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So, I just turned 27, and I've decided after a life full of sluggishness and torpor, that I want to actually try and improve myself physically for once. Throughout my life, I've had sort of an on again off again interest in pursuing the martial arts, but never fully took part in any. But I've finally built up the drive and wherewithal to do so. Now the only question is, which martial art would be appropriate for someone like me? I'm 27 years old, male, and I've never been in a fight my entire life, sadly. I am extremely skinny, and frail, and have very little pain tolerance. Of of the (few) positives I have is that my arms are long, and thus i got reach, and I'm pretty flexible. Not really proud to admit any of this, but thems the facts. I'm definitely willing to take some pain though to improve myself, though I hope it will actually help. I'm willing to take either a grappling or striking art. I don't have a preference per se. So given this info, what should I take? Mr Interweb fucked around with this message at 07:28 on Nov 27, 2011 |
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Nov 27, 2011 07:25
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Well, I don't have a preference, I'm willing to do whatever. Dunno with me being so skinny if the muay thai/boxing stuff would fit well with me.
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Nov 27, 2011 12:23
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Okay, I think I got it. Every time I check out a martial art of some kind that I like, I later see another one that I find pretty cool too, which makes it difficult for me to settle on what I want to do. But I think I've decided. It'll be a combination of jiujitsu, mostly cause of this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A6jQulFXN0 coupled that with either Wing Chun Kung Fu or Jeet Kun Do (whichever one is available where I live), mostly cause of this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NWc33qQnqU So I checked out this jiujitsu place today, which is literally 5 minutes walking distance, which is great btw. I sat in and observed for about an hour and a half, and the environment seems pretty cool. Everybody seems friendly, and a few of the instructors seem like super cool folk. A few noteworthy things: - I saw them performing in one of the advanced classes, and I gotta say, jiujitsu's probably the gayest looking martial art apart from turkish oil wrestling. - One of the instructors said that if a person practiced for 3 days a week, it would take them about 12 years to get a black belt. WTF? Don't get me wrong, I neither expect nor would trust one of those places that would give you a black belt in like 6 weeks or whatever, but 12 YEARS? Holy poo poo. This dojo is offering lessons for $150 a month, first month free. Is that a good deal? Feel free to comment on anything else, please.
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Nov 30, 2011 05:27
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NovemberMike posted:The biggest thing in choosing a martial art is who is nearby. Pick a good gym that you are cool with. Yeah, should have clarified, it's not regular JJ, it's BJJ. Gotta say though, you really killed my buzz on the wing chun/jeet kun do thing.  Course, next up was Muay Thai, so I suppose that's coo. 
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Nov 30, 2011 06:00
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NovemberMike posted:I've said this before but if you're just looking for a physical activity I'd look at dance. Jazz or Swing or something that takes a little bit of athletic skill like that. You get pretty much all of the physical benefits, you'll meet women and it's something you can actually use (don't get in fights). The no. 1 priority is definitely self defense. Physical/athletic fitness is no. 2 but will naturally follow no. 1 (goes for meeting the ladies too). quote:Bear in mind that when you hit blue belt, (the first belt you get after white, it took me 2.5 years) you'll probably be able to beat up the average karate or tae kwon do black belt without much trouble. A belt is just a piece of clothing, different arts and schools have vastly different standards for what it actually means. What belt are you currently, if you don't mind me askin? Something random, but holy poo poo at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2JhhzYqaB8 1300 lbs. of force? Holy gently caress. Is that like a record or something?
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Nov 30, 2011 10:48
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the yellow dart posted:$150 a month isn't really that bad, but I'd advise posting who the instructor is here so we can get an idea for the quality of instruction you'd be receiving. It's this guy: http://romulobarral.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=3 Oddly enough, I was introduced to all the instructors at this place except him.
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Dec 1, 2011 02:28
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Does BJJ involve ANY striking attacks?
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Dec 11, 2011 07:54
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Can someone give me a good primer on American Kenpo? Like what it's all about, what it does and how it separates itself from other martial arts? Wiki doesn't seem to have satisfactory info. edit: Also, is it worth checking out? Mr Interweb fucked around with this message at 13:47 on Dec 22, 2011 |
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Dec 22, 2011 13:40
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Airport judo? Buh?
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Dec 23, 2011 00:33
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Xguard86 posted:I trained with a guy who used to do Kenpo. He had some mats above his garage and I'd drive out there 2x a week to get my rear end kicked. He started training it back in the 80's and said it was pretty much kickboxing with some extra dirty striking and self defense aspects. Thats pretty much what he taught me: basic jab/cross/hook stuff, a little kicking and some standing elbow self defense striking. This particular dojo is set up by this dude named Bryan Hawkins. Anybody know the rep on this guy?
