Martial Arts thread!

[WalksWithChrist]

Sports and Martial arts are not exclusive terms.

Historically sports were (and still are) effective ways of preparing soldiers for battle. Boxing and Wrestling were staples in the training of Roman legionaries and Greek Soldiers. Even the U.S. Marine Corps with its MCMAP programme extensively draws on boxing, bjj and muay thai in order to provide the recruits with access to a selection of techniques and training methods that can be practised with resistance and engaged in competitively to help build a "warrior" mindset.

And you have fallen for a very old trap in thinking that fighting is all about killing.

While it is true, that many martial arts were applied in times where killing was a necessary objective, nowadays it is just not a practical approach to self-defence.

If someone starts a bar brawl with you and your primary response is to look for a punch to the throat or a neck-snap, then you are very poorly prepared for the modern world.

I mean do you really want to kill someone over a bar-brawl? Even if the morality doesn't appeal to you, what about the whole "jail" thing? Many of us on this board have families to take care of, jobs to go to, hobbies to pursue and lives to live we don't want to waste our time rotting in a jail cell for snapping some poor lads neck over a spilled pint of lager.


You are also making the false generalisation that the only reason to engage in martial arts is to learn to fight.
Such a characterisation of the "true martial artist" is a poor one at best, nowadays with the advent of the professional armed military and working police force knowing how to fight isn't a necessity. Furthermore, the vast majority of people engage in martial arts because they enjoy what they do, not because they want to fight.

Ki-aikido, Tajiquan and Iado practitioners are prime examples of this. The average healthy martial artist has no interest in winning desperate bar-brawls with angry biker gangs, his/her life is full of far more pressing matters like family, friends and fun.

Go to any MA discussion board (I have been to Bullshido and Martial Arts Planet) and you will see this talked about ad nauseum.

Not that it's a bad topic!

 

[anglozaxon]

I have just started Ju-jitsu again after a ten year break, and I love it!

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I have just started Ju-jitsu again after a ten year break, and I love it!

I'd like to get into that one day.

I'm on a break myself right now. It's been several months.

 

[MissRowy]

I am a black belt in World Taekwondo Federation which is South Korean taekwondo, havent done it for a few months due to an injury...I miss it! Thinking of getting into Karate as well. ITF Taekwondo is from North Korea and their style is slightly different

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I am a black belt in World Taekwondo Federation which is South Korean taekwondo, havent done it for a few months due to an injury...I miss it! Thinking of getting into Karate as well. ITF Taekwondo is from North Korea and their style is slightly different

I know the feeling. I had surgery a couple years ago and was out for a few weeks, then had to slowly work back into it.

My style is based on karate. Good stuff.

 

[zijincheng]

I am a black belt in World Taekwondo Federation which is South Korean taekwondo, havent done it for a few months due to an injury...I miss it! Thinking of getting into Karate as well. ITF Taekwondo is from North Korea and their style is slightly different

I did [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] Taekwondo as well until brown belt, then failed my junior black test. I don't remember anymore because I did it so young, but isn't [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] Taekwondo very good for preparing people for tournaments?

Also did an amalgamation of kungfu taught by a Christian kungfu federation, and am finally doing Wing Chun!!

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I did [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] Taekwondo as well until brown belt, then failed my junior black test. I don't remember anymore because I did it so young, but isn't [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] Taekwondo very good for preparing people for tournaments?

Also did an amalgamation of kungfu taught by a Christian kungfu federation, and am finally doing Wing Chun!!

How are you liking Wing Chun?

 

[zijincheng]

How are you liking Wing Chun?

Its very good, looks dumb when practicing, but extremely useful in the real world.

Lol, my post replaced WT F with those wierd things

 

[MissRowy]

Yeah mine did too!! I am thinking of getting into karate but I cant do anything til I find out what exactly is wrong with my foot!

 

[Elena House]

I've been studying Aikido since I was 3 years old. My dad is the owner of the dojo and lived in Japan for 7 years to study there. That is where he met mom. I wasn't born til they got back to America. For a small girl Aikido seems to be great for defending against bigger guys. The techniques use the weight and attacking energy of the attacker against themselves so it is true with Aikido that "the bigger they are the harder they fall".

