[IceEnclosure]

It came up in PBD's thread, reminded me I need to start already! soooo..:

I have an interest in the martial arts.. I would really like to get involved in one, but I do not know which..

My friends think I'm crazy cause I'm always stretching, I can kick any overhead doorway moulding (the top part), and I got in one fight in my life, and the first thing I did was kick the guy in the face(he was larger than I, and he started with me for no reason, I had no way around it... I'm 155 lbs, 6'0", and I was scared, as he started with me for no reason...it was a sweeping kick across my body, and it debilitated the guy, allowing me to get away..)<--I didn't find it fun, in fact..I hate the idea of hitting anyone.. it made me feel quite bad that I hurt the guy..

The ethics, code, and ideals of martial arts are what appeal to me, as well as the fact that it IS an art. yet there are so many. using sticks/swords, etc is something that I'd be interested in as well, though I'm sure that wouldn't happen for a few years until I was well learned..

I guess my question would be to the people here who know martial arts and/or are involved in them.. What would you suggest? Meaning the different forms of martial arts, something I could use for staying fit/defense/focus... oh, and I'm 25 yrs old.

Thanks for the input suggestions? "post reply"

[ 07-03-2001: Message edited by: IceEnclosure ]

[The Godfather]

I have been taking, leaving, retaking Karate since 1995 and I must say I have enjoyed it a lot. The ethics you learn from the Sensei are very powerful.

I haven't tried any other martial arts, except for Kungfu when I was like 9 years old.

My advice, go visit the Dojos and enroll in the one that looks friendly but not too softy.

[keekeeree]

I'd also beware the militant ones too. Some forms of the martial arts don't teach respect very well. Nor are they very practical. Try doing a jumping spinning back-kick wearing street clothes in a crowded bar and you'll learn quickly how practical it is. Learning the martial arts is a lot of fun. I spent many years practicing Shotokan Karate, and although I don't practice now, it still affects my actions and outlook on life.

I don't want to steer you towards any one form, or start a debate over which form is superior to another. Just find a dojo and a sensei that you're comfortable with and can trust.

[Millennium]

You seem to like kicking. Given that, I'd go for the Korean arts, which tend to emphasize those attacks; you can leverage your existing knowledge there. I'm partial to Tae Kwon Do myself (it was my firat Art, and I still specialize in it), but there are others. If you want to decide based on this criterion, then avoid arts like the different styles of karate, which tend to heavily emphasize hand techniques.

If, on the other hand, you're in this primarily for the mental aspect of things, I'd go with Kung Fu. I didn't much care for it myself (I didn't like the de-emphasis on leg techniques at all), but it has some extremely interesting theories and techniques that I haven't really found anywhere else, and which I really enjoyed. The mental tradition in Kung Fu is extremely strong; that seems like it would appeal to you. If you want to decide on an art based on its mental aspect, avoid styles like Muay Thai (which tends to be somewhat more vicious), and stay away from Krav Maga (which completely strips out the mental aspect; its practitioners don't even call it a martial art for precisely this reason).

Finally, you mentioned that you like swordwork. For something like that, also given your desire to work the mental aspects, I would recommend Kendo or Kenjutsu (an ancestor of Kendo, placing somewhat more emphasis on the combat aspect and less on the sport). If you want to decide based on weapon use, avoid Sambo (a Russian art with a very strong emphasis on throws) and similar styles, like judo. While almost all Arts incorporate some weapon use, few emphasize it early on, and with grappling Arts in particular you're not likely to get into weapon work until you've been practicing for years.

That's the great thing about the Arts: there are so many that you can find a good match for almost anyone. But in the end, the choice is yours.

[typoon]

Where are you located? Have you looked into Tiger Schulmans? I know I know Many people don;t like them but they seem to have a pretty comprehansive program and get into weapons as well. If it were me though I would study Jeet Kune Do. I think JKD is the most practical for everyday use. But that is just me. Many of the other arts like Judo or Philipino Kali aren't bad either. Maybe look into Akido.

