Martial Arts??? [Archive] - inthemix Forums

Fecker

29-Aug-03, 01:52pm

Originally posted by RBG79
When I was a younger I did a martial art called "Yao Hawk Tao" for about 6 years.... I haven't trained for many many years now though.

One of my friends does Savate (the french ~ foreign legion martial art) and he's slowly teaching me how to fight with their style... If you want to learn how to really fight and don't mind a few bruises/broken bones every so often I reccommend Savate. It is very practical and the theory behind it is also very sound.

I'm not really arsed learning hard styles for the reasons above!

Fine now when I'm younger but further down the line the joints are going to be shafted. I don't see any point in making old age any tuffer then it is going to be!

Why train 99% of the time for the 1% of times you are going to need to rev up? It would be the opposite with our school but that doesn't mean you wouldn't be able to handle a situation.
Savate sounds interesting, I don't know anything about it to be honest but I like the practical sound of it! :)

We train softly/lightly but not without intent! It is a lot easier to train a hard style after training sensitivity but you'll find it's not so easy the other way around. We have had a few people come into the school after years of martial arts training and it's taken them months to relax their bodies.

The Tai Chi we train is not away with the fairies stuff either!
All our movements are explained in a very practical manner. i.e.
your arms feel like their glowing when you've been training for about 30 mins, this isn't Chi or any other bollox, it's cause you've loosened up and the blood is flowing into them. There are too many schools teaching Tai Chi in this mythical wanky way and it's really wrong.

Am I ranting yet???? :-D

RBG79

29-Aug-03, 01:57pm

Originally posted by Fecker
Am I ranting yet???? :-D

Yes ;)

But I know what you mean about the mythical wanky way of teaching things... I tried to get into yoga a few times, but everywhere I went (except the first place that I did it) was all 'feel the force luke' and all that wanky stuff... when all that I really wanted to do was stretch and stuff!

ponsdale

29-Aug-03, 01:58pm

I've been training Seido Juku Karate for over 5 years now and absolutely love it. My style is very traditional, very Japanese. I love the training, the culture and the philosphy behind it.

I am sure that there are some old threads around about this...

:)

Fecker

29-Aug-03, 02:04pm

Originally posted by Muggaz
I am a Ninja Pirate.

I always had you down as an arse bandit! :P

Fecker

29-Aug-03, 02:16pm

Originally posted by ponsdale
I've been training Seido Juku Karate for over 5 years now and absolutely love it. My style is very traditional, very Japanese. I love the training, the culture and the philosphy behind it.

I am sure that there are some old threads around about this...

:)

I did a search before I started this but didn't come up with much! :(

I love the training as well! Without sounding like a cheesy kant but you know when your onto a good thing eh!?

Anything that can make me get up at 8am every Sat off my own free will must have something going for it! ;):

Sid Ferret

29-Aug-03, 03:24pm

yeah i've been looking into doing a martial art of some sort. Problem is im pretty transient travelling around oz. Can anyone recommend a form thats pretty common throughout oz and with which i could learn to seriously kick other peoples arses

harl3quin

29-Aug-03, 04:46pm

I've studied martial arts for just over 20 years; (in this order) kung fu, tae kwon do, karate, kickboxing, ninjitsu, and aikido.

Aikido > everything else.

But I guess if you just want to learn how to beat people up it's no good. It's more about humiliating people really :)

If you just want to beat the crap out of people then kickboxing is the way to go I suppose...no real panache involved though. :|

Sid Ferret

29-Aug-03, 05:58pm

harl3quin ok let me rephrase myself, what i mean is how do i learn to defend little me from big ****s who i have a habit of pissing off when i get a little bit lippy after one or two drinks :)

Sid Ferret

29-Aug-03, 06:00pm

also harl3quin if you've been studying martial arts for over 20 doesnt that make you a bit old to be hanging around dance music web sites :P

harl3quin

29-Aug-03, 06:14pm

Best defense is not getting yourself into trouble dude, and talking your way out of that kind of problem. Failing that running away is a good idea if someone is a lot bigger than you. If neither is an option, and you are about to get your head punched in, well then make like you are really sorry and try and shake their hand or something, and when their guard is down, go for their eyes or nuts or something, then run like hell...;)

If you really want to hurt someone then try ninjitsu, they teach you how to finish a fight as quickly as possible. Same with aikido, but you would have to do that for years before you could use it in a fight.

