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Martial arts....

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sparkle_jez

Ex-Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 18, 2003
Messages
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Recently i've been considering starting a martial art, for a few reasons.

a.) for self-defence,
b.) for fitness
c.) for self-confidence
d.) to meet new people

But thing is, i'm not sure which one would suit me best.

I'm looking for something that would be useful in real life situations, on the streets. Something where i'd learn how to defend against attacks from bottles and other makeshift weapons you'd find on the streets rather than a sporty martial art.

But at the same time, I also want it to be graceful and have some sort of spiritual basis ('chi').

Any ideas on what I should look into?

And finally, i'm lanky and unfit! I need to get fit before I start it and need to work on muscles. Can you give me any advice on what areas I should be looking to tone up and improving???

Thanks
 
I don't know a lot about martial arts, although my Brother owns a Gym in Melbourne and often trains with the Brazilian Jujitsu class. He swears by it's fitness quality and self-defence practice.

Brazilian Jujitsu is more a wrestling type martial art and is in fact an art to winning the fight. It's called Grappling. I think what my brother likes most about Brazilian Jujitsu is the fact that technique plays a big role in sucessful beating your oponent. Its not a full on kicking/pushing sport, but more a wrestling, technique and learning sport. It takes quiet awhile to advance in Brazilian Jujitsu but the beauty is that you can start at your own pace and slowly work up.

It uses all the muscles in the body and is an excellent work out.

Just a suggestion! :D

shals :)
 
Traditional Shotokan or perhaps Aikido are excellent for defense as well as rabbit-punching an attackers spleen through his nose. However, you need to to do some research and find a real instructor and not a McKarate.
 
Wing Chun
Aikido
Kick Boxing
meet all the requirements you seek.
 
^^Thanks for the suggestion Shal, but I said in my post I DO NOT want a 'sporty' style martial art!

Maybe should explain what i'm looking for in a bit more detail!

Ok...
I do NOT want a sport martial art, I want a traditional eastern one.
I do NOT want an ultra-hardcore violent martial art that's all about dirty street fighting (and nothing like kick-boxing).....Although I want to be able to defend myself on streets, I still want something with spiritual basis, with a traditional style honour code where all opponents are respected!
I certainly don't mind technicality and gracefulness (a lot of body movement and deception), but I wouldn't like it to be really over the top making it ages before I even learn the basics!
 
Sounds like a mix of martial arts would be best for you, as you won't really find any one martial art that will meet all your requirements, I know I'm probably going to get flamed, but hey. This Shouldn't turn into a 'what martial art is best' post.
It all comes down to the individual.

For solid street-fighting skills, I would suggest some boxing/kickboxing (its not as brutal as it sounds, it's almost all with pad's, gloves etc. Also some ground work, as said before BJJ (Brazilian Jui Jitsu) is generally king for ground work. And maybe some shoot-fighting/Val tudo thrown in to link to two together.
If you want to be handy with objects, just make sure your OK with a pool que, ashtray etc if in the pub, or some Arnis if you want to know knife training.

If I was you I would just go and speak to a few places which hold multiple displines, they usually have a cheap (or free) trial or two if you are genuinely interested. Try a few different styles and pick the one that suits you best. Good luck!
 
Check into Thai'Chi. Yes its slow but its a mental and physical workout. You said you needed to get some muscle anyway, so that ontop of a decent exercise program will work wonders. There are also differnt styles of it, some more tuned to fighting and such. I wanna say its the Wang style(haha sorry that IS funny), but dont quote me on that.

DB
 
Try this site: http://www.fightauthority.com/martial-arts-styles.php4

It's got HEAPS of info about the various fighting styles, with a drop-down search engine and everything. Did you know there's even something called "Drunken Kung Fu"? I shit you not :D

Anyway even just on first glance, it seems Aikido definitely fits your bill:


"Aikido focuses not on punching or kicking opponents, but rather on using their own energy to gain control of them or to throw them away from you. It is not a static art, but places great emphasis on motion and the dynamics of movement.
Upon closer examination, practitioners will find from Aikido what they are looking for, whether it is applicable self-defense technique, spiritual enlightenment, physical health or peace of mind. "

(from part of the explaination of Aikido).