[shmerek]

I did both Shotokan Karate and Kung fu for a couple of years and I would say that I really enjoyed the Kung Fu more than the Karate. The Kung fu felt more natural for me and I was able to learn a bit about using a quarter staff as well. In the gym at my university there is a window that looks in on the Kendo classes which has really peaked my interest it looks like a lot of fun.

[IceEnclosure]

thanks guys, for the responses..

millenium...thanks for the detailed response... I'll check out Tae Kwon Do.. sounds like I may like it.. and I'll check out the others you guys mentioned as well...

do you guys know of a website which discusses the arts?

I'm probably going to go in the next couple of weeks looking around for a place to study the martial art I choose, as well as perhaps sit in and watch some to see if they interest me..

thanks again

[caifara]

capoeira

It's really a great sport, I'll give you some links:
story:
"history" onhttp://welcome.to/capoeira_brugge

pictures

enjoy!
-c

[typoon]

Originally posted by IceEnclosure:
<STRONG>thanks guys, for the responses..

millenium...thanks for the detailed response... I'll check out Tae Kwon Do.. sounds like I may like it.. and I'll check out the others you guys mentioned as well...

do you guys know of a website which discusses the arts?

I'm probably going to go in the next couple of weeks looking around for a place to study the martial art I choose, as well as perhaps sit in and watch some to see if they interest me..

thanks again </STRONG>

You can always do a friendly sherlock search on this stuff, I'm sure it will give you LOTS of choices and descriptions

[ThinkInsane]

Millenium is right about going and checking out a few schools. See what appeals to you. Not just style, but instructor as well. That makes a huge difference. There is a lot of styles out there. Go check out as many as you can find in your area, and pick the one you think you would enjoy.

For years, I studied Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do. Then about 8 years ago, I started practicing a Burmese style called Bando, a rather brutal style of kick boxing. I like it much better.

[Millennium]

ThinkInsane's right about the instructor thing, too. Choice of instructor is almost as important as choice of art; in fact, some would say it's more important.

Unforutnately, the only real way to gauge an instructor is to watch a couple of classes (one is rarely enough, sad to say). The real trick, though, is to watch the students. After you've decided whether or not you've gotten a good impression of the instructor, watch the students as they leave. If they're happy, then you've got an instructor who can make the students like him (sadly, women instructors can be very hard to find, though they do exist). That's important, because you need to be able to respect your instructor immensely, and it really helps if you like him too.

[IceEnclosure]

so much input, and it's all good...

I'll keep in mind the instructor thing.. sounds like that would make sense.. I don't want an instructor like the Cobra Kai Dojo, ya know?

Daniel Son, etc..

[Millennium]

Yeah. Cobra Kai would be A Really Bad Thing.

A quick heads-up, though: some instructors may, from time to time, try to bonk you on the head with a kicking target. This is their way of scolding you. It is not a test. Do not try to block it. The results are seldom pretty. Not usually physically painful, but generally awfully embarassing.

Needless to say, I learned this the hard way, the first time my master (who was the stereotype of martial arts masters incarnate) tried it on me

[finboy]

I can recommend Tae Kwan Do (or as it used to be called here in the south, Korean Karate) or Kung Fu as well. In any case, go to the school to see what goes on. The two extremes are what you want to avoid: some instructors devote all their effort to forms, and not individuals moves and fighting instinct, while others place too much effort on freestyle brawling and seeing "who can beat up who." You need to find someone who is very traditional, which emphasizes neither. You're more likely to find that in Kung Fu, IMO, just because it seems that TKD has really become form-ridden in the last few years (forms are easy to teach, easy to grade, and that's the name of the game at some of these giant fly-by-night schools).

good luck.

[Millennium]

Yeah; definitely make sure to check the instructor out. A few guidelines:

