Martial Arts

[NUARCHER]

A question for you martial arts folks.I have often wondered how to find a reputaable studio and what is the best discipline in the field of martial arts.

[Bakdahelup]

Find martial arts in the phone book, then look up the number for Kobra Kai.

No mercy!

[Noobist]

The best? That's a pretty big question, man. I've been involved in martial arts for the majority of my life, and have found that the most important part is developing your philosophy and mindset to be able to quickly outwit your opponent.
The best base, I would say, would be Muay Thai, it's emphasis on conditioning, aggressive combat style and high fitness/work ethic make it a good martial art to start in. The philosophy behind Muay Thai is based on sound precepts as well.
Probably the ebst advice I could give you, is what worked for me, which is learn a lot of styles, and try to learn as many drastically differing styles, to help fill in the gaps between them - but ultimately, it's the mindset and philosophy that needs to be focused on.
technique is a crucially important part, obviously and fitness, conditoning, the list goes on, but it is the way your mind works in a fight that helps you win or lose. It's all well good and to know a dozen different arm locks, but if an opportunity presents itself to you to apply the same or similar amount of pressure to the same area in a way you've never learned, you've got to be able to think it before you could do it!
conditioning is really important too, so try to avoid any style that doesn't spar full steam. the only way to learn how to get back up no matter what is to get your body used to it.
trust me, i've done it! i've broken ribs, nose, toes all through sparring, but i've grown through it, and am stronger for it - and i've never been hurt in a fight, because of all the training.
wing Chun isn't too bad for handwork, and brazlian jiu jitsu is probably the best grappling and groundwork that you'll find.
good luck, it's a long journey but you'll have a lot of fun.

[ldoch]

Nuarcher, if I were you I would visit as many dojo, dojang, pits or training facilities as I could and watch a class or two in each place. You probably already have an idea of what you are looking for and from watching what is actually going on during a class you can better evaluate for yourself.
After dabbling a couple times when I was younger I started training in a traditional japanese system that fits my needs nicely. I was 39 years old when I started and have continued training (a little over 10 years now). Within the system I get both stand up, ground work, locks and takedowns and also have started to develop some pressure point manipulation.
When you find a place or system that gives you what you are looking for you will enjoy it forever.

[HuntAK]

Are there any styles/systems that don't have a belt system? The belt system, from what I've read, it an American thing. I've been looking for some style/system where you don't have to worry about buying your belts. A system where you advance on your own with the help of a teacher. Know of any such style/system?

[rogbo]

The belt system is not an american thing, but the deviation into so many different ranks is (I think). The obi (belt) was originally intended for one purpose.... to hold your gi together. It evolved into a denomination of rank. I prefer the ground based martial arts (Judo, Jui -jitsu). You actually have a couple good judo dojos there in the Anchorage Wasilla area. I'm sure you've got good BJJ schools as well.

[huntfish25]

I been in out every since i was 16yrs old. Now me and my kids are in it after a 14year brake for me. I was in big school and little corner schools. I tell you this the best schools are the one that it hard to find. They are a littel room that charge almost nothing and they teach you the most. Like other said go there and watch them for few weeks and asked question. You want a school who promote respected from there students and you will want to learn deffert styles in one. I am in shotoka i like it but my old styled was lung fu do it had many styles in one. I like take downs and we call one punch. Dont worry about the belts, like my old sisa said if you want a black belt go buy it but you have to earn it. This is a great time you can down load any styl now and watch them in your home to figure out what you will like. I have over 4g's on my computor. It takes years to get good and it also take alot of hard work. Alot of people think you can beat up every body in a year. Do not sign any contracts, if they ask you to sign a contact leave. I pay mothly and will never sign a contract. Those school want your money and they have alot of turn overs.

[AllOut]

Im with NOOBIST in this one.. if you have to choose one go with Mui Thai its obviously the most well rounded martial art form from a stand up point of veiw plus the most powerful. If you can do more then BJJ would be the next best thing, if you can combine those two very well at all then you should be able to hold your own almost anywhere. Try and find a MMA gym, most of them teach both plus wrestling, boxing and judo. I know mine does.

