Martial Arts

[newagebiker]

So since i can't fight very well, and am weak for the size of person i am, i was thinking of starting some martial arts. i thought that i might start practicing jeet kune do, brazilian jiut jitsu or maybe muay thai. Something. what do you guys recommend?

[Sazafraz]

I don't know much about the types of martial arts you mentioned but I would not recommend Karate, Kung Fu, or Tai Kwon Doe because none of them are very practical.

[crackheadpakman]

I don't know much about the types of martial arts you mentioned but I would not recommend Karate, Kung Fu, or Tai Kwon Doe because none of them are very practical.

how is it not practical?

[randomdef]

So since i can't fight very well, and am weak for the size of person i am, i was thinking of starting some martial arts. i thought that i might start practicing jeet kune do, brazilian jiut jitsu or maybe muay thai. Something. what do you guys recommend?

why do you need to fight? martial arts also won't make you strong.

[phomp]

why do you need to fight? martial arts also won't make you strong.

If you take Muai Thai classes, generally you will get stronger. It is better if you do work out as well but you still would get stronger doing the classes. Even with kickboxing classes are good. Depending on the gym of course....

[randomdef]

If you take Muai Thai classes, generally you will get stronger. It is better if you do work out as well but you still would get stronger doing the classes. Even with kickboxing classes are good. Depending on the gym of course....

no. you get better at kicking and faster, you don't get stronger.

[papermate]

no. you get better at kicking and faster, you don't get stronger.

Uhh. He WOULD get stronger as his trainer would probably make him do strength training exercises alongside learning specific techniques. The degree to which he increases his strength is what's debatable.

OP, if you're going for strength and some bulk, hit up the weight room and eat properly.

[redg2]

no. you get better at kicking and faster, you don't get stronger.

Yes you will get stronger if you do Muay Thai.

[Shaner]

no. you get better at kicking and faster, you don't get stronger.

Either you've never been to any classes, or you've been going to the wrong classes. You will absolutely get stronger by attending martial arts classes on a regular basis, assuming the instructors are decent.

It's not just practicing kicking and punching, there's many other things that happen in classes. During the warm-up you may do everything from push-ups, crunches, bag work, skipping, circuit training, bunny hops, etc, etc, etc. These things will make you stronger!

For beginners, I recommend just straight kickboxing. It's very effective and a bit more basic than muay thai. It will teach you how to effectively strike, move your feet and defend against strikes. Eventually, you'll start sparring and you'll learn how to actually fight. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen right away. You need to learn to crawl before you can walk. Take the time to learn the basics, be patient, and you'll eventually start some real sparring. The sparring is what will teach you how to fight.

[angekfire]

Either you've never been to any classes, or you've been going to the wrong classes. You will absolutely get stronger by attending martial arts classes on a regular basis, assuming the instructors are decent.

It's not just practicing kicking and punching, there's many other things that happen in classes. During the warm-up you may do everything from push-ups, crunches, bag work, skipping, circuit training, bunny hops, etc, etc, etc. These things will make you stronger!

For beginners, I recommend just straight kickboxing. It's very effective and a bit more basic than muay thai. It will teach you how to effectively strike, move your feet and defend against strikes. Eventually, you'll start sparring and you'll learn how to actually fight. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen right away. You need to learn to crawl before you can walk. Take the time to learn the basics, be patient, and you'll eventually start some real sparring. The sparring is what will teach you how to fight.


Exactly. I do kickboxing (and kung-fu) and they definitely make you stronger. They have strength building exercises and conditioning so you are a more effective fighter, and so you can absorb more hits, and last longer in a fight. Martial arts are definitely good for overall fitness.

[ippon]

your profile location says, Mississauga.

if you are looking for something in mississauga, look up Shinbukan Judo ran by Goki Uemura at 2359 Royal Windsor Dr. 305-822-6230.

training times are Tues, Thurs, at 7:30-9 and Sat at 1-3.

you can drop in to watch what people actually do.

at the same place, Scott Shilling teaches Brazilian Jiujitsu on Mon, Wed, 8-9:30 and Sat. at 3-4:30.

in a nutshell, Judo and BJJ are similar with same roots, but Judo has evolved to focus more on stand-up fighting to take people down, and BJJ has evolved to focus more on ground fighting, but both sports include both stand-up and ground fighting in the curriculum.

