another martial arts thread!

[reorith]

tomorrow afternoon, i'm testing for the next level of Krav Maga so i figured this would be an appropriate topic. sooo.... ladies and gentlemen of playground, do any of you participate in any sort of martial arts training? for what reason? fitness? self defense? sport?

• bonus points if it is really obscure.
• double bonus points if it is from some where outside of asia.
• triple bonus points if you're learning to master some archaic weapon.

[Fredthefighter]

I've been training in Shotokan style Karate for 5 years. I'm currently a 1st Dan.
In the beginning I trained to build my confidence, which it has done, then it became self defence and now it's that and excercise.

[Dallas-Dakota]

Any recommended martial art for somebody say with a build of around 5'2 and 60 kilos?

[Spiryt]

Any recommended martial art for somebody say with a build of around 5'2 and 60 kilos?

Not that I really know much about it, but from such scant info I would say : the one you will like the best

But generally you might like some grappling one - striking favors height and weight more.

[Fredthefighter]

Any recommended martial art for somebody say with a build of around 5'2 and 60 kilos?

Dallas, that was creepy. You just described my height exactly and pretty much my weight. Are you sure you aren't a clone of me?

[Dallas-Dakota]

Nope, for I have crazy curly hair and look older. Also I look like a junkie.
You rather look like a innocent 12 year old with a neat short trimmed haircut.

[reorith]

Any recommended martial art for somebody say with a build of around 5'2 and 60 kilos?

i'm 157cm and weigh 102lbs and i'd recommend judo and krav maga because they are what i've done and i approve.

itt: dallas dakota clone troopers.

[GoC]

i'm 157cm and weigh 102lbs

Aww.
You're tiny! ^_^

[Fredthefighter]

Nope, for I have crazy curly hair and look older. Also I look like a junkie.
You rather look like a innocent 12 year old with a neat short trimmed haircut.

Yep. That's me in a nutshell. I do have a mustache in training though.

[Copacetic]

Yep. That's me in a nutshell. I do have a mustache in training though.

Now for the rest of the day I will be thinking about mustache boot camp.

[Fredthefighter]

Now for the rest of the day I will be thinking about mustache boot camp.

The butterfly is onto us. The butterfly must be eliminated.

[Berserk Monk]

I'm currently a 1st Dan.

Dude, awesome. I know a guy named Dan, but he's nowhere close to being first place Dan. Any pointers for improving his Dan-ness.

Moving on from dumbass statements, I have two strategies for self-defense: run. Run faster than them and hope they don't have a gun. How can they harm you if they can't touch you?

Method two: chainmail. Yes I'm serious. I wear it, not a full suit, but mini bracers I wear to protect my wrists and half my forearm. Very protective. Knife proof, also quite good against bludgeoning weapons. Not that heavy either (1-2 lbs I estimate). Also, you smack someone against the head with your wrist wearing one of these, they'll feel it.

[Fredthefighter]

Dude, awesome. I know a guy named Dan, but he's nowhere close to being first place Dan. Any pointers for improving his Dan-ness.

Moving on from dumbass statements, I have two strategies for self-defense: run. Run faster than them and hope they don't have a gun. How can they harm you if they can't touch you?

Method two: chainmail. Yes I'm serious. I wear it, not a full suit, but mini bracers I wear to protect my wrists and half my forearm. Very protective. Knife proof, also quite good against bludgeoning weapons. Not that heavy either (1-2 lbs I estimate). Also, you smack someone against the head with your wrist wearing one of these, they'll feel it.

The funny thing is, I'm a 1st Dan called Daniel.
Yep, Dan is a 1st Dan.
He should concentrate on basics first, e.g. stances, technique. Then he should just focus on learning katas whenever he can.

[Dragonrider]

I do Shudokan (NOT the same as Shotokan) karate and am currently a sho dan. I'll be testing for ni dan sometime this summer....

[Lupy]

I'm an Intrepid in Ubun-too. It focuses on finger strength and adaptability.



In all seriousness, I've never done a marshal art, but my friend is a black belt in taekwondo.

[Anuan]

Any recommended martial art for somebody say with a build of around 5'2 and 60 kilos?

Judo, Aikido, Wing Chun.
If you can throw in some Capoeira for agility and general fitness training, go for it. Can be hard to find a place that will teach you Capoeira for actual self-defense, but good lord it's harder to find something that's better for you fitness-wise.

[SurlySeraph]

I did about a year of taekwondo, and 6 years of American homestyle wrestling in school.
I'm planning to start at a school in my city soon, though. It's got classes in Jeet Kune Do, Kali (Phillipine stick/knife fighting, which I'm very interested in studying), Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I think I'll get a lot out of it.

[Icewalker]

Krav Maga, nice, that's one of my favorite martial arts. Nice to be really capable of defending yourself.

I can't say for myself that I am. I took a few years of Tae Kwon Do, which suuucked, because my teacher was mediocre and best. I fence now instead.

[Anuan]

TKD has sort of devolved into being more sports and fitness orientated, it's hard to find people who'll teach you to apply it in self-defense properly. Krav Maga is good. I'd like to learn fencing...
Le Canne would be cool, too. French stick-fighting.

[Jalor]

Any recommended martial art for somebody say with a build of around 5'2 and 60 kilos?

