The NEW A/T Martial Arts Thread: Aikido to Zoo-jitsu

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > The NEW A/T Martial Arts Thread: Aikido to Zoo-jitsu

gimpsuitjones: Mar 27, 2007; What are you lookin at...

KingColliwog posted:

Are you the guy who posted the pictures of the ultra ghetto gym with roof that was about to colapse? Looked very spartan and awesome

Nah, but we got kicked out of our old gym with 2.5 years to go on the lease because basically that happened.

Now we have a giant building which used to be an indoor paintball thing. It needs some work but it's great to be back in an actual gym where we can train more than once a day. As a plus there's a sweet BJJ/grappling gym in the other half of the building, so we can do muay thai/boxing in our half then go grapple in the other half

# ? Mar 1, 2012 08:30

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# ? Jun 4, 2024 04:27

Ligur: Sep 6, 2000; by Lowtax

Dangersim posted:

So today i did my first boxing sparring session in mma. Do you get used to getting hit?

Like kimbo said, to the point you don't even care when you get tagged but instead worry over did you hit him more during the exchange.

edit1: next POST YUR BEST TIPS on how to condition yourself or someone else to getting repeatedly punched in the face. I'm co-instructing a small Boxe Francaise basic course group with this Mexican instructor/former fighter and it's plenty fun, but a few of them have never been really hit before and they get all confused and extremely annoyed when they get kicked or punched around. No wonder of course with our social conditioning to believe punched in the face a little = DEATH. Nobody is taking it hard like "omg I don't want to do this aaaahh" or anything, they are mostly laughing at their own reactions so they are good material, no?

Mine:

I - Do a lot of semi-contact or 50-30% sparring. If you have to start sparring with people who go apeshit on your rear end you'll just be too scared of getting hurt to learn anything or try your techniques.

Notice: I'm talking about more or less normal people here, with their only deviation from baseline normal being the fact they place themselves in the position to get hit at to begin with, which really isn't normal. Sure, there are full contact fighting oriented loonies who SPAR HARD to FIGHT HARD but that's not most of us, not even most of those who pick up some striking art. That said, you HAVE to have resisting partner who punches back hard enough to notice, otherwise you'll become a strip mall ninja who thinks he can fight a bit but actually can't, at all.

II - Go into guard, tuck your chin and have your partner repeatedly strike you in the forehead. You'll soon notice it doesn't really hurt, that you're pretty safe, and then you'll figure out it isn't going to get any worse during sparring and don't have to be all tense and scared for no reason. <- this is also a good drill when you start blinking for some reason, some do it automatically, I do it at the start of a class or after I've had an eye infection or something. After someone strikes me gently in the face in this manner, the blinkies goes away.

III - Sparring drills, like jab against jab, or taking turns attacking with 2 or 3 free strikes. AIM TO HIT. After you are done, your drill partner tries to hit you with 2 or 3 strikes while you block or dodge. Then it's your turn. Then his or hers. This way you learn to take hits but in a very controlled and un-scary environment. When you step up to more regular sparring or themed sparring, you already know you have to take one to give one and are half-way conditioned to getting punched in the face, because in a drill like 3 strikes vs 3 strikes you ARE going to get hit unless you have 5 years of experience and your sparring partner has none.

IV - Condition your head against punches by having someone wallop you in the head with a two-by-four :byodood:

edit2: since I do gay french sailor kickboxing and it really doesn't feature into it much, how the gently caress do MT or kickboxing fighters take the leg kicks they do and still walk around and fight. Guilty or someone can probably tell how long it takes and how hard the kicks are in sparring.

Ligur fucked around with this message at 12:56 on Mar 1, 2012

# ? Mar 1, 2012 09:56

FreddyJackieTurner: May 15, 2008

kimbo305 posted:

Yeah, you do get used to it. Maybe too used to it, where you just leave your head out there to get tagged.

