Martial Arts

[elfman]

Hey all,

 

I noticed a few of you are into your martial arts and i was after some info, me and a few mates are thinking of taking up a martial art, but we're unsure which one. Could anyone give me some info on different types, what's available, we're after something hand to hand based defense, maybe something a bit different from the usual karate etc, but it's still an option. Just after some good info from guys that know what they're talking about really. hopefully it'll get me a bit fitter to

 

Cheers.

[evest]

Hi mate,

 

I've been into martial arts for about 15 years and have covered karate, kickboxing, thai boxing and little bits and bobs of other stuff. So I'm mainly into the upright striking types rather than grappling/wrestling. I currently run a kickboxing club (Amesbury, Wiltshire - you near here?) and would recommend it for a really good workout and some simple self defence. Depending where you train, with kickboxing/thai boxing you would learn punching, kicking, knee and elbow techniques, and how to fight in a ring. Most clubs incorporate self defence training as well.

 

Karate is a very popular. It has a strong organisational backing and very structured training, as well as all kinds of strikes and blocks, you will also learn to use fighting spirit 'Kime' and how to focus your energy (well you will in a good club!). Many clubs also teach using Japanese terminology which is interesting to learn - as it the history of Karate. There are various styles of Karate so you might find different clubs have quite different ways of training.

 

Other martial arts such as judo, ju jitsu, aikido, focus more on holds and using pressure and momentum to beat an opponent. I haven't trained in these personally so don't know as much about them.

 

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is becoming very popular in which you basically learn a bit of everything!! This will give you all round fighting ability - good for self defence as most street fights end up on the floor within the first 30 seconds.

 

There is a less well know one called Krav Maga - developed by Israeli special forces which is based solely on 'real' fighting - this isn't really a sport. In this you will learn how to defend yourself very aggressively and how to escape from trouble in shortest time possible.

 

These are just a few - there are many others, and different styles in most.

 

In terms of self defence, each style has its pros and cons - but when the time come for a real fight, its 99% mental anyway! The thing that will help you most is sparring - this is practise fighting which will give you some exposure to being hit and also how to hit somebody else. Repeated training of this kind will increase your confidence and reactions, and help you control your adrenaline.

 

It really depends on what you want mate - but the biggest advice I can give is you to try different clubs. Find the one you really like before committing to it. Unfortunately there are cowboys out there and some big egos so try to find one that comes recommended. Also - don't necessarily go with the cheapest club either - some of the dearer ones aren't necessarily there to rip you off - they might just be offering a higher quality of training.

 

Hope you find what you want - I'm happy to help with any questions the best I can.

 

[Tarmac@TarmacSportz]

I think Zedrush is probably one of the best guys to ask.

 

I've been doing Boxing since I was 17, I did do kick boxing for a little while and got to Orange belt, nothing special but if your dedicated you can fly up the belts, while I was at the club I also trained in Brazilian ju jitsu which is a very good form of self defence and fighting from the floor. It all depends what your after really, all martial arts are good for your fitness but it's really about finding the one that interests you most.

 

I've just got a punch bag in the garage at the moment, I try and train in there every other day but it's difficult with a new baby.

 

Hope you find something that suits you

[UNABASHED]

it's all about BJJ - Brazilian ju jitsu - if you want defence and a great way to stay in shape. some of the training is brutal in terms of how far they push you so your get fit very quick, and learning how to perform submissions is great fun once you start to pick it up.

[Jay]

Hi mate,

 

I've been into martial arts for about 15 years and have covered karate, kickboxing, thai boxing and little bits and bobs of other stuff. So I'm mainly into the upright striking types rather than grappling/wrestling. I currently run a kickboxing club (Amesbury, Wiltshire - you near here?) and would recommend it for a really good workout and some simple self defence. Depending where you train, with kickboxing/thai boxing you would learn punching, kicking, knee and elbow techniques, and how to fight in a ring. Most clubs incorporate self defence training as well.

 

Karate is a very popular. It has a strong organisational backing and very structured training, as well as all kinds of strikes and blocks, you will also learn to use fighting spirit 'Kime' and how to focus your energy (well you will in a good club!). Many clubs also teach using Japanese terminology which is interesting to learn - as it the history of Karate. There are various styles of Karate so you might find different clubs have quite different ways of training.