SLM.
 
sparkle_jez said:
^^Thanks for the suggestion Shal, but I said in my post I DO NOT want a 'sporty' style martial art!

Maybe should explain what i'm looking for in a bit more detail!

Ok...
I do NOT want a sport martial art, I want a traditional eastern one.
I do NOT want an ultra-hardcore violent martial art that's all about dirty street fighting (and nothing like kick-boxing).....Although I want to be able to defend myself on streets, I still want something with spiritual basis, with a traditional style honour code where all opponents are respected!
I certainly don't mind technicality and gracefulness (a lot of body movement and deception), but I wouldn't like it to be really over the top making it ages before I even learn the basics!
Click to expand...

You could do Muay Thai kickboxing, it's a martial art and a sport. Because it's a sport you will find MANY good gyms around your area that train very competitivly which is the best for self-defence. And it would be great to add BJJ in there as Muay Thai will teach you everything you need to know in your standup game, and BJJ will teach you how to handle yourself if your on the ground, you will most likley find MMA (mixed martial arts) schools teaching both these arts.

It makes no sense that you don't wan't a violent art and you say you wan't to beable to defend yourself. How else do you think you can incapacitate you opponent? If you don't wan't to learn how to fight take up running.

Spirituality? Fighting is down to a science now, if you wan't spirituality go to Church. But if you really wan't, find a Thai kickboxing teacher and he can teach you his Buddhist beliefs...
 
It makes no sense that you don't wan't a violent art and you say you wan't to beable to defend yourself. How else do you think you can incapacitate you opponent? If you don't wan't to learn how to fight take up running.
Click to expand...

LOL!

No, what I meant was I don't want an ULTRA-agressive competitive martial art.
There are martial arts i've seen being performed on television that are entirely defensive, where you just use your opponents strength against them then counter-attack and incapacitate them with extreme speed.

Anyway, after a lot of searching I think Aikido looks very interesting, and there is a gym about 10 minutes walk from my house.

This si teh introduction on there website, I like the sound of it:

"AIKIDO is a non-violent Japanese Martial Art with a remarkable strategy of defence, which enables the person who is attacked to control an opponent without comparable aggression.
A beautiful and exciting art, AIKIDO is a philosophy with physical expression. The unification of mind, body and spirit creates a clarity and calmness which transfers to daily life.
In AIKIDO students practice blending and alignment of their posture and movement with that of an attacker, so as to be able to redirect the attacker's power and lead him into a throw or an immobilisation (pinning) technique.
IWAMA RYU AIKIDO is non-competitive, following the teaching of the Founder. As well as studying body technique stong emphasis is placed on the study of the KEN (wooden practice Sword) and the JO (wooden staff about 4ft long)."


Sounds perfect!!!

I think Thai' Chi would be a great combination with this.

Does anyone here practice Aikido?

Could you give me an idea how long it takes to progress???
 
I've tried quite a few different martial arts. And I'd recommend some type of class that combines different martial arts.
My favorite classes by far were when I was being taught jeet kune do (Bruce Lee's creation). It's basically taking all the different techniques from other martial arts, and only using the useful techniques that would work in real-life situations.
I've been to classes where we learn wrist locks and ankle locks, or like someone else mentioned (brazilian jiu-jitsu) where you learn to put someone in the guard and spend most of your time grappling in that position. Things like that are horrible for real-life situations. While I think brazilian/gracie jui-jitsu is good to learn, a lot of it is working with the guard position which is horrible for a real-life fight, and meant more towards competition-style grappling (where striking is not allowed).
I'd look for a jeet kune do class, or some sort of self-defense class. I hate to say it but most martial arts schools waste people's money on katas and other bullshit that has nothing to do with defending yourself. Some people want that I guess, but if you want to learn to defend yourself find a place that does lots of sparring and doesn't waste a lot of time with katas and stuff like that.
 
sparkle_jez said:
LOL!