[ofashea]

judo know eef I got a knife
judo know eff I got a gun

That's Mexican judo.

Slowen.

P.S. I studied Kung Fu San Soo for years. It is purely attack and destroy kung fu designed to hurt and maim evil people.
Good luck

[Darton01]

There is no best one. What may be best for one person could be all wrong for you. You have to look up a few different styles and read up on them and decide for yourself.

[Darton01]

Originally Posted by ofashea

judo know eef I got a knife
judo Slowen.

P.S. I studied Kung Fu San Soo for years. It is purely attack and destroy kung fu designed to hurt and maim evil people.
Good luck

San Soo? I played around with that a bit also.

[Thunderwolf]

There is tradition or contemporary, sport focus, self-devopment or self-defence. Can you have all in one, possibly. What do you want from your studies? I would say the most important thing to look for is an instructor that will fill your needs. Nothing else matters. You must have 100% trust and respect the person who is going to influence you so. You can expect to change and grow as an individual if you art in a true traditional martial art.
The fighting skills will be a perk, a tool to help you discover yourself.

Just a little about me. Been teaching and studying for 50 years and currently own and operate my own dojo for over 20 years. Kartate, Judo , Iaido,Baqua Zhang and others.

Archery is my hobby and it is tradition shooting I like here to as many principles apply from martial arts when shooting bare bow.

[savedbygrace]

Originally Posted by NUARCHER

A question for you martial arts folks.I have often wondered how to find a reputaable studio and what is the best discipline in the field of martial arts.

Best thing to do is talk to people in your area and visit the different schools in your area. USUALLY just by one or two visits you can quickly pick out the Mcdojo's (Schools/Instructors that are out there for the money only). And like everyone else said, there is no "best" discipline. It's all in the student. Also depends on what your wanting to do. Self defense? Getting in shape? learning to become a fighter?

[Darton01]

Welcome Thunderwolf.
Ever read Zen in Archery ?

[Thunderwolf]

Oh yes many years ago and several Kyudo books. One of the reasons I love shooting is the search for oneness with the process. This my reason for shooting rather than hunting (killing animals).

[RhinoJames]

My opinion is to get some standup through Muay Thai and get your ground work via BJJ. Work on those two and you'll be the complete package.

Don't be affraid to throw in a little Mexican Judo... As in, "Judono who you're messin with, homes"

[South Man]

As mentioned visit some studios and talk to some folks who have been involved in martial arts for a long time. You will get many answers just like when choosing a particular bow. Folks are different and some will like one while others don't. I have been involved in Tae Kwon Do for a few years and am partial to it. But just as mentioned previously go visit some schools and watch, talk to some instructors as well as some students to get a feel of what you may lean towards.

[Noobist]