[newagebiker]

i just don want people pushing me around. for my size, i'm weak. i thought hey martial arts is probably a great way to train and bring up my morale.

[LondonTown]

i just don want people pushing me around. for my size, i'm weak. i thought hey martial arts is probably a great way to train and bring up my morale.

Martial arts is a great way to train and gain confidence. Pick one and stick with it. GL

[ippon]

Martial arts is a great way to train and gain confidence. Pick one and stick with it. GL

LondonTown hit the nail on the head with the "stick with it" comment.
i've seen COUNTLESS people come and go, mostly either due to laziness and frustration.

with any practical combat sport, be it grappling or striking, proficiency won't come during your first month nor would you acheive greatness during your first year. it will require a certain level of commitment, time and patience.

if you have never done anything like this before, try out a few classes and experience it for yourself. most schools offer free trial classes.

[Red_Army]

i just don want people pushing me around. for my size, i'm weak. i thought hey martial arts is probably a great way to train and bring up my morale.

what do you mean you dont want people pushing you around??
in everday life? or in competitive sports? or what?

if i were you i would do a basic Karate class or as other mentioned Kick boxing...both will teach you discipline, and boost your self esteem

[gwu]

Why don't you just workout at the gym if you want to get stronger?

[newagebiker]

what do you mean you dont want people pushing you around??
in everday life? or in competitive sports? or what?

if i were you i would do a basic Karate class or as other mentioned Kick boxing...both will teach you discipline, and boost your self esteem

i may be 6 feet tall, and weigh 200lbs, but little of that 200lbs is muscle.

i did do the gym. 9 months of it. 2 month break, and i was back where i started. i've read that martial arts is something that doesn't easily change you, but once it effect begins to show, it is harder to disappear.

so i thought i should try it. and this is where we are now. me trying to decide which form.

from what i rear and thought about, kick boxing, jkd seem to be promising.

[rchun044]

i may be 6 feet tall, and weigh 200lbs, but little of that 200lbs is muscle.

i did do the gym. 9 months of it. 2 month break, and i was back where i started. i've read that martial arts is something that doesn't easily change you, but once it effect begins to show, it is harder to disappear.

so i thought i should try it. and this is where we are now. me trying to decide which form.

from what i rear and thought about, kick boxing, jkd seem to be promising.

if u want to really push yourself.... go to a boxing or muay thai gym..... you may want to even puke during the arm ups the first few times but it will be worth it.... even BJJ.... if you want a more relaxed laid back environment, do jkd or karate.... its up to you, but make sure you pick a legit school.... lots of mcdojos out there for karate, tkd, jkd.....

[murk]

this is coming from a guy who has been done both weightlifting and martial arts; martial arts will probably not make you stronger (ie, you can lift more weights). the only way to get stronger and grow muscle mass is to lift heavy weights and eat properly.

depending on which martial arts you take, you will do pushups, situps and other conditioning drills. if you take something like muay thai, you will probably get put into some "beginner" or "casual" classes geared towards women and office types trying to get fit and stay in shape, so expect most of that to be conditioning and cardio exercises with less focus on technique.
but all of those things are more endurance and cardio related more than strength training.

bottom line is, if you want to get strong (ie. your muscles can generate more force with contractions and grow bigger) you have to STRENGTH-train which basically means weightlifting.

you said youre tired of being pushed around. if you mean that LITERALLY, then i suggest you get good at judo. any joe schmoe who tries to grab you and push you will end up getting tossed onto the ground. if thats done on a street or solid floor, he could potentially end up really REALLY ****ed up.

personally i think brazilian jiu jitsu is the #1 martial art to take, but thats just me. i know people will say judo is the same as bjj, blah blah, bjj is just a derivative of judo blah blah. but ive trained with a few judo guys before and one of my training partners is a judo blackbelt and tbh its nothing special.
in general, judo guys ground game will really be lacking and in standup focus more on takedowns than throws (theyll be the ones throwing you) and you should be ok. or just pull guard and submit them in like 20 seconds (being on your back can be a dominant position in grappling, and its the signature position of brazilian jiu jitsu).

i would forget about doing "jeet kune do" or kung fu or any other gay martial arts. if a gym has some gay name like "super dragon ancient kung fu" its probably ********.