As for being too old, well I'm 26. I don't think I'm old, but thanks for rubbing it in :|

Sid Ferret

29-Aug-03, 06:28pm

haha harl3quin put my foot in it!! im the same age as you. ok the real reason why im asking about learning a martial art is that i have to go home to the uk in about 3 months time. Thing is before i left the uk i managed to rather piss off the wrong bunch of people in a local nightclub. i recently heard off a friend back home that they were asking after me {:-( this being like 9 months after the said events happened. so i kinda gather that when i go out back home im gonna get my arse kicked. the way i figure it is if im gonning to get the crap kicked out of me i may as well try to inflict as much damage as possible. kinda of like going down in a blaze of glory. so what do you reckons the best martial art to learn to take on multiple people by yourself and come out standing....or at least being able to crawl away on my hands and kness :-D

BlueSteel

29-Aug-03, 07:31pm

Ying Yang Do and Zen Du Kai.

For some reason, I really want to get into Wing Chung. I like it's style.

But i have to remember not to concentrate on the finger or i'll miss all that heavenly glory.

DamoK

29-Aug-03, 11:12pm

I did TaeKwonDo for about 3 years (on and off for the last year), some boxing for about 4-5mths 2-3 times a week, and recently a mate of mine has gotten involved in Kickboxing which he's trying to get me going to aswell.

My understanding is that with kickboxing the emphasis is more on brutality than the others.

Your best bet when you've got a few people after you would be to carry a weapon dude. :meh: Unless you've been training consistenly for a LONG time there isn't a martial arts they can teach you that will leave you standing and 6+ guys laid out.
Shit like that tends to just happen in movies.

maas

30-Aug-03, 01:24am

i am a student of southern china taoist kung fu styles.

i learn pak mei (white eyebrow) and loong ying (dragon style).

sid ferret here's some advise -

if its kill or be killed i recommend you use 44 magnum style. if its a group beating wear a mouth guard and ball protectors and prepare for pain, or develop your running abilty. if its 1 on 1, or 1 on 3 (max) aim for one strike per man and hit them without holding anything in reserve.

whatever happens expect to get hurt. the aim is to hit them more than you get hit.

djbobbit

30-Aug-03, 01:43pm

Personally I think Krav Maga is the best martial art for dealing with nasty situations. It was developed for the Israeli military and it focuses on disarming attackers with weapons and also focuses on defending yourself if you've been cornered in a confined or awkward space or other siuations that aren't as 'convenient' as a dojo or a gym!!

I did this for a couple of months a couple of years back before i totally fucked my shoulder surfing but i'm thinking of getting back into it. Last I heard Sydney Uni offered classes, not sure if they still do.

harl3quin

30-Aug-03, 03:42pm

Yeah that does look pretty cool, but I've never seen anywhere teaching it. Outside of the Israeli army of course..

Warren G

30-Aug-03, 11:28pm

i wear adidas taekwondo shoes.... does this count?

N4TE

31-Aug-03, 12:04am

wing chun here, about 4 years worth, still practice the qi gong side of it to an extent. (ie, to the extent where I can turn my fist into stone and my punches into thunder.) Apart from that I'm pretty over it.
fighting = dumb.
being able to fight your way out of an ugly situation = handy.
nuff said really.

N4TE

31-Aug-03, 12:12am

Originally posted by Sid Ferret
what i mean is how do i learn to defend little me from big ****s who i have a habit of pissing off when i get a little bit lippy after one or two drinks :)

my advice? don't be a lippy little bitch and they won't arc up at you. also, if you can't handle drinking without getting a loud trouble making mouth, don't drink.

N4TE takes everyone else's two cents and buys some redskins.

N4TE

31-Aug-03, 12:18am

A confusion of terms
*
It�s an interesting phenomenon, the self-defence class. It�s interesting for all sorts of reasons, but one of the major ones is that many martial arts teachers who teach �self-defence� really aren�t qualified to do so. Either that, or they�re just plain doing it badly. Ideally, the concepts should tie right in with each other.

But we�re operating in a world where people use �martial arts� to refer to all sorts of restricted definitions, often not including things like tactics, strategy, problem solving, and all those other things that �martial� is made up of aside from beating your opponent down with your hands and feet. This restriction of terms baffles me. If you�re going to teach someone how to be better at hitting people, and only that, then you are less likely to confuse the issue if you simply call yourself a �hitting people coach�.