Man, you're getting some awesome advice here, you should definitely listen to these guys. Just to clarify on the points I stated earlier, though - and let me also say, btw, this is what has worked for me, it may not be the right fit for everybody - my suggestion for Muay Thai is really as a base, it is important, in my mind at least, to study a variety of martial arts, for complete growth as a human being. And that;s ultimately what it ends up being, a quest for growth. In the early stages, for most people (myself included) there tends to be quite a bit of ego, or it becomes about beating this or that guy, or proving something to yourself or others. And then that fades away, and is replaced by a love of different aspects of martial arts. But inevitably, it becomes about growth, about you facing off against your own limits, pushing to new heights and so forth.
But what I believe to be the most important thing, is the philosophy. Your greatest weapon in any battle, physical mental or spiritual, is your mind. It can also be your greatest enemy.
My suggestion to use Muay Thai as a base, stems from the philosophy of Muay Thai. If you do a few years of that first, and then move on and start from scratch in a new discipline, you may start to notice you interpret the new discipline in a different manner than your peers.
I defintiely noticed that in the transition from Muay Thai to Wing Chun.
But I digress. To stick to the point, what I'm saying is that the movement and form, these are secondary. Vitally important in most cases, but secondary to the philosophy, or how that discipline makes your mind function, and react to different situations.
Muay Thai is a good starter, because of its tendency to impart to the student, the attitude of digging in, pushing through, it has a real fighting spirit. I'm not saying it's the only thing that does, btw.
See, everything comes down to mindset. I've seen boxers cause severe physical damage to black belts. I've seen street fighters who have never trained a day in their lives take down people who have dedicated years of teir lives to training. Because of one thing - they out thought them. Mickey Mouse gyms and clubs out there will give you a black belt for learning repetitious movements. They have made the journey into the destination.
Learning movement and form is not the point, its exercises designed to help you get to the point.
So when you're checking out different styles, my advice is not just to watch the techniques they use, but how they apply them and most importantly, try to look for the reactions to different situations.
Its kind of hard to explain, but there was a point, for me at least, that I reached, and no longer really studied any one style, but simply learned various techniques, and applied myself to learning as many possible methods of application as possible. And then from there I started also studying human anatomy - and that was a massive aid.
It's good to pick and mix things from mdifferent disciplines, for example Wing Chun's Chi Sao is brilliant when applied in boxing situations.
So, I still don't know really if I have explained this well, but it's probably the best I can do. I guess martial art, like any art, is a form of expression of self (to steal a phrase from one of the greats), and as such it ultimately is about expanding the limits of the mind.
The greatest technique any martial art can ever give you is wisdom.

[savedbygrace]

Originally Posted by FedSmith

Got to www.Amazon.com and order every aikido book you can afford. It is, by far, the most superior of all martial arts.

Please tell me you were joking when you said that. If you are being serious, then everything else you said has no merit whatsoever. Sorry man, not trying to be a butt.....but there is no such thing as one style of martial arts being the "superior" kind.

[TPZK5]

There are so many different martial arts, you have to decide what you enjoy and what you want out of it. And even at that, each school will be different, along with each sensei or Master. Just like picking out a new bow even from your favorite brand, they all shoot different! ;-)

I am a black-belt in judo, similar to jui-jitsu but more a "sport" version, concentrating on throws and pins like wrestling. I picked that because I love the competition and the combativeness of it (and because when I was a young girl, helped my self-esteem), but I hate "striking" sports. Each martial arts has its dedication to a certain emphasis. I'll never knock another martial art, but my love goes to judo. Just my two-cents. Or once cent for what its worth! ;-)

[South Man]

Originally Posted by TPZK5

There are so many different martial arts, you have to decide what you enjoy and what you want out of it. And even at that, each school will be different, along with each sensei or Master. Just like picking out a new bow even from your favorite brand, they all shoot different! ;-)

I am a black-belt in judo, similar to jui-jitsu but more a "sport" version, concentrating on throws and pins like wrestling. I picked that because I love the competition and the combativeness of it (and because when I was a young girl, helped my self-esteem), but I hate "striking" sports. Each martial arts has its dedication to a certain emphasis. I'll never knock another martial art, but my love goes to judo. Just my two-cents. Or once cent for what its worth! ;-)

Well said. One of my instructors lived in China and studied Kung Fu and we were taught some and it was awesome. I agree that we should not knock one style and try to pit one against the other as being superior. The Martial Arts have as a base Self defense techniques intertwined with offensive moves and if taught correctly and used correctly they flat work! To me whatever works I say hats off to the instructor that has done his/her job.

[savedbygrace]

Agree with the 2 posts above me, and I wasn't trying to be a turd in my previous post...I just have my reservations when I hear someone say "X is the best type of fighting system or martial art system period." Heck, I'm a first degree black belt in Shotokan and I don't even think Shotokan karate is the be all end all martial art system. I love studing new styles (currently dabbling in BJJ which I LOVE) and systems and I know each discipline has it's positives and negatives, but I do not believe that there is one SUPERIOR style or system. It's all about the martial artist...not necessarily the specific martial art. IMO.

