Martial Arts

[Mickus]

hey guys I'm considering taking up some kind of fighting sport, considering perhaps Brazilian Jiu jitsu, not to sure if its for me though, is there anyone around here that practices a martial art and what are does it focus on?

[DOC]

Originally Posted by Mickus

hey guys I'm considering taking up some kind of fighting sport,

Try getting married, there is always some sort of drama with the the ball n chain, if not the tin lids will keep you dancing on your toes.

[Duke]

What are your reasons for taking up "some kind of fighting sport"?
Are you looking for fitness improvements, self control, strength gains, size gains, flexibility improvements or just trying to keep yourself busy?

The thing that motivates you towards this kind of activity should be a guide as to what kind of "fighting sport" you need to try.

[Tribal]

Hey Mickus - I do Taekwondo myself, currently training up for the Pan Pacific Masters in November. In answer to your question - Taekwondo fighting is primarily about the legs, so flexibility, balance, strength and speed are the focus - my instructors can kick as fast as I can punch. Taking up martial arts does require a lot of commitment and will take a while before you really find a groove, however the benefits can be life changing - even if you don't take on the fighting aspect.

So why the interest in fighting?

[Geez Louise]

I used to teach Tae Kwon Do and Muay Thai kickboxing. Great for improving stamina and fitness levels as well as co-ordination and confidence.

I totally agree with Tribal. Any sort of Martial Art requires dedication but it is well worth the effort.

[Tribal]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

I used to teach Tae Kwon Do and Muay Thai kickboxing. Great for improving stamina and fitness levels as well as co-ordination and confidence.

I totally agree with Tribal. Any sort of Martial Art requires dedication but it is well worth the effort.

I was wondering if there were many other forum members doing martial arts.

Do you still train?

[Geez Louise]

No, unfortunately. Haven't done for ages. I miss it actually.

[Stav]

Most martial arts require very good fitness. Tae kwon do,hapkido,shinobi,muay tai all rely heavily on fitness and brute impact to cause damage.

Brazilian Ju Jitsu as I understand is focused on breaking joints and ending fights quickly. I do believe it was founded by the Gracie family.

My preference as a recovered heart patient is wing chun kung fu. There is no brute force but you generate massive force by proper use of your existing body weight with technique while preserving your energies. It is highly scientific .I like it.
I believe all arts have something to offer and can learn something from each.
Martial arts are only as good as the practitioner in the end.
What is your goal? What martial art suites you best?

[El Sucio]

I used to teach Karate, also trained in western style boxing, kick boxing, tae kwon do. I loved the stand up, strong stance, close in, upper body style of training particularly with the Karate & boxing.

As the other posters have said it requires a lot of dedication if you really want to see big rewards.

If you want all round fitness/toughness then I highly recommend getting out to a decent boxing gym.

Karate (particularly traditional okinawan styles) are great for focus, balance. Some kung fu styles are geat for this as well.

Ultmately it depends on what you want to get out of it.

Throw us a bone here.

[Creampuff]

my daughter is state champ at juniors Karate. Does this count as a member...haha

[Jock260]

I used to do Tae Kwon Do, but realised patterns wouldn't help me in a dark alley, so i joined CQC (Close Quarters Combat). I learnt more in 8 weeks of CQC than i did with 2 years in TKD. It also got me a lot fitter and stronger. if i were you I'd go for the more practical types, such a Boxing, Kick Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Muay Thai, but more specifically, Krav Maga and CQC.

[goldfire]

I've trained in more arts than i can remember right now, my best advice however is to try to find a MMA group or school.

I remember at the gym once a guy was mouthing off that he was a top boxer, which is all fair and good. He made a wager that no one could knock him out (being that he was a great boxer). No one took this seriously however and he ended up getting more and more mouthy till I politely told him that big-noting himself wasn't going to get him anywhere. Needless to say that gave him a outlet for a little pent up frustration I think as he verbally turned on me and outright said I couldn't do anything. I informed him that it was HE that couldn't do anything as a boxer, if you can't hit me, you can't hurt me. So we had a friendly little sparring match that involved a rather juicy take down and him getting choked out.

Train properly in MMA and there is NO art you can't beat.

To the original point tho BJJ or Brazilian Jujitsu involves ground based fighting through joint manipulation and submission. They realized that 95% of fights end up going to the ground and THAT is where they are at their strongest.

On another note, the Gracie family mainstreamed BJJ, not invent it.

It's also killer for your cardio fitness, 30 min hard wrestling with a partner and believe me you get a work out as you have to use all your core strength.

Hope this has helped.

[El Sucio]

DO you want to get fit/flexible?

DO you want to develop patience/balance/sense of self awareness?

DO you want to be able to walk out of a dark alley after removing the throats of three drunk agressors who stupidly demanded your wallet?

[schnoods]

I did Judo for a few years while I was younger, mainly to get in excercise and a bit of self defence as I was a bit podgy, though a bigger build.

Was a great experience, wish I still did it. It was more holds and throws, but being a bigger bloke the eetra leverage and bigger limbs was an advantage as opposed to being top heavy and unagile.