Yes I remember when I started to become really comfortable sparring, it really makes sparring start to be fun instead of just nerve wracking, but at the end of the night you cant help but wonder how much irreversible brain damage you've done to yourself.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 14:09

KidDynamite: Feb 11, 2005

kimbo305 posted:

Yeah, you do get used to it. Maybe too used to it, where you just leave your head out there to get tagged.

This stops when you start using amateur headgear which is only 10oz has minimal cheek pads and an open chin. Speaking of which I'm thinking of getting the winning headgear with the nose bar you still recommend it, right? I have a friend near the winning store in CA that is going to ship them to me.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 14:23

Julio Cesar Fatass: Jul 24, 2007; "...."

KidDynamite posted:

This stops when you start using amateur headgear which is only 10oz has minimal cheek pads and an open chin. Speaking of which I'm thinking of getting the winning headgear with the nose bar you still recommend it, right? I have a friend near the winning store in CA that is going to ship them to me.

Has Kazumichi said anything about when Winning is going to start selling stuff normally again?

# ? Mar 1, 2012 15:09

Guilty: May 3, 2003; Ask me about how people having a bad reaction to MSG makes them racist, because I've never heard of gluten sensitivity

JohnsonsJohnson posted:

Yes I remember when I started to become really comfortable sparring, it really makes sparring start to be fun instead of just nerve wracking, but at the end of the night you cant help but wonder how much irreversible brain damage you've done to yourself.

You should both be sparring with 16 oz gloves and headgear, it should feel like getting hit with a pillow. Brain damage shouldn't even enter into the equation

# ? Mar 1, 2012 15:24

kimbo305: Jun 9, 2007; actually, yeah, I am a little mad

KidDynamite posted:

Speaking of which I'm thinking of getting the winning headgear with the nose bar you still recommend it, right? I have a friend near the winning store in CA that is going to ship them to me.

Yeah, I still really like it. In one of my post-sparring review posts here, I mentioned the metal underneath the gear got oblong somehow. I assume it wasn't from a punch, but from getting squeezed in the clinch or maybe from being thrown. I was able to shape it back to normal no problem.
The worst thing is that the hem along the top rip where the leather on the outside is stitched to the leather on the inside -- they stitch it so the lip of this hem curls to the inside. So you have to take your time wiping the sweat from under the lip.

I've gotten hit square on the nosebar a few times and you definitely feel the blow disperse down the sides onto your cheeks and face.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 17:44

Ligur: Sep 6, 2000; by Lowtax

I'm still 50/60 about getting a helmet. It won't help with the concussions much I suppose. But then again, certainly with the cuts.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 18:37

Guilty: May 3, 2003; Ask me about how people having a bad reaction to MSG makes them racist, because I've never heard of gluten sensitivity

Sometimes I get really burned out and lazy, and two things that help me keep going are the W&W Ultimate transformation thread and the motivation thread. Both highly recommended. I decided to contribute finally, and thought maybe you guys would appreciate it.

Guilty posted:

I'm still in grad school, but on the side, I fight and train fighters. Muay Thai is a highly competitive sport, but it doesn't really do any good to just be better than the other guy. There are lots of ways to be better than another person. It's useless to just be better than one guy. What happens next? Where do you go afterwards once you've won? This is what I tell my fighters:

Your next fight is against a professional. The absolute best. He's faster than you, stronger than you, cleaner than you, in far better shape than you. When he's not drilling technique, he's doing roadwork. When he's not doing roadwork, he's lifting weights. When he's not lifting or running, he's drilling technique until his body recovers and he's ready to train again. He eats perfectly. He barely sleeps, just enough to rest for the next session. He lives, eats, sleeps, eats, breathes muay thai. He is superman. You stand no chance of winning whatsoever. Everyone already knows the outcome of the match, and no one expects you to win.

Your only goal, the reason for your training, the only thing you want to do is to be able to land that one perfect kick to that smug mother fucker's face and show the world how you broke something invincible.

