There is Wing Chun, Shotokan Karate, Freestyle Karate, and bunch of Taekwondo. There are more but I'm not sure if they're really qualified. Some of those are, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, and Goju Ryu Karate. Please help me choose.
I don't have a lot of choices of martial art styles where I live, which of these do I pick?
Your best bet is to try as many of them that appeal to you.
The school should let you and in fact should encourage you to observe a class, even take a free class or two.
The instructors should be unfailingly polite, respectful, and cheerful to the students.
Classes should look organised, with instruction appearing to follow a lesson plan.
Students should behave respectfully and attentively at all times, and should continue their respectful behavior when class is finished.
There should never be any roughhousing or dangerous play, or displays of temper on anyone's part.
If there are women in the class, they should be treated the same as the men, not given constant concessions to their supposed fragility, yet not brutalised or otherwise singled out. (If there are no women (or men), it might be a good idea to ask why.)
Young students or children should be given the same respect as adults.
The key to recognising a good school is to watch how they treat students without natural athletic ability. Do instructors focus only on the stars, leaving the strugglers to muddle along as best they can? Do they point out struggling students for ridicule? Do they appear irritated at questions or requests for help? All of these are trouble signs.
In the end, the best guide is your gut feeling and bearing in mind that you are not stuck for life with your decision. If it turns out that the school just doesn't suit you, don't give up on martial arts entirely. Be patient and persistent, and you will find the right place to train.
Reply:Tae Kwon Do is a great martial art.
Some people say that Tae Kwon Do is to Karate what Chess is to Checkers. ;)
Reply:Well that depends on you.
First of all- What do you wish to do? All the Martial Arts you've listed can aid self-defense, but is that what you want?
Secondly- What fighting range is best for you? Do you like punching? Kicking? Throwing? Submissions?
Third- I don't know of your experience and ability to cross train, so I can't pinpoint which art you want to start with. I suggest:
A. Taking an art that teaches skill in one or more ranges, and then taking another art that teaches you ability in the other ranges.
B. Take an art that teaches skill in multiple ranges.
I know that Wing Chun and Taekwondo don't normally teach extensive grappling (Though there are exceptions).
Karate tends to come with entry level grappling (Again: Exceptions exist).
BJJ is wonderful for the submission range.
Most Japanese Jujutsu styles teach entry level striking, but extensive skill in the throwing and grappling range.
Aikido mostly works the throwing range.
Good luck.
Reply:I would say go for the japanese jujitsu, aikido or the brazilian jujitsu. I work in a dojo that is closely knit with all of those styles. I would have to say that the japanese jujitsu is probably the most practical because not only did the other two arts come from it, but it covers a wider range of things, thus you can better defend yourself. aikido is a beautyful art. it really focuses on the graceful movement of one person throwing another person (also part of the japanese jujitsu). brazilian jujitsu focuses more on ground work. it is not a bad art by any means. you will really get a good work out from this one. however, in a fight on rough concrete, i wouldnt want to go to the ground as my first option. personally i prefer japanese jujitsu. not only has it helped me to learn how to better defend myself from a large range of situations, but it has also helped me become a more confident person.
Reply:If you want a martial art that is the best for self defense there is no question: brazilian jiu jitsu.
Plus, bjj will help you have more in common with fellow co-workers, clients, etc. because it is used in the fastest growing and #1 combat sport, mma (ufc). Monday morning nobody is going to ask you about wing chun, but someone might ask you to explain a go-go plata from the big ufc card last weekend.
I understand your concern about making sure the teacher is qualified but a poorly qualified bjj instructor will be much better than a world class wing chun instructor.
This is all assuming that you are not someone that just wants to learn fancy kicks with absolutely no practical application and that you are not afraid of competition.
good luck
Reply:See I’d say BJJ is not good for self defense, because you typically need to take your opponent down. Bad things happen once you are on the ground. Things like bar stools, broken glass and kicks from nowhere. I think you need to stay on your feet in a self defense situation. BJJ is great for a one on one fight under controlled circumstances.
If you’ve got someone teaching Japanese Jiu Jitsu in your area, that is a rare opportunity. I would certainly investigate it, although recognize the falls and joint locks can be very painful and potentially harmful.
If you want to see the quickest results go with GoJu Ryu. I can turn most students into pretty decent fighters in less than a year.
Proficiency develops the slowest in Aikido of all the arts you’ve listed. Once you get good it is a great art, but it takes years of practice to see even a little progress. Part of this is because it is almost purely reactive to what the other person is doing.
Reply:Go Freestyle or Shotokan. If the qualifications aren't there, then neither should you be.
Reply:Japanese jujitsu.
Reply:Decide if you would rather strike or grapple. Then find the best instructor who teaches what you want to do. Don't worry about the name on the door.
Reply:Hi there
My best advice is to try them all. Take time out and have a martial arts holiday. That way you will get to see each art and the instructor. This really does depend on what your tastes are and which direction the wind is blowing at the time so to speak. Try to keep away from the fad arts and make judgement based on the teachers ability and how they conduct a class.
In today's market of boxercise and taibo if an instructor manages to run an adults only class and sustains more than 10 students a week then they must be doing something right!
Nothing worse than screaming little brats running around all over the place in a mixed class! ;-)
Best wishes
idai
Reply:wing chun, freestyle or bjj they are all very effective on the streets, but if you looking for a ringsport maybe consider taekwondo
Monday, May 17, 2010
Your point of view in this please ?
Do you know Sam hing fai chan kung fu sifu ? what do you think ?
I am seeking informations aout his teaching skills, how good he is. He studied kung fu under Lee Ngou who his turn studied under Jow Biu (disciple of the jow ga kung fu creator)
In wing chun Sam hing fai chan is from Ip man's lineage
quite impressive but I don't want to end up in a bad school thanks
Your point of view in this please ?