• If no one in the class has at least a green belt (or, in the case of Kung Fu, at least one white tie on the uniform) and you see any sparring going on, walk away. That's simply too soon for someone to be sparring at all.
• Check the warm-up exercises. A good instructor will spend at least 15-20 minutes on these; to do otherwise just isn't safe.
• If you drive by a place that has a big neon sign saying KARATE in the window, stop in anyway. They might not actually teach karate, but some other art instead. The KARATE sign is, AFAIK, the only one produced in bulk, and it's also the most likely to fit in a window and still be readable from the street (TAE KWON DO, for example, is just a bit long for that. CAPOEIRA or MUAY THAI are right out).
• There may be flags hanging on the wall; in many schools there are. Look for the flag of the country where the art came from. There may be others, but that one is the most important; it's a sign of respect for the history of the art.
• From time to time, the students will have to adjust their uniforms (it's just the nature of the uniform; things come loose over time). Watch them when they do this; do they turn around, or at least look away from the master? If they don't, chances are the master isn't as into tradition as you might want.
• Along the same lines, check how the students line up. In most schools, they'll group themselves by rank, with higher-ranking students being towards the front and right-hand side of the school (relative to the class). That's a tradition thing.
• Some forms work should be done in any class that doesn't have only the newest beginners (who wouldn't know any forms yet anyway). However, this shouldn't take too long unless the master is running advanced students through all their forms, or is teaching a new form to the class.
• Check the languages used. If the master is traditional, you should hear a lot of whatever language is used in the country the form came from. The master might also translate them after saying them; that's OK. Just how much of the language you hear will vary from master to master, but there should be some. If only English (or another language) is used, ask why.
• See how many trophies the school has on display (if they aren't on open display, don't bother asking). If they have a lot of them, see if they were awarded to the school itself, the master, or individual students. If most of the trophies were awarded to students, be wary; a traditional school will not keep these.
• This one's going to sound prejudiced, but it's just an observation of mine: note the instructor's nationality. Instructors from the country where the art originated seem to be much more likely to be traditional. This is not to say you can't find a master of another nationality who's traditional, of course; I've had several masters like this. But for reasons I don't completely understand (perhaps cultural pride?) masters from the country where the art came from tend to be more likely to be far more traditional about things, and I know this is what you want.
• Size doesn't matter. I've been to schools with only a small training space, and I've been in one that had previously been an indoor driving range, so the spage was huge (and well-utilized; they'd attached a big mat to the floor in the back for teaching throws, and utilized the front for teaching other stuff). What matters is how that space gets used; watch the class and see for yourself.
• Finally, and perhaps most important, watch the beginning of the class (after warm-ups). The class should start with basic techniques, no matter what rank the students are, and it should spend a good chunk of time on them. If it doesn't, watch out.

Anyway, just a few suggestions I've picked up in my studies. Anyone, feel free to dispute these; I'm probably going to get lynched over that nationality one anyway

[finboy]

No, those are GREAT recommendations. I just wish I could have remembered that stuff from my time.

The emphasis on kata (forms) is something I'm shy of. But you're right, there should be a common warmup period, and perhaps a common forms period, or something with some tradition to it, at the beginning of each session.

[finboy]

Dubbell post

[ 07-03-2001: Message edited by: finboy ]

[murbot]

If you were looking for the most effective self-defence system out there, I would suggest Jiu-Jitsu. I studied it for a year, about 4 years ago, and I still feel completely confident using the techniques. I also studied Taekwon-Do (sp?), and I can tell you that unless you excel to amazing levels, trying to use it in most street-fighting situations will get your ass kicked. A jumping, spinning reverse crescent kick will get you points in a non-contact tournament (which I've done), but it scores a big ZERO in real situations.

While still a white belt with a couple months worth of training in Jiu-Jitsu, I had the chance to spar with a black belt in Taekwon-Do. He looked very nice spinning around and waving his feet in front of me, but not so impressive after I grabbed him, threw him down, and put him in a choke. He was extremely embarrassed that I was able to do this (I am 5'10", 180lbs, he was 6'2", 210lbs), and actually started to take classes at my school.

But, everyone chooses different styles for different reasons - just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in.

[IceEnclosure]

Millennium..


thank you very much for your insightful post.. when I started the thread, this is what I was hoping for (even more so, infact)

I have to say that I think your idea about the nationality of the instructor is right on. Not a bad thing to say in any sense, I believe.

I'm looking forward to checking out some places, as soon as I can work my schedule to allow for such a thing. Hopefully starting next week.

Once again, thanks to everyone, and man... I learned all this on the MacNN Forums.. what a wonderful world I believe CaseCom started a thread yesterday about do we really need these things?(technology, internet, etc)..well, I knew nothing yesterday about the subject, now I have a wonderful insight into the subject of my question, just from asking a question in a Mac forum

thanks, guys!!

