Martial Arts?

[Qwerks]

I've desperately wanted to learn some martial arts for....ever, but I've never had the coin for the instruction. It looks like maybe a year or two until I can take the actual courses, so I wanted to know about other people's experiences with MA so that I can be fully informed/ready by then.

What type do you think is the best and why?

What sort of excersise regimen would be the best way to prepare a body for this type of instruction?

Thanx for any feedback.

[Elena99]

It really depends on what you want. Are you into high energy, kicking and punching? Are you into weapons, like swords? Are you more into throws and tumbles, and trying to put your opponents into hold-downs?

I wanted to join an MA, but I was scared of karate (had a black belt friend. She was awesome, but watching her classes intimidated me). I joined judo, which means the gentle way or yielding way, and it's more about controlling your opponent's energy, trying to throw her and get her in a hold-down, etc.

It helps to be in shape when you start, but if you're not, you'll soon get into shape. I actually have a good book on trying to choose the best MA: "Idiot's Guide to Martial Arts". I bet you can get it from the library.

As for exercise regime, I personally find that running, push-ups and crunches, a little weights, and yoga is a good complement to judo. I get flexibility, I get strength, I get endurance training. I have a friend who is in Kun Fu (or is it Kung Fu? Sorry!), and he hates running. He does resistance training, weights, and lots of practising of katas.

[kat]

I started tae kwon do about 6 months ago. It basicallly means hand and fist. I hadn't exercised properly for a few years and I suddenly had to run around a room. It's a very mixed age and ability class and to start with the instructor went a bit easy on me. Every class we do a big warm up were we run around do press ups, sit ups and such like. We also practice kicks and punching a lot. We also always have a good stretch every class, we sit on the floor with our legs apart and stretch to the front, left and right. We learn paterns that get harder as you progress. We also spa, though it's non contact mostly. We also do a few exercises that help with sparing skills. I choose this class as it's very close and I don't drive, I enjoy it and I'm a lot fitter. I recently ran up a hill to a grading, I wouldn't have attempted this 6 months ago.

I did judistso (sp) as a teenager. I really enjoyed the class it involved things like wrestling on the floor, getting your parter into different locks. Patterns, a few rolls, a lot more on throwing your partner and some sparing. We did learn a bit about the ki of the body and using it in techniques.

I recently did one class in tai chi. It was a lot slower but fairly interesting. We started learning a very long pattern, but we had to do each bit over and over so never progressed that far. We also spent a lot of time learning a fight style were you sort of twisted your hand around with your partners and swung your hips and every so often your swopped your hand around. That was a fairly odd but interesting style.

I would look around at the different martial arts and see what takes your interest. Something like running with a few push ups/press ups would help your fitness levels and should help you get into mos martial arts,

Kat

[Qwerks]

Hmm, thank you both for the advice. I'll definately look at the idiot's guide. Right now I'm thinking karate is probably pretty well rounded in terms of discipline, defense, co-ordination, and stress relief, and likely to be up my alley....of course I'm not 100% sure....

Mmm, one more thing if anyone knows about these matters. I'm very short legged and slow on foot as a result. Is that a major obstacle?

Guess I'll get off my arse and start running in the meantime.

[nkuvu]

The only martial art I've trained in is aikido. The general idea behind aikido is to avoid inflicting damage or pain on your attacker. You're not trying to hurt them, you're trying to render their attacks ineffective.

It's a lot of flexibility and smooth movements, a lot of blending with your attacker's energy. I could go into a lot more detail (aikido was the subject of a twenty page research paper in college) but words are more cumbersome than actually watching it.

Many of the dojos that I've talked to were willing to accommodate a barter. Work for training. The sensei of the dojo I attended in Washington was willing to forego any fees at all if you worked for the dojo for a full (eight hour) day once a month.

I'd strongly recommend that you look into the various places of martial arts in your area, and go observe. I've never heard of a place that won't let you watch a class or two. Get a feel for how it's taught, and the style of the martial art itself. Also keep in mind, though, that sometimes it's hard to see what's going on.

I bring this up because in aikido a lot of it is about energy. You can view this as something like ki (spirit) or just kinetic force, it doesn't matter. But actually performing a technique is a lot clearer (most of the time) than watching it.

I've had friends train in Gung Fu (they drilled the spelling into me, I don't know if it's different than Kung Fu or just "more appropriate" spelling or what). The sifu (teacher) was an unpleasant sort of person. Always critical, often yelling, sneering at the "weak." Some friends didn't mind it at all, felt like it gave them motivation. Others were very unhappy with the style and left after just a short time. So in your observations I'd pay strong attention to the teacher style and see if it's something you're comfortable with.

Aikido is a "gentle" martial art, and shouldn't take a whole lot of preparatory exercising. The basic idea is that if you're doing aikido correctly, you can do it all day long if you need to. Of course different dojos have different ideas of what aikido is -- one dojo in Tucson that I observed stressed that your abdominal muscles should be super incredibly strong. Warm up exercises included a huge huge number of crunches.

But since you're not sure of which martial art you're going to be doing, just the general shape up that Elena99 suggested would be a very good start. I think I'd pay more attention to flexibility than weight training, and a good cardiovascular routine should be applicable to all martial arts.