The key issue I want to deal with here, though, is the issue of what self-defence teaching needs to entail in order to be what it claims to be. To my mind, the majority of self-defence rests on avoiding placing yourself into dangerous or uncontrolled situations. If it gets to the point where you have to fight physically to protect yourself, you have made at some point a crucial error in judgement.

So a �self-defence� class that focuses entirely on fighting off an attacker really isn�t living up to its name. Sure, being able to fight off an attacker is fairly important should the need arise, but the best self-defence teachers deal with methods of avoiding such situations first and foremost.

Things like threat assessment and minimisation are important. Appropriate non-violent responses (seeking out a safer place, for example) are also important. Basically anything that will help you avoid a situation where you have to fight to defend yourself is important. It is only if these things fail (and let�s be honest, they sometimes do) that the ability to physically defend yourself needs to come into play. This is also important, but making it the focus of a self-defence course is like making emergency braking the focus of a driving course � it�s a last resort, and your students are less likely to need it if you teach them to drive carefully in the first place.

The sad fact is that there are still people out there propagating the myth that self-defence equals physical fighting, and that some of these people are also �martial arts� teachers.
The ability to defend yourself physically is important, but it is a last resort in terms of self-defence, and the teacher who doesn�t teach this is failing their students.
*
*~*Geoffrey Rogers

maas

31-Aug-03, 08:06pm

^ i agree with the words of geoffrey rogers above.

when new students enquire about doing martial arts at the school i go to, my sifu tells them straight out that we dont learn self defence, we learn tradition fighting arts.

there is a big difference between the 2.

Fecker

01-Sep-03, 08:56am

Sid Ferret - sounds like you deserve a bit of a flogging mate! If your 26 and a cheeky monkey what do you expect?
Like some others have mentioned, your not going to learn any quick fix fighting methods that you'll be able to use in a few months! Maybe a sandwich board with 'Sorry" written on it might help!?

This thread was for more a discussion of Martial Arts not self defense and I too agree with what Geoffery Rogers says!

N4TE - I hear you! I'm not into fighting at all, it is rather stupid!. I really enjoy the training though and like the fact that you can teach old dogs new tricks! ;)

mass - we train a quick fist form based on Fujian White Crane.

Here's a link to our school for those interested :-

http://www.sydneytaichi.net/

reacher

01-Sep-03, 10:45am

Originally posted by harl3quin
Best defense is not getting yourself into trouble dude, and talking your way out of that kind of problem. Failing that running away is a good idea if someone is a lot bigger than you. If neither is an option, and you are about to get your head punched in, well then make like you are really sorry and try and shake their hand or something, and when their guard is down, go for their eyes or nuts or something, then run like hell...;)

If you really want to hurt someone then try ninjitsu, they teach you how to finish a fight as quickly as possible. Same with aikido, but you would have to do that for years before you could use it in a fight.

As for being too old, well I'm 26. I don't think I'm old, but thanks for rubbing it in :|

Aikido!

Been training for a few months now and im am really getting into it.

So very right about not beating the shit out of people, but it's good for humiliating them, or in my case being humiliated :D

Another good style if u want to learn how to beat shit out of someone is called "Silat", a very nasty indoneasian one. I did a bit of that, but i had to travel to far.

peacefulwarrior

01-Sep-03, 01:26pm

Originally posted by Fecker
i.e. your arms feel like their glowing when you've been training for about 30 mins, this isn't Chi or any other bollox, it's cause you've loosened up and the blood is flowing into them. There are too many schools teaching Tai Chi in this mythical wanky way and it's really wrong.

I have seen far to many things that science can not explain to disregard the idea of "Chi". Simply because you do not believe in something does not make it "mystical wanky" stuff. Nor does it make teaching that concept "really wrong". Many years ago some people started teaching that the world was round and everyone thought that was nonsense. A man named Darwin taught that humans and other animals "evolved" and were not created as we are now and he was scoffed at. Both have since been proven correct. Simply because you can't see or touch Chi(read Qi, Ki, life energy, the force or any other term you wish there) does not mean it is not as real an energy as any other force of nature. Nor does it mean that it wont one day be proven to exist by science.

As for me, I do Jow Ga Kung Fu. A mix of northern and southern Shaolin Kung Fu. It is a very traditional style. I train for many different reasons, self defence being one of them but certainly not the main reason.

As for which art is "best" for any given situation, there is no best art. There is only a best art "FOR YOU". Meaning, whichever art gives you what you want, then that is the best one for you. Someone else may want something different from their art so your art will not be best for them, rather a different one catering for their needs or desires will best suit them.