 

Other martial arts such as judo, ju jitsu, aikido, focus more on holds and using pressure and momentum to beat an opponent. I haven't trained in these personally so don't know as much about them.

 

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is becoming very popular in which you basically learn a bit of everything!! This will give you all round fighting ability - good for self defence as most street fights end up on the floor within the first 30 seconds.

 

There is a less well know one called Krav Maga - developed by Israeli special forces which is based solely on 'real' fighting - this isn't really a sport. In this you will learn how to defend yourself very aggressively and how to escape from trouble in shortest time possible.

 

These are just a few - there are many others, and different styles in most.

 

In terms of self defence, each style has its pros and cons - but when the time come for a real fight, its 99% mental anyway! The thing that will help you most is sparring - this is practise fighting which will give you some exposure to being hit and also how to hit somebody else. Repeated training of this kind will increase your confidence and reactions, and help you control your adrenaline.

 

It really depends on what you want mate - but the biggest advice I can give is you to try different clubs. Find the one you really like before committing to it. Unfortunately there are cowboys out there and some big egos so try to find one that comes recommended. Also - don't necessarily go with the cheapest club either - some of the dearer ones aren't necessarily there to rip you off - they might just be offering a higher quality of training.

 

Hope you find what you want - I'm happy to help with any questions the best I can.

 

 

Very good write up mate

[BladesGrant]

Asking which martial is best is probably going to get you as many replies as asking which is the best looking Zed. I have tried a few martial arts and some I gave up after just one session as I didn't get on with them. I started doing Thai-boxing just for some general fitness and then it totally grabbed me. I ended up down the gym 6 days a week, running nearly every day and having a couple of fights.

 

Try a couple as suggested above and see which one takes your fancy the most. Thai-boxing is a good all rounder for fitness. Incorporates standing strikes and some neck wrestling which is similar to when boxers hold onto each other but you can still hit your oppent with knees elbows etc.

 

As said above the best thing for self defence is to sparr, no amount of training will help you if you only ever hit a bag or shadow box. You need to spar with different people to get used to different approches. Some fighters are very aggressive and always come forward where as some people wait and counter attack.

 

Good hunting and hope you find something you really like.

[maz0]

Muay Thai is one I would strongly recommend, its based on solid practical roots from hundreds of years ago when Thailand developed it for war fighting and practised it as a sport, it promotes physical fitness as much as it does skill and technique, and a well grounded Thai fighter is a very formidable opponent. I personaly liked it because of the power and speed it culminates in a fighter, sure you may get your kicks blocked but by proper conditioning of the shins and a strong well executed kick you could easily break a mans arm or leg, regardless of the block. I tried several martial arts before settling and finaly decided Thai was the most practical (to me). Sure some will argue your useless on the ground, but in most self defense situations outside of MMA it rarely gets to that point. Go along with your mates for a session and see how you's enjoy it!

[elfman]

Cheers for the advice guys! Evest thanks for the excellent write up!

 

I think the main things we're after is the learning and fitness aspect. I'll may try a few and see what i like, the hold/grappling styles don't really interest me tbh, more after something involving punching and kicking. I've start to swim and cycle regularly now and i feel it's doing wonders for me, i've had asthma all my life and the difference just in the breathing techniques has done me the world of good and i feel this could be the next step.

 

As i say after the physical and mental aspect to it all, and again thanks for the replies!

[BladesGrant]

The Thai style isn't so much grappling/wrestling. You can only do it while standing. The kicking and punching is ace bu tyou can't beat knees and elbows, absolutely destructive moves when executed correctly.

[evest]

You're welcome mate.

 

Let us know how you get on

[rtbiscuit]

i'm from a boxing background, found the fitness training very good and teaches good discipline, but as said before its all down to personal preference. even in boxing different people have different styles.

 

i'm unlucky in the fact that i'm not massivley tall and my reach isn't as long as others, so if i was sparring with a taller opponent with a longer reach i have to get in and under there attack. great once your there as you can do a lot of damamge, but getting there can hurt and you have to learn to take a few punches

 

for me it was the fitness and the learning of discipline and control.