My fighters have never lost a match (only been training for one year, but still...)

-------

Ligur posted:

I'm still 50/60 about getting a helmet. It won't help with the concussions much I suppose. But then again, certainly with the cuts.

Get it, it does worlds of good for the right mentality.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 18:42

Prathm: Nov 24, 2005

I finally got around to calling the Judo-club just up the road from me about prices and stuff.

They sounded nice, and pleasantly surprised that I was interested in joining.

It's 900 DKK for 6 months (160$), 2 classes a week. Is that reasonable?

# ? Mar 1, 2012 19:34

Pellisworth: Jun 20, 2005

Prathm posted:

I finally got around to calling the Judo-club just up the road from me about prices and stuff.

They sounded nice, and pleasantly surprised that I was interested in joining.

It's 900 DKK for 6 months (160$), 2 classes a week. Is that reasonable?

Sounds very reasonable, I pay $30/mo for 2 classes a week of judo. If it's just up the road from you, that's quite a bargain!

If it's a 6mo purchase, you should definitely visit the club and train with them for a class or two before you put down your money. That's a reasonable rate, but you don't want to pay for 6mo and then discover you don't like the people or the coaches, etc.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 19:38

Prathm: Nov 24, 2005

Pellisworth posted:

Sounds very reasonable, I pay $30/mo for 2 classes a week of judo. If it's just up the road from you, that's quite a bargain!

If it's a 6mo purchase, you should definitely visit the club and train with them for a class or two before you put down your money. That's a reasonable rate, but you don't want to pay for 6mo and then discover you don't like the people or the coaches, etc.

The guy I talked to said the same. "Drop by and see if you like it".

Which I plan to do on monday. I am stoked.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 20:00

Syphilis Fish: Apr 27, 2006

Ligur posted:

Like kimbo said, to the point you don't even care when you get tagged but instead worry over did you hit him more during the exchange.

edit1: next POST YUR BEST TIPS on how to condition yourself or someone else to getting repeatedly punched in the face. I'm co-instructing a small Boxe Francaise basic course group with this Mexican instructor/former fighter and it's plenty fun, but a few of them have never been really hit before and they get all confused and extremely annoyed when they get kicked or punched around. No wonder of course with our social conditioning to believe punched in the face a little = DEATH. Nobody is taking it hard like "omg I don't want to do this aaaahh" or anything, they are mostly laughing at their own reactions so they are good material, no?

Mine:

I - Do a lot of semi-contact or 50-30% sparring. If you have to start sparring with people who go apeshit on your rear end you'll just be too scared of getting hurt to learn anything or try your techniques.

Notice: I'm talking about more or less normal people here, with their only deviation from baseline normal being the fact they place themselves in the position to get hit at to begin with, which really isn't normal. Sure, there are full contact fighting oriented loonies who SPAR HARD to FIGHT HARD but that's not most of us, not even most of those who pick up some striking art. That said, you HAVE to have resisting partner who punches back hard enough to notice, otherwise you'll become a strip mall ninja who thinks he can fight a bit but actually can't, at all.

II - Go into guard, tuck your chin and have your partner repeatedly strike you in the forehead. You'll soon notice it doesn't really hurt, that you're pretty safe, and then you'll figure out it isn't going to get any worse during sparring and don't have to be all tense and scared for no reason. <- this is also a good drill when you start blinking for some reason, some do it automatically, I do it at the start of a class or after I've had an eye infection or something. After someone strikes me gently in the face in this manner, the blinkies goes away.

III - Sparring drills, like jab against jab, or taking turns attacking with 2 or 3 free strikes. AIM TO HIT. After you are done, your drill partner tries to hit you with 2 or 3 strikes while you block or dodge. Then it's your turn. Then his or hers. This way you learn to take hits but in a very controlled and un-scary environment. When you step up to more regular sparring or themed sparring, you already know you have to take one to give one and are half-way conditioned to getting punched in the face, because in a drill like 3 strikes vs 3 strikes you ARE going to get hit unless you have 5 years of experience and your sparring partner has none.