Jujitsu. If you can find a place that does it, go for traditional Japanese rather than Brazilian. There are techniques specifically for disarming big muscular people, and at higher experience levels you have the option of learning to use a katana.

[Liffguard]

Boxing and Brazilian Jiujitsu. Mainly for fitness, competition and fun.

They help with self-defense, but for me self-defense is more about situational awareness and de-escalation. It's very very rare to just get attacked out of nowhere where I live so self-defense comes down to not getting into confrontational situations in the first place.

If you can find a place that does it, go for traditional Japanese rather than Brazilian. There are techniques specifically for disarming big muscular people

Obviously I'm biased, and I don't want to sound too argumentative, but I'd seriously dispute this. My advice for choosing a school is that individual techniques are far less important than overall training methodology. If the school regularly engages in full-resistance sparring then that's a point in its favour and it's probably a good school. If it doesn't then it's not. Just because a style includes certain techniques doesn't necessarily mean those techniques are being effectively trained.

[endoperez]

I did a korean kick-sport for a while, but couldn't practice for a while and then lost interest. I got my interest towards martial arts back after watching Avatar, the cartoon. It took me about a year to go from "funny, tai chi as a martial art" to "funny, tai chi was once a martial art" to "are they serious about tai chi being a martial art" to attending a week-long practical tai chi course, but boy was it worth it!

During that one-week tai chi course, I learned more about fighting than in the two years of sports-kicking I used to do. As an example, I used to think I could kick ass if I ever got into a fight. I have never fought. Now I realize that if you haven't fought, you can't fight, whatever you've done before. I believe a krav maga course would have had a similar effect, so congrats to the OP.

The kick-sports thing was still really great for my health and my confidence. I just think it's good to keep it in mind that twice a week in a dojo is no match for some thug who spends 30 days a month on the street.


On another note, I've been meaning to write these martial art one-liners, and this is as good a place as any. I'd appreciate it if you could add similar lines about whatever it is you either practice, or know about.

Aikido - the art of hitting the ground with your opponent
Bagua - the art of walking circles through your opponent
Boxing - a binary system based on left and right
Capoiera - the art of dancing to the beating
judo/wrestling - the art of starting a fight on the ground
Kalari - the Indian martial yoga
MMA - the art of taking all fights to the ground
Tai chi - the art!

[Liffguard]

MMA - the art of taking all fights to the ground

Uh, what? You do you realise that groundfighting represents only one of three applicable MMA ranges of fighting?

[Dallas-Dakota]

Kendo - The art of the sword.

Not that I practice it.

Soo I'l be checking out if there's any place for jiujitsu or Krav maga or both if I have the time. But I think it'l be more usefull to just start with one.

[Renegade Paladin]

I study Western martial arts, armed and unarmed, with emphasis on rapier and to a lesser extent late-period German longsword. Unarmed is much less fun, but since German longsword fencing is derived from German unarmed combat styles (it's essentially wrestling with swords, though of course things tend to end well before the grappling-on-the-floor stage) I am passable in Renaissance-era German wrestling as well.

[endoperez]

Uh, what? You do you realise that groundfighting represents only one of three applicable MMA ranges of fighting?

The mixed martial arts enthusiasts I've noticed keep repeating "but your style doesn't work when a jujitsu guy takes you to ground". It didn't come across well, or perhaps it's only typical to that one forum.

So, what are the other two ranges? Fist/feet and knee/elbow, or punching and grappling?

[Liffguard]

So, what are the other two ranges? Fist/feet and knee/elbow, or punching and grappling?

1) Free-striking. i.e. neither opponent has control of the other and are free to move around, attack and defend as they wish. Boxing, kickboxing etc.
2) Clinch. i.e. opponents are on their feet but at least one is grabbing the other. Either used as a set-up for takedowns to put your opponent on the ground or as a set-up for strikes, especially knees and elbows. Greco-roman wrestling, muay thai etc.

[Anuan]

Indeed.
Also, the whole 'your style doesn't work when you get taken down' is one of the most arrogant claims ever. You need to be good enough to get the person down, first.

Personally, I did TKD as a kid, got to yellow-belt in Go Kan Ryu Karate (does not exactly have an emphasis on actual self-defense >.>) before having to drop due to school and money problems. Am sort of self-trained not in any particular style but incorporating, as best as I can, any techniques or ideals from various styles that I can get detailed instructions for through books or training videos. Nowhere near as good as actual instruction, but it's definitely improved me a lot. I can handle myself.

After the road-trip next year, I'm going to be going to the Acadamy of Wing Chun and getting Certificates II, III, IV and maybe even a Degree in Sports Coaching, which will basically get me a hell of a lot of training and the legal capability to open my own martial arts school. I intend to do that and invite teachers from other styles (most likely aikido, muay thai, jiu jitsu and capoeira) to come teach at the same place. During that I intend to learn Aikido and Capoeira at least

[Canadian]

Zen archery.

[Jack Squat]

I took six years of Tae Kwon Do (not the sport version, it was kinda blended with a self defense mindset), but I learned to fight in Catholic school.

I'm really rusty, but I do manage to beat my friend who's a black belt in Ishin Ryu. I think that says something about one of us (not sure which)