Qa'pla,
PeacefulWarrior

bella boo

01-Sep-03, 02:08pm

I have a very close friend who is a ninja (correct terminology I do not know, sorry!). He was trained with many, many weapons - his weapon of choice being a sword. Unfortunately my knowledge for this kind thing doesn't stem very long.

I'd love to get into some form of, as a more generic term, self defense. I think this desire has grown from my admiration of Jet Li (don't laugh :lol:). Seriously though, I'd love to do something but due to my lack of knowledge and confusion of styles and terms - I have absolutely no idea which would be the best option for me.

Right, shutting up now...

Fecker

01-Sep-03, 02:51pm

Originally posted by peacefulwarrior

I have seen far to many things that science can not explain to disregard the idea of "Chi". Simply because you do not believe in something does not make it "mystical wanky" stuff. Nor does it make teaching that concept "really wrong". Many years ago some people started teaching that the world was round and everyone thought that was nonsense. A man named Darwin taught that humans and other animals "evolved" and were not created as we are now and he was scoffed at. Both have since been proven correct. Simply because you can't see or touch Chi(read Qi, Ki, life energy, the force or any other term you wish there) does not mean it is not as real an energy as any other force of nature. Nor does it mean that it wont one day be proven to exist by science.

As for me, I do Jow Ga Kung Fu. A mix of northern and southern Shaolin Kung Fu. It is a very traditional style. I train for many different reasons, self defence being one of them but certainly not the main reason.

As for which art is "best" for any given situation, there is no best art. There is only a best art "FOR YOU". Meaning, whichever art gives you what you want, then that is the best one for you. Someone else may want something different from their art so your art will not be best for them, rather a different one catering for their needs or desires will best suit them.

Qa'pla,
PeacefulWarrior

Point taken but you must understand what I mean regarding wanky teaching styles??? New ages space cadets fobbing of trained skill with stories of mystic mountains and the like!
No offense if this is how you've been trained, just making a point.
The day when can prove Chi I'll be there with bells on! I prefer to look at Chi as trained skill!

Your right about what's best for YOU!

I don't want to train with blokes who want to smash things to bits. I would say that I train less then 10% for self defense/fighting, the rest is for body awareness! I just hate mystical explanations used to cover up a sound scientific explanation of trained skill! Nearly all martial arts use imagery to convey a feeling to aim for when training but that's all it is. Your using your brain to put yourself in a mind space.i.e move from your waist like a wheel
As you may gather I'm very sceptical of anything that can't be explained in black and white. Grey doesn't float my boat! I don't believe in luck either! I'm doomed!

Peace O Peaceful One :)

sirravesalot

01-Sep-03, 05:35pm

Scientists have done studies on the existence of "chi" and the way in which kung fu/tai chi/practitioners use it, and have attempted to track the energy movement - I think they did find some reactions but i cant remember where I read it or the exact findings, so i cant really specify much.

I do Soo Bahk Do, which is part of the Moo Duk Kwan, a worldwide organisation - my school just rejoined (based around Canberra, though there is one in Sydney too) and there are others in Aus, including Darwin and Perth. There are also schools throughout Asia, UK, America, south america etc. Check it out on the net etc.

El Capitan

02-Sep-03, 06:51am

From a wee tacker my dad and uncles and cousins trained me in Pencak Silat, and from my early 20's i started kickboxing and muaythai with BJC. Looking to start muaythai training again.......once i've reached 70% of my full cardio fitness.

reacher

02-Sep-03, 11:10am

Originally posted by El Capitan
From a wee tacker my dad and uncles and cousins trained me in Pencak Silat, and from my early 20's i started kickboxing and muaythai with BJC. Looking to start muaythai training again.......once i've reached 70% of my full cardio fitness.

UNREAL! No one i have meet has known what Silat is, Altho i have only done a small amount of it, i would like to start again someday.

gerg

02-Sep-03, 11:19am

I've been learning Yang style tai chi on and off for about 3 years. Its great I recommend it to anybody... one of the guys that teaches it in Canberra is a disciple of the actual Yang family, so he is pretty damn good... its great learning off somebody who just has an aura about them..

it can be very relaxing, better than drugs IMO...

harl3quin

02-Sep-03, 12:14pm

Originally posted by reacher

UNREAL! No one i have meet has known what Silat is, Altho i have only done a small amount of it, i would like to start again someday.

When I was in high school there was an indonesian exchange student who had been doing that since he was a little kid. He was very very good at it...never met anyone else who has done it though since then.