IV - Condition your head against punches by having someone wallop you in the head with a two-by-four

edit2: since I do gay french sailor kickboxing and it really doesn't feature into it much, how the gently caress do MT or kickboxing fighters take the leg kicks they do and still walk around and fight. Guilty or someone can probably tell how long it takes and how hard the kicks are in sparring.

I (try to) teach BJJers and Wrestlers (UGH) to kickbox (Dutch style!!) and it loving sucks sometimes. BJJ guys think you win by tapping the other guy out- yet in kickboxing that would mean youre knocking your opponent out(during sparring FRIEND & TEAMMATE & PARTNER). They have a hard time realizing that their partner is not some loving ragdoll to hit 100% if you are better than they are. So everyone tries to strike 100% power..except when it is me because they know I will eat them up (and I do). I go very light, not even 10% with new people. Just hit them a little on the headgear. Show them how to do the moves we just did etc. Wrestlers are even more annoying because they have only one speed and its loving GO.

I started with doing just boxing/kickboxing to the body -no headshots, because it would get them the distance and the knowledge that getting hit doesn't hurt too bad. It worked, until they realized they can now beat up new guys and they do. I often think I train with a bunch of over competitive assholes, that don't learn poo poo. They kick so they hurt themselves because they do not realize to just relax, learn the technique and then you can add power.

I give a speech all the time, but it never helps. I want to change their attitude to learning instead of 'winning'

# ? Mar 1, 2012 20:01

KidDynamite: Feb 11, 2005

Guilty posted:

You should both be sparring with 16 oz gloves and headgear, it should feel like getting hit with a pillow. Brain damage shouldn't even enter into the equation

I've almost put out people(hands drop open for another shot) with 18oz Winning gloves so the threat of damage is definitely still there. This was just regular sparring too and I felt like those punches in fact were really light so I have no idea how these guys got hurt like that. Also Grant and Reyes gloves will always suck to get hit with because of the way their padding is spread out to leave the knuckles more open.

Syphilis Fish posted:

I (try to) teach BJJers and Wrestlers (UGH) to kickbox (Dutch style!!) and it loving sucks sometimes. BJJ guys think you win by tapping the other guy out- yet in kickboxing that would mean youre knocking your opponent out(during sparring FRIEND & TEAMMATE & PARTNER). They have a hard time realizing that their partner is not some loving ragdoll to hit 100% if you are better than they are. So everyone tries to strike 100% power..except when it is me because they know I will eat them up (and I do). I go very light, not even 10% with new people. Just hit them a little on the headgear. Show them how to do the moves we just did etc. Wrestlers are even more annoying because they have only one speed and its loving GO.

I started with doing just boxing/kickboxing to the body -no headshots, because it would get them the distance and the knowledge that getting hit doesn't hurt too bad. It worked, until they realized they can now beat up new guys and they do. I often think I train with a bunch of over competitive assholes, that don't learn poo poo. They kick so they hurt themselves because they do not realize to just relax, learn the technique and then you can add power.

I give a speech all the time, but it never helps. I want to change their attitude to learning instead of 'winning'

I have no idea how you should handle that situation at all besides pulling them from sparring when they get sadistic. You're absolutely right about wrestlers and them having only one speed.

KidDynamite fucked around with this message at 20:12 on Mar 1, 2012

# ? Mar 1, 2012 20:05

FreddyJackieTurner: May 15, 2008

Guilty posted:

You should both be sparring with 16 oz gloves and headgear, it should feel like getting hit with a pillow. Brain damage shouldn't even enter into the equation

Huh? You can get get rocked pretty good even with 16 oz gloves. And I thought it was generally accepted that headgear doesn't really protect against brain injury, just cuts.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 20:31

NovemberMike: Dec 28, 2008

Yeah, there's actually a theory that increasing your protective gear increases the risk of concussion because people are less inclined to pull punches and you have an increased weight in your striking object.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 20:38

TheStampede: Feb 20, 2008; "I'm like a hunter of peace. One who chases the elusive mayfly of love... or something like that."