[Yuri1419]

I studied Tae Kwon Do for many years as a youngster, and got my black belt when I was 15. Looking back on it, I found what many of the above have: while the dicipline and mental control I learned have positively shaped my life, there ain't NO WAY I'd ever try to use a walking stance rising block if some sonofagun is swinging a baseball bat at my skull. Guaranteed broken arm and head. It's pretty darn impressive to do spinning back kicks, but if you want real world physical practicality, TKD is not it.

I'm not an authority on other arts, but Akido has always struck my interest. When done properly, it gets impressive results with what seems like little effort... I like elegance, and style, which just seem to be on the decline these days.

[Millennium]

While it's true that a jump-spinning-reverse-crescent kick isn't all that good in a fighting situation, a jump-spinning-reverse-side kick makes a very handy counter to anything that travels along the same general lines as a roundhouse kick. Every technique has its advantages and disadvantages.

Kicks
Strength: Good - the strongest muscles in the body, except the one you use for chewing things, are found in the legs
Reach: Excellent - the human leg is almost twice as long as the human arm
Economy: Fair - It takes a fair bit of energy to kick, so you have to conserve
Accuracy: Poor - People just aren't used to making fine movements with their legs
Predictability: Fair - If you're going to kick someone, you have to pick up at least one foot
Speed: Poor - Legs are big and heavy, so you have lots of inertia to overcome.

Throws
Strength: Excellent - Throws generally get a person on the ground, almost by definition. Once he's there, you're 90% of the way to winning
Reach: Poor - You have to get up close and personal with the guy; not always a good thing
Economy: Poor - Picking a guy up and throwing him isn't an easy thing to do. Luckily, you don't have to do it too many times
Accuracy: Fair - Then again, you don't need a great deal of accuracy with throws. Grab targets are fairly large, and it's kind of hard to miss the ground
Predictability: Poor - With even a little expertise, you can figure out that someone wants to throw you. Then it's a matter of not getting close.
Speed: Fair - Once you've got someone up, there's not much they can do about it, and gravity will help you get them back down.

Inverse-Kinematics
Strength: Fair -
Reach: Poor - Most inverse-kinematics techniques suffer the same problem as throws: you have to get close. Further, the guy generally has to be attacking you, or the techniques won't work.
Economy: Excellent - Most of the strength used belongs to the other guy. Once you get good, you could almost just stand there and do this stuff all day, and let the other guy tire himself out.
Accuracy - Fair - This can be a problem, because unlike with throws, accuracy can be critical in inverse-kinematics. If the opponent is very fast, you could be in trouble.
Predictability: Excellent - They just don't see it coming, unless they're trained. They never do. In those rare instances where you can catch the other guy's expression, it's great.
Speed: Good - These generally fire off much more quickly than throws. They tend to last longer (many of the techniques are holds rather than throws), but that doesn't really count, since the opponent is immobilized

Punch
Strength: Poor - Human arms aren't all that strong, particularly in comparison to other parts of the body. Also, the human hand just isn't well-suited to being used as a striking weapon
Reach - Fair - While it's a safer distance than throws, arm techniques still put you within arm's length of your opponent, by definition
Economy: Good - Punches don't take nearly as much out of a person as kicks do
Accuracy: Excellent - We're people. We're used to making fine movements with our hands and arms; I'm making hundreds of them right now as I type this. That carries over very well into hand techniques, where good placement can make up for a lack of strength
Predictability: Good - Combos, change-ups, uppercuts, crosses... countless fighting styles have refined hand techniques for thousands of years. Your bag of tricks is almost limitless.
Speed: Excellent - Watch a boxer do a speed-bag demonstration sometime. Hand techniques are fast

Weapons
Strength: Excellent - The exact strength varies by weapon, but if they weren't strong, what would the point be?
Reach: Varies by weapon; poor for knives, excellent for guns, and everything in between.
Economy: Varies by weapon; excellent for guns, poor for staves and other heavy weapons
Accuracy: Varies by weapon; excellent for knives, poor for staves and guns (even among trained police officers, usually only 3 or 4 in 10 shots hit a running target)
Predictability: Poor for anything larger than a knife, also poor for knives unless you're very good at hiding them. When you take a weapon out, the other guy now knows you have it, and probably has at least a very general sense of what you want to do with it.
Speed: Varies by weapon, Excellent for knives, Fair for guns (the bullet may be fast, but the trigger-finger reflex is the slowest in the whole human body), Poor for staves.
Special note: With weapon styles, if you lose your weapon you're in big trouble. Even worse if your opponent then picks it up.