 

[MissRowy]

wow...thats amazing!! So you would be a black belt now wouldn't you?

 

[Elena House]

wow...thats amazing!! So you would be a black belt now wouldn't you?

I have done Aikido for longer than a few black belts in my dads dojo but he runs it very traditionally. In Japan no one can get a black belt in Aikido before the age of 15. I expect I will get one when I turn 15 in September.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I have done Aikido for longer than a few black belts in my dads dojo but he runs it very traditionally. In Japan no one can get a black belt in Aikido before the age of 15. I expect I will get one when I turn 15 in September.

I'm sure you've earned it.


My style has a 'junior black belt' and when you come of age, I believe you can test for an adult level black belt. I'm not sure exactly how that works.

My little girl has been learning, informally, in the dojo since infancy. One of our head instructors spends time with her a couple times a week on the mats teaching her various things. She loves it.

 

[MissRowy]

We have junior black belts and junior provisional blackbelts in our dojang. Basically once one is over 16 they can go for Cho Dan Bo which is the provisional blackbelt for over 16s and a normal dan grade....
We actually have different classes for different ages starting from 4 years old
I am hoping to go for 2nd Dan at the end of the year

 

[Ecclectic79]

Glad to see so many people into this here!

I've been in a system for a little over four years now that's a blend of Kali/Escrima/Arnis, Panantukan, Kuntao, and Wing Chun as well as some glances at San Shau, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu. Its really what you'd think of as a Dan Inostanto inspired amalgamation, my instructor is actually working with one of Dan Inosanto's higher level students to see if he can get affiliation. So far its great stuff, hoping to test for black sash around the end of the year if all good things prevail - wish me luck!

 

[WalksWithChrist]

Glad to see so many people into this here!

I've been in a system for a little over four years now that's a blend of Kali/Escrima/Arnis, Panantukan, Kuntao, and Wing Chun as well as some glances at San Shau, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu. Its really what you'd think of as a Dan Inostanto inspired amalgamation, my instructor is actually working with one of Dan Inosanto's higher level students to see if he can get affiliation. So far its great stuff, hoping to test for black sash around the end of the year if all good things prevail - wish me luck!

Sounds like an interesting system. Good luck!

 

[DVZ]

Started training in martial arts 25 years ago, currently hold black belts in karate, kickboxing, I.T.F. taekwondo and W.T.F. taekwondo.

I still train karate every day, as well as coaching the national team. I'm also supplementing my karate with regular classes in judo (red belt), Brazilian jiu jitsu (white belt) and boxing.

 

[Cush]

So anyone else do MA around here?

I do a style that no one here has probably ever heard of:
Cuong Nhu.
Been doing it for more than four years now and love it.
Cuong Nhu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also did a few months each of:
Taekwondo (self defense class TKD based), cardio kickboxing and Judo.
Did about two years of Kenpo.

14 years of experience in Taekwondo. Certified Instructor and National Champion 3x (late 80s) in two weight divisions. Spent most of my time in the ATA (American Taekwondo Association) but then went ITF during my last years after the ATA had changed to a songahm style. I haven't since participated in martial arts since leaving the military. Miss it sometimes, not the teaching which was largely responsible for an early burn out, though.

Also I have held belts in a few different Japanese arts, such as Isshinryu and Shotokan.

My most memorable time was when I had the opportunity to study in Korea.
Lets just say things are done differently there, and the experience was incredible. I heard one philosophy of the belts that I thought intriguing. There were no belts in the beginning said someone to me while there in Korea. Everyone has a white belt, then the belt becomes yellowed through sweat, then greened from the earth and soiled from the dirt, and made red from the blood. Black is only temporary as the belt frays and returns to the fabric from which it came, whitening itself. That's how I remember the belt system, that is, once made black only ninth degree is the highest awarded belt made to someone here while living, tenth as an honorary degree after becoming deceased.

