What martial arts do you study?

[Iron Chef]

lol, nice...

 

[Martialartsnovice]

Interesting? Seems that skeletons are coming up from the closet

 

[Inuyasha-the-kid]

I study shotokan karate from the internet

 

[Martialartsnovice]

Hey I remember you, I heard you say in a different thread that you'd like to learn Karate from the net, I didnt think it was possible to do so, but Im not omniscent.

 

[Tenshi]

Karate from the net ?? thats like the matrix ??

 

[Fantt]

I study Aikido which is a Japanese martial art which has no direct attacks. We learn how to use the attacker's motion and energy against him to correct his aggressive behavior. It is one of Japan's most modern martial arts, though it has roots going back hundreds of years. It is an extremely effective form of self-defense and very beautiful to watch.

As a beginner, once you learn to fall properly, you begin training with the rest of the class, from other beginners to the black belts. There are no katas in Aikido. We learn techniques which are practiced with one (or sometimes more) partners. One person is the receiver of the attack and the other is the attacker. In each technique, the receiver does something nasty to the attacker which renders the attacker pretty much unable to continue attacking. You do this over and over and over with millions of variations and it's an awful lot of fun.

 

[Martialartsnovice]

But if you do something nasty to the attacker, hows does the attacker switch roles for the drill. It sounds like a one-sided martial arts for drills.

 

[Fantt]

But if you do something nasty to the attacker, hows does the attacker switch roles for the drill? It sounds like a one-sided martial arts for drills.

Well, most of it involves throws or pins. In the real world being thrown on your back onto concrete is pretty nasty. In the dojo the attacker knows how to be thrown onto the mat so that it doesn't hurt. Similarly in the real world, if I have an attacker pinned, it doesn't take much more effort to snap bones if they continue to resist, in the dojo we make a point of not snapping any bones. There's no "mat" to slap in the real world and it wouldn't count anyways.

 

[sabro]

I'm off to Karate class now. (In the "real" world...or is it?)

 

[SkippyDaStudent85]

I know I posted earlier, but I thought I should post something new...

I'm looking into starting kendo and iaido lessons this coming weekend.

 

[stalky]

i started taekwondo right now and it's really nice - it suits my personality
before that i was practising judo for about 10 years but now it doesn't satisfy me as much as in the past

 

[Martialartsnovice]

Ive studied Karate, and it seemed utterly useless when I had to fight a few times, I was better off, attempting street fighting, than using it.

 

[Jack]

I studied the nameless style...it is my way>.....and its very effective.

 

[Flashjeff]

Perhaps I'm just cynical, but I find all martial arts to be useless, save for watching in action movies, especially in the streets where, more often than not, an attacker's gonna have a gun, and suddenly all those unarmed fighting skills you've spent so much time and effort learning aren't worth squat. A skinny punk who can't punch his way out of a wet paper bag can make even the strongest, most accomplished black belt look like a 98 pound weakling when said punk's got a gun in his hands. Sorry to ramble like that, but that's just how I feel about martial arts.

 

[Martialartsnovice]

@Fantt
Yeah, I agree being thrown to concrete, will definitely alter a persons health. But I not going to bash Aikkido, I have dabbled in Judo, and some Tae-Kwon-Do. I wish to learn the Chinese art of Tai Chi, to improve my balance and Im trying to begin learning Jeet Kune Do. It should be interesting.

 

[Reiku]

Perhaps I'm just cynical, but I find all martial arts to be useless, save for watching in action movies, especially in the streets where, more often than not, an attacker's gonna have a gun, and suddenly all those unarmed fighting skills you've spent so much time and effort learning aren't worth squat. A skinny punk who can't punch his way out of a wet paper bag can make even the strongest, most accomplished black belt look like a 98 pound weakling when said punk's got a gun in his hands. Sorry to ramble like that, but that's just how I feel about martial arts.

It's a common misconception, but a gun is not the all-powerful street weapon it's made out to be.

A basic handgun is worth less than hand to hand skill against a martial artist--and for one simple reason: The bullet fires along the same line of sight as a punch.

The only advantages that type of gun gives you in a fight are range, damage, and intimidation.

However, it's harder to hit a target at a distance--if we consider a situation where a fight breaks out and someone pulls a gun, they really don't have any better of a chance to hit with the bullet than with their fists, provided their opponent remembers to *dodge* instead of stand there wetting his pants because the other guy has a gun.