I am sorry, but I have never heard of this person.
If you are worried about this school then watch a class or two and see how he teaches and what kind of instructor he is. If you are cautious, there is probably a good reason.
Good luck!
Reply:First and formost the best way to determine if you think he's a good instructor is go watch, ask questions (to him, or students). Hands on is the best way to know. It seems nice and all to have this long lineage of who's who on your wall but it dosen't really matter who he trained under. When it comes down to it the question is How good is he? Right? Best way to find that out is to go watch him teach. Join in a class or two. Talk with anyone and everyone at the school. Most likely you won't get much neg. from anyone or they wouldn't be there, but ask them your questions.
Reply:I've trained with people that trained under some great fighters that were crap, some that were great....
At the end of the day it all depends on how well they learn their style and then how good they are at teaching it to you.
Just check it out and make up your own mind. Remember, the same goes for you, there is no gurantee that you will be any good either ;-) Just train hard
I am seeking informations aout his teaching skills, how good he is. He studied kung fu under Lee Ngou who his turn studied under Jow Biu (disciple of the jow ga kung fu creator)
In wing chun Sam hing fai chan is from Ip man's lineage
quite impressive but I don't want to end up in a bad school thanks
Your point of view in this please ?
I am sorry, but I have never heard of this person.
If you are worried about this school then watch a class or two and see how he teaches and what kind of instructor he is. If you are cautious, there is probably a good reason.
Good luck!
Reply:First and formost the best way to determine if you think he's a good instructor is go watch, ask questions (to him, or students). Hands on is the best way to know. It seems nice and all to have this long lineage of who's who on your wall but it dosen't really matter who he trained under. When it comes down to it the question is How good is he? Right? Best way to find that out is to go watch him teach. Join in a class or two. Talk with anyone and everyone at the school. Most likely you won't get much neg. from anyone or they wouldn't be there, but ask them your questions.
Reply:I've trained with people that trained under some great fighters that were crap, some that were great....
At the end of the day it all depends on how well they learn their style and then how good they are at teaching it to you.
Just check it out and make up your own mind. Remember, the same goes for you, there is no gurantee that you will be any good either ;-) Just train hard
Is karate a good martial art to learn for effective self defense? I heard aikido and jiu jitsu are better.?
I also heard that wing chun, praying mantis, and white crane kung fu are also good. So many people have said different things like Fanziquan, Hapkido, and Judo.
Is karate a good martial art to learn for effective self defense? I heard aikido and jiu jitsu are better.?
Jiu Jitsu is very good!!! Why waste time.Why??...I live in New York City and most cats in the street are very good.So block the attack ...lock up the joint(or break the bone)...slam the child on the hard concrete is more of what i'm into !!!You can even make your opponent call the police on his own cell phone with a joint lock.(uh huh..yea call em.).check out this book...The Power of Internal Martial Arts(Combat Secrets of Ba Gua,Tai chi and Hsinj-I...B.K.Frantzis...peace...One
Reply:NO!
For self defense I HIGHLY suggest taking Lotar or Muay Thai (boxing). Hapkido is another good one.
If you wanna fight for fun you would need Muay Thai, Jui Jitsu, basic Tae Kwon Do, South Paw, Judo(optional, not recomended).
In the end it's all up to you.
-joe
Reply:I've done Karate, general Kung Fu, Kick Boxing, and Jiu Jitsu. Kick Boxing was definitely the most effective in creating self defense (don't know if it's considered a martial art though), but Jiu Jitsu is a close second and really fun and interesting to learn as you'll find a lot of practical ways to incapacitate people that you never thought of. Oh, and Karate was for sure the lamest one. Lame lame lame. Good Luck.
Reply:Well, first of all, effective self-defense is over 85 percent street smarts. It's about trusting your instincts when you think there's something wrong about this guy that came up and asked you for the time. It's about avoiding certain situations altogether and feeling good enough about who you are to walk away when you smell trouble. It's also about knowing you don't have to trade insults with a drunk, etc..., etc...
All martial arts will teach you about self-confidence, overcoming your fears, knowing your body's capacities and using its abilities in a crisis, the proper distance at which to keep an opponent, etc..., etc...
No martial art, on the other hand, will make you invincible or superhuman. If a guy pulls out a gun on you out of nowhere and demands your wallet, the best self-defense move I can think of is to hand him over your waller without making a fuss and cancel all your cards as soon as you can get to a phone.
This being said, the arts all hav their advantages and drawbacks. I don't think you can say there is a best, or a worst martial art. There are better and worse teachers, so you should be careful who you sign up with. But mostly, you should study an art that agrees with you, who you are, and what can keep up your interest.
This is being said, Karate and Kung Fu involve striking, which means trading blows with your opponent. There is a faster learning curve thant Aikido or Jie Jitsu (Don't know much about Hapkido, sorry). It means after one or two months, you'll have learned something effective, because even a punch that's not perfect still has a certain effect. Aikido or Jiu-Jitsu throws and locks, on the other hand, tend to have very little effect unless they are very well executed. The advantage of these, though, is that you don't necessarily have to get up close and personal with your opponent. You can throw an attacker away from you and run, or pin him down and call for help. (Which to me is just as good as beating him senseless - a lot of people on here will disagree, but to me, self-defense is about surviving situations, not necessarily physically dominating your attacker).
Anyway, I would definitely pick up some books about any arts that interest you and learn about them, and see what interests you. I think people should usually go with their instincts.
Hope this helps. Best of luck to you.
Reply:Its not the style that makes the artist, but the artist that makes the style. It doesn't matter what you train in, all styles can be effective.
Reply:I would go with what you like the most because if you master any of them they will be very effective. But I have to tell you - the cheapest is the regular old wrestling room! Most of the time (except when you go to tournaments) it will be free - It will not cost to train and get belts. But all are effective.