[TPZK5]

Originally Posted by savedbygrace

Agree with the 2 posts above me, and I wasn't trying to be a turd in my previous post...

I don't think you were being a turd! I agree with you, its just like the bickering you here about which bow is better or worse...There is no real "better" or "superior" ...It is what "fits you and what you need out of it!" Didn't know I could ever correlate archery and marital arts, hey?! (BJJ does rock though!)

[savedbygrace]

Originally Posted by TPZK5

I don't think you were being a turd! I agree with you, its just like the bickering you here about which bow is better or worse...There is no real "better" or "superior" ...It is what "fits you and what you need out of it!" Didn't know I could ever correlate archery and marital arts, hey?! (BJJ does rock though!)

LOL well thank you. I just hope the guy I made that post towards doesnt think that, cause I really wasn't. And I agree with the above 110%. You analogy is spot on.

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE BJJ. I've only been in it for a few months, and unfortunantly I dont get to go to class as often as I like because it's over an hour from where I live, but the guy that teaches it is a good friend of mine so we met up on the side alot. That's one of the downfalls of living in the middle of nowhere. My karate school is the closest to me and it's still almost 20min from my house, but ya do what ya gotta do. Judo is awesome BTW. No Judo schools even remotely close around here, but I would love to try it though. I need more work on my balance and throwing techs.

[Darton01]

Originally Posted by RhinoJames

My opinion is to get some standup through Muay Thai and get your ground work via BJJ. Work on those two and you'll be the complete package.

Don't be affraid to throw in a little Mexican Judo... As in, "Judono who you're messin with, homes"

Good advice.But there are more than standing and grappling.Kicking range,striking range,in close[elbows,headbutts...] and grappling.JKD is a good example for all but the grappling.You are 100% correct,I'm not dissagreeing with you.Just pointing it out for the OP. As I'm sure you already know this.BJJ is obviously the best for the ground,even more so when the fighter has some wrestling background.For standup I would say some styles are better for differnt people.

[South Man]

[QUOTE=savedbygrace;1055242244]LOL well thank you. I just hope the guy I made that post towards doesnt think that, cause I really wasn't. And I agree with the above 110%. You analogy is spot on.

No I think we are for the most part pretty open minded about the subject. Like someone said you will get various reponses like what is the best bow or car, etc.

[Darton01]

The nice thing about the martial arts is we can agree to disagree.Nobody has threatened anyone yet.Kinda odd for an AT thread.

[ldoch]

I am going to use this opportunity for a shameless plug. I have dabbled in the remedial end of the literary world and wrote a book titled 'Donny and the Dojo' about a kid and his martial arts journey. Hope this doesn't offend the OP.

[AllOut]

Watch this fake video and then tell me about BJJ!!! WOW
Anyone can have there friends come at them with a fake knife and let u take it away from them a million times in 1:08... with or without rules there are reasons why professional fighters choose certian styles and if you look at the best fighters in the world they all have a few things in common and that is BJJ, Maui Thai, wrestling and Judo. With a few exceptions like Laoto Machida and his Machida Karate but that guy has spent his entire life developing his style of karate and truning it into something that will work in a real fight but he is also a BJJ black belt! I have never seen a good professonal fighter claiming Akido as his main style plus how are you going to throw a good wrestler down by one arm when he's at your knees putting you on your butt or in BJJ you throw him down and now he is on his back where he wants to be (on you back in the guard is a dominant posission in BJJ) Like everyone else has said not everything works for everyone but there are a few things that work better for anyone so why not try those first.
As for the Akido video and seminar i think i will pass a go to roll some BJJ and spar a little MT at Top Team

[Darton01]

Rule no.1 in a knife fight is "you will get cut."