Guilty posted:

Your next fight is against a professional. The absolute best. He's faster than you, stronger than you, cleaner than you, in far better shape than you. When he's not drilling technique, he's doing roadwork. When he's not doing roadwork, he's lifting weights. When he's not lifting or running, he's drilling technique until his body recovers and he's ready to train again. He eats perfectly. He barely sleeps, just enough to rest for the next session. He lives, eats, sleeps, eats, breathes muay thai. He is superman. You stand no chance of winning whatsoever. Everyone already knows the outcome of the match, and no one expects you to win.

Your only goal, the reason for your training, the only thing you want to do is to be able to land that one perfect kick to that smug mother fucker's face and show the world how you broke something invincible.

I really like this. My last fight was against someone I felt outclassed by from the get-go, and I let my nerves get the best of me. I ended up losing on points because I was too worried about getting demolished, and played it safe the whole time. I have another one this weekend, and while I feel a lot better after shaking the cobwebs loose after a long 4 month hiatus in that one, I think I'm going to keep this in the back of my head if I start getting worried. Thanks.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 21:06

George Rouncewell: Jul 20, 2007; You think that's illegal? Heh, watch this.

Got my shoulder hosed up today by a Judo guy.

Because if someone 40kg lighter refuses to play the gripfighting game it's completely reasonable to rip an americana all the way through when you get the chance.

Well, fair's fair i guess. Next time you whine at me to go light in boxing i will just knee your nose through your loving head you loving lopsided retard

# ? Mar 1, 2012 21:12

Ligur: Sep 6, 2000; by Lowtax

Oh crap.

What the gently caress is wrong with these morons

And you still won't shatter his nose with a knee because you're not like that.

edit: all this talk of sparring and gloves makes me REALLY want to have a pair or 20 oz or 24 oz sparring gloves :haw:

It would be awesome!

Ligur fucked around with this message at 09:00 on Mar 2, 2012

# ? Mar 1, 2012 21:21

Guilty: May 3, 2003; Ask me about how people having a bad reaction to MSG makes them racist, because I've never heard of gluten sensitivity

JohnsonsJohnson posted:

Huh? You can get get rocked pretty good even with 16 oz gloves. And I thought it was generally accepted that headgear doesn't really protect against brain injury, just cuts.

Yeah, putting on 16 oz and headgear isn't an excuse to be a jackass. People still get knocked out. But if you're SPARRING, it's not even an issue.

# ? Mar 1, 2012 22:00

Nierbo: Dec 5, 2010; sup brah?

So I did randori with the former NZ #1 who coaches us sometimes and no surprise, hes fricking incredible, despite being like 45 and having just come back from over a year off all randori. His timing is magical and I could barely take a step without him doing some amazing de ashi harai on me. I think he hit that move maybe 4 times in a 3 min randori. I'm blown away by that muscle memory. He hadn't even done any uchi komi since September 2010 when he hurt his elbow but his randori was still amazing. I know I'm a bit :swoon:

but when done correctly, Judo is the most beautiful sport and I really enjoyed getting thrown around like the yellow belt that I am.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 03:18

Hydrolith: Oct 30, 2009

I sent Dominance a message on their site asking for their prices, and they sent me back an email with all their class timetables and a suggestion I contact them for a free session and no prices. I just thanked them for all the details and asked what their prices are, again.

I wonder why they're being difficult about this. I don't get a good vibe about it, I think I'll look at other places.

Prathm posted:

The guy I talked to said the same. "Drop by and see if you like it".

Which I plan to do on monday. I am stoked.

See, this is exactly what I'd expect. The last place I looked at did this too. I think it's really suspicious that these Dominance guys don't do this...