bottom line is to pick something you think is fun. and in my opinion (now alot of this depends on the gym/atmosphere/people more than anyhting).
i enjoy training bjj alot more than wrestling or judo.
and i enjoy training boxing more than muay thai.
i have never tried kung fu or jeet kune do as those are just plain gay.
and i will try karate as soon as i find a good gym thats not soft and is not a glorified babysitting service for 8 yearold kids. (yes, i said it)

[angekfire]

i would forget about doing "jeet kune do" or kung fu or any other gay martial arts. if a gym has some gay name like "super dragon ancient kung fu" its probably ********.

bottom line is to pick something you think is fun. and in my opinion (now alot of this depends on the gym/atmosphere/people more than anyhting).
i enjoy training bjj alot more than wrestling or judo.
and i enjoy training boxing more than muay thai.
i have never tried kung fu or jeet kune do as those are just plain gay.
and i will try karate as soon as i find a good gym thats not soft and is not a glorified babysitting service for 8 yearold kids. (yes, i said it)

Oh wow, I'm so glad you can form decent arguments against the martial arts you are insulting.

First and foremost, if you have never trained in those martial arts, how can you call them gay? Furthermore, how can a martial art even have a sexuality? Just because you enjoy training in BJJ, doesn't mean every other martial art form is 'gay'.

For someone who seems so "knowledgable" about the best martial arts, I am shocked you didn't mention Krav Maga, which would put any of the other martial arts you mentioned as good to shame in a real street-fight scenario.

And I don't even think you know what Jeet Kune Do is. It isn't really a martial art form so much as it is a training philosophy. It was developed by Bruce Lee himself, and it revolves around the concept of learn everything you can, keep what works for you, and discard what doesn't. Therefore, most Jeet Kune Do schools are going to be teaching you what worked for them, but based on yuor own build and strengths, it may not be what works for you. The best way would be to do it the original way. Train in different martial arts and retain whatever parts of each you find useful.

[ippon]

this is coming from a guy who has been done both weightlifting and martial arts; martial arts will probably not make you stronger (ie, you can lift more weights). the only way to get stronger and grow muscle mass is to lift heavy weights and eat properly.

depending on which martial arts you take, you will do pushups, situps and other conditioning drills. if you take something like muay thai, you will probably get put into some "beginner" or "casual" classes geared towards women and office types trying to get fit and stay in shape, so expect most of that to be conditioning and cardio exercises with less focus on technique.
but all of those things are more endurance and cardio related more than strength training.

bottom line is, if you want to get strong (ie. your muscles can generate more force with contractions and grow bigger) you have to STRENGTH-train which basically means weightlifting.

you said youre tired of being pushed around. if you mean that LITERALLY, then i suggest you get good at judo. any joe schmoe who tries to grab you and push you will end up getting tossed onto the ground. if thats done on a street or solid floor, he could potentially end up really REALLY ****ed up.

personally i think brazilian jiu jitsu is the #1 martial art to take, but thats just me. i know people will say judo is the same as bjj, blah blah, bjj is just a derivative of judo blah blah. but ive trained with a few judo guys before and one of my training partners is a judo blackbelt and tbh its nothing special.
in general, judo guys ground game will really be lacking and in standup focus more on takedowns than throws (theyll be the ones throwing you) and you should be ok. or just pull guard and submit them in like 20 seconds (being on your back can be a dominant position in grappling, and its the signature position of brazilian jiu jitsu).

i would forget about doing "jeet kune do" or kung fu or any other gay martial arts. if a gym has some gay name like "super dragon ancient kung fu" its probably ********.

bottom line is to pick something you think is fun. and in my opinion (now alot of this depends on the gym/atmosphere/people more than anyhting).
i enjoy training bjj alot more than wrestling or judo.
and i enjoy training boxing more than muay thai.
i have never tried kung fu or jeet kune do as those are just plain gay.
and i will try karate as soon as i find a good gym thats not soft and is not a glorified babysitting service for 8 yearold kids. (yes, i said it)


as angekfire said, you've said some insulting things.
i don't know what you know and what you have done, but you've said some damning things and i suggest that you re-think the accusations you've made.
i dare you to call a good sanshou fighter gay, and see what he will do to you.

you also said, 'if you take something like muay thai, you will probably get put into some "beginner" or "casual" classes geared towards women and office types '. women and office types, eh.... boy, you have a lot to learn. plenty of women and office types out there could kick my ass. it's happened before, and it will likely happen again in the future.

and i don't know what kind of judo guys you've trained with before, but i can probably assume that not the same judo guys i've trained with.

please keep the uninformed opinions to yourself.