Fecker

02-Sep-03, 12:17pm

Originally posted by gerg
I've been learning Yang style tai chi on and off for about 3 years. Its great I recommend it to anybody... one of the guys that teaches it in Canberra is a disciple of the actual Yang family, so he is pretty damn good... its great learning off somebody who just has an aura about them..

it can be very relaxing, better than drugs IMO...

Interesting!!!!

So what forms do you do? Any weapons? Fixed push hands? Free push hands?
What's your teachers name?
If you ever make it upto Sydney you should check our school out! See above for a link to it. Does any of this sound familiar???

If you want to PM me that would be cool! Just really interested to see what someone else who's training the same thing as me is up to! :D

gerg

02-Sep-03, 12:32pm

I haven't been as committed to it in the past six months as I went overseas for three months and then fractured my ankle when I got back... but I will be getting back into it in the next few months...

they have a pretty good website

http://www.taichiacademy.com.au/

reacher

02-Sep-03, 12:43pm

Originally posted by harl3quin

When I was in high school there was an indonesian exchange student who had been doing that since he was a little kid. He was very very good at it...never met anyone else who has done it though since then.

The guy who taught me for a bit spent a lot of time in indo, he was fluent in a couple of dialects and could easily assimalte into the culture when ever he went back. Silat over there is kinda like soccer is for europeans.... they start when they can walk and it's always with them.

It's an amazing form, on one hand there is the cultural techings and dancings of Silat and then there is the pure life ending violence that it also teaches.

peacefulwarrior

02-Sep-03, 04:43pm

Originally posted by Fecker
I just hate mystical explanations used to cover up a sound scientific explanation of trained skill!
Ok then, it sounds to me like you prefer a "scientific" explanation over anything else. That is fair enough, we all relate to the world in a different way. Personally I don't need a scientific explaination if my own personal experience has taught me something to be true, whether I can explain it or not.

All I mean to say is that some things are true even if science can't explain them yet. Even any reputable scientist will admit to that.

As for Chi, it is something that can be trained, developed and enhanced. However, it is also something that goes beyond the physical side of martial arts.

Qa'pla
PeacefulWarrior

Debz

02-Sep-03, 08:30pm

i want to try out wing chun as well!! apparently its more suitable for us chicks.

LightningChyld

02-Sep-03, 11:57pm

I did Shoten for a while... it incorporates Kickboxing, Karate, Hapkido and Jujitsu.
It's a great confidence builder, let me tell you that! It also gives you a fair amount of self defence skills so it is great for women.

big eddie

03-Sep-03, 01:34am

I am a master in the ancient Lancashire martial art of Ecky-Thump.

big eddie

03-Sep-03, 01:41am

big eddie

03-Sep-03, 01:45am

Originally posted by Sid Ferret
haha harl3quin put my foot in it!! im the same age as you. ok the real reason why im asking about learning a martial art is that i have to go home to the uk in about 3 months time. Thing is before i left the uk i managed to rather piss off the wrong bunch of people in a local nightclub. i recently heard off a friend back home that they were asking after me {:-( this being like 9 months after the said events happened. so i kinda gather that when i go out back home im gonna get my arse kicked. the way i figure it is if im gonning to get the crap kicked out of me i may as well try to inflict as much damage as possible. kinda of like going down in a blaze of glory. so what do you reckons the best martial art to learn to take on multiple people by yourself and come out standing....or at least being able to crawl away on my hands and kness :-D

honestly if you are going to get a real kicking from a group of them, see if you can get hold of an extendable baton crack em round a bit with that then run away, probably to heathrow :lol:

Fecker

03-Sep-03, 08:50am

Originally posted by gerg
I haven't been as committed to it in the past six months as I went overseas for three months and then fractured my ankle when I got back... but I will be getting back into it in the next few months...

they have a pretty good website

http://www.taichiacademy.com.au/

The site looks good! Lots of interesting stuff in there. Hopefully your ankle makes a speedy recovery.