Hydrolith fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Mar 2, 2012

# ? Mar 2, 2012 03:37

Yuns: Aug 19, 2000; There is an idea of a Yuns, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory, and though I can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I simply am not there.

Hydrolith posted:

I sent Dominance a message on their site asking for their prices, and they sent me back an email with all their class timetables and a suggestion I contact them for a free session and no prices. I just thanked them for all the details and asked what their prices are, again.

Don't be too put off by this. This is standard practice at many places. They are too worried that people will make a decision on a small price difference without knowing how different places can be and want to get you in to see the place first. It's just a sales technique that a lot of places use whether legit or not legit.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 03:53

02-6611-0142-1: Sep 30, 2004

Here are some others to take a look at:

http://www.bjj.com.au/main/?page_id=31

# ? Mar 2, 2012 04:06

Lazy Dog: May 23, 2003; rock out with your cock out

Mr Interweb posted:

Having said that, I should have simply asked this question earlier on in the thread: Can someone here just recommend me a good place in Los Angeles (specifically the San Fernando Valley area)? One that teaches mostly striking, but if possible with some grappling?

Sorry for answering late, but you might want to try the San Fernando Judo Dojo.

San Fernando Valley Judo Club
Head Instructor: Mike Murakami
Contact: Richie Endow Ph 818-482-4884 teachnjudo [at] aol.com
Mailing Address: Richie Endow 10721 Cantara St, Sun Valley CA 91352
Club Address: 12953 Branford St, Pacoima CA 61331 PH 818 968-6844
Practice: Mon/Wed/Thur/Fri 7-9 pm, Sat 9 - 11am

And if anyone is curious about judo in the LA area, check this page: http://www.nankajudo.com/MemberClubs2011-2012.html

# ? Mar 2, 2012 05:06

Kekekela: Oct 28, 2004

Did my first striking sparring tonight. (16 oz gloves, headgear) Since I didn't have shinguards the coach just had me and my partners boxing but I still managed to get rocked once. Really enjoyed it, was nice getting past the initial trepidation of being hit in the face/head.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 06:43

Syphilis Fish: Apr 27, 2006

Hydrolith posted:

I sent Dominance a message on their site asking for their prices, and they sent me back an email with all their class timetables and a suggestion I contact them for a free session and no prices. I just thanked them for all the details and asked what their prices are, again.

I wonder why they're being difficult about this. I don't get a good vibe about it, I think I'll look at other places.

See, this is exactly what I'd expect. The last place I looked at did this too. I think it's really suspicious that these Dominance guys don't do this...

Money shouldn't really be an issue/should not be your first concern, if you're doing Martial Arts. It is an investment in your own life. Unless they charge 275 for 3 times a week, but if they're a type of good school, they won't, unless its like central NYC or LA or smt where the rent is too drat high.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 06:45

Paul Pot: Mar 4, 2010; by Y Kant Ozma Post

I've never lost my equilibrium/blacked out, but my head sometimes buzzes from getting hit too hard. Are those the light concussions that make boxers retarded?

# ? Mar 2, 2012 10:08

Ligur: Sep 6, 2000; by Lowtax

Someone somewhere said they maybe were.

I've blacked out for 0.5 seconds or stumbled a bit a couple of times but this far always "woke up" still on my feet. Anyway, I suspect this has no positive effects to my health...

Like I've posted X times, I've been boxing more lately and have left the gym with a mild headache more than once after blocking hard shots. The headache goes away in a hour or two but apparently isn't what doctors consider a good thing.

My head never buzzes though! Instead I see vast white plains of light, sparkles or alternatively my vision narrows down to a dark tunnel for a split second.

Post your KO and choke trip reports in this thread :drugnerd:

# ? Mar 2, 2012 11:39

KingColliwog: May 15, 2003; Let's go droogs

Syphilis Fish posted:

Money shouldn't really be an issue/should not be your first concern, if you're doing Martial Arts. It is an investment in your own life. Unless they charge 275 for 3 times a week, but if they're a type of good school, they won't, unless its like central NYC or LA or smt where the rent is too drat high.