[rchun044]

as angekfire said, you've said some insulting things.
i don't know what you know and what you have done, but you've said some damning things and i suggest that you re-think the accusations you've made.
i dare you to call a good sanshou fighter gay, and see what he will do to you.

you also said, 'if you take something like muay thai, you will probably get put into some "beginner" or "casual" classes geared towards women and office types '. women and office types, eh.... boy, you have a lot to learn. plenty of women and office types out there could kick my ass. it's happened before, and it will likely happen again in the future.

and i don't know what kind of judo guys you've trained with before, but i can probably assume that not the same judo guys i've trained with.

please keep the uninformed opinions to yourself.

I agree he is kind of a jerk, but a blue belt in BJJ could probably tool a san shou master... I think UFC 1 really exposed the mcdojo culture of karate tkd kung fu schools that were spreading all over america.... it also expsoed the mythical asian kung fu masters and their death touch....

[angekfire]

Yes, McDojo's exist, I am not arguing that, and saying said dojos are garbage is not the issue. The issue is, that legit or not, he is claiming the entire martial art set of "Kung-Fu", which is so vast and has so many distinct styles within, many of which aren't even comparable to eachother, is "gay". Also claiming that all Jeet Kune Do is "Gay". Yet he states that he wants to try Karate, which is also infamous for having McDojos all over the place, and is no more effective than Kung-Fu, and I would argue as a whole, is less effective that a legit Jeet-Kune-Do practitioner, since they may have studied Karate and taken the elements that work for them.

Martial Arts is a lot like a complex game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Yes, BJJ might be able to dominate a style like San Shou, however, I'm sure San Shou could dominate certain other styles, and that some other styles could dominate BJJ (once again, back to Krav Maga, or Muay Thai). Each style excels at something in particular, and most were developed for a specific purpose. Thus, each style is going to have strengths and weaknesses. Another style will have a strength in a different style's weakness, which will be able to dominate it. This is where UFC comes in, and if you look at it, none of the top fighters are JUST "BJJ" specialists. That is why MIXED MARTIAL ARTS is better, it has a style and philosophy closer to Jeet-Kune-Do. Keep what works, discard what doesn't, but continue to learn. That is why most UFC fightes know several styles. Each has a weakness, and they can learn others to balance out the weaknesses of a single style.

[ippon]

I agree he is kind of a jerk, but a blue belt in BJJ could probably tool a san shou master... I think UFC 1 really exposed the mcdojo culture of karate tkd kung fu schools that were spreading all over america.... it also expsoed the mythical asian kung fu masters and their death touch....

have you seen Cung Le fight???

i've met too many BJJ Blue Belts who are masters of ignorance and arrogance.
they've tasted just enough to appreciate BJJ, yet, haven't tasted enough to understand the whole. yet i haven't met a BJJ Black Belt who does not appreciate stand-up fighting...

hell, what do i know.....

it' my turn to shut up and get back to work....

[Red_Army]

bjj is useless in street fights as an offence
it will help you with your grappling defense, and thats it
nobody in their right mind should pull guard in a streetfight

if you want to learn how to street fight, then any form of striking is the way to go...or a hybrid of striking/grappling/self defense such as Combat Sambo etc.

[rchun044]

have you seen Cung Le fight???

i've met too many BJJ Blue Belts who are masters of ignorance and arrogance.
they've tasted just enough to appreciate BJJ, yet, haven't tasted enough to understand the whole. yet i haven't met a BJJ Black Belt who does not appreciate stand-up fighting...

hell, what do i know.....

it' my turn to shut up and get back to work....

hey man.... cung le has a pretty extensive wrestling background.... but I understand what you're saying...

even in UFC 1 when gracie jj was dominating, people didn't know that royce actually trained defensive strking ie. how to get into the clinch without getting KTFO...

I wouldn't consider Cung Le a typical san shou master..... he's too well rounded

[Jungle]

bjj is useless in street fights as an offence


Well, streetfights always seem to end up on the ground, so I would say that it's still very useful.