At a distance, the difficulty of hitting the target and avoiding the line of fire increases by roughly the same amount, so the handgun generally doesn't benifit from it's superior range unless you catch your oppoent unaware and/or have time to aim--but any attack would benifit from those conditions.

There are exeptions: Obviously blocking techniques are useless against bullets, so if you're defense focuses on blocking or enduring strikes rather than avoiding them, you are in trouble--but such an approach is a mistake even against punches. Also, certain types of firearms--such as automatic weapons or shotguns allow you to cover an area instead of just a line of sight shot--if you can dodge that I'd like to know your secret.

But with the common handgun, the biggest advantage is that most people are afraid of it. When somebody points a gun at them, most people either freeze--giving the attacker a free shot--or panic, throwing any skill they had right out the window.

If you keep your head and stay aware of your attacker's movements, a "skinny punk with a gun" won't have any more luck shooting you than he did punching you--and you probably won't have to worry about the legal ramifications of shutting his a55 down in a hurry.

I'm not saying guns aren't dangerous--a hangun is without a doubt one of the most effective hand held weapons of our age--but I am saying that they aren't the fight ending trump card people make them out to be.

Without sufficient skill, any weapon is useless.

 

[sabro]

Most conflicts don't involve firearms yet. And self defense is only one facet of the martial arts.

 

[sabro]

Insane double post... gomen nasai....

 

[Martialartsnovice]

Yeah, Ill agree to that

As you send Sabro, self defense is but facet. I study martial arts to become a better athlete. Ive played football, basketball, and the other "American" sports, and I find that Martial arts are more full-filling after all. Thats my opinion though.

The one thing I cant wrap my understanding around, is the televised XMA or ESPN Extreme Arts. Where they show a person who is throwing a sharp sword into the air, and then catching it. Thats to me portrays a false image of what these different styles, or arts are meant to teach.

Anyway I study them as a recreational aspect, not to be a show-off. Anyone can break a board, or a brick. Some just do it barehanded.

 

[sabro]

At 41, I still compete- and I probably enjoy Kata more than Kumite. I guess I enjoy the physical control required- body awareness, balance, flexibility... i'm naturally pretty dorky- so it is a stretch for me.

 

[Clawn]

I practice a "martial" "art" in the literal sense of the term. ^_^ I wrestle (not like on the TV, but its closely related to Greco-Roman style) The wrestling that I am taught focuses more on "locking" your opponent down and stopping them from moving. I really enjoy it because of it's fast paced down and dirty feeling, and also because I have a natural talent for it(despite my not-so-atheletic looks).

I have also learned the basics of fencing, (American) karate, and my own personal style, "Squeezedeath" in which I use my abnormaly powerful grip to debilitate my opponents arms or neck.

I am interested in learning to use a quarter-staff.

 

[ButterSky]

Martial more than Art.

I study Kung Fu San Soo. Involving leverages and shifting weight. It was introduced in America by Jimmy Woo. I 'roll' or fight with men that are 200-250lbs heavier and about 15 years older than. We fight hard and get bruised up quite a bit, p.s. Arnica is great for bruises! It's the art of survival and there are no competitions involving this 'art', it is martial indeed. Learning how to 'go with it' is one of the first things we are taught. San Soo uses a variety of forms. Animal forms. Horses, cat, tiger, snake, these are some of the forms. Also what ever works, including but not limited to eye gouging/removal and other nasty things, it's strictly about self-defense. I also train in various weapons.

 

[ACMILAN1983]

I study Wing Chun Gung Fu.

Its becoming quite popular nowerdays amongst many martial artists, due to its unique nature and effectiveness.

Bruce Lee studied wing chun as a youngster and many of the principles of Jeet Kune Do involve wing chun (most Wing Chun practitioners become familiar with how to do the famous "once inch punch", as it requires application of the theories a wing chun punch is based around).

 

[Martialartsnovice]

Sounds Quite Effective,

I am thinkign about learning Wing Chung, and I am trying to teach myself some Jeet Kune Do. I have learned some karate, and Ive wrestled Greco-Roman before. A coach taught me how to wrestle using that discipline.

 

[ACMILAN1983]

Sounds Quite Effective,

I am thinkign about learning Wing Chung, and I am trying to teach myself some Jeet Kune Do. I have learned some karate, and Ive wrestled Greco-Roman before. A coach taught me how to wrestle using that discipline.

personally, I've found Wing Chun to be one of the most useful martial arts around to learn due to the way it helps you develop good reactions and sensitivity to your surroundings.