Reply:Kyokushin Karate is a very effective form of self-defence, because it emphasises full contact sparring and competition. Full contact is the closest possible representation you can get of a 'real' fight, because you are not pulling your punches and kicks in any way.
Kyoskushin fighters have done very well in premier fighting events like K1, the world's top kickboxing organisation. Andy Hug was one of K1's greatest ever fighters and his style was Kyoskushin. Georges St. Pierre, the current UFC welterweight champion gets his stand up style from Kyokushin also.
Reply:Honestly, all martial arts are good for self defense. They teach you to think differently about your own safety and how to fight. the specific moves are not what's important.
Having said that I will list some very good arts to learn and some not so great ones.
Some good ones because they are versatile are:
Kempo Karate
Jeet Kun Do
Wing Chun
Shaolin Chuan Fa (kung fu is not the correct term but is more commonly used)
Some good arts because they are practical:
Krav Maga
JuJitsu
Judo
Some arts I would avoid but that may work for others:
Tae Kwon Do - it's too predictable for me and relies too heavily on repeated use of the same moves over and over again. It's very pretty, but not street smart. Also I've beaten too many Tae Kwon Do "black belts" to really respect the art any more.
Muy Thai - I know it's the flavor of the year but it's a more dangerous art then any other I've seen. I met a man hobbled before his years, at the age of 65 he could barely stand upright and his legs could barely hold his weight even though we was very thin. He had studied Muy Thai and it had injured him very badly. he broke almost every bone in his body at some point while training and after many years he had to stop training all together. Shaolin monks train until the day they die and at 90+ years of age could still snap me like a twig. At 65 you should still be able to train without major pain due to prior injury.
Boxing - It's the simplest modern martial art and that's why I wouldn't take it. You learn less about how to push your body to it's limit them in other arts. Also you're primary attacks will be punches which the enemy will expect. It's too limiting for me.
Reply:I practise wado-ryu karate, which incorporates elements of jujitsu, and I have no problems with it.
Do whichever style you want to do and good luck!
Reply:It is not as much about the art as it is about HOW YOU TRAIN.
if you train realistically with fully resisting opponents, then that is the better art.
The reality is that many sportative arts train that way (like boxing or muai thai) while non-sportative arts like wing chun, and karate don't.
If you don't know what you are looking for then you are likely to get taken for a ride. If you know how to spot a good teacher and gym. and know what questions to ask about the intensity of the training, then go with whatever art you can find that has a good teacher.
A good teacher and good training outweigh any "search for style" benefits as you may not be in an area that has access to many different styles with good teachers. Even in new york city it is hard to find a good teacher for a particular non-sportative style unless you know someone who knows someone.
my point is that unless you don't know what you are looking for, then i suggest you find a sportative art because it is easier to find a good one as they tend to "self-regulate". Meaning they train for, and go to competitions where there are little rules and they look like a real fight (the closer it looks to a boxing match with legs and grapples or throws tossed into the mix the more realistic the ruleset is).
If you are looking to be non-comittal- then boxing is a good place to start, you will learn to focus on and specialize in punching properly- a skill that translates into or mixes with ANY martial art.
even if you want to do muai thai later, it builds on your boxing skill. I think beginning muai thai first can be very intimidating, boxing slightly less so that is why I'm suggesting it. Also you will be able to get the background of a "good" gym vs. a crappy one that doesn't teach properly, or that teaches you forms and punching techniques that aren't as effective and powerfull as boxing, but they tell you that they are.
Ie: chambering.
Reply:YES, karate is an effective form of street self-defense.
Stay away from MMA, or mixed martial arts, because that is just a ring-style sport and doesn't teach weapons usage or multiple attack defense.
Just realize that it takes a very long time to learn Karate and it is very hard work. Also there are a many different styles of Karate: Okinawan and Japanese. So shop around and choose the style that best suits you.
Reply:Karate is god as are many others. Karate is a striking style, Jujitsu %26amp; Aikido are grappling styles. There are advantages to both. Here is a brief summary.
Striking: Tae Kwon Do. Karate, Shaolin boxing
Good: Can handle multiple attackers, can engage at long range, enables you to be pro active when necessary.
Not so good: Ground, hard to control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.
Grappling: Hapkido, Judo, etc.
Good: effective in close, good on the ground, can control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.
Not so Good: Not good at long range, you must wait for the attacker to make the 1st move. Not effective against multiple attackers.
Reply:honestly karate doesent help much in self defense.. if you want to know how to protect yourself in the streets you should do boxing or kickboxing.. both of those are the best combat sports you can do
Reply:Some martial arts are more external or hard styles eg. boxing karate taekwondo, some are more internal or soft eg taichi aikido wingchun.
jujitsu, hapkido are probably somewhree in the middle.
Generally the softer the style the greater the heights you can take it - the greater in the hands of a master, but the longer it takes to become a master.
Generally the harder styles are much faster to learn at the beginning and to be able to use effectively.
So i am really coming to believe in starting your training in the hard styles, and gradually moving to softer more internal styles as you are ready.
Reply:karate sucks for self defence
Reply:It isn't the martial art, but the practitioner that "is good" or not. Also, no matter what you pick, it takes training and dedication. Everyday you need to be in there training, working out, getting in shape, going over forms, and exhaustivly training your punches, kicks and holds or YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME AND MONEY.
Reply:Martial arts effectiveness is a never ending open-ended and often contested question.
Some arts are built for sport (with rules set to protect competitors from serious injury) other arts are meant to injure and inflict great pain to gain compliance from a would be attacker. From what I’ve learned and scene some martial arts depend on the element of surprise to gain advantage quickly and finish fights with little or nor interference from an assailant. And all depend on your having confidence in your self and being prepared to protect yourself form any attack.