[rvijay]

This site has lots of info./assistance in this regard:
http://martialarts.about.com/

[spud]

I go to Tai Chi (wu style) classes for health reasons, and the martial art aspect of it is seldom ever mentioned. In a year I'm only half way through the form, because we concentrate on the internal not the external (movements). I love it, and although I don't do it every day like I should, it's improved my energy levels immensely. I also find it very peaceful.

[Elena99]

Hmm, thank you both for the advice. I'll definately look at the idiot's guide. Right now I'm thinking karate is probably pretty well rounded in terms of discipline, defense, co-ordination, and stress relief, and likely to be up my alley....of course I'm not 100% sure....

Mmm, one more thing if anyone knows about these matters. I'm very short legged and slow on foot as a result. Is that a major obstacle?

Guess I'll get off my arse and start running in the meantime.

Some of the fastest female runners are roughly 5'0", and don't have too much trouble. You just need to train, and speed comes.

[ForestGlade34]

I likeeees MA, but am as amateur as anyone, not that I care much about that, moreso important is simply that I have genuine interest in it... Am checking out links at about.com as we speak actually. :):yes: I wud be (/am in it) in it for the exercise as much as the aesthetic artfulness given to the beauty of it (much less the potential ugliness of MA and fighting in general).

Personal discipline and stuff to that end is what makes it appealing to me. I guess I have no specific aim just yet, but all in all, I quite simply aspire to general improvement of self in a concerted effort to emulate
what inspires me AND in the most positive ways conceivable, the results of which can be practically seen both in mind & body :)

[punkmommy]

My son's going to be taking Shaolin Kung Fu in the spring (when he turns 5) . This is my favorite form of martial arts. I like the animal symbolism. The school he is going to attend teaches more than just martial arts, it focuses on the whole spirituality and study of Shaolin. This is the school http://www.shaolinsan.com/ it's in Delaware, but it has some good info on it's website. If we can afford it, my husband and I want learn as well :)

[Qwerks]

Gee wilikers! Thanx everybody:

Nkuvu I like the sit in idea, and rvijay the site was good. I'll tell my mum about Tai Chi, spud, it sounds nice and I think she'd like it.

VegAnaconda that's exactly why I'm interested too, for the most part, although it'd be nice to know that I could kick the crap out of someone if I really had to. :notvegan:

Thanx for the running encouragement Elena99 and I wish my folks had had the sense that punkmommy seems to have. Mine sent me to ballet. :stinkeye:

[ceryna]

I take Judo, although I'm on a temporary hiatus due to an injury. It's perfect for me, because it allows you to use your opponent's weight/strength against them. I can throw a 6'4, 200lb guy. (I'm 5'4 and a little pudgy.)

[nkuvu]

I take Judo, although I'm on a temporary hiatus due to an injury. It's perfect for me, because it allows you to use your opponent's weight/strength against them. I can throw a 6'4, 200lb guy. (I'm 5'4 and a little pudgy.)
I think that most of the martial arts allow you to defend yourself no matter the size of the attacker.

But I also have to say that one of the members of my former dojo was huge -- I'd be totally guessing on his height, but he was definitely taller than I am (I'm 5'7"). He was also big -- not fat, he was a bulky muscular guy. It always amazed me that I could throw him.

On top of that he had a fantastic attitude, and was very fun to train with. I miss my old dojo.

I forgot to mention that I took a few Tai Chi classes before I did aikido. And it seemed to help a lot. The slow movements, concentrating on form, helped me think about what I was doing -- so when I started aikido I felt like I had a head start on things.

[blueserendipity]

wing chun (kung fu) i personally think its the best

[DoshKel]

I took Nan Chen (pronounced Nan Quan) for about 7 years. It is Southern Boxing translated into English. It is part of the Shaolin Kung Fu forms. It is very rough to practice (lots of stones, trees, sticks, swords, and other people involved), but is VERY effective when defending yourself. It is meant to teach the student how to kill his/her opponent in one hit. The forms involved with it are very long and tough. Some of the complex forms can last up to 20 minutes. It is based on the Tiger energy. If you want something softer try Long Fist, or Chang Quan. It is very acrobatic and fluent. Absolutley gorgeous to watch in action. It is beased off of the Crane energy and is known as the "female" (although most males practice it) form. High kicks, deceptive aerial punches and fast strikes are included. I also practiced Sei do Kai Iaido, or "The Art of Drawing and Striking with the Japanese sword in one motion". It is one of the first Samurai arts to originate out of Katana (Japanese sword) practice. It is very fast and deadly. Many students are attracted to this because of the emphasis on using the Katana. Hope this helps. Google is a great place to search for any wanted information. Happy searching :).

Cheers.

[Jinga]

I took Taekwondo for a little while. As an uncoordinated girl with no muscles, I have to say it was quite a challenge. That is one of the things that made it so much fun! I proved to myself that I could do it. Kicking someone elses booty was also amusing ;) .... and sparring is an amazing workout!