Has helped me out a few times and I will go back to it one day. Biggest thing it did for me was confidence and discipline.

[Jock260]

Originally Posted by goldfire

I've trained in more arts than i can remember right now, my best advice however is to try to find a MMA group or school.

I remember at the gym once a guy was mouthing off that he was a top boxer, which is all fair and good. He made a wager that no one could knock him out (being that he was a great boxer). No one took this seriously however and he ended up getting more and more mouthy till I politely told him that big-noting himself wasn't going to get him anywhere. Needless to say that gave him a outlet for a little pent up frustration I think as he verbally turned on me and outright said I couldn't do anything. I informed him that it was HE that couldn't do anything as a boxer, if you can't hit me, you can't hurt me. So we had a friendly little sparring match that involved a rather juicy take down and him getting choked out.

Train properly in MMA and there is NO art you can't beat.

To the original point tho BJJ or Brazilian Jujitsu involves ground based fighting through joint manipulation and submission. They realized that 95% of fights end up going to the ground and THAT is where they are at their strongest.

On another note, the Gracie family mainstreamed BJJ, not invent it.

It's also killer for your cardio fitness, 30 min hard wrestling with a partner and believe me you get a work out as you have to use all your core strength.

Hope this has helped.

Agreed 100% MMA is lethal, definitely one of my favourite.

[Ives]

Originally Posted by Stav

Brazilian Ju Jitsu as I understand is focused on breaking joints and ending fights quickly. I do believe it was founded by the Gracie family.

I really don't think the Gracie family invented the fighting style. I do however believe they made BJJ famous... especially in America.

It's a great style to be good at. I wanna start training BJJ myself.

Muay Thai is another thing im interested in. With those two combined, you can defend yourself standing up and/or on the ground.

[Jock260]

Also, Krav Maga is also taught in the Russian Spetsnaz and CQC is taught to the American and British Army and Special forces, dont know about us though. Both are hard to find outside of major cities (dont know much about Bendigo) but i'd have a look on the web or in the Yellow Pages. I'd say MMA would be the best choice as it popular, and less specific than Krav or CQC.

[XDV800]

Originally Posted by Ives

I really don't think the Gracie family invented the fighting style. I do however believe they made BJJ famous... especially in America.

It's a great style to be good at. I wanna start training BJJ myself.

Muay Thai is another thing im interested in. With those two combined, you can defend yourself standing up and/or on the ground.

My thoughts exactly.
I took up these 2 arts for a brief period and found the workout very beneficial, along with some formidable fighting skills, that would have been complemented with some boxing technique. Highly reccomended.
Alas i got lazy and only got into it for a short time, but hope to do it again someday.
I tried a form of karate once, and found the structured skill building repetitive.

[pb02]

As others have said, it really depends on what you want to get out of it and what your expectations are.
I started with Hung Gar Kung Fu which was focused more on self defense and forms etc. I moved to BJJ which I loved, it's very physical and demanding and I used to always come away bruised and injured. I have also trained in freestyle wrestling and boxing. Would love to get back into either BJJ, freestyle wrestling, or boxing.

[kremmen]

Boxing, learn the fundumentals of the sweet science then branch out into whatever style you like.

[Mickus]

Originally Posted by El Sucio

DO you want to get fit/flexible?

DO you want to develop patience/balance/sense of self awareness?

DO you want to be able to walk out of a dark alley after removing the throats of three drunk agressors who stupidly demanded your wallet?

hey thanks for the replies guys, these three pretty much knock it right on the head, I want to get fitter, stronger and overall tougher and be able to take on aggressors and walk away at the end of it.

MMA is mixed martial arts am i reading that right???

is it just a bit of everything thrown into one?

[goldfire]

yes MMA is mixed martial arts.

You will receive stand up fighting skills as well as ground fighting skills.

MMA more so is the ability to target everyone else's weaknesses. You get some idiot who says he a golden gloves boxer and actually squares up like a boxer what do you do?. You attack his legs and take him to ground where he has no leverage or power base to punch from. From there you proceed to dislocate his shoulder or elbow or simply choke him out.

Same for Muay Thai, Karate, Kung fu etc etc, find or know their weakness then attack it.

[Falcon Coupe]

Originally Posted by goldfire

yes MMA is mixed martial arts.

You will receive stand up fighting skills as well as ground fighting skills.

MMA more so is the ability to target everyone else's weaknesses. You get some idiot who says he a golden gloves boxer and actually squares up like a boxer what do you do?. You attack his legs and take him to ground where he has no leverage or power base to punch from. From there you proceed to dislocate his shoulder or elbow or simply choke him out.

Same for Muay Thai, Karate, Kung fu etc etc, find or know their weakness then attack it.

Thats it, anyone who watches the U.F.C would see MMA beats any single style.
More often than not it ends up with ground and pound.

Aussie Elvis Sinosic is a great example, see here

[AUIIForte]

Originally Posted by Mickus

hey thanks for the replies guys, these three pretty much knock it right on the head, I want to get fitter, stronger and overall tougher and be able to take on aggressors and walk away at the end of it.