[ippon]

do you have any actual statistical evidence to back up that all fights end up on the ground?
the BJJ mantra that 95% of fights end up on the grounds is a Gracie myth. pretty good marketing gimmick though. i might be fairer to say that most MMA fights end up on the ground.

a pretty decent analysis reveals some interesting stats.
http://jiujitsu365.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/do-most-fights-go-to-the-ground-research-i-conducted/

[newagebiker]

ok so i've decided i'm gunna try muay thai first, then try some other stuff like mma, bjj and maybe some jkd.

[Flyone]

Any martial art can do this.

Between all the practice that you do, all the forms, perfect technique that you learn, it all goes out the window when you get into a real fight. The question is not which martial art develops this the best, but how do you develop this confidence.

And the only real thing to say is sparring practice. Get pads, go hard contact. Lose pads, go light contact. The more experience you get in a mock fight, the better you will be in a real fight. Especially if you allow your opponent to throw whatever he/she has in mind at you.

Best experience is combat experience. This is true for any form of fighting.

If you are interested here is article to get quick survey of deadliest styles of martial arts.
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/10607/1/Deadliest-Styles-of-Martial-Arts.html

[takethat200210]

I think taking any kind of martial arts is great. But to think of using it to fight in today's age is pointless...unless you're training for tournaments. That said, what martial arts will give you is that confidence. With that confidence (often times in your gesture and mannerism and eye contacts), you won't get "pushed around" as much.

I don't like dissing other forms of martial arts as I don't know them all. I find it funny that many feel the need to put down other forms just because of a couple of "mcdojos" out there...which I am pretty sure they exist in every form of martial art training. If you are as knowledgeable as you say you are and are actually training seriously in a discipline, you should know to never under estimate your opponents no matter how "gay" they supposedly look.

[ricoboxing]

take boxing.

Don't matter what martial art you do, it's how good you can do it that's gonna make a difference.

[obernewtyn]

I don't know much about the types of martial arts you mentioned but I would not recommend Karate, Kung Fu, or Tai Kwon Doe because none of them are very practical.

You sound like one of the many casual ufc fans who knows absolutely nothing about martial arts but thinks they figured it out. Let me guess, muay thai and bjj = only practical martial arts

[angekfire]

And the only real thing to say is sparring practice. Get pads, go hard contact. Lose pads, go light contact. The more experience you get in a mock fight, the better you will be in a real fight. Especially if you allow your opponent to throw whatever he/she has in mind at you.

Best experience is combat experience. This is true for any form of fighting.

Definitely. Sparring is the only way to train on how to handle yourself in a fight. If you aren't trained in such a way, the second you take a hit to the face, all the training you have learned goes out the window as instinct kicks in. With sparring you'll learn to build new instincts and reactions. It will definitely help with reflexes, and important blocks. Because if you're just doing partner training, often you'll be doing the same block over & over. You need to be able to know how to block what may be unexpected.

You sound like one of the many casual ufc fans who knows absolutely nothing about martial arts but thinks they figured it out. Let me guess, muay thai and bjj = only practical martial arts

Lol, only practical martial art form is Krav Maga. :-0

[ippon]

Lol, only practical martial art form is Krav Maga. :-0

nothing is more practical than a 100 meter dash :D

[angekfire]

nothing is more practical than a 100 meter dash :D

Also not considered a martial art. If we are listing anything, I think a gun could take out your 100 meter dash technique. :P

[Stock R]

nothing is more practical than a 100 meter dash :D

I'd up that to at least 400-800m dash :P

[ippon]

Also not considered a martial art. If we are listing anything, I think a gun could take out your 100 meter dash technique. :P

two can play this game.
my bazooka is outguns your gun!!!:twisted::twisted::twisted:

[ippon]

I'd up that to at least 400-800m dash :P

i actually thought about this before mentioning the 100meter dash,,, but i can barely run a 50 meter dash,,, so i was aiming above and beyond my normal protocol...

[Stock R]

i actually thought about this before mentioning the 100meter dash,,, but i can barely run a 50 meter dash,,, so i was aiming above and beyond my normal protocol...

Didn't you watch Zombieland? Rule #1: Cardio!

Back on topic though, I just started taking boxing at night for fun and Karate at work recently.

Boxing - I have to work hard to keep up. The skipping, and circuits really force me to push. Sparring is also very intensive.

Karate - Seems more practical if you don't want to get necessarily pushed around, but I can't even break a sweat.