that good is not enough
 
I have taken a couple of arts and have had various jobs that make use of them (bouncer, law enforcement, corrections). I started to take Aikido several years ago and stopped. To become proficient, it takes years of training and constant practice to make the muscle memory connection to automatically do the moves. Most other arts take much less time and training to become proficient. The art that came in most handy when I was a bouncer was Muay Thai (never took formally, but trained with a Thai stylist in the Army that taught me alot). If you can find a place that teaches MMA (mixed martial arts like in the UFC), that would be the most rounded and probably most effective for self defense.
 
I practice the art of Ka'Chuk. It is an art of instilling fear into your adversaries. It is a single move of your hands that stops a fight before it begins.

all you need is a shotgun with a pump slide:cool: Ka'Chuk! (old not-so-much-a joke)
 
There's also the significant fact that there's training places geared towards actual fighting and defensive moves, and quite a few more that are geared towards having soccermom families and middle-aged administrative assistants do a few arms-flailing exercises before going for ice cream or scrapbooking class.

Choose wisely. :)
 
I love martial arts. I taught kempo full time for a little over a year, but now i just do it for fun. There are a lot of arts out there so try a couple and see what you enjoy. A big part of what you choose will probably be based on the instructors you meet. Remember, if you're going to be committing serious time into your training, you'll want to do it with someone you respect and who's teaching style works for you. One thing i would recommend is not to be afraid of a little contact. I'm not saying find a place where you get beat up every week, but some people are extremely afraid of getting hit at all and its good to take one once and a while so you know what it feels like and how your body responds.

Personally i'm a big fan of American Kempo. Not only does it allow dirty fighting, it encourages it! Plus its an evolving art, so it was kind of an MMA (mixed martial art) before anyone had made up that term. Hey, even Chuck Liddell has a Kempo tattoo :cool:(too bad it didn't save him a few weeks ago).

Overall the martial arts have taught me a lot more than just self defense. They've taught me a lot about myself, about what i thought my limits are and what i'm actually capable of.

If you want to get tuff fast, find a Muay Thai school, but be prepared to work your butt off, lots of respect to those guys.

If you want something that's just straight up self defense look for something like Krav Maga or anything similar. Arts that are entirely combat oriented.

Aikido generally(not all instructors are the same) places a lot of emphasis on the spiritual side of things, so if you're into that it can be interesting. If you're not so into it, it may be something you want to avoid.




Then again there's always ninjitsu :cool:
 
Its funny when people who have little to no experience in martial arts will advise another to rule out a particular style based on what they "read".

:rolleyes:
 
So true Starbuck

There's a style out there for everyone and the trick is to find out which one is best for you. Regardless of which one someone chooses it will be better than not learning any, that's for sure.
I studied several forms for many years in my youth and a lot of it has stuck with me to this day because it is very applicable to the "streets". I have studied Aikido, JiuJitsu, Judo, and limited Kungfu. The best I ever found was a very small school taught by an old Marine turned LEO that taught hand to hand combat and utilized a little bit of many styles specifically geared to street defense.
 
After earning my black belt in Hapkido, I've learned that just one style/art probably isn't enough.

Hapkido has taught me basic strikes and (low) kicks, and I can defend myself against anyone that grabs me, but there is little/no emphasis on ground fighting.

Judo will teach you how to bring an opponent/attacker to the ground, but not much after that. (And there are no strikes.)

Jiu Jitsu will/should teach you what to do once you get to the ground.

I'm thinking of joining a school that teaches Judo and Jiu Jitsu next (especially because grappeling is a weak area for me.)
 
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