Pretty much everything you can do in a fight falls under one of these five broad categories. If you really want to be good, you need to know at least the first four, and weapons training might be a good idea (Krav Maga, incidentally, has a very good reputation for its improvised-weapon techniques). Most important, though, is knowing when to use each technique. They're all there for a purpose, even the jump-spinning-reverse-crescent kick, although some of them are extremely specialized (in the case of that kick, it's good against an opponent who's coming at you on a circle, as with a roundhouse kick; you want to try and hit them in the front torso). No Art gets it totally right on its own, but they'll give you the building blocks from which you can develop your own style that works for you.

Well, my analysis is likely to start a holy war, so I'll bow out for now (no pun intended). It's late.

[IceEnclosure]

i dont see you starting any kind of war....

maybe in a dark alley


....now printing...

thank you

[posthumanus]

always found aikido (yoshinkan) to be a great basis - or compliment - to any fighting/defence skill. i'd say about 75% of what Seagal does is aikido. rent a couple of his pics to see if you like the style and effectiveness.

a search through here
http://www.aikiweb.com/

should tell you if there are any dojos in your area. yoshinkan style is the full-on traditional/combat style.

[FormerLurker]

Do a Sherlock search for ****o-Ryu. I've studied 4 styles (started with TKD) and this is the best and most practical I've seen.

Okinawan with some Chinese Kung-Fu influence... this is basically the style that Mr. Miagai (spelling?) taught Daniel-San. Lightning-fast takedowns that will end any street conflict quickly.


EDIT: holy cow, I've been censored!
replace **** with a four letter word for excrement that starts with sh and ends with it. And it's pronounced SHE-toe-roo

FORGET SHERLOCK - I did it for you
check out http://www.seibukankarate.com/
9815 S.W. 40th Street
Miami, FL 33165
(305) 553-5324

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: FormerLurker ]

[finboy]

OK, this discussion refreshes memories of my early childhood.

My old man, who's OLD, studied Jiu Jitsu & some Akido (or a variant) when he was in the Army, in the early 50s. He can still take down anybody using that stuff, in nothing flat. He used to teach a one- or two-day class on self-defense based upon just what he had learned while in Korea & Japan in the Army (he got some real special training, let's say). Many of his students were in the Maryland State Police, way back when, and didn't have much formal training in self-defense or hand-to-hand. They always came back for more.

If you want practical skills, for personal security, Akido or JJ is probably the way to go. TKD and KF are great because of the pageantry and history, and the athleticism involved. It will be difficult, I imagine, to find anyone teaching Akido or Jiu Jitsu in many areas of the country.

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: finboy ]

[finboy]

Double again.

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: finboy ]

[cashsixT8]

1. Get drunk.
2. Watch teenage mutant ninja turtles.

VIOLA! Instant ninja!

- Ca$h

BTW: I'm in TKD, and its pretty sweet. Its a lot of legwork, and not so much on the arms. :| I personally would like to get into judo though, thats basically like "why kick someones ass when the wall can? Here Wall, catch! &gt;crunch!&lt;

[Kate]

When I was much younger I used to do Kyu-Do. There are many good dojos within the US I've been told. This is less combat and more art.

Look into it, a quick Sherlock search reveals some interesting looking US links.

[IceEnclosure]

Originally posted by Kate:
<STRONG> When I was much younger I used to do Kyu-Do. There are many good dojos within the US I've been told. This is less combat and more art.

Look into it, a quick Sherlock search reveals some interesting looking US links.</STRONG>

will do.. thank you..

time to sleep now.. Independence Day in a few hours.. I have to party


at 4 am, what else do we have but time on our hands?