[FSUBIGMAC]

I've heard Chuck Norris will teach you how to roundhouse kick opponents to death for the low low price of 100 million dollars, your daughters virginity, and a can of copenhagen. Upon completion of Mr. Norris' class you will have a final showdown against the Master himself, where he promptly ends your life by roundhouse kicking you in the face. Why? Because no one beats Chuck Norris

[Fletch Helical]

Originally Posted by HuntAK

Are there any styles/systems that don't have a belt system? The belt system, from what I've read, it an American thing. I've been looking for some style/system where you don't have to worry about buying your belts. A system where you advance on your own with the help of a teacher. Know of any such style/system?

Jeet Kune Do has no belt system, at least it shouldn't.

Like some others here have mentioned there is no "best" martial art. Personally I am a big fan of JKD. problem is, finding a quality instructor. And as someone else mentioned in here personally, I think "lower scale" a school is, the better the school. JKD is sometimes referred to as "the original MMA" because it takes whatever it can, that is the most effective, from any system, and incorporates it.

By that I mean, the more "commercialized" a school appears the more likely you're "paying" your way through the ranks. I've seen some people who have gotten a black belt in Tae Kwon Do in about a year and half going to class 2-3 times a week for an hour, and close to half that class is stretching out .

The point is there are people out there who love doing it and are more willing to be in it for the teaching than the money. If you can find them regardless of the art, imo you'll learn a heck of a lot more. Usually it's someone teaching out of their garage or is using the space or something like a dance studio, or something else like that where he charges just enough to pay for the space their renting in order to find people who want to work out as hard as they do kicking each others azz for hours at a time.

[Gangster II]

I've done some boxing, wrestling,BJJ. Love them all but at age 42 I love Krav Maga. I tell everyone I won't fight you but I will hurt you. It's fast & dirty.

[AllOut]

How is this for devistating
its one of my brothers fights, watch the head kick 14sec into the fight, it broke his jaw and knocked out four of his back bottom teeth

http://s585.photobucket.com/albums/s...=Justfight.flv

and that is with shin pads on and a mouth piece.
Now how powerful is muai thai

[TheAncientOne]

What impressed me is how he got right back up and continued to fight.

I broke a guys clavicle in a tournament in the early '70's and he fought me to the end one handed. He told me he knew it was broken but he wasn't going to let a skinny guy beat him.

TAO

[Ouachitamtnman]

Find a school/gym that specializes in, at a minimum Muay thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. If you could find one that has that plus Judo and Boxing you're set. But get into a Jiu Jitsu/Kickboxing gym and you'll have the best of both the ground and standup game. Most good MMA schools will have at least the 2 disciplines.

I train with a group here where I live because there's no schools around here or at least ones I want to got to if you know what I mean. Our group includes a Judo Brown Belt and the rest of us have varying degrees of "dabbling"experience in MMA. I drive an hour one way, once a week and train at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu/Kickboxing school and we go to Tulsa occasionally to train with some pro's that specialize in a multitude of disciplines mostly submission wrestling, catch wrestling and boxing.

As a matter of fact. Me and 2 of my team mates are competing in the Arkansas Invitational BJJ Tournament tomorrow. I can't wait!

[AllOut]

Got back up hell it looked like his butt never touched the ground it was so fast, but ya he was a tough guy my brother said when they where clinched he had his face on his shoulder and he could feel the bones moving around.

[TheAncientOne]

Got back up hell it looked like his butt never touched the ground it was so fast, but ya he was a tough guy my brother said when they where clinched he had his face on his shoulder and he could feel the bones moving around.

Guys like that are scary, you can't hurt them and they won't stay down.

TAO

[AllOut]

Well he did quit about a minute later but it took a little while

[TPZK5]

Originally Posted by TheAncientOne

What impressed me is how he got right back up and continued to fight.

I broke a guys clavicle in a tournament in the early '70's and he fought me to the end one handed. He told me he knew it was broken but he wasn't going to let a skinny guy beat him.

TAO

That's insane! Girls can be that way too- I found out after one match I had with a girl, I fractured her check bone (accidental of course) and I never even knew she was in pain till after the match she went to the hospital and her teammate told me!

Who's UFC match was that where you can see his arm break and the ref stops it even though he wants to keep going?? Its an older match...Tim I think?