Thread: Martial Arts

I mean literally, I'm a Shorin Ryu master. 3rd degree blackbelt, and been eligible for 4th for 4 years; I haven't tested because I could care less what my rank is. Like you said, belts are just for holding your gi closed.

I personally do Tai Chi and push hands because I find it enjoyable and challenging. Not only that butEspecially push hands. I should be profficient in 10 years time...I don't see Tai Chi as something masterable, but definately something that you could be good enough at if you know what I'm saying.

I'll probably get into Kungfu later. Specifically Xingyiqan, and baguazhang. Xingyiquan is an ancient martial art, very simple because often the armies had little time to train and this is what they came up with.

Originally Posted by Spenner

There is a difference so strong that it pains me to know that you may not see a difference between sport Martial Arts and Traditional Martial Arts.

Ok, sweet. For a little clarification though-- kata is my forte not sparring, that's what I compete in (aka my "sport martial art") and it's traditional in every way, so that negates your point.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

And if it's just one guy with a knife, there is no need for it either, disarm them from a distance, throw them on the ground and run.

.
Sensei never fails to stress the importance of this.

Run. Fast.

Katas help sparring, they teach balance and proper technique.

Your sensei I respect. Any sensei who tells you to fight rather than run is an idiot.

Yeah. Fighting: you always know how it begins, but you never know how it ends. Its not uncommon fights that ends with a revenge's bullet.

Originally Posted by Polilla

Ok, sweet. For a little clarification though-- kata is my forte not sparring, that's what I compete in (aka my "sport martial art") and it's traditional in every way, so that negates your point.


.
Sensei never fails to stress the importance of this.

Run. Fast.

Yeah, same with mine for the running thing-- if you can remove risk of injuring yourself or another, by all means take it.

And yeah, I quite agree, and I wasn't clear enough- kata/forms are traditional, by all means (except for perhaps the "extreme martial arts" routines which are more like gymnastics and dancing). Sparring is where the crucial difference is, is what I was going for.

Uh, I do Taekwondo. I'm a probationary black belt, and am really mad at myself for not going to the national tournament.

What's a probationary black belt?

So what would a good beginner martial art be? I took Taekwondo (just because I thought it was interesting, FF doesn't recognize "taekwondo" and offers up "Wonderbra" as an alternate word) when I was much younger, but I only got up to the orange belt. I'd like to learn how to defend myself, essentially, as well as learning self-discipline.

That's because tae kwon do is three words
tae - foot
kwon - hand
do - way

Tae Kwon Do is a good beginner one, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do will be able to defend themselves just fine. Obviously, the instructor makes all of the difference. I taught tae kwon do for 2 years.

Yeah, as it usually is in regular school, a good teacher can make all the difference. Some may just show the moves and wait for you to get a hang of them, while others discipline the mind and spirit until you cannot do any less than great in everything you do.

So just choose the school you wish to train in wisely- if there is a brilliant instructor, the martial art you study should hold little significance- it's how it's taught.

I did tkd for 5 years. The last year and a half Ive been doing mma. Well, its not REALLY mma. More like, half the week I go to jujitsu classes, the other half I go to striking. The striking instructor teaches some boxing, muay thai, and kung fu techniques mostly. when we spar, the only rules we really have is not striking so hard you are going for a ko and no eyes or groin shots.

Some of the combination he shows us I had never really thought of before, and it has made my overall technique that much better. Especially when I mix in some of the kick combination from tkd I love to use that he doesnt show. He always starts us with line drills for different combos for a half hour. Then we do circuit training for a half hour, then the last hour we spar. I always feel very tired by the end of the night...depending on how much effort I put in the circuit training for course.

Well, this was the most recent martial arts thread, and since its still on the first page of this section, I didn't want to start a new topic, so I'll make my post here!
I have been doing martial arts for just about 13 years now (I'm 17 and I started at 4 and 1/2).

But, I practice in Tung Su Doe (A korean style quite similar to basic Tae Kwon Doe), and I have also practiced Wing Chun (Kung Fu) mixed with some Bogwa and leung gung stretching technique.

I also have a question to pose.
I am looking to try a different style of martial arts; I am happy training right now, but I feel like I still haven't found my place. I'm strong and definitely at the top of my class, but I feel as though my potential still hasn't been reached.
I'm kinda short, but muscular (not skinny, but not fat... maybe a little less than 'stocky') ... my kicks in Tung Su Doe are pretty solid, but of course, I will never be able to kick as high as others because of my body type, and I'm also not as fast (or quick) as some others. I usually am able to overpower my opponents because of my core strength and just sheer strength and will power... but I feel as though there is definitely a specific style of martial art that will fit my body type, and I was just wondering if anyone had any input.