The truth about fighting is if your in a fist fight you will get hit, if your in a knife fight chances are you will be cut. It’s a fact so get past it and learn how to protect yourself form serious injury.
The truly good news is most people will never have to face an attacker in a life or death situation, most conflict is preventable. Use your head more than your hands and you will avoid much trouble.
After studying a handful of martial arts I personally feel it is good to practice whatever style fits your personality, beliefs, lifestyle and body type best. It’s good to challenge yourself in many ways but stick to one art and build a good base of knowledge before seeking additional answers elsewhere. Often you will find the longer your practice one art the deeper your knowledge and wisdom grow.
Young students do not always learn the best an art has to offer them. They simply take a taste, judge too quickly and move along before ever feeling the true nature of the art. So take some time and visit many studios before signing up. All good studios offer free or low cost introductory classes, take some and learn all you can before signing up.
The ultimate goal of all martial arts is to improve self, gain control of emotion and anger and channel your energy into something positive that improves you as a person and makes you a better human being both inside and out.
Truly great martial artists never create conflict, they find resolution in humility and confidence.
Is you seek to visually prove or disprove the effectiveness of martial arts when compared side by side simply search YouTube for many fights between various practitioners and BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). This is as close a comparison as I have scene of one art vs. another. You will note when a grappler closes distance on a striker or distance fighter and the fight ends up on the ground all the grappler need do is gain superior position over his attacker, force them to roll to their stomach by striking to the face and choke them out. To this day the Gracie Family has an open-ended challenge to all martial artists. To my knowledge BJJ has never been successfully defeated in this regard. But I may be in error so forgive me if I speak out of turn.
I enjoy training in both Kung Fu and BJJ and I love each for it’s many differences. But I also enjoy having fun with both.
Find something you like and learn as much of it as you can. If you seek to compete look into TKD, BJJ or Karate they all offer point fighting tournaments that are great fun but take a lot of focus and training to do well in. there are also a great many truly fantastic arts that require a great deal of study to learn but are equally reqarding for the practitioner such as Krav Magra, Kung fu San Soo, Lima Lama etc… All unique but all fun in their own way. (sprry for spelling errors above.)
Don’t dabble either, if you want to study martial art, do your best, focus and give it your all to gain a true understanding of your selected art. Anything worth doing takes great effort and time to get good at. Don’t quit after your first belt, keep learning and expanding your knowledge.
Good luck.
KK
java
Is karate a good martial art to learn for effective self defense? I heard aikido and jiu jitsu are better.?
Jiu Jitsu is very good!!! Why waste time.Why??...I live in New York City and most cats in the street are very good.So block the attack ...lock up the joint(or break the bone)...slam the child on the hard concrete is more of what i'm into !!!You can even make your opponent call the police on his own cell phone with a joint lock.(uh huh..yea call em.).check out this book...The Power of Internal Martial Arts(Combat Secrets of Ba Gua,Tai chi and Hsinj-I...B.K.Frantzis...peace...One
Reply:NO!
For self defense I HIGHLY suggest taking Lotar or Muay Thai (boxing). Hapkido is another good one.
If you wanna fight for fun you would need Muay Thai, Jui Jitsu, basic Tae Kwon Do, South Paw, Judo(optional, not recomended).
In the end it's all up to you.
-joe
Reply:I've done Karate, general Kung Fu, Kick Boxing, and Jiu Jitsu. Kick Boxing was definitely the most effective in creating self defense (don't know if it's considered a martial art though), but Jiu Jitsu is a close second and really fun and interesting to learn as you'll find a lot of practical ways to incapacitate people that you never thought of. Oh, and Karate was for sure the lamest one. Lame lame lame. Good Luck.
Reply:Well, first of all, effective self-defense is over 85 percent street smarts. It's about trusting your instincts when you think there's something wrong about this guy that came up and asked you for the time. It's about avoiding certain situations altogether and feeling good enough about who you are to walk away when you smell trouble. It's also about knowing you don't have to trade insults with a drunk, etc..., etc...
All martial arts will teach you about self-confidence, overcoming your fears, knowing your body's capacities and using its abilities in a crisis, the proper distance at which to keep an opponent, etc..., etc...
No martial art, on the other hand, will make you invincible or superhuman. If a guy pulls out a gun on you out of nowhere and demands your wallet, the best self-defense move I can think of is to hand him over your waller without making a fuss and cancel all your cards as soon as you can get to a phone.
This being said, the arts all hav their advantages and drawbacks. I don't think you can say there is a best, or a worst martial art. There are better and worse teachers, so you should be careful who you sign up with. But mostly, you should study an art that agrees with you, who you are, and what can keep up your interest.
This is being said, Karate and Kung Fu involve striking, which means trading blows with your opponent. There is a faster learning curve thant Aikido or Jie Jitsu (Don't know much about Hapkido, sorry). It means after one or two months, you'll have learned something effective, because even a punch that's not perfect still has a certain effect. Aikido or Jiu-Jitsu throws and locks, on the other hand, tend to have very little effect unless they are very well executed. The advantage of these, though, is that you don't necessarily have to get up close and personal with your opponent. You can throw an attacker away from you and run, or pin him down and call for help. (Which to me is just as good as beating him senseless - a lot of people on here will disagree, but to me, self-defense is about surviving situations, not necessarily physically dominating your attacker).
Anyway, I would definitely pick up some books about any arts that interest you and learn about them, and see what interests you. I think people should usually go with their instincts.
Hope this helps. Best of luck to you.
Reply:Its not the style that makes the artist, but the artist that makes the style. It doesn't matter what you train in, all styles can be effective.
Reply:I would go with what you like the most because if you master any of them they will be very effective. But I have to tell you - the cheapest is the regular old wrestling room! Most of the time (except when you go to tournaments) it will be free - It will not cost to train and get belts. But all are effective.