[nkuvu]

I took Nan Chen (pronounced Nan Quan) ...<snip>... It is meant to teach the student how to kill his/her opponent in one hit.
Is this really what you hope to accomplish with martial arts?

I've known a few people who train in martial arts so that they can hurt their attackers. Many of the people who trained in Gung Fu (as mentioned previously) boasted that they would return any violence done to them tenfold. They learned many things too graphic for me to comfortably discuss.

And this attitude has always surprised me. Is this what attracted you to the martial art in the first place?

[zoebird]

i've taken tai chi, wing chun kung fu, aikido, iaido, and tae kwon do. that's in reverse order, btw, most recent. once you choose a style, you'll find out what sorts of work outs support that style.

i have a friend who practices wushu kung fu. he freakin' rocks: Tim Niiler. Awesome guy. Here's where he works in West Chester, PA: http://www.opensourcewushu.com/

[skunkpumpkin]

I've been taking shaolin Kempo Karate for a couple years now and it's great in terms of building strength, discipline, and relieving stress 'cause it's great excercise. It's basically self-defense and draws a lot from both karate and kung fu, so i'm guessing it's quite a bit like the Shaolin Kung Fu that punkmommy and Doshkel are talking about. There are tons of SK karate studios all over the country, but if you're looking for something different, i'm sure that's easy to find too. As far as being in shape goes, yes, it's easier on you to be in shape before you start but part of the conditioning is to get in shape, so it doesn't really matter. check out Villiari's Martial Arts online if you're interested. :)

[skunkpumpkin]

Is this really what you hope to accomplish with martial arts?

I've known a few people who train in martial arts so that they can hurt their attackers. Many of the people who trained in Gung Fu (as mentioned previously) boasted that they would return any violence done to them tenfold. They learned many things too graphic for me to comfortably discuss.

And this attitude has always surprised me. Is this what attracted you to the martial art in the first place?

I don't mean to speak for Dosh, but I felt the urge to respond to this.
As he said, it's effective in terms of defense. If you're being attacked, i'm sure you'd want to immobilize your opponent in any way possible---even kill them, and quickly. I've never studied that particular martial art, but in the kind i study, self-control is taught with great emphasis. we are told not to use the things we learn on just anyone---if you're truly threatened, then go for it, but if you use your techniques full-force on someone who isn't endangering you, you can be kicked out of the dojo and forced to forfeit your belt. I also don't think that that's the kind of thing a martial arts facility uses to attract new members. just my two cents. take it away, Dosh.

[Qwerks]

I've been taking shaolin Kempo Karate for a couple years now and it's great in terms of building strength, discipline, and relieving stress 'cause it's great excercise. It's basically self-defense and draws a lot from both karate and kung fu...
That's perfect! I was just looking at shaolin principles online yesterday and thought it was just the thing. :yes: Didn't see anything called "Kempo" though. Thank U for the guidance, skunk.

*sends happy vibes to skunkpumpkin*

[ForestGlade34]

I have an excellent Kungfu site I wanna share sometime shortly, but before all that and to clarify what goes here in this thread, what say Quirx we make this the latest info sharing thread for whichever MA related thing we have to shed light on?
I think we could start here our own virtual VB MAschool (in a manner of speaking)... How does that sound to Y'all?.... We could read the same articles and get each others opinion and such to learn in a semi-congruent manner perhaps, with general but focused aim of seeing whats out there, and apparently there are thousands of different kugfu styles, let alone what other form of MA.... BUT we should absolutely not be discouraged by that statistic, and feel overwhelmed by the choice, since many choices in life are equally frought... Anyway, styles are, from what I've read incorporated into each other often anyway, just like Bruce did by modfying his own version of WingChun....You get the gist.... :)

Any feedback on where to start or shall we all just post random things like in any other thread? I think thats cool too myself. Its not like we know what we're doing many of us anyway. ;) Its all trial.. (for me anyway).

[formicalinoleum]

I took Shotokan Karate for 4 years and Northern Shaolin Kung Fu for 1.5 years.

I liked both, but preferred the Kung Fu. The karate was very straightforward--efficient moves. Kung Fu is much more beautiful. I did martial arts for the workout, discipline, and the enjoyment of the forms, and not at all for self-defense, so I really liked the visually appealing and fancier forms of Kung Fu. I stopped going because of time constraints. I'd love to do it again.

As for having short legs, I actually think that's an advantage in martial arts. It gives you a lower center of gravity and greater stability, which is a very important thing.

[Qwerks]

I have an excellent Kungfu site I wanna share sometime shortly, but before all that and to clarify what goes here in this thread, what say Quirx we make this the latest info sharing thread for whichever MA related thing we have to shed light on?
Sounds good to me. Please do share your Kung Fu site, many of the sites I've visited had little of interest to say and many were still under construction.

I agree that random things are probably the best for us to post, as we all seem to come from different fields of interest. Also why break tradition?

Formicalinoleum I'd love to see more posts about your MA experiences, partly because your screenname makes me smile, but mostly because you seem to have quite a bit of experience in things that would interest me personally, and likely others as well.

[veganwayne]

I have trained in Muay Thai and Krav Maga for 1 year total.