Short stocky people tend to be really good at Judo. Low center of gravity + short arms/legs helps a lot.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

Short stocky people tend to be really good at Judo. Low center of gravity + short arms/legs helps a lot.

That definitely makes sense! I'll probably try that.
I'm also going to pick up Wing Chun again, I really enjoyed it!

Btw, ninja9578, what is the Shorin Ryu style? It sounds Japanese, but I've never heard of it.

I agree with Judo, SaMaster. You also might want to look into jiu-jitsu.

Is this the official thread for Martial Artists here? I hope so. lol
I am a striker. I was practicing Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu before I got deployed (Since my crappling is still massive fail lol), but now I'm flat out until I get back to the states in a few months. I'm thankful to be able to strike a bag a little at least.
Martial Arts I've practiced:
Jun Fan Gung Fu and Wing Chun (Very little, but my Brother and his best friend are both Wing Chun instructors/JKD concept practitioners), Capoeira, Boxing, Kickboxing (Western), Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Kyukido (Tae Kwon Do strikes, Hapkido joint locks/joint manipulations, Judo throws, Jujutsu newaza), Hapkido, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Shorin Ryu, Sanchin Ryu

Base Style(s)
Boxing, Kickboxing (Both styles), and Tae Kwon Do. I'm lower body heavy, so I'm a kicker. lol

I've practiced since I was around 12. I'm 23 now. I'm still just a beginner with some areas intermediate, and others still novice.

When I return I hope to go back to Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I also learned that a Kyokushin school opened up in Oklahoma City, so I'd love to start practicing the three together. If I had time for Judo I would do that too, but that's a lot. Maybe if I get out of the military. lol

14 years now everything useful I get my hands into. My original style, in which I teach too, is an art we have developed solely in Finland. It was originally based on karatejutsu, but it cannot be called nothing of a sort anymore, no resembelance. I believe that our art, as art of fighting itself, must be versatile and approach every angle that a single fight can have. That goes to the every distance ( long, short, grappling, wrestle, groundwork), in every area ( striking, kicking, throws, takedowns, control techniques, joint manipulation, strangling, wrestling, etc.)

For personal training, in addition of my own style, I do BJJ, SW, jujutsu, kyokushin, vale tudo, muay thai, krag maga/defendo. But I pretty much govern everything with a single style, but all other styles have of course their flavors and most of all good fighters to spar with.

The measure of skill is to the individual, not to a generality within a belt division.

True that.

The biggest misconceptions I seem to come across is about concerning the color of belt and unability to comprehend settings of a real fight. I have learned through my career that people give way too much value on a piece of clothing that serves the main purpose of keeping your jacket tied. There are so many blackbelts in this world who cannot do jack in a real fight, a bout or even teach properly in a training circumstances. Some styles just give out belts for free and it shows in the quality of blackbelts. A bad master ashames not only himself, but also his style and the one who has given him the right to wear that belt.

The second point of mine is about the huge variety of "martial arts". Seriously, there are styles that are mostly build around magic world that doesn't exist in this universe. The training methods vary a lot, most of them are pretty bad if you really want to train a student to fight. A real fight or just a match where the other one comes at you with intent to smash your head to the ground. You learn only by fighting. For example, I spar with many different people and styles and compete with their tournaments. If I only resided in my own dojo, I wouldn't learn half of it. Sure you can always train a simple technique, but it is nothing without application.

About headhitting most of the people have flawed views on that too. You cannot hit person in the head, with untrained fist, in the same way you use glove in the sparring. Most people underestimate the sheer power of bodyblows when it comes from a person who has trained them. Check kyokushin karate or hokutoryu jujutsu for that. Striking in a real fight is quite much different from the situations most people train in dojo, moreso on locks and control techniques ( let alone knife and disarming practice)

Originally Posted by Unelias

About headhitting most of the people have flawed views on that too. You cannot hit person in the head, with untrained fist, in the same way you use glove in the sparring. Most people underestimate the sheer power of bodyblows when it comes from a person who has trained them. Check kyokushin karate or hokutoryu jujutsu for that. Striking in a real fight is quite much different from the situations most people train in dojo, moreso on locks and control techniques ( let alone knife and disarming practice)

That's not to saw a trained expert can't go for the head. No one can fight with vertigo. If I hit chuck ledell in the jaw, he would not be able to fight me for several seconds, you can't train past limitations sf the human body. Granted, someone like that would have to let me do it.