Reply:Kyokushin Karate is a very effective form of self-defence, because it emphasises full contact sparring and competition. Full contact is the closest possible representation you can get of a 'real' fight, because you are not pulling your punches and kicks in any way.
Kyoskushin fighters have done very well in premier fighting events like K1, the world's top kickboxing organisation. Andy Hug was one of K1's greatest ever fighters and his style was Kyoskushin. Georges St. Pierre, the current UFC welterweight champion gets his stand up style from Kyokushin also.
Reply:Honestly, all martial arts are good for self defense. They teach you to think differently about your own safety and how to fight. the specific moves are not what's important.
Having said that I will list some very good arts to learn and some not so great ones.
Some good ones because they are versatile are:
Kempo Karate
Jeet Kun Do
Wing Chun
Shaolin Chuan Fa (kung fu is not the correct term but is more commonly used)
Some good arts because they are practical:
Krav Maga
JuJitsu
Judo
Some arts I would avoid but that may work for others:
Tae Kwon Do - it's too predictable for me and relies too heavily on repeated use of the same moves over and over again. It's very pretty, but not street smart. Also I've beaten too many Tae Kwon Do "black belts" to really respect the art any more.
Muy Thai - I know it's the flavor of the year but it's a more dangerous art then any other I've seen. I met a man hobbled before his years, at the age of 65 he could barely stand upright and his legs could barely hold his weight even though we was very thin. He had studied Muy Thai and it had injured him very badly. he broke almost every bone in his body at some point while training and after many years he had to stop training all together. Shaolin monks train until the day they die and at 90+ years of age could still snap me like a twig. At 65 you should still be able to train without major pain due to prior injury.
Boxing - It's the simplest modern martial art and that's why I wouldn't take it. You learn less about how to push your body to it's limit them in other arts. Also you're primary attacks will be punches which the enemy will expect. It's too limiting for me.
Reply:I practise wado-ryu karate, which incorporates elements of jujitsu, and I have no problems with it.
Do whichever style you want to do and good luck!
Reply:It is not as much about the art as it is about HOW YOU TRAIN.
if you train realistically with fully resisting opponents, then that is the better art.
The reality is that many sportative arts train that way (like boxing or muai thai) while non-sportative arts like wing chun, and karate don't.
If you don't know what you are looking for then you are likely to get taken for a ride. If you know how to spot a good teacher and gym. and know what questions to ask about the intensity of the training, then go with whatever art you can find that has a good teacher.
A good teacher and good training outweigh any "search for style" benefits as you may not be in an area that has access to many different styles with good teachers. Even in new york city it is hard to find a good teacher for a particular non-sportative style unless you know someone who knows someone.
my point is that unless you don't know what you are looking for, then i suggest you find a sportative art because it is easier to find a good one as they tend to "self-regulate". Meaning they train for, and go to competitions where there are little rules and they look like a real fight (the closer it looks to a boxing match with legs and grapples or throws tossed into the mix the more realistic the ruleset is).
If you are looking to be non-comittal- then boxing is a good place to start, you will learn to focus on and specialize in punching properly- a skill that translates into or mixes with ANY martial art.
even if you want to do muai thai later, it builds on your boxing skill. I think beginning muai thai first can be very intimidating, boxing slightly less so that is why I'm suggesting it. Also you will be able to get the background of a "good" gym vs. a crappy one that doesn't teach properly, or that teaches you forms and punching techniques that aren't as effective and powerfull as boxing, but they tell you that they are.
Ie: chambering.
Reply:YES, karate is an effective form of street self-defense.
Stay away from MMA, or mixed martial arts, because that is just a ring-style sport and doesn't teach weapons usage or multiple attack defense.
Just realize that it takes a very long time to learn Karate and it is very hard work. Also there are a many different styles of Karate: Okinawan and Japanese. So shop around and choose the style that best suits you.
Reply:Karate is god as are many others. Karate is a striking style, Jujitsu %26amp; Aikido are grappling styles. There are advantages to both. Here is a brief summary.
Striking: Tae Kwon Do. Karate, Shaolin boxing
Good: Can handle multiple attackers, can engage at long range, enables you to be pro active when necessary.
Not so good: Ground, hard to control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.
Grappling: Hapkido, Judo, etc.
Good: effective in close, good on the ground, can control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.
Not so Good: Not good at long range, you must wait for the attacker to make the 1st move. Not effective against multiple attackers.
Reply:honestly karate doesent help much in self defense.. if you want to know how to protect yourself in the streets you should do boxing or kickboxing.. both of those are the best combat sports you can do
Reply:Some martial arts are more external or hard styles eg. boxing karate taekwondo, some are more internal or soft eg taichi aikido wingchun.
jujitsu, hapkido are probably somewhree in the middle.
Generally the softer the style the greater the heights you can take it - the greater in the hands of a master, but the longer it takes to become a master.
Generally the harder styles are much faster to learn at the beginning and to be able to use effectively.
So i am really coming to believe in starting your training in the hard styles, and gradually moving to softer more internal styles as you are ready.
Reply:karate sucks for self defence
Reply:It isn't the martial art, but the practitioner that "is good" or not. Also, no matter what you pick, it takes training and dedication. Everyday you need to be in there training, working out, getting in shape, going over forms, and exhaustivly training your punches, kicks and holds or YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME AND MONEY.
Reply:Martial arts effectiveness is a never ending open-ended and often contested question.
Some arts are built for sport (with rules set to protect competitors from serious injury) other arts are meant to injure and inflict great pain to gain compliance from a would be attacker. From what I’ve learned and scene some martial arts depend on the element of surprise to gain advantage quickly and finish fights with little or nor interference from an assailant. And all depend on your having confidence in your self and being prepared to protect yourself form any attack.