How can it not be an issue? Most people have to budget and have to take prices in consideration. I would probably not even try out a place that would not give me their price list after I e-mailed them twice specifically asking for their prices. It's certainly not the first and only concern, but it's definitely on the list of important stuff to know before you choose your gym. No matter how great a gym is, if it's 30$ over my budget per month I'll settle for another gym until I can afford this one.

I can understand not putting the info on the website but refusing to answer this very important and basic question twice from potential customers is completely unacceptable in my opinion.

Anyway I'm not from the US so may be it's just cultural.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 14:04

Thoguh: Nov 8, 2002; College Slice

I am from the US and I have run into whenever I've done BJJ. They just refuse to tell you over the phone or e-mail what their prices are because they are afraid that the prices will scare you off. They want to wait until you've had a practice class and (hopefully) had a lot of fun before they tell you it's going to be like $100 a month or something.

It's annoying and I don't like the business tactic, but I can understand it. If they published their prices the fact is that most people would just look at them and never show up.

My advice if you are faced with this is go ahead and give the club a try, but don't sign up right after your workout (which is what they want you to do). Instead take the free workout as a chance to find out what the club is like, thank them for it and the price discussion, and then try a few other clubs. Once you've had a chance to experience a few different clubs just pick the best club that is within your budget.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 15:48

G-Mawwwwwww: Jan 31, 2003; My LPth are Hot Garbage; Biscuit Hider

Thoguh posted:

I am from the US and I have run into whenever I've done BJJ. They just refuse to tell you over the phone or e-mail what their prices are because they are afraid that the prices will scare you off. They want to wait until you've had a practice class and (hopefully) had a lot of fun before they tell you it's going to be like $100 a month or something.

It's annoying and I don't like the business tactic, but I can understand it. If they published their prices the fact is that most people would just look at them and never show up.

My advice if you are faced with this is go ahead and give the club a try, but don't sign up right after your workout (which is what they want you to do). Instead take the free workout as a chance to find out what the club is like, thank them for it and the price discussion, and then try a few other clubs. Once you've had a chance to experience a few different clubs just pick the best club that is within your budget.

The worst place I saw took your driver's license and made you talk with an instructor about prices to get it back.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 16:23

Mr Interweb: Aug 25, 2004

Okay, need help making a decision. I got two seemingly nice options.

Option 1: This place teaches a combination of Chinese and American kenpo. The guy who owns the place seems like the coolest dude ever. He's offering $175 per month for unlimited group classes (6 days a week) and 1 private half hour lesson each week.

Option 2: Muay Thai + Judo. This muay thai gym I found the other day will let you come by any time during open hours and you can train with one of the instructors for however long you feel like. It's supposed to let everyone advance at whatever pace they're comfortable with. Then there's the judo place that Pellisworth recommended, which although only has training 2 times a week, is still pretty fuggin cheap. Both these combined would run me around the same price as option 1.

What say you, people?

# ? Mar 2, 2012 16:33

kimbo305: Jun 9, 2007; actually, yeah, I am a little mad

If neither place has minimum signup times, or very short ones, try both. I'm not sure we've heard any changes to your goals since you last brought it up (self defense muggers by karateing them, etc.)

# ? Mar 2, 2012 16:48

Polyrhythmic Panda: Apr 8, 2010

Paul Pot posted:

I've never lost my equilibrium/blacked out, but my head sometimes buzzes from getting hit too hard. Are those the light concussions that make boxers retarded?

Doing dozens of 10-15 round pro fights (on top of all the sparring it took to get to that level) makes boxers retarded. I wouldn't worry about it. Then again, I've been getting punched in the head for a long time now, so disregard my advice if you suspect that I may be retarded.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 17:10

proudfoot: Jul 17, 2006; Yak! Look! a Yak!