No, what I meant was I don't want an ULTRA-agressive competitive martial art.
There are martial arts i've seen being performed on television that are entirely defensive, where you just use your opponents strength against them then counter-attack and incapacitate them with extreme speed.
Click to expand...

Sounds good in theory, but i reckon anyone with some basic boxing skills would clean up.

Whatever you choose make sure you find a gym that includes full contact sparring so your muscle memory gets trained to react in fights when your adrenaline gets dumped, in these situations your mind is useless, only what you've trained for in the gym matters.

If your a bit worried about sparring, just remember that your trainer won't let you spar untill your ready, and that it's best you learn to take your first punch to the head in the gym rather then on the street, which aikido and tai chi could never prepare you for.
 
bc4130 said:
I've been to classes where we learn wrist locks and ankle locks, or like someone else mentioned (brazilian jiu-jitsu) where you learn to put someone in the guard and spend most of your time grappling in that position. Things like that are horrible for real-life situations. While I think brazilian/gracie jui-jitsu is good to learn, a lot of it is working with the guard position which is horrible for a real-life fight, and meant more towards competition-style grappling (where striking is not allowed).
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's why it's best to learn it with a standup art like Muay Thai or boxing. In real fights you sometimes can't help going to the ground and BJJ is great in those situations.
 
no offense, but why do you need it for the streets and fighting people?

the only way you'll get in a fight is if you start it usually. Most people arent going to come up to you and start a fight.

are you being bullied by someone? or do you hang out in places where alot of violence goes down?
 
what about someone with anger issues? interested in it all the same, is scared to get into confrontations due do his anger problems, and ultimately knows if the other guys gives it he will?

is there a martial art which not only is very effective but has a fair bit of mental disipline withut been too harshs, as that would cause him to loose his temper?
 
Wing Chun is the shit. I only wish my arms were long enough to use it.
Kick boxing is good as well, and I personally prefer Hapkido over aikido, but YouGene hit the nail on the head for what you are looking for. Stay away from arts that require intense training, and physical endurance though. They take up a lot of time. Much more than you would believe. Trust me I took Black Tiger form Kung Fu, and the training consisted of five hours in the morning, and six in the afternoon. After two years of it, you realise how much time you spent working out so you could do the art itself.8(

Brazilian Jui Jitsu is highly over rated though. Judo would be fine, and Silat would be better, but that takes a lot of your time for training, and people have been known to kill themselves training for it.
 
Just remember this, if you defend yourself and somehow manage to kill that person, you are in TONS of shit. I speak from experience because my gf's cousin got into a bar brawl .... defended himself, knocked the guy to the ground, split his head open and died. He was sent to jail for it, even though he was defending himself. And even worse, if they find out you have been studying martial arts and say you use your elbow to defend yourself, that will be regarded as a lethal weapon!

I have done martial arts now for about 10 yrs, and cant see myself ever using it. Not because I am afraid, but because once you fight back, by law you can land yourself into heaps of more shit than just cowering down and blocking attacks.

Now this is just my opinion ... so in that circumstance, I would suggest aikido .... you will turn to deflect the persons attack with relative ease and basically just stand there. Then again, some huge oaf could come running at you and completely floor you.

Good luck!
 
^^^^^^
Very true Grep, you hear about it too often.

I know 'of' a 19yo who had studied kickboxing and an older guy tried to get money off him, he kicked him in the head and then the guy hit his head on the gutter and died. The guy he killed was a biker with multiple connections in jail. He was sent to jail....

I personally am not sure if I could stop myself from causing serious damage (if I beat him) in a 1 on 1 situation, because of what I believe. So far I've been lucky though.

Also I agree about not getting into fights, it is so simple to avoid them in almost all circumstances.
 
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