The truth about fighting is if your in a fist fight you will get hit, if your in a knife fight chances are you will be cut. It’s a fact so get past it and learn how to protect yourself form serious injury.
The truly good news is most people will never have to face an attacker in a life or death situation, most conflict is preventable. Use your head more than your hands and you will avoid much trouble.
After studying a handful of martial arts I personally feel it is good to practice whatever style fits your personality, beliefs, lifestyle and body type best. It’s good to challenge yourself in many ways but stick to one art and build a good base of knowledge before seeking additional answers elsewhere. Often you will find the longer your practice one art the deeper your knowledge and wisdom grow.
Young students do not always learn the best an art has to offer them. They simply take a taste, judge too quickly and move along before ever feeling the true nature of the art. So take some time and visit many studios before signing up. All good studios offer free or low cost introductory classes, take some and learn all you can before signing up.
The ultimate goal of all martial arts is to improve self, gain control of emotion and anger and channel your energy into something positive that improves you as a person and makes you a better human being both inside and out.
Truly great martial artists never create conflict, they find resolution in humility and confidence.
Is you seek to visually prove or disprove the effectiveness of martial arts when compared side by side simply search YouTube for many fights between various practitioners and BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). This is as close a comparison as I have scene of one art vs. another. You will note when a grappler closes distance on a striker or distance fighter and the fight ends up on the ground all the grappler need do is gain superior position over his attacker, force them to roll to their stomach by striking to the face and choke them out. To this day the Gracie Family has an open-ended challenge to all martial artists. To my knowledge BJJ has never been successfully defeated in this regard. But I may be in error so forgive me if I speak out of turn.
I enjoy training in both Kung Fu and BJJ and I love each for it’s many differences. But I also enjoy having fun with both.
Find something you like and learn as much of it as you can. If you seek to compete look into TKD, BJJ or Karate they all offer point fighting tournaments that are great fun but take a lot of focus and training to do well in. there are also a great many truly fantastic arts that require a great deal of study to learn but are equally reqarding for the practitioner such as Krav Magra, Kung fu San Soo, Lima Lama etc… All unique but all fun in their own way. (sprry for spelling errors above.)
Don’t dabble either, if you want to study martial art, do your best, focus and give it your all to gain a true understanding of your selected art. Anything worth doing takes great effort and time to get good at. Don’t quit after your first belt, keep learning and expanding your knowledge.
Good luck.
KK
java
Surviving todays modern society?
my teacher has died some time ago. my martial art buddys have all gone away when i was sent overseas. (U.,S.Army soldier) after coming back ive got no-one to train with. what kind of training can i do to increase my speed everyday? or speed and accuracy training hitting small targets? what can i practice on my own? would anyone have a training layout or exercise i can do on my own? just preparing for the day if i happen to meet the "street-version" of bob sapp, oscar dela hoya, mike tyson, ect.ect. the thug version of these guys are out there. there is always someone better than you ive learned. many thats not famous or well known. i feel in my gut my time will come to defend myself. dreamed all my life about that one guy i fight to save my life. if anyone has a great method of increasing my speed and accuracy,pls share the knowledge. ill practice everyday. seems all ive learned from gung-fu, muay thai is just not enough. wing chun would love to learn.but need realistic training. thanx
Surviving todays modern society?
Martial arts is more about building character than defending your life in confrontation. If you live in a bad area, deal with bad people all day long than work on striking, stamina, grappling, throws and leverages. You need a wide array of weapons if you hope to defend any guy looking to hurt you or worse.
The best solution to a fight is walk away. You only fight if your life is on the line or someone you love is in danger.
There is no single best answer to your question and not one excercise regimen that can prepare you to defend your life against all comers. But you can choose to prepare.
Fighting or conflict in general is a thinking man's game, use your mind before your muscle.
I would advise you to look into MMA if you want to win a fight. Keep practicing and be in shape. Street fights are short and almost always end violently and quickly. Usually the first guy to land a punch/kick wins. You may also wish to check out Kung Fu San Soo or a similar street effective training system that gets you in quickly and ends confrontations. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is extremely effective for ground fighting and one on one confrontation but stay off the ground in multi attacker scenarios unless you like boot marks on your face. ;-)
If you meet a tough as nails fighter like Tyson or the Golden Boy ask him for his autopgrah not a knock out punch. Smile, as if you can be of assistance, get to root of the matter and avoid the fight. You don't want to put him in the hospital and I'm certain he doesn't want to end up there.
Stay safe.
KK
Reply:Why not join another club?
Training on your own only works if you are already a high expert, otherwise there is always something to learn from others.
Reply:Send me an Email. I'll try to help You out.
Surviving todays modern society?
Martial arts is more about building character than defending your life in confrontation. If you live in a bad area, deal with bad people all day long than work on striking, stamina, grappling, throws and leverages. You need a wide array of weapons if you hope to defend any guy looking to hurt you or worse.
The best solution to a fight is walk away. You only fight if your life is on the line or someone you love is in danger.
There is no single best answer to your question and not one excercise regimen that can prepare you to defend your life against all comers. But you can choose to prepare.
Fighting or conflict in general is a thinking man's game, use your mind before your muscle.
I would advise you to look into MMA if you want to win a fight. Keep practicing and be in shape. Street fights are short and almost always end violently and quickly. Usually the first guy to land a punch/kick wins. You may also wish to check out Kung Fu San Soo or a similar street effective training system that gets you in quickly and ends confrontations. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is extremely effective for ground fighting and one on one confrontation but stay off the ground in multi attacker scenarios unless you like boot marks on your face. ;-)
If you meet a tough as nails fighter like Tyson or the Golden Boy ask him for his autopgrah not a knock out punch. Smile, as if you can be of assistance, get to root of the matter and avoid the fight. You don't want to put him in the hospital and I'm certain he doesn't want to end up there.
Stay safe.