Xguard86 posted:

Many mma gyms offer sub wrestling classes separate from bjj or striking.
Sub wrestling generally meaning learning takedowns where submissions are legal.

Usually the serious guys are in both grappling classes plus whatever striking they do.

At the BJJ gym I've been too, wrestling is a huge part of what's learned. Taking the guy down and stalling in side control is a totally legitimate strategy at the white belt level.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 17:22

Thoguh: Nov 8, 2002; College Slice

CaptainScraps posted:

The worst place I saw took your driver's license and made you talk with an instructor about prices to get it back.

Now that's a place I would immediately just leave.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 18:16

Kekekela: Oct 28, 2004

Mr Interweb posted:

Okay, need help making a decision. I got two seemingly nice options.

Option 1: This place teaches a combination of Chinese and American kenpo. The guy who owns the place seems like the coolest dude ever. He's offering $175 per month for unlimited group classes (6 days a week) and 1 private half hour lesson each week.

Option 2: Muay Thai + Judo. This muay thai gym I found the other day will let you come by any time during open hours and you can train with one of the instructors for however long you feel like. It's supposed to let everyone advance at whatever pace they're comfortable with. Then there's the judo place that Pellisworth recommended, which although only has training 2 times a week, is still pretty fuggin cheap. Both these combined would run me around the same price as option 1.

What say you, people?

#2 would be my personal preference as long as the instructors aren't horrible...on demand instruction in judo and mt whenever I feel like it? Yes, please

# ? Mar 2, 2012 18:41

Bohemian Nights: Jul 14, 2006; When I wake up,
I look into the mirror
I can see a clearer, vision
I should start living today; Clapping Larry

My game journo friend covers the UFC games for the websites he writes for, and hooked me up with a new pair of complimentary gloves to replace my old lovely, tattered pair. They're quite nice! The extra clinchstrap thing is super handy.

Could do without all the UFC logos, but the quality seems to be top notch! Also, don't hate on my beautiful new york princess mousepad.

Oh, and KingColliwog, thanks for the weightlifting advice. I've gone through a couple of sessions of starting strength already, with a few additions from the other programs to make up for a lack of equipment, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to keep at it! Sometimes you just need someone to hold your hand and tell you what to do.
I assume I'll be swole sometime next week if I keep this up.

# ? Mar 2, 2012 18:50

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# ? Jun 4, 2024 04:27

Pellisworth: Jun 20, 2005

Mr Interweb posted:

Okay, need help making a decision. I got two seemingly nice options.

Option 1: This place teaches a combination of Chinese and American kenpo. The guy who owns the place seems like the coolest dude ever. He's offering $175 per month for unlimited group classes (6 days a week) and 1 private half hour lesson each week.

Option 2: Muay Thai + Judo. This muay thai gym I found the other day will let you come by any time during open hours and you can train with one of the instructors for however long you feel like. It's supposed to let everyone advance at whatever pace they're comfortable with. Then there's the judo place that Pellisworth recommended, which although only has training 2 times a week, is still pretty fuggin cheap. Both these combined would run me around the same price as option 1.

What say you, people?

Have you done a workout at all of these places? Go for a free trial workout and meet the other people at the gyms, even if they're cheap.

I really enjoy working out with the guys at my judo place, they're pretty awesome and it's a great cross section of people from all walks of life. It's pretty international, to boot, we have a couple Russian regulars, a Kazakh guy, and the head instructor was a national judo champ in Sweden. They pretty regularly go out and get ramen together in Little Tokyo after workouts, I haven't been able to join though since my schedule sucks

I mean, just on the judo side of things, there are a large number of other dojos in the LA area and I'm sure there are a boatload of muay thai places, as well. Convenience and price are important, but if the instruction isn't what you need and you don't enjoy the camaraderie, that's no good.

Edit: what/where is the muay thai place you mention?

# ? Mar 2, 2012 18:52

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > The NEW A/T Martial Arts Thread: Aikido to Zoo-jitsu

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