Martial Arts Advice?

Great info. I was reading that Karate is a linear style as opposed to Kung Fu being a circular style. I also read where Bruce Lee was saying exactly what you are saying about Karate and some other MA's not being safe / practical to use in street fighting.

A lot of guys in here also really stressing the "fights end up on the ground" and man is that so true. The last fight I was in was with a guy that was way bigger than me and he really couldn't fight. He ran at me swinging with these wild punches that you could see coming a mile away. I put my arms up boxer style to protect my head and moved out of the corner I was in and he hit me several times in my arms and shoulders, but that was it cause I was able to get out of the corner away from him. I knew I did not want this guy getting me on the ground, which is exactly what he was trying to do by charging me - his weight alone would have me pinned down. Anyway, he gave up after that and was breathing real heavy and yelling. I really wanted to jack this guy with an upper cut if he came at me again swinging like that, but he didn't and figured it was probably best not antagonize the big fucker - haha. In retrospect it was actually quite funny.

 

Really depends on what you want, how committed you are, what is available to you, and who is teaching you.
All forms of martial arts are great in their own rights.

 

I have been going to Wing Chun for about 15 months now and enjoy it a lot. We are also in the lineage of Yip Man. I have taken Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Togakure Ryu Ninjistu and I like how Wing Chun can be offensive and defensive at the same time, not so much with the others.

 

I live in North Bend and do BJJ and Muay Thai so am somewhat familiar with the area schools. I would advise you to go to MKG(http://www.mkgseattle.com/) in Seattle. They are good people, have many disciplines they teach, and you can decide which one(s) to pursue. SIMA(http://www.simamartialarts.com/) is in west Seattle and those are good guys too if you want to train some Muay Thai.

 

There isn't one style that works for everything. You best bet is to learn multiple styles and use the best of each.

 

BTW...what is your purpose in training? Are you trying to get in shape? Self Defense? It doesn't sound like you want to compete in anything right? Those things should be considered when choosing your path. EDIT: sorry just saw you are looking to do self defense. There is nothing imho that is as self defense oriented as the Gracie BJJ program until you hit blue belt. After that you get to do more fun stuff like choking people with their own gi and such...more tournament oriented. Please stop by Nak 2 in Issaquah sometime and try it out. Barry and Jen are the coowners and are Fantastic teachers although I will admit a bias since it's the gym I attend http://nak2.com/Programs/gracie-combatives

 

Slightly OT, but anyone every have exposure to Chung Moo Quan?

 

Fun rule of thumb in martial arts, there are no rules of thumb there isnt a governing body, no real guidelines in most in regard to rank. The worst guy ever may be the guy teaching you, and you'll be worse than him. A xerox of a xerox of a xerox etc. So a blackbelt is often just a fashion accessory. Even in the same style there is a huge variance in quality. So you cant really say xxx is best. For fitness, pretty much all will do well. For sd you want a pretty broad mix, lots of ground fighting is a must, joint locks and pressure points are a must. Ive won more real fights with joints and pressure than anything else. You may put someone out with a good hit, but odds are youll end up on the ground with him. Punches, kicks win points matches. Lots of pretty high kicks (tae kwon do), hope youre wearing a cup

 

Did tae kwon do and kenpo for 20+ years. Been out of the game ~15 years. Now my son is 5 makes me want to get back into it with him... Taught me a lot in life. Have to admit... Kind of miss it...

 

i was a military brat and the family was into judo in a big way. Dad was transferred to Okinawa and we got introduced to kobudo, basically weapons training developed by farmers using their tools as weapons. It's amazing what a broom stick or a baton can do in the right hands. These skills are nice to have.

My 13 yr old son has been taking TKD since he was 5. He's a 2cd degree black belt. He's no Jason Bourne, but he can hurt you, I know. I have multiple stories about him accidentally hurting the Ex or me when we were practicing, playing or just holding the punching bag. About 3 years ago he cost me $4k in dental bills. We were practicing his one-steps. I grabbed him from behind and looked down at his cheat seat to see what was next. Bad mistake, he threw his head back and caught me right in the jaw. Split two lower molars and broke a top one. After hour dentist calls are expensive.

Put the time in and you'll be surprised by the results.

 

i dont know if its mentioned.....but i have my fair share of martial arts training. krav maga, bbj, muay thai, american boxing, wrestling, and now some judo. krav maga is imo prolly the best for you if they offer it around you. it is the most realistic fight style includes weapon retention and hand to hand combat for survival on the streets.

 

Well, first, the best Martial Art is the one you practice.....a lot . Next, styles never meet, only stylists. Concern yourself less with which style is best, but rather which one do you want to be playing with in 5 years. Have fun with it, there are many benefits to practicing that have nothing to do with physical combat.