You NEVER lock someone in the real world unless you can lock both hands at once, or have already patted him down. You also NEVER kick at the head.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

That's not to saw a trained expert can't go for the head. No one can fight with vertigo. If I hit chuck ledell in the jaw, he would not be able to fight me for several seconds, you can't train past limitations sf the human body. Granted, someone like that would have to let me do it.

The point is that you'll most likely break your knuckles, palm bones or wrist. I know many boxers who have broken their arms in brawls because they hit incorrectly without gloves. Those who have strengthened their fists and arms for hitting ( ie. in traditional karate) have better chance to not break anything, but the impact is still great. In old bare-knuckle boxing one of the favorite moves to block head shots was to ram your forehead straight into its path. Still open palm beats closed fist in the head hitting, getting a KO from the mental nerve is a lot easier with palm.

But in case you hit right, of course, vertigo is quite nasty. Gives you that moment you need to continue.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

You NEVER lock someone in the real world unless you can lock both hands at once, or have already patted him down. You also NEVER kick at the head.

I locked two guys in the work last night. Arm locks and control locks are mostly applied to single wrist or arm. You just have to know how to force him down via locking. I'd not say never, but you have to be aware of the circumstances, which enable you to do so. The situation where both of the sides are alert, hands on guard, fists clenched, the typical "ring" sitation disables most of the lock techniques. However, you can use them when you chain them to other techniques. Ie. proceeding to shoulderlock or quillotine hold after delivering a sweep or uppercut to body. But it requires that then other side is distracted by pain, motivon or loss of balance.

But most of the situations just don't start with both guys ready to punch each other. A push or grab or similar beginning is more frequent. The trick is that usually when a big guy comes pushing you or grabbing you he doesn't expect you are completely aware what happens and ready to counteract. This is where you can apply most of the locks using the moment of surprise. To be frank, I consider these techniques the most difficult ones, since it requires fast reactions and skill to adapt to rapidly changing situation. My students also have most problems with these. We train a lot of random situations where the training partner can take a random grab, choke, push etc and you have to react immedietly without excessive use of force. Of course, you could always hit the other guy or knee his groin, but you will have a bloody good time in the court afterwards.

I agree with the kicking in the head. Not only hard in real situation, it is also usually too dangerous to take a risk and not worth it. Knee is only thing I'd like to use on bend opponent but that usually means I have an intent to seriously hurt him. If I can kick to head, I can also do other things that aren't as brutal. Low kicks though are tremendeously efficent and I apply them in all kinds of situations. Low kick can easily be changed to a sweep if needed.

Originally Posted by Unelias

The point is that you'll most likely break your knuckles

Why would you even aim at the head with your knuckles? Hit hard things with an open palm, hit soft parts with knuckles, that's white belt material.


I was referring to something like an arm bar, or a triangle. Something where your opponent can grab a hidden weapon with the arm you don't have control of. Locking a drunk in a bar is different than trying to lock a mugger. Then you can us a lock and just wait for the bouncer to toss him out.

I'd love to learn Karate. I'm not someone who loves picking fights, i may play around with people and have fake fights just for fun. I dunno why i wanna learn karate. I guess to defend myself if i need to, but more of something to learn and get good at. I dunno if i could learn it, though. I had major knee surgery that never healed right although 300 pounds on the leg press barely is felt in my knee.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

Why would you even aim at the head with your knuckles? Hit hard things with an open palm, hit soft parts with knuckles, that's white belt material.

While palm is a good weapon, a smaller fist bypasses guard a lot easier. Like in uppercuts. Also, fist has a smaller impact point than palm. My point was that most of modern boxing moves cannot be done with unprotected hand. Old prizefighting techniques work though, you just have to hit the right spot. Yes, that is white belt material, because in advanced levels you start to understand how to use your body correctly to strike in any angle or situation with all methods you have absorbed.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

I was referring to something like an arm bar, or a triangle. Something where your opponent can grab a hidden weapon with the arm you don't have control of. Locking a drunk in a bar is different than trying to lock a mugger. Then you can us a lock and just wait for the bouncer to toss him out.

Applied right he doesn't have time or means to grab a weapon. A triangle is a good point thought unless you get it right immedieatly so blood flow stops. But with arm bars you don't usually have to fear the other hand because he will worry his ass off his other hand or he is in a position he cannot reach you with his hand. I am not talking about any bjj groundlocks, I am talking about control locks or holds, which serve the purpose of controlling your opponent, not just submitting him. Naturally, I always use my verbal commands so that I can see the other hand all the time or get it where I want. A part that is often forgotten in self-defence practice.


An example of control lock I meant

By the way, I work, in addition of many other security related things, as security officer ( or bouncer, I quess) I don't know what kind of people they mostly are in many other countries, but I hope I will not be a victim of prejudices