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Dec 27, 2011 11:09
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Xguard86 posted:do you have a website we can look at? Also, check the OP for the link to bullshido's review section, if he's there you can generally trust their opinions. http://www.uks-kenpo.com/ I guess there's that.
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Dec 28, 2011 05:59
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For anyone that's in the military, do they teach you any fighting techniques? (Not counting poo poo like the Navy Seals and such, I'm talking about people just starting off in the military).
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Jan 6, 2012 14:56
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What do you guys think of silat? Was watching Human Weapon (sadly cancelled), and it seemed pretty cool as well as effective.
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Jan 8, 2012 15:03
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I'd like everyone's opinion on this. If you had to pick two martial arts, one strike AND one grappling, which ones would you pick?
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Jan 17, 2012 15:25
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See a lot of people choosing Judo for a grappling art, but wouldn't jiujitsu be better, I mean, isn't judo just a more peaceful version of jiudjitsu? (isn't it?)
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Jan 18, 2012 11:06
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Meat Recital posted:Judo is more throw focused, while bjj is focused on what you do when you get to the ground. I'm not sure what 'peaceful' means in this context. Judo has a cool philosophy behind it, doing things efficiently and not wasting force, but you're also being thrown, so you're going to be taking those impacts. "Peaceful" in the sense that judo's something to help you simply disable your opponents, whereas jiujitsu is something that causes you to maim/kill your opponent. quote:You've been asking these questions for a while now. I dont know if we can give you the answers you're looking for. Find out what's available in your area, talk to instructors, and sign up for a practice class, and dont worry about it so much. Honestly? It's cause I've been watching a lot of Human Weapon/Fight Quest, and there just seems to be so many cool martial arts. Each time I see something I like, I find another that seems pretty appealing too. I realize it may be annoying with all these questions, but I find them useful, since some people bring me back down to Earth when I'm in an enamored state with a certain martial art (someone in this thread mentioned jeet kun do is useless and silat probably doesn't exist and that made me sad). In any case, I do appreciate everyone's advice in this thread.
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Jan 18, 2012 13:24
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Considering the last 20 pages or so, I figure a lot of people in this thread are gonna be a tad disappointed in me for deciding to forgo BJJ. It seems nice and all, and the dojo is super close to my house (5 minutes away), and the instructors seemed very friendly, AND fairly cheap, I feel I'd rather save this particular martial arts for another time, and supplement it with something else. So I wanted to ask. A co-worker of mine who works at an MMA dojo offered me some private lessons in either Muay Thai or kick boxing. Which one would you guys suggest?
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Feb 3, 2012 13:25
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Bohemian Nights posted:If they're both in the same club, why not try both! The jerk's gonna charge me for each class, so I don't wanna splurge too much at this point. quote:I wouldn't suggest or not suggest either, but I can tell you what's probably different. Muay Thai has less emphasis on boxing, kickboxers in general being better punchers. From the range you'd throw hooks and uppercuts, MT fighters prefer to clinch instead and throw knees. If it's international rules kickboxing, you probably won't ever train knee or elbow strikes, Muay Thai has both. Thai fighters have a very upright stance, and they inch slowly at their target intending to kick it's/his/her head off, kickboxing tends to be more mobile with a lower stance. Also, stances are common argument starters because if you post "boxing stance is so and so" someone will say it's not. Well, I never planned on entering any tournaments or aspiring to UFC, the main purpose of joining was for self defense purposes basically. So I'm looking for something that would be the most practical in a street fight.