KK
Reply:Why not join another club?
Training on your own only works if you are already a high expert, otherwise there is always something to learn from others.
Reply:Send me an Email. I'll try to help You out.
What will be the best martial art for me ?
i'm 21 and i like kung fu, tai chi , wing chun what will be the best one for me ?
What will be the best martial art for me ?
STOP and Think... THERE IS NO "BEST" MARTIAL ART.... YOU SHOULD LEARN AND DISCOVER AS MANY AS YOU CAN AND THEN SORT OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. (FOR EXAMPLE: A VERY SHORT GUY WITH SHORT ARMS WOULD BE BETTER AT A GRAPPLING ART SUCH AS JIU - JITSU OR JUDO, AND NOT VERY GOOD AT BOXING) BOXING IS NOT A LEGITIMATE FORM OF SELF DEFENSE ANYWAY. WING CHUN IS A "STYLE" OF KUNG FU. I RECOMMEND READING SOME BRUCE LEE BOOKS, AND THEN EXPLORE DIFFERENT ARTS. TRY JEET KUNE DO (BRUCE LEE'S ART), MUAY THAI, BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU, AND THEN GO FROM THERE. *TRADITIONAL ARTS ARE OUTDATED!!!!! DON'T LEARN THE HARD WAY LIKE ME!!
Reply:A good well rounded style would be freestyle Karate.You will learn stand up,ground,grappling and weapons.What a lot of people don't understand is that freestyle Karate is about practical street defence not who can kick the highest or punch a pad the hardest.It's definitely not a sport martial art like TKD or BJJ.The motto of my style is the best of everything in progression.Basically that means we don't care where the technique comes from we improve it and integrate it into our style while still maintaining tradition as do most freestyle Karate's.
The hardest thing is finding a good experienced instructor.I would recommend Bushi Kai or Zen Do Kai, but if your not in Australia or New Zealand you may have some difficulty finding some one who teaches these styles.These styles also usually have separate classes available to everyone in Muay Thai and BJJ/Submission/Shoot wrestling.If you can't find one of these i would suggest Kempo or Enshin or another freestyle Karate.
http://www.zendokai.com.au/countries2/US...
Reply:Look around your area and see which ones are availible. compare prices one might be twice as much as another also some might have you sign a contract, so you'll be forced to pay for a year of classes even if you find out you don't enjoy it after a month or two. Compare class times, how often are you expected to be there, do the times work with your schedual. Do they have adult begginer classes or will you have to be with a bunch of youngsters? Some places will let you sit and watch a class, or participate in one to see if you like it.
Reply:You should get to know your styles a little more, see what's in your area and then visit schools. A lot of people are searching for the perfect style when they should be searching for the perfect teacher (for them).
Wing Chun is a style of Kung Fu so maybe that is what you should look into first.
Tai Chi is a very "soft" art meaning you have no sparring, no fast movement, no contact and just learn a pattern of movements.
You should also decide why you are taking martial arts. Do you live in a bad neighborhood and need self-defense protection? Try Krav-Maga, Kickboxing or Jeet Kun Do. Do you want to compete in tournaments? Try Tae Kwon Do, Ju-Jitsu, American Karate or Judo. Are you looking for a more traditional art? Try Kung-Fu, Japanese Karate, Aikido or Ninjitsu. You can even find gyms now that offer the MMA type of curriculum, even if you don't want to fight for a living.
Reply:visit different schools and do a free intro course. then choose from there
Reply:It would really depend on what you want to do with it. Solid Self defense and or in the ring. Looking at the list you gave I would suggest you go to www.dillman.com and look up one of his affilliated schools. He is an Okinawan Kempo stylist that uses Kung fu and Tai chi Pressure Points. His schools teach realistic real world self defense that you can use as a youngster to an 80 year old man/woman. I have done Martial arts for 30 + years and been to every school or style or seminar I could find and I always gravitate back to kyusho Kempo. Its and all around ecletic style that get to the real original principals of self defense.
Hope this help
Reply:All I can tell you is just visit any schools that're local to you tha offer any one of those Martial Arts.
find out which one of these you like best and then see if they have any trial classes.
No one here can tell you which Martial Art is going to fit you the best, only YOU can make that decision for yourself.
Reply:you should be looking for a good teacher and school not a particular art.
Especially with CMA (chinese martial arts) as a huge number of cma schools don't train you properly and they don't train with resistance. chi sau is not resistance training.
If you don't know what to look for you run the risk of training at a bad school and will not only not learn anything, but could learn bad habits that make you a worse fighter.
I would suggest making sure that the school you goes to trains to fight, meaning that they train and drill with full resistance (eventually, obviously they don't expect you to get it on the first try, the students eventually should be training the moves with full resistance).
Reply:any of them will be fine it just has to do with what you like, and what you are interested in learning, it has nothing to do with age.
good luck !
Reply:No best arts, just best artists. Find a good school, not a good style.
Reply:It depends on what one suits you best to find out, do some research and search on directories.
Reply:Wing chun.
What will be the best martial art for me ?
STOP and Think... THERE IS NO "BEST" MARTIAL ART.... YOU SHOULD LEARN AND DISCOVER AS MANY AS YOU CAN AND THEN SORT OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. (FOR EXAMPLE: A VERY SHORT GUY WITH SHORT ARMS WOULD BE BETTER AT A GRAPPLING ART SUCH AS JIU - JITSU OR JUDO, AND NOT VERY GOOD AT BOXING) BOXING IS NOT A LEGITIMATE FORM OF SELF DEFENSE ANYWAY. WING CHUN IS A "STYLE" OF KUNG FU. I RECOMMEND READING SOME BRUCE LEE BOOKS, AND THEN EXPLORE DIFFERENT ARTS. TRY JEET KUNE DO (BRUCE LEE'S ART), MUAY THAI, BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU, AND THEN GO FROM THERE. *TRADITIONAL ARTS ARE OUTDATED!!!!! DON'T LEARN THE HARD WAY LIKE ME!!
