Martial Arts Training: Help Me Choose!

[TheArmsman]

Somebody needs to hurry up and invent Coup de Vitesse

The did. It is called Kajukenbo, developed back in Hawaii during the 1950's.

[rightisright]

I know, Krav Maga isn't to be used with a fair fight mindset

That was a concern of mine when I took it. For the beginner, it instills a kill/severely disable attitude. If some drunk puts his hand on your shoulder in a bar and you respond with a supinating wristlock then shatter his elbow w. your knee and follow with your elbow to the back of his neck*, you could land yourself in jail for a long time. I had taken a bunch of different martial arts (master of none!) before I took the Krav, but I could see how some of the beginners started thinking you have to kill everyone who has physical contact w. you. In a SHTF or a warzone, this is great. On the street, one needs to understand the difference between walking away, subduing with minimal force and using deadly force. If some punk tells you to give him $20 or he will kick your ass (but shows no weapon or physical violence toward you) and you put him into a coma, guess whose ass is going to jail. You can argue the merits of whether it's fair or not from your cell.

I use the beginner-intermediate-advanced format because my "ranking" is based on demonstrated ability to fight rather than knowledge of history/culture and ability to perform forms or break boards and such so dividing things up into more than three levels just makes things more complicated than they need to be.

How I wish I could find a school like that around here!!!


*To be fair, my instructor was Kenpo for decades and had only been teaching Krav for 4-5 years. So my practical experience is limited to his teaching.

[Nicodemus]

I know, Krav Maga isn't to be used with a fair fight mindset

That was a concern of mine when I took it. For the beginner, it instills a kill/severely disable attitude. If some drunk puts his hand on your shoulder in a bar and you respond with a supinating wristlock then shatter his elbow w. your knee and follow with your elbow to the back of his neck*, you could land yourself in jail for a long time. I had taken a bunch of different martial arts (master of none!) before I took the Krav, but I could see how some of the beginners started thinking you have to kill everyone who has physical contact w. you. In a SHTF or a warzone, this is great. On the street, one needs to understand the difference between walking away, subduing with minimal force and using deadly force. If some punk tells you to give him $20 or he will kick your ass (but shows no weapon or physical violence toward you) and you put him into a coma, guess whose ass is going to jail. You can argue the merits of whether it's fair or not from your cell.

I use the beginner-intermediate-advanced format because my "ranking" is based on demonstrated ability to fight rather than knowledge of history/culture and ability to perform forms or break boards and such so dividing things up into more than three levels just makes things more complicated than they need to be.

How I wish I could find a school like that around here!!!


*To be fair, my instructor was Kenpo for decades and had only been teaching Krav for 4-5 years. So my practical experience is limited to his teaching.

It's not that big of a deal. If what yopu learn works well for you the rank structure is a side issue. Most of the time rank structure is just a reflection of what a commitee deems necessary and the commitee is a political body. I am a jkd concepts school for that very reason: I'm free to do whatever I want. I'm a 4th degree black belt in combat kempo but if I went that route I would have to do things the "kempo way" even though I Would teach the exact same things.

[Windy Wilson]

I was going to suggest whatever school of martial arts that was demonstrated by Jeremy Slate and Claude Aiken in "the Devil's Brigade", but the advice that comported with that of my Shotokan sensei from back in college is to watch the dojo before signing up, because there are a lot of places out there with "a bad attitude".
I had been considering Krav Maga myself, recently, but that's an interesting observation about "any contact" and US laws about self-defense.

[Denis]

I've never been a student of the martial arts, but I'm going to Tai Ji on Monday.

I always though it was a bit of a joke, until I saw Chinese folks in Singapore doing it in the parks - the movement look gentle, but even the little old ladies and the grandpas were lithe and supple, and even they looked like they could speed right up and be lethal if they wanted to.

Now I'm looking forward to my beginners' class. What is appropriate for a first-timer to wear?

[Highspeed]

I've never been a student of the martial arts, but I'm going to Tai Ji on Monday.
I always though it was a bit of a joke, until I saw Chinese folks in Singapore doing it in the parks - the movement look gentle, but even the little old ladies and the grandpas were lithe and supple, and even they looked like they could speed right up and be lethal if they wanted to.

A good friend of mine practises that, he's got some quite serious muscle\skeletal\joint problems from working as a roofer ( you can imagine what 20 years of carrying heavy loads up a ladder does to your knees and back ) and he found it helped him a lot.

He was careful to stress to me that if the movements were speeded up then they were a martial art ( after I accused him of 'prancing about like a big fairy' and made references to Hong Kong Phooey )
It's good that he's got a sense of humour because the guy is 6'7" and despite his disabilities looks like Hercules. He could snap my neck like a twig

[Denis]

I accused him of 'prancing about like a big fairy' and made references to Hong Kong Phooey )
It's good that he's got a sense of humour because the guy is 6'7" and despite his disabilities looks like Hercules. He could snap my neck like a twig

Haha. So could Hong King Phooey.

[Highspeed]

Haha. So could Hong King Phooey.

The way I feel nowadays I'd get my arse kicked by Bagpuss

[Dedicated_Dad]

I'll repeat what I said elsewhere and others said here: Krav Maga. From what I've seen, it's the most real-world thing going.

Not sure I agree with the "kill-em-all" mindset posited above - most I've seen teach (my paraphrase) "avoid a fight if at all possible, then avoid injury to SELF by whatever means necessary."

The philosophy seems to be "attack until the threat is eliminated or you can safely run away" - with which I am also in total agreement.

I know things change, and vary from instructor to instructor, but in my experience TKD was long on forms, katas and competition and short on real-world skills. Granted, Katas develop muscle-memory and combinations which can be effective - saved my @$$ a few times - but what works on the mats in polite-company won't necessarily work in the gutter.

Our world is ugly and getting uglier fast. For me, I don't want to waste time on "pretty" stuff, I want to know I can "git 'er done" if I am forced to do so -- which is why I'm "stuck" on K-M...

DD

[Denis]

The way I feel nowadays I'd get my arse kicked by Bagpuss

HELP! ROFLMAO