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: IceEnclosure ]

[IceEnclosure]

Originally posted by FormerLurker:
<STRONG>Do a Sherlock search for ****o-Ryu. I've studied 4 styles (started with TKD) and this is the best and most practical I've seen.

Okinawan with some Chinese Kung-Fu influence... this is basically the style that Mr. Miagai (spelling?) taught Daniel-San. Lightning-fast takedowns that will end any street conflict quickly.


EDIT: holy cow, I've been censored!
replace **** with a four letter word for excrement that starts with sh and ends with it. And it's pronounced SHE-toe-roo

FORGET SHERLOCK - I did it for you
check out http://www.seibukankarate.com/
9815 S.W. 40th Street
Miami, FL 33165
(305) 553-5324

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: FormerLurker ]</STRONG>

It seems I skipped right over your post.. there's so many..
Thanks, man.. very helpful, I'll definitely check them out..
funny, you were censored

[Naplander]

Hey,

I did Karate for about six months when I was a bit younger, but I didn't really like it. I found it too "linear".

I then did Shaolin Kung-Fu for two years which I really enjoyed. It makes you strong both mentally and physically and the moves are beautiful. Learning moves observed from animals like tigers, "dragons", snakes, mantis etc.

I am now a little older and am looking into starting Muay Thai. Why?

Well, if you want to know how to defend yourself in the REAL WORLD, then avoid fluffy martial arts (unless you plan to become a guru )

I presonally find Muay Thai's moves very attractive as well. You get to fight with your knees and elbows as well.....I'd check it out before making a decision.

Laters

[Millennium]

Actually, jujutsu is becoming fairly common in the US (though you do have to watch for the myriad ways of spelling it ). It's generally not the art that gets top billing (this usually goes to karate or TKD, simply because they're famous), but read over the ads. You might find it in a list of "other arts" that the school teaches.

Aikido is a little less common, but it's also gaining some popularity. You might be able to find it in the same way.

By the way, a cultural note on jujutsu: while the current form of it emphasizes throws, in ancient times it was the Japanese martial art. Most of the others, including karate, aikido, and such evolved out of it, in response to emphasize different styles of using jujutsu.

Also notable is that most Japanese arts have a -jutsu and a -do form. For example, jujutsu and judo, or aikijutsu and aikido. The -do forms are easier to find, because they are newer, and they tend to emphasize the sport aspect of the arts more than the combat (meaning, among other things, that you don't see nearly as many accidental injuries in class). However, you usually lose some tradition and mental training in the process.

One final note: Some Japanese arts end in -ryu. Although there are exceptions, most of these styles are variations on karate. There are several other variations you should know about, such as karate-do (often considered the "generic" style; note that I have never found a place that teaches karate-jutsu), kempo, and shotokan (yes, it exists; no, you're not going to learn how to do a hadouken )

[l'ignorante]

Hey grasshoppers, listen to this:


Everybody was kung-fu fighting
those kicks were fast as lighting
in fact it was a little bit frightening
but they fought with expert timing

They were funky china man, from funky china town
They were chopping men up, they were chopping men down
It's an ancient chinese art and every body knew their part
From a fainting to a slip and a kicking from the hip

Everybody was kung-fu fighting huh!
those kicks were fast as lighting
in fact it was a little bit frightening yeah, yeah
but they fought with expert timing

There was funky Billy Chen and little Sammy Chong
He said, here comes the big boss! (Where?) lets get it on
We took them all and made a stand, started swaying with the hands
Sudden motion made me skip, now were into a brand new trick

Everybody was kung-fu fighting huh!
those kicks were fast as lighting hah!
in fact it was a little bit frightening huh!
but they fought with expert timing hah!


--always expect the unexpected--

[Peter Combs]

Try fencing. It's a great workout, lots of strategy involved. As for which weapon you pick, most teachers will probably start you off with a foil, although starting with sabre is becoming more common (I started with sabre, my brother with foil, with the same maestro). Once you've fenced for a while, your maestro should be able to get some sort of idea which weapon you are suited to. Very subjective. Personally, I enjoy sabre and ep�e.