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Feb 3, 2012 14:51
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Welp, so much for those private lessons. I just discovered that the gym/dojo my friend teaches at is a million miles away. No possible way I could work out there during work days, thus meaning I'd only be able to go on weekends. But for any goons who are in the Westwood/West L.A. area of Los Angeles, this same gym/dojo is having a pretty loving sweet deal of $14 for 14 days or $140 for two months, if any of you are interested. http://www.mma-losangeles.com/Home.html Now, getting back to me. For some REALLY weird reason, many martial arts dojos around my area seem to have been closed down, thus pickings are a little slim. I called 10 places today, and only 2 responded, one was for tae kwon do (which I don't want), and the other was for San Soo Kung Fu, which is a style I've never heard of. Anyone got any opinions on it? Here's the dude's website: http://sansooreseda.com/index2.html
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Feb 7, 2012 02:42
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Xguard86 posted:Number 2 looks like strip mall martial arts at its finest. Not saying the guy is a scammer or anything consciously malicious. Its probably a decent workout but you won't be using those techniques on anyone actively resisting. I might be wrong hard to know from just looking at a website. I would say if you check it and dont see or hear anything about full contact sparring, you should walk. Well, today I went somewhere else. I just tried out my first (free) jeet kune do class. Surprisingly more of a workout than I was expecting (or maybe it's cause I haven't exercised since high school). But it was surprisingly fun. I thought we were gonna spend the whole hour just learning how to throw a jab or something, but we were taught a bunch of moves. Everyone seemed cool except one instructor who seemed like he wanted to throw me out into the streets cause I kept flubbing some of the motions. :/ But for the most part everyone else seems really friendly. And one chick had a huge rack so I'll be showing up a lot more. 
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Feb 7, 2012 08:36
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Xguard86 posted:If you like it and people are cool then go for it. Just don't start quoting Bruce lee at people on the internet, no one likes that. Heh, I may be one of the few people on the internet that doesn't think too much of Bruce Lee. Oh, no doubt he's an awesome fighter, but I kinda feel he's overrated. But yeah either way, the only swollen head I'll be getting is from the eventual continuous beatings during training hours!
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Feb 9, 2012 02:04
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Ligur posted:Dirty boxing man. You clinch and throw uppercuts, hooks and elbows. drat, that video's pretty motivational. : D Wish I saw it before I skipped out on JKD practice today. 
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Feb 12, 2012 10:00
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So...I've missed the last 3 sessions for JDK. All of them due to work. I still honestly and legitimately want to continue doing this, but I'm afraid of what the instructor will say if I try and come back.
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Feb 19, 2012 14:40
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Ligur posted:Tell him you are often busy at work. He won't say a thing either way, he'll appreciate the fact that even if you can't make it for a week or two you just don't flat out quit instantly. Sounds good then. Dunno if they'll be open tomorrow since it's a holiday of some sort, but if so I'll go stop by. So last chance for anyone else wanting to talk me out of taking Jeet Kune Do. :P Oh, one other thing I keep forgetting to ask. This dojo only has 3 days a week worth of training for beginners. Is that too few days or what?
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Feb 20, 2012 12:38
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Aaaaaaaargh! So I DID go back to training today (turns out they were open, fortunately) and after class we FINALLY discussed pricing. They want me to sign up for a year with a $450 down payment (it's $130/mo. afterwards).
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Feb 21, 2012 09:22
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Still in my never ending quest to find the perfect(cheap) dojo. The other day I went to this place that's supposed to be a combination of Shaolin and American Kenpo. The owner of the place seemed like the coolest guy ever. We spent like half an hour with him just explaining to me the history of these martial arts with a buttload of random facts. I'd wanna take his classes just cause he seemed so legitimately passionate about his work. He even offers a whole WEEK's worth of introductory lessons! We still haven't covered the price yet, so I'm hoping to be disappointed by the end of the week. D: 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?
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Feb 27, 2012 20:02
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Pellisworth posted:I dunno about SFV but my judo dojo is just off the 101 in Hollywood and is $30/mo. If you want, I'll ask the senseis tonight if they know any good judo dojos in your area. Wow, $30? Hollywood's not that far thanks to the Redline, so it wouldn't be much of a trek. Granted, I was looking for a martial art that teaches striking primarily, but poo poo, for $30/mo you can't go wrong!
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Feb 27, 2012 21:20
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Pellisworth posted:I really like the vibe of the place, and we just got a BOATLOAD of new beginners (myself included). Granted, the attrition rate is pretty high, but if you joined you'd definitely have peers. You should swing by and check it out sometime if you're interested, practices are every Mon and Thurs night 7:30-9:30pm Sweet, thanks for the info.  quote:Edit: Is there a reason you want more of a striking art than grappling? I skimmed your earlier posts in this thread and it sounds like you're mostly interested in self-defense? As far as I know (and I don't know much!), judo is pretty good for that, and you can certainly tell the senseis that's what your goal is and they'll give you advice. Our dojo seems to do about 2/3 standing work and 1/3 groundwork, which sounds like a slightly heavier focus on groundwork than many judo dojos (and a good thing for practical self-defense). Well, short answer is I'm a pretty skinny guy (with long arms), so I felt that a striking MA would be more appropriate for me (easier to punch someone for someone like me than throw them, I'd imagine). Mr Interweb fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Feb 27, 2012 |
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Feb 27, 2012 21:45
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Pellisworth posted:I'm 6'3" and weigh 170lbs, I'm right there with you. There are appropriate judo techniques for all shapes and sizes. Your long arms are a huge asset, and I bet you have long legs too. Remember that judo is a grappling sport... watch some youtubes of matches. A LOT of the standing game is using your arms and grip to wrangle your opponent around and try to get them off balance or set up for a throw. Well that sounds awesome then. I'll try and check out this place later in the week (or sooner if possible). And just to be clear, judo's like if BJJ only focused on standing grappling, right?