Just wondering if you do/did much partner work??
We probably train 50/50!
I would have to say that it is the most enjoyable part of my training and definitely the most fun I've had while fully clothed . ;)

Actually I'll open that up to all! Do you do much partner work in your chosen styles???

s_Y_n

03-Sep-03, 02:54pm

Originally posted by Sid Ferret
haha harl3quin put my foot in it!! im the same age as you. ok the real reason why im asking about learning a martial art is that i have to go home to the uk in about 3 months time. Thing is before i left the uk i managed to rather piss off the wrong bunch of people in a local nightclub. i recently heard off a friend back home that they were asking after me {:-( this being like 9 months after the said events happened. so i kinda gather that when i go out back home im gonna get my arse kicked. the way i figure it is if im gonning to get the crap kicked out of me i may as well try to inflict as much damage as possible. kinda of like going down in a blaze of glory. so what do you reckons the best martial art to learn to take on multiple people by yourself and come out standing....or at least being able to crawl away on my hands and kness :-D

A friend of mine does Krav Maga (Israeli army hand to hand combat)
U reach a (pretty fukin painful) proficiency in roughly 6 mths (but improvements level out pretty hard afta),
it's fully dirty trix (bone breakin smak em from behind tekneek) and most definitely urban (best taktiks against groups, handguns, stones, rokkit propelled grenades, all pretty normal Golan Heights shiz)

but it werks! ;)

and they teach it in Syds n Melbs

lubes

03-Sep-03, 03:00pm

^^agreed, krav maga is pretty damn good!

loveit

03-Sep-03, 03:53pm

i don't do 'Martial Arts' but i just started Boxercise and that was fun but i'm terribly sore....hehe

sirravesalot

03-Sep-03, 07:11pm

Originally posted by Fecker

The site looks good! Lots of interesting stuff in there. Hopefully your ankle makes a speedy recovery.

Just wondering if you do/did much partner work??
We probably train 50/50!
I would have to say that it is the most enjoyable part of my training and definitely the most fun I've had while fully clothed . ;)

Actually I'll open that up to all! Do you do much partner work in your chosen styles???

yeah we do partner work from sparring, to 'one steps', grabs + take downs, plus more...

NismoR31

03-Sep-03, 09:56pm

Originally posted by loveit
i don't do 'Martial Arts' but i just started Boxercise and that was fun but i'm terribly sore....hehe
lol i've seen people wo boxercise & think they can defend themselves fail miserably :) sorry but it doesn't teach you to fight, it just teaches you to jump up & down. it's EXERCISE in disguise!

Debz - Wing Chun (ala Ving Tsun) was originally designed for females as it didn't require physical strength (but it can help as in anything). I thought i could punch ok until i did wing chun - fuck me what an eye opener! I can much harder & faster now.

Debz

03-Sep-03, 10:31pm

lol... i reckon a few lessons of wing chun and i'll be able to kick your arse nismo! oh wait, i prolly already can :p

SynAck

03-Sep-03, 11:33pm

I too did Wing Chung for 1 yr, I would have kept going If I had a training partner...

NismoR31

04-Sep-03, 08:56am

Originally posted by Debz
lol... i reckon a few lessons of wing chun and i'll be able to kick your arse nismo! oh wait, i prolly already can :p
i'll bend over for you at halcyon :)

Fecker

04-Sep-03, 09:06am

Originally posted by sirravesalot

yeah we do partner work from sparring, to 'one steps', grabs + take downs, plus more...

Cool! We're doing some stepping excrises at the moment! A lot of fixed/free push hands & downward and upward throws.
Do you do a quick fist/fighting form ???

ineedafork

04-Sep-03, 09:58am

I've been doing Tae Kwon Do since I was 8. Been taking my time and am now 4th dan black belt.

I've spaa'd against various styles, each having their pros and cons, but I find Tae Kwon Do to be the most flexible. Karate sux due to the fact there are no aeriel moves and most of the others are too static.

I have even been trained in TKD for street fighting. I think our TKD school is one of the more unconventional for doing this. But needless to say, we get shown how to fight dirty and when it comes to self-defence, this is what you want. On the street, your opponent is going to yell 'go' when he's ready to block you, biting is common, the groin is not considered 'below the belt' and running away fast is not as stupid as it sounds.

I guess the style you choose depends on what you want to get out of it. Personally I do it for fitness. Other might want coordination, others confidence that they can kick the shit out of an attacker.

sirravesalot

04-Sep-03, 10:08am

I think ur school is unusual in its street fighting, as from what I have seen/heard/read about TKD its not a very practical style.

interesting point - it kind of developed because of my style, TKD started in 1963 I think, or around then anyway, by the government - General Chang, so that it was under their control/influence - before that SBD was like the national style. There are HELLA similarites between the two, and many of the early teachers of TKD came from SBD.

big eddie

04-Sep-03, 11:44am

get yourself a black pudding, learn eckythump and you are set.

ineedafork

04-Sep-03, 05:00pm

Griggle

04-Sep-03, 05:21pm

What do you guys think of Capoeira and Escrima? :?