MMA is mixed martial arts am i reading that right???

is it just a bit of everything thrown into one?

If you really want all them, fitter, stronger, be able to walk out alive... Then you need to get your self into some real street fights. From personal experience, training in a gym and even training with other MMA fighters is no where NEAR enough. If you want to be a REAL warrior, you need to pick some fights with people in real life! No matter what anybody tells you, or teaches you, you will not be a real fighter unless you get into REAL fights..

People can show you how to perform a choke hold, or other various 'moves'. But I can tell you, when you get into a real street fight (even after 15 years of MMA training), you just go back to your natural senses! Get into a few fights! Become a bouncer for a couple months... its the best training I got!

Well, thats to become a real fighter... But if you want strength and fitness, yeah any martial arts will give you that! And a little bit of gym (and no junk food : , hehe)

[goldfire]

Originally Posted by AUIIForte

If you really want all them, fitter, stronger, be able to walk out alive... Then you need to get your self into some real street fights. From personal experience, training in a gym and even training with other MMA fighters is no where NEAR enough. If you want to be a REAL warrior, you need to pick some fights with people in real life! No matter what anybody tells you, or teaches you, you will not be a real fighter unless you get into REAL fights..

People can show you how to perform a choke hold, or other various 'moves'. But I can tell you, when you get into a real street fight (even after 15 years of MMA training), you just go back to your natural senses! Get into a few fights! Become a bouncer for a couple months... its the best training I got!

Well, thats to become a real fighter... But if you want strength and fitness, yeah any martial arts will give you that! And a little bit of gym (and no junk food : , hehe)

Are you frikken normal?!?!

Go out and pick a fight to become a "REAL" warrior?.. what the hell is wrong with you?.

I WAS a bouncer for over 5 years and my MMA training was MORE than enough to see me through, sure street fights have no rules but a "REAL" fighter won't use stand around show boating or talkin himself up on the street trying to act like some hard ****, a REAL fighter will either talk his way out of it or end it EXTREMELY quickly, which is where the training comes in.

telling someone to go out in the street and pick a fight with random ppl just to make themselves a "warrior" this country is full enough of idiots and morons like that already, without adding more to the mix.

You got some serious problems.

[reds89]

taekwondo for 12years and hapkido for 2years,loved every minute of it,my advice...go and talk to instructors of differant martial arts,i am pretty sure all of them will let you sit thru a class and just watch how they train,this will give you a better idea of what style you would like to do.

[Feral Ford]

Be careful with a few of the clubs as some will want you to continually purchase stuff each & every week as that is their real motive $$$, also try and find out the qualifications of the trainers as again these days clubs will use incompletely trained people to allow them to run more training facilities.
I did many years of WTF taekwondo up in Hedland when I was young and it was a lot of fun and spot on for what you said you were after, when I moved to Perth I got into GKR karate for a couple of years, (mainly to help me focus for my studies / courses for work), however they always wanted you to buy extra stuff for training & fighting, even if it was not needed as well as having mini tournaments etc. that again they wanted more money for and they got narky if you objected.
Also after a while I had been training in both a normal class & what I thought / had been told was a brown / black belt class for instructors. Then my instructor & a couple of the others approached me asking me to become an instructor, (at this time I was only an orange belt), they pushed me for a while on this. I asked how I could be do this while being a long way from a black belt and was told many of their instructors were orange, red or brown belts, (they wore a black belt with I think 3 white bands), these were NOT 3rd Dan black belts these were ‘GKR’ instructors belts.
We were not told this when I joined, luckily my instructor actually had multiple black belts from about 3 different styles. I personally would have been very upset to find that the person who I had been paying to teach me had only been doing it for a year or two more than me.
I will say though I still enjoyed it, (NOT as much as taekwondo though).
PS. Don’t go picking fights on the street as there will always be someone better than you.
Any good martial arts will first teach you fighting should be your last option and second allow you to either put someone off from fighting you once they realise you are okay with taking care of yourself or at least allow you to get away or prevent too much damage to yourself. They are all good for fitness, some are better than others for flexibility etc.

ing_sm = unhappy for someone

: = peaceful for all

:eclipsee_ = happy for you

[XW_GS]

My eldest son does Muay Thai Kickboxing ( i think thats how you spell it) he loves it, My younger son did Zen Do Kai Karate, got his brown belt then decided to quit to do what his older brother does (Muay Thai) he loves it cause its more of a street fighting style, no Kata, etc.
I really want to do it mylelf actually.

I think you will really enjoy it

I did Loong Fu Pai myself which is a Karate/Kung Fu style, it was good for its time.

[XYLINC]

Yeah I did Muay Thai as well, I can certainly recommend that one for practicality.

[mrniceguy]

MMA if you have a school near you. Muay Thai for stand up and BJJ for ground work if you dont have a dedicated MMA school nearbye. Freestyle wrestling is great for takedowns and clinchwork too.

*Edit boxing and Judo as well*