Self defense -- the art of getting home alive -- don't fight, ever. If you ever get into a fight, it is because your self defense has already failed. Then, you want to get out of it ASAP!!! Physical violence is bad, and things have a tendency to get very ugly very fast. Small blades do a lot of damage very quickly, so does a broken bottle or set of keys. Just avoid it, you will be happier.

Ground fighting - 90% of fights end up on the ground - says a study of LA Police officers - actually, if memory serves, it was closer to 80%, and they are trained to take people down so they can cuff them. In reality, fights go to the ground because someone wants to go there or someone gets too tired to stand up and falls down. As for wanting to go there, please remember there are many sharp and pointing things with all sorts of nasty diseases on it laying on the ground (and did I mention small blades, they can really make a mess of BJJ players, plenty of videos, if you are into that sort of thing). And let's not forget, if you go to the ground, all of your enemy's friends will start kicking you. If things get ugly, it is very hard to crawl away, much easier to run......

So, for good self defense, don't join a gang or do drugs (really, the vast majority of violent crime is associated with gangs and drugs!!!!). Stay away from the bad part of town, especially after dark. Don't hang out with the guy who you know is going to get you into trouble. Next, practice basic Situational Awareness, keep your eyes open and trust your instincts when your gut says there is something wrong with that guy. Stay out of shadow areas where ambushes occur (that dark hallway between the mall and the parking lot with lots of places to hide). Always run towards the noise and the lights.

But for the martial art, do the one that you have fun with and is really cool. Unless you are a fighter (one who fights in the ring) or warrior (one who kills people for a living), being able to hurt someone is a lot less important than having the confidence to know your could if you had to.....the confidence gives you the aura that makes thugs look for an easier target.

Oh yes, never forget the art of hiring a good criminal defense attorney for when you put your attacker in the hospital, or grave.........remember, even if you prevail on the street, the courts can be far less forgiving, and every bit as damaging to your life and well being.

 

^^^^What????

 

I have to say as someone who wants to get into law enforcement I have been looking into Krav Maga and bjj.
Watching videos of officers fighting most end up on the ground, bjj will help you with ground control (for example the 2 officers who were fighting with a suspect over a gun on live PD) whereas Krav Maga is more about ending the fight asap when you're not on the ground.
The PD I have an application in with just sent the chief and several officers to a BJJ studio to learn the basics and they're looking into training for all officers.

 

My BJJ instructor is a cop. Says that most of what LEO's learn is straight garbage.

 

I have a black belt in a traditional martial art. While I certainly enjoyed that experience, I'll be really honest when I tell almost everything I learned is useless in real life. And I trained across multiple disciplines. For the past 8 years I've been training MMA and I absolutely love it. The guys (and girls) in my gym are cool and down to earth. It's not a bunch of meatheads just pounding on each other. We have UFC and Bellator fighters and accountants and soccer moms all training and learning together. If you want help finding a gym, just let me know.
I just realized you're 45. Don't let that scare you. I'm 40. We have a lot of dudes our age training at my gym. In case you don't know, MMA encompasses boxing, MT, BJJ, and wrestling (at least), but anything that works can be incorporated. You're not gonna find any bullshit in an MMA gym. So much stuff doesn't really work.

 

I started training in the martial arts at age 32. Earned my 1st degree black at 35. I'm now 57, and stopped 2 years ago. Earned my 5th degree at age 49. I used to teach, also. Had students that were older than I.

I always told my students, first option is to run. Fighting is only a last resort. When faced with a multiple attacker situation, pick one, make it fast and make it bloody. This should be a deterrent to the others. I also told my students that I never want to find out how good I really am. Being trained gives you an air of confidence. Criminals are lazy, and don't want to work. If you look like you can handle yourself, they will push you farther down their list of available targets.

All that being said, style is unimportant. Ability and knowledge is. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is. Get into a dojo and train. Have fun. Just knowing how to stand, and move your weight can make a huge difference in everything you do.

 

Boxing/Muay Thai with some wrestling is most practical IME.

Simple and effective way to bang and the wrestling will help you stay off the ground or get back up.

Being on the ground is dangerous in self defense. Especially if there are more than one foe and you cannot get up and flee the scene.

 

Start with Krav which is simple and effective. But like anything, your instructor is key.

 

Nothing is quick in the world of martial arts. If it's quick, it's bullshit. It'll take you about 6 months of BJJ to become relatively competent at defending yourself. However, after 6 months(assuming you train 3-4 days/week) you'll think you aren't progressing. Some new guy will walk in the door who's bigger, stronger, and probably more athletic than you. Your instructor will pair you with him. you probably won't destroy him but you will hold your own and, most likely, submit him. This will be your "ah ha!' moment of sorts. Then, you'll progress until you get your blue belt. At that point you'll quit-probably. Don't look for the easy way to self defense, There's a reason there are very few truly dangerous people walking the planet.