But if you want my opinion, the belts have lost their substance. The color Black once had an allure, something desired, and something worked for. The black belt had a standard, but today with enough time and paying your testing dues everyone is eventually made black, that is, it is relative to their personal abilities.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

Started training in martial arts 25 years ago, currently hold black belts in karate, kickboxing, I.T.F. taekwondo and W.T.F. taekwondo.

I still train karate every day, as well as coaching the national team. I'm also supplementing my karate with regular classes in judo (red belt), Brazilian jiu jitsu (white belt) and boxing.

That's some serious training. I'm not training right now, but I do just a little bit at home and at work when I can. It's great you are training in different areas of MA. My style incorporates a good bit of what you list here, so I'm glad I've been exposed to so much under one umbrella.

14 years of experience in Taekwondo. Certified Instructor and National Champion 3x (late 80s) in two weight divisions. Spent most of my time in the ATA (American Taekwondo Association) but then went ITF during my last years after the ATA had changed to a songahm style. I haven't since participated in martial arts since leaving the military. Miss it sometimes, not the teaching which was largely responsible for an early burn out, though.

Also I have held belts in a few different Japanese arts, such as Isshinryu and Shotokan.

My most memorable time was when I had the opportunity to study in Korea.
Lets just say things are done differently there, and the experience was incredible. I heard one philosophy of the belts that I thought intriguing. There were no belts in the beginning said someone to me while there in Korea. Everyone has a white belt, then the belt becomes yellowed through sweat, then greened from the earth and soiled from the dirt, and made red from the blood. Black is only temporary as the belt frays and returns to the fabric from which it came, whitening itself. That's how I remember the belt system, that is, once made black only ninth degree is the highest awarded belt made to someone here while living, tenth as an honorary degree after becoming deceased.

But if you want my opinion, the belts have lost their substance. The color Black once had an allure, something desired, and something worked for. The black belt had a standard, but today with enough time and paying your testing dues everyone is eventually made black, that is, it is relative to their personal abilities.

I've heard that black belt legend too. It's inspiring. And I agree with your take on black belts. I've seen schools who churn out black belts to people who pay their dues (sometimes heavily inflated dues) in 2-3 years. In my style, it takes about seven years to get a black belt. And in my dojo, a lot longer. More like 10. The journey and the training is more important than the black belt. I trained for more than six years and I didn't quite make brown belt. But I learned so much. If I never train again, I'll be more than happy with what I know.

 

[Elena House]

My most memorable time was when I had the opportunity to study in Korea. Lets just say things are done differently there, and the experience was incredible.

My dad owns the dojo so I've been in the dojo all my life. He lived and studied in Japan for 7 years and from his stories it is different and was incredible. I only remember practicing at 2 years old because we have pictures of it. LOL

I heard one philosophy of the belts that I thought intriguing. There were no belts in the beginning said someone to me while there in Korea. Everyone has a white belt, then the belt becomes yellowed through sweat, then greened from the earth and soiled from the dirt, and made red from the blood. Black is only temporary as the belt frays and returns to the fabric from which it came, whitening itself.

I just took my 1st kyu test a week ago which is the level before Sho Dan (black belt). It was an hour and twenty minutes demonstrating almost 100 techniques and ultimately testing my stamina. Here is a video cut down to about 2 minutes.

Elena House - 合気道 (Aikido) test - Singing by Elena House - YouTube

My father studied for 30 years and as I mentioned lived in Japan for 7 years. He run his dojo VERY traditionally. There are no color belts but we are told not to wash our belts as tradition states. If someone works out a lot we can tell by their ragged looking belt.

But if you want my opinion, the belts have lost their substance. The color Black once had an allure, something desired, and something worked for. The black belt had a standard, but today with enough time and paying your testing dues everyone is eventually made black, that is, it is relative to their personal abilities.

He also sticks to the tradition that a Sho Dan can not be earned until 15 years old. I hope that next year when I am 15 I can be the first student he has awarded Sho Dan to at that age. Believe me, even though I am his daughter, I will have to earn it. The shortest time someone in his school received a Sho Dan was in four years and that was to his Uchi Deshi (live in student). Others have taken from 6 to 10 years for their first degree black belt.