Yes, I know, this isn't what you are asking for. But fencing is still a martial art, just not an eastern martial art.

[Kate]

Originally posted by IceEnclosure:

I do not know much about the dress code of other martial arts, but your colour here is striktly against the one of Kyo-Do, the Hakama "skirt" or "garment" has to be dark blue or black and the Keiko-gi "shirt" white. The Muneate (womens chestguard) is either white or black. I have no proper translation for the dress pieces.

You see, pink is very much off of tradition.

BTW Men certainly have to wear a Kimono, women usually do not when in Kyu-Do gear.

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: Kate ]

[IceEnclosure]

Originally posted by Kate:
<STRONG>

I do not know much about the dress code of other martial arts, but your colour here is striktly against the one of Kyo-Do, the Hakama "skirt" or "garment" has to be dark blue or black and the Keiko-gi "shirt" white. The Muneate (womens chestguard) is either white or black. I have no proper translation for the dress pieces.

You see, pink is very much off of tradition.

BTW Men certainly have to wear a Kimono, women usually do not when in Kyu-Do gear.

</STRONG>

I'm color blind

[theiliad]

OK here goes...
When i was about 13 i did Karate for for a few months... not very good.kinda boring really..

For the last year and a half Ive studed Tae Kwan Do...this is much better...faster more moves etc...
unfortuanatly my collage labs meant id had to drop out (IHAD WON MEDALS!!!!)

For awhile lasat summer istuded Ju Jitsu...this is the rel thing... the kind of class i attended was VERY traditional..with praying (in Japanese) at the begining of the class..Black suits and weapons training..
THis is probably the best asthe is very little "flashy moves" involved...it concentrates more on taking streength from the enemy and using it against him..
If u do Ju Jitsu do it the tradition way...there are basterdised versions for more modern times...but i can tell u my sensei (who was a small guy) was probably tthe most lethal man ill ever know...

Unfortuatly the place where I and a friend of mine studyed was about 40 miles away so it was very difficult to get there...when the summer finished we had no choice but to leave..

Considering joining a collade Wu - Chi club next Autum (an Explosive form of Kung Fu btw)...

If I had the chace it would definatly be Ju Jitsu... its combination of deadly (really) moves plus ethics and respect really apealled to me

Anyway just my $0.02US

[l'ignorante]

I think boxing still beats the **** out of all martial arts discussed here. The sweat, the struggle, the blood and pain. No eastern wisdom here, just pure human action. Mind you, just as refined but maybe not the best meditative sport, and even there some people might disagree. Anyway, you wanna be tough, box! Forget all that other overrated crap.

[Raman]

Originally posted by Millennium:
<STRONG>Yeah; definitely make sure to check the instructor out. A few guidelines:</STRONG>

Excellent and I agree with all of the above. I took Isshinryu when I was younger and millennium described my martial arts class exactly to a T. I think the small things that you don't pick up (the respect for the art, culture, etc) when aduiting a class are the things that are probably more important than the actual techniques. They will come in time and you'll learn from those that know better.

[Keda]

Muay Thai all the way!!

I do Thai Boxing. I like it because it is for real...put your mouth piece in, slide the gloves on, and work! It combines the stregnths of boxing with some powerful kicks, knees, and elbows.

Many of the fighters on our team also do golden glove boxing. We just had a fight 3 weeks ago, 1 guy won won by KO the other lost by decision. The fights are 3 rounds, full contact, head/shin gear is optional (the fighters decide what they want to do).

Years back, I took Kenpo. It had its good points, but in the end it was an art. Muay Thai teaches you to fight. One of the big differances is the level of contact. I get the **** knocked out of me on a regular basis (try to give back what I take too). I am a Southpaw w/ a fast jab, and since I began training 1yr ago, my boxing technique has improved 100% . Now I think I will have my first fight on Sept.22.

My instructor is the man. Besides having many professional fights to his record, he is a cool guy. None of the contrived, ego-stroking atitude that I have often seen in martial arts instructors. He's 63 years old, and for his birthday he spared everyone in the gym. He teaches in NY and DC. If you want to check out his website, got to: http://www.elbowko.com (remember he's good at boxing-not web design )

[fobside]

SHAQ FU!