Just thought it was a little funny that noone was talking about either when they are two of the martial arts that historically have been most successfully used.

big eddie

04-Sep-03, 08:29pm

If you don't think you can master ecky-thump, then there is always the secret art of self-defense... LLAP GOCH!

Fecker

05-Sep-03, 08:47am

Originally posted by Griggle
What do you guys think of Capoeira and Escrima? :?

Just thought it was a little funny that noone was talking about either when they are two of the martial arts that historically have been most successfully used.

Capoeira doesn't really appeal to me! A bit to much leaping around! I have a mate who was going to take it up but he had a Tae Kwon Do background so it was a natural progression.
I think there's a school in Bondi that train it though!?

Just checked out a few sites that train Escrima! Looks good! However I do see a few Tai Chi fighting similarities in there! ;)
Saying that, because Tai Chi is not stuck in training fixed moves you get to see a lot of other styles in it.

Kyza

05-Sep-03, 09:14am

whats the best defence a female can learn???
i was doing kick-boxing for a couple of months but due to work and other committments i had to stop. im looking at starting it again soon though though.

ponsdale

05-Sep-03, 12:11pm

Originally posted by big eddie

you get tea and expensive prostitutes???

I wish! I have even been to Japan twice to see if it was true, but alas...... :(

Bella Boo, my advice to anyone who is thinking about starting a martial art or self defence is simple. Go and talk to your friends who do one about what they like about their style. Then go and have a look at at least three schools and observe their classes or even participate. You need to assess the school as well as the style; are the inclusive of women, is there a good spirit (feeling) in the school, etc...

Atlantis

05-Sep-03, 02:25pm

Originally posted by BlueSteel

For some reason, I really want to get into Wing Chung. I like it's style.

That's what i really, really, really, want to do :)

Kyza, Wing Chun is great because it was developed for females. Although i think it could be a little rougher than a lot of the other styles developed for chicks (i'm not too sure on that, but i haven't heard of many chicks doing wing chun and most guys i know find it rougher)

Griggle

05-Sep-03, 02:40pm

There is a local school of Capoeira that does demonstrations at heaps of dance events. Some mad stuff. I thought there would be more people here interested in the style seeing as most of us dance. ;)

Any bboys or bgirls interested?
http://www.bantus.asn.au/images/vibes/04.jpg
http://www.bantus.asn.au/images/vibes/06.jpg

Oblivia

05-Sep-03, 03:56pm

I do tae bo at fernwood and its given me heaps of confidence when walking alone in dark alleys:)

No seriously, i have done tae kwan do for about 2 years but went traveling and when i came back my school had been taken over by little kiddies, then i dislocated my shoulder and havent really been back in the year since, if i could remember all my patterns i think that it would only take me about 6months to get my black belt, but i have just been too lazy, a black belt in tkd doesnt really mean much but its just cool to be able to say im a black belt,

i did a little capoiera just for the fun of is but its more about dancing and less about fighting than i would really like.

Also through my tkd school i did hapkido which is a korean grapling art, its all about locks and holds and throws and how to escape if someone has hold of you or has you in a choke and stuff, and all the kicks are in the thighs and kidneys and stuff, its not about beating each other up, its about disabling and escaping an attacker, which is really useful, but the classes werent that fun, they also used nunchucks and staff which is fun. JJackie chan is kinda into it too.

I really want to do some form of kung fu i think, but i want to get my tkd black belt first

Oblivia

05-Sep-03, 03:59pm

Originally posted by Kyza
whats the best defence a female can learn???
i was doing kick-boxing for a couple of months but due to work and other committments i had to stop. im looking at starting it again soon though though.

in my experience if you are looking for self defence hapkido is pretty good, its not about trying to outbox someone it is about using their strength against them, similar to akido (but i havent done it so i dont know) but i think that akido doesnt have the kicks, which are a useful way of breaking someones concentration before you break out of their hold or disarm them or whatever.

phat chong

05-Sep-03, 04:19pm

I'm thinking of doing hoshin jujitsu??? Any good? Or that US Marine STRIKE course

maas

06-Sep-03, 05:20pm

Originally posted by Oblivia
JJackie chan is kinda into it too.

jackie chan has a variety of styles blended together, probably due to his time at the peking opera school and stuff he learnt when he got out.

i have seen a video with him and his students doing some pak mei forms(my style of kung fu) and was quiet impressed. however, that doesnt necessarily mean he knows the style, he may just knows some forms.

sirravesalot

08-Sep-03, 12:29pm

Originally posted by Griggle
What do you guys think of Capoeira and Escrima? :?