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Feb 28, 2012 14:27
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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?
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Mar 2, 2012 16:33
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Pellisworth posted:Edit: what/where is the muay thai place you mention? http://muaythai2004.com/index.html I actually didn't scour the website until just now, lol (I saw it listed in a directory and actually went to check it out). I'll admit, after reading the "What is Muay Thai?" page, these guys seem to have an almost obnoxious pride in Muay Thai. Also, the page says there's a one time $100 membership fee, but the owner neglected to mention that when I went...
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Mar 3, 2012 02:44
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Posted this in GBS, and seems they didn't take kindly to it. :/ http://www.cracked.com/article_16595_6-great-martial-arts-killing-man-with-your-bare-hands.html The ordering don't sit right with me, but again, I don't know dick about martial arts. edit: and yes, I realize that this is intended to be a comedy article, but still.
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Mar 8, 2012 07:30
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kimbo305 posted:A while back you were debating which school to go to. I asked you what your goals were for training. Did you ever sort that out? Oh, did you? Sorry, must have missed it. The past week or so I've gotten pre-occupied with some things, but I've decided to forgo the Chinese/American kenpo place. Will probably go with Muay Thai and Judo, but it might be at a different muay thai place than the one I mentioned earlier a few pages ago.
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Mar 8, 2012 08:19
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Christoff posted:First Muay Thai class tonight. What should I know? Mine too! *high five* niethan posted:When posturing up in someone's guard, be careful not to leave your arms exposed, or else you'll get armbarred. Guh? Armbar? In Muay thai? Unless this is a joke... Antinumeric posted:Getting punched doesn't hurt that bad. You lie! 
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Mar 13, 2012 01:05
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Okay, went to my first muay thai class.I've bee to a lot of different dojos, jeet kune do, bjj, kenpo, karate, etc. and this seemed like the most intimidating. I'm wondering if I should start off on regular western boxing and work my way up to muay thai later. (mainly cause I've head people say that beginner's muay thai is more an advanced martial art than others)
Mr Interweb fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Mar 14, 2012 |
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Mar 13, 2012 23:55
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So...have you guys heard of Kung Fu San Soo? I went to this dojo today, and the owner said it's a martial art that was adopted by the U.S. military up until 1992. Which sorta sounds impressive, but he mentioned that he doesn't do sparring because it would be too dangerous. No sparring when learning a martial art is a bad thing, no? I wouldn't normally bother with such a thing, but the price is pretty cheap (which also may be a red flag), but thought I'd get some opinions first.
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Apr 5, 2012 13:17
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Nierbo posted:Wow you still haven't decided on a martial art yet? Almost every place I've been to has some major downside (price, lovely instructor, the martial art itself not being particularly useful to begin with, etc.). I went to a Wing Chun place the other day, which is one of the top 3 martial arts I'd want to take, and that one had a tremendously douchey instructor. Chemtrail Clem posted:I dont know what that is unless you meant San Shou, but it depends on what you want to get out of it. If you expect to actually be good at fighting then yes you need to spar a lot I thought they were the same thing too, but apparently San Soo is something different.
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Apr 5, 2012 13:55
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swagger like us posted:No, the US Army, nor practically every army in the western world has ever used any Kung Fu in its martial arts because they don't actually work. Also, you said you wanted to do Wing Chun, which it too, doesn't actually work. Theres been some good advice earlier so definitely take that. I can understand ragging on the San Soo stuff, but what's wrong with wing chun?
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Apr 6, 2012 11:29
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Huh, didn't realize that was the case for wing chun. I assumed it was practical cause that's how most street fighters in China go at it. Guess that's what I get for watching Fight Quest.
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Apr 7, 2012 02:27
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kimbo305 posted:Not going to stand up for Fight Quest's accuracy, but did they really say that? Actually, I don't think they said all of China, but for Hong Kong, yeah essentially.
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Apr 7, 2012 03:09
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