[typoon]

Originally posted by Naplander:
<STRONG>Hey,

I did Karate for about six months when I was a bit younger, but I didn't really like it. I found it too "linear".

I then did Shaolin Kung-Fu for two years which I really enjoyed. It makes you strong both mentally and physically and the moves are beautiful. Learning moves observed from animals like tigers, "dragons", snakes, mantis etc.

I am now a little older and am looking into starting Muay Thai. Why?

Well, if you want to know how to defend yourself in the REAL WORLD, then avoid fluffy martial arts (unless you plan to become a guru )

I presonally find Muay Thai's moves very attractive as well. You get to fight with your knees and elbows as well.....I'd check it out before making a decision.

Laters</STRONG>

Jeet Kune Do teaches you how to defend yourself in the real world as well. The other are good too. Just see which one fits your needs. Maybe sitin or try one and see which you like the best.

[Millennium]

By the way, you might want to avoid Ti Kwan Leep. As effective as Boot to the Head is, it's not always the best choice

[tinrib]

I'm no kung fu expert (more a kung fu movie expert) - but I would really like to learn Wing Chun, which I believe is derived from the Snake and Crane styles. Tai Chi also appeals... I guess other people will be able to tell you more about them than me though.

I get it all from movies. The Victim (with Samo Hung and Leung Kar Yan) is a very cool movie with some badass Wing Chun moves.

[Matsu]

PHUCK-YUH!!!

The Scottish martial art, involves mostly head butting and kicking people when they're down.

Mike Myers -- founder of phuck-yuh.

As for the rest, l'ignorante is right on. The only way you really learn to fight, is to fight. Combine it with some kind of grappling technique and you're money. Judo, wrestling etc... I like all the kicking BS that martial arts movies show. Any good boxer would have you flat on your ass ina second if you tried it in a real fight. Notice kick-boxing where (especially the heavy weights) only seem to kick to fulfill a per round minimum. You don't need to kick higher than a guys crotch, and there's really no need to kick above the knees. Knees to the groin, gut, and head (a la Muay thai, if you can pull his head down) are all you need. Oh yeah, and if you really want to fight, then pull hair, poke eyes, and bite fingers. I don't care how strong a guy is, if I bite off one of his fingers that's gonna hurt. Fighting gives you the guts to just do it! I'd like to see one of these kata doing, black belt, latte drinking, new age tough guys when I bite off one of his fingers, grab him by the balls and dislocate his genitals. Which is not to say that it's so easy to do that, even to a new age tough guy, but if you practice 'fighting' you'll be less squeamish about it. Most people just need to undo the conditioning that makes them afraid to be savage. Then, and only then, will a little skill actually make you a serious combatant.

[olePigeon]

West Coast "karate" is f*cking gay, don't go to them no matter what you do.

My suggestion is Shotokan Karate Do (which I took) or Ninjitzu. Probably the two best forms, imho.

[Matsu]

Originally posted by olePigeon:
<STRONG>West Coast "karate" is f*cking gay, don't go to them no matter what you do.
</STRONG>

Excerpt from the Karate Kid.

Daniel: What's that move mister Miyagi?

Miyagi: Daniel-san, technique-uh called Sodomi-zo! If do right, no can defense.

Daniel: Yeowch!!!

Miyagi: Wax on, wax off.

[IceEnclosure]

we don't want to hear about your ball removal technique :o.. and please, see a doctor with all those fingers you've been biting off..

[ 07-06-2001: Message edited by: IceEnclosure ]

[IceEnclosure]

I WANT YOUR TITLE, LARUSO!!

[ThinkInsane]

Ice, I was under the impression from your original post that kicking people's asses wasn't you number one priority. Maybe I was wrong, and truth be told, I'm too lazy to go back and read it again. I thought you were looking for more along the lines of work out and learning a "art". If I was wrong, and you are looking to smash skulls, then you need to check out this place:
http://kravmaga.com/Home/Training_Lo...mibch_fla.html

Krav Maga, a style devoloped by the Israeli military. It's one of the most brutal fighting systems ever devoloped. It has one purpose, and one purpose only. Maybe this is more what you are looking for.