Reply:A good well rounded style would be freestyle Karate.You will learn stand up,ground,grappling and weapons.What a lot of people don't understand is that freestyle Karate is about practical street defence not who can kick the highest or punch a pad the hardest.It's definitely not a sport martial art like TKD or BJJ.The motto of my style is the best of everything in progression.Basically that means we don't care where the technique comes from we improve it and integrate it into our style while still maintaining tradition as do most freestyle Karate's.
The hardest thing is finding a good experienced instructor.I would recommend Bushi Kai or Zen Do Kai, but if your not in Australia or New Zealand you may have some difficulty finding some one who teaches these styles.These styles also usually have separate classes available to everyone in Muay Thai and BJJ/Submission/Shoot wrestling.If you can't find one of these i would suggest Kempo or Enshin or another freestyle Karate.
http://www.zendokai.com.au/countries2/US...
Reply:Look around your area and see which ones are availible. compare prices one might be twice as much as another also some might have you sign a contract, so you'll be forced to pay for a year of classes even if you find out you don't enjoy it after a month or two. Compare class times, how often are you expected to be there, do the times work with your schedual. Do they have adult begginer classes or will you have to be with a bunch of youngsters? Some places will let you sit and watch a class, or participate in one to see if you like it.
Reply:You should get to know your styles a little more, see what's in your area and then visit schools. A lot of people are searching for the perfect style when they should be searching for the perfect teacher (for them).
Wing Chun is a style of Kung Fu so maybe that is what you should look into first.
Tai Chi is a very "soft" art meaning you have no sparring, no fast movement, no contact and just learn a pattern of movements.
You should also decide why you are taking martial arts. Do you live in a bad neighborhood and need self-defense protection? Try Krav-Maga, Kickboxing or Jeet Kun Do. Do you want to compete in tournaments? Try Tae Kwon Do, Ju-Jitsu, American Karate or Judo. Are you looking for a more traditional art? Try Kung-Fu, Japanese Karate, Aikido or Ninjitsu. You can even find gyms now that offer the MMA type of curriculum, even if you don't want to fight for a living.
Reply:visit different schools and do a free intro course. then choose from there
Reply:It would really depend on what you want to do with it. Solid Self defense and or in the ring. Looking at the list you gave I would suggest you go to www.dillman.com and look up one of his affilliated schools. He is an Okinawan Kempo stylist that uses Kung fu and Tai chi Pressure Points. His schools teach realistic real world self defense that you can use as a youngster to an 80 year old man/woman. I have done Martial arts for 30 + years and been to every school or style or seminar I could find and I always gravitate back to kyusho Kempo. Its and all around ecletic style that get to the real original principals of self defense.
Hope this help
Reply:All I can tell you is just visit any schools that're local to you tha offer any one of those Martial Arts.
find out which one of these you like best and then see if they have any trial classes.
No one here can tell you which Martial Art is going to fit you the best, only YOU can make that decision for yourself.
Reply:you should be looking for a good teacher and school not a particular art.
Especially with CMA (chinese martial arts) as a huge number of cma schools don't train you properly and they don't train with resistance. chi sau is not resistance training.
If you don't know what to look for you run the risk of training at a bad school and will not only not learn anything, but could learn bad habits that make you a worse fighter.
I would suggest making sure that the school you goes to trains to fight, meaning that they train and drill with full resistance (eventually, obviously they don't expect you to get it on the first try, the students eventually should be training the moves with full resistance).
Reply:any of them will be fine it just has to do with what you like, and what you are interested in learning, it has nothing to do with age.
good luck !
Reply:No best arts, just best artists. Find a good school, not a good style.
Reply:It depends on what one suits you best to find out, do some research and search on directories.
Reply:Wing chun.
Anyone know how much a month is it to attend the Francis Fong MA Academy in GA?
Hello. I am interested in learning wing chun or jkd, which are both taught at the Francis Fong Martial Arts Academy in Norcross, GA. I emailed them asking them how much a month would classes be but I have yet to get an answer. Does anyone know how much classes would be a month at this school? or an estimate will be good...Thank you!!!!!!!
Anyone know how much a month is it to attend the Francis Fong MA Academy in GA?
6 grand
Anyone know how much a month is it to attend the Francis Fong MA Academy in GA?
6 grand
Brazilian jujitsu or MMA in Taiwan?
I am training wing chun at the moment and would like to get into MMA and BJJ. I will be moving to Taipei soon so I was wondering if the was a good place to train.
Brazilian jujitsu or MMA in Taiwan?
I know of Andy Wang at Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club.
http://www.taiwanbjj.org/
Go to http://www.jiujitsugear.com/forum lots of BJJ/MMA guys hang out there and Andy Wang post there too. They can give you all the info you need.
Reply:You can check out my club if you like. We do BJJ, Submission Grappling and MMA. I’ve also trained extensively in Wing Chun and Ba Gua .
Here is my web site evolutioncombat.com
Contact me at gor15@hotmail.com
Cheers
Gord
Reply:I think tigerhead knows what he is talking about.
flowers baby
Brazilian jujitsu or MMA in Taiwan?
I know of Andy Wang at Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club.
http://www.taiwanbjj.org/
Go to http://www.jiujitsugear.com/forum lots of BJJ/MMA guys hang out there and Andy Wang post there too. They can give you all the info you need.
Reply:You can check out my club if you like. We do BJJ, Submission Grappling and MMA. I’ve also trained extensively in Wing Chun and Ba Gua .
Here is my web site evolutioncombat.com
Contact me at gor15@hotmail.com
Cheers
Gord
Reply:I think tigerhead knows what he is talking about.
flowers baby
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