[BladesGrant]

i'm from a boxing background, found the fitness training very good and teaches good discipline, but as said before its all down to personal preference. even in boxing different people have different styles.

 

i'm unlucky in the fact that i'm not massivley tall and my reach isn't as long as others, so if i was sparring with a taller opponent with a longer reach i have to get in and under there attack. great once your there as you can do a lot of damamge, but getting there can hurt and you have to learn to take a few punches

 

for me it was the fitness and the learning of discipline and control.

 

I know how you feel Rich, luckily my face got used to being squashed while trying to get close!!! Where there is no sense there is no feeling!!!!!!!!

[rtbiscuit]

i'm so out of practice and my fitness has gone down the pan, i think i'd struggle to finish 1 3 minute bout.

[BladesGrant]

i'm so out of practice and my fitness has gone down the pan, i think i'd struggle to finish 1 3 minute bout.

 

Yeah but we have one thing that you never lose.........................short man syndrome!!! If it was a Zed mod it would be another 50bhp easy!!

[rtbiscuit]

i'm 5 foot 9 so i'm average in height,

 

but i have seen SMS in full swing and it wasn't a pretty sight

[BladesGrant]

i'm 5 foot 9 so i'm average in height,

 

but i have seen SMS in full swing and it wasn't a pretty sight

 

Make your mind up short or average!! I think I am officially wee, but I used to be able to head kick up to 6'2. Not sure the mamas and papas can handle that these days though!!!!

[maz0]

Here's an appetiser my favourite Thai boxer of all time, Ramon Dekker.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v-UQ5XnLz8&feature=fvw

[rtbiscuit]

i'm short compared to people who are over 6 foot which for some unlucky reason included most people in my old boxing club

 

not only that but because of my weight cough 17 stone cough cough, i end up sparring with the really big mutha pluckers and they were all built like king kong and referenced to everyone as bubba

[elfman]

Will do bud! cheers again!

[Zedrush]

it's all about BJJ - Brazilian ju jitsu - if you want defence and a great way to stay in shape. some of the training is brutal in terms of how far they push you so your get fit very quick, and learning how to perform submissions is great fun once you start to pick it up.

 

Until you get into a fight with more than one guy, whilst you try and choke the guy out the other guy will be booting you in the head

 

good write up evest

 

Maz0 Ramon Dekker the turbine from hell is my fav too, the dutch are the best at Thai in my opinion, why people go to Thailand to learn Thai boxing baffles me, Holland own it at the mo

[N!ck-z]

I think it's also important to point out that MMA and BJJ are very popular at the minute and have seen a lot of people trying to make a quick £ from this. The last thing you want is to be paying for instruction thinking all the while you are learning to defend yourself when really the instructor is just catching on to the latest trend (google McDojo).

Have a look on cagewarriors forum or bullshido, both will point you in the right direction and away from these mcdojo's.

Also be careful of the term jiu-jitsu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is differnt to jap Jiu-jitsu. So when your instructor turns and says he is a black belt in jiu jitsu, please check his credentials. A blue ( the first rank in BJJ) would toy with a black belt in jap jitsu. Any bjj'er will be proud to tell you his lineage.

[ikarus]

I trained for many years in Thai Boxing, then Karate for many more. I then did three of four years at Lau Gar, a medium range Kung Fu system, which I loved because it seemed to up the complexity somewhat. I had a gap for a good number of years where I didn't train (University), but now I study Wing Chun, which is a short range kung Fu system which is a very aggressive style focusing on strikes, traps, kicks and take downs - very well suited to self defence, especially against multiple attackers. I would highly recommend looking into it, it's not what most people think it is. Even my mrs trains with us and she's very capable at taking me down . It doesn't matter how big and strong you are, good technique wins.

[KJ.]

I was exactly the same as you when I started doing martial arts, I just wanted to do something to keep fit that wasn't boring as hell like going to the gym. Now I'm completely hooked.

 

I've been training for nearly 3yrs at the UK Kung Fu school. My instructor has a very mixed martial arts background training in Thai boxing, kickboxing, Tai Chi, Hsing-I, Ba Gua, Jeet Kune Do and Aikido. The style he teaches is Teh Ji Han Jeung Dao which is quite similar to the Bruce Lee style of Jeet Kune Do (JKD). It's a good all round form of martial arts and is very close to being MMA but still focuses on the traditional forms of movement to help progress in training.

 

Last year I went to the Shaolin Temple and trained with Graduates from the Tagaou institute of martial arts for two weeks. It was an amazing experience and an absolute must for any martial arts enthusiast. I'm looking into going again next year!

[Greekman]

Hi mate,

 

I've been into martial arts for about 15 years and have covered karate, kickboxing, thai boxing and little bits and bobs of other stuff. So I'm mainly into the upright striking types rather than grappling/wrestling. I currently run a kickboxing club (Amesbury, Wiltshire - you near here?) and would recommend it for a really good workout and some simple self defence. Depending where you train, with kickboxing/thai boxing you would learn punching, kicking, knee and elbow techniques, and how to fight in a ring. Most clubs incorporate self defence training as well.

 

Karate is a very popular. It has a strong organisational backing and very structured training, as well as all kinds of strikes and blocks, you will also learn to use fighting spirit 'Kime' and how to focus your energy (well you will in a good club!). Many clubs also teach using Japanese terminology which is interesting to learn - as it the history of Karate. There are various styles of Karate so you might find different clubs have quite different ways of training.

 

Other martial arts such as judo, ju jitsu, aikido, focus more on holds and using pressure and momentum to beat an opponent. I haven't trained in these personally so don't know as much about them.

 

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is becoming very popular in which you basically learn a bit of everything!! This will give you all round fighting ability - good for self defence as most street fights end up on the floor within the first 30 seconds.

 

There is a less well know one called Krav Maga - developed by Israeli special forces which is based solely on 'real' fighting - this isn't really a sport. In this you will learn how to defend yourself very aggressively and how to escape from trouble in shortest time possible.

 

These are just a few - there are many others, and different styles in most.

 

In terms of self defence, each style has its pros and cons - but when the time come for a real fight, its 99% mental anyway! The thing that will help you most is sparring - this is practise fighting which will give you some exposure to being hit and also how to hit somebody else. Repeated training of this kind will increase your confidence and reactions, and help you control your adrenaline.

 

It really depends on what you want mate - but the biggest advice I can give is you to try different clubs. Find the one you really like before committing to it. Unfortunately there are cowboys out there and some big egos so try to find one that comes recommended. Also - don't necessarily go with the cheapest club either - some of the dearer ones aren't necessarily there to rip you off - they might just be offering a higher quality of training.

 

Hope you find what you want - I'm happy to help with any questions the best I can.

 

 

Very good write up mate

 

+1

 

Many years of dedicated greco-roman wrestling training (no8 in greece) and currently black belt level at judo. both excellent forms of exercise but not really recommended as self defense sports...

plus lots of injuries and it takes a long time before you actually manage to get used to the mentality of the sport.

 

did 2 years of kick boxing and found it much easier to get used to moving around decently.

 

as purely exercise wrestling was amazing in terms of strength stamina and body figure. judo less of the above but more every day usable as a martial art, kick boxing even less so of the above but gives you loads of confidence and ample move.

 

however, after 15 years of training i think that the best form of self defense is the 200 meter sprint ...plus less injuries whilst training

 

seriously now, after 15 years i know very well that avoiding trouble is the way...there is always someone out there that will fill you in not to mention daggers, guns and stuff. do it as an exercise not as self defense... thats from experience

[evest]

however, after 15 years of training i think that the best form of self defense is the 200 meter sprint ...plus less injuries whilst training

 

seriously now, after 15 years i know very well that avoiding trouble is the way...there is always someone out there that will fill you in not to mention daggers, guns and stuff. do it as an exercise not as self defense... thats from experience

 

+1000!

 

That's very good advice, probably the best on here - especially if somebody has a weapon. Even a martial arts expert would be lucky to avoid serious injury against somebody with a knife or worse.

Don't believe anything seen on the tv or movies, or any macho rubbish about being a coward. A real martial artist can overcome their own pride and know when to run, and go home safe to their family.