Just thought it was a little funny that noone was talking about either when they are two of the martial arts that historically have been most successfully used.

capoeira isnt really practical, but Id love to do it if only for the improvements in strength and agility you would gain. It'd also be tops for the musical/rhythmical aspects.

So maybe I should get my instructor not to call it Tae Kwon Do?

Maybe: 'Enter Tae Kwon Do', or how about 'Tae Kwon Do Reloaded'

haha :lol:

traction

15-Sep-03, 07:25pm

I've done a few styles of Martial Arts over the years (Muay Thai / Zen Do Kai / SOC Freestyle etc.) and if nothing else I've learnt that no matter how good you think you are there's always people out there who are better, and they don't necessarily all look big or mean or tough. There's guys out there who don't weigh a buck o' five but WILL kick your ass sideways. If your thinking about getting into a fight keep this in mind. It's an attitude that has saved me from quite a few encounters over the years.

One thing I've also learned from my many years of being a pisshead is that when you're drunk YOU CAN'T FIGHT even though you think you can.

2 pieces of wisdom learnt the hard way. :P

Annie_82

23-Sep-03, 05:55pm

Originally posted by sirravesalot
I think ur school is unusual in its street fighting, as from what I have seen/heard/read about TKD its not a very practical style.

interesting point - it kind of developed because of my style, TKD started in 1963 I think, or around then anyway, by the government - General Chang, so that it was under their control/influence - before that SBD was like the national style. There are HELLA similarites between the two, and many of the early teachers of TKD came from SBD.

TKD isnt too bad. of course it is a "martial art" so not exactly like street fighting. but the self defense side is very interesing and helpful.
i have been training for 7 years. and it was founded on april 11 1955 by general Choi Hong Hi. whom i had the pleasure of training with at 2 of his seminars in Australia and also with his son 3 times at his seminars. Unfortunately general choi died last year. and a lot of messy politics have arisen that have really disillusioned me.
i now really only regard it as sport.
a lot of TKD is based on karate. general choi was a prisoner of war in a japanese camp and learned karate there and also taught it i think. also based on Taek Kyon. the korean art of foot fighting.
but i like TKD better than karate coz the whole basis of movement on sine-wave makes it a lot more fluid and graceful. i think its nice and powerful to look at :)

N4TE

23-Sep-03, 06:02pm

Girls - wing chun. Ask my friend Rhi to kick your boyfriends arse up through his nose if you need proof that this style works for women. ;D (if he was up for it, she would, too! :lol: )

Griggle

23-Sep-03, 06:07pm

Originally posted by sirravesalot
capoeira isnt really practical, but Id love to do it if only for the improvements in strength and agility you would gain. It'd also be tops for the musical/rhythmical aspects.There are actually two main schools of Capoeira. The traditional (Capoeira Angola) version isn't that practical as it isn't meant to look like a martial art and rely's a lot on decieving your opponent as to your actual fighting abilities.

The newer version (Capoeira Regional) was made by one master who thought the art form wasn't practical enough. He added kicks and moves from eastern martial arts and developed a series of training sequences, transforming Capoeira into a more overt fight, less of a dance, and removing certain traditional aspects of the art, which were not effective in a fight.

Annie_82 I'd better quit the short jokes around you then ;)

Annie_82

23-Sep-03, 06:12pm

Originally posted by Griggle

Annie_82 I'd better quit the short jokes around you then ;)

u bet ur ass u better. ;)

hehe.

i would love to learn capoeira it looks like so much fun

Fecker

24-Sep-03, 08:27am

Originally posted by Griggle
There are actually two main schools of Capoeira. The traditional (Capoeira Angola) version isn't that practical as it isn't meant to look like a martial art and rely's a lot on decieving your opponent as to your actual fighting abilities.

The newer version (Capoeira Regional) was made by one master who thought the art form wasn't practical enough. He added kicks and moves from eastern martial arts and developed a series of training sequences, transforming Capoeira into a more overt fight, less of a dance, and removing certain traditional aspects of the art, which were not effective in a fight.

The rant continues........

This appears to be happening a lot these days in the martial arts world! Hybrids of different styles and techniques!
What's your opinion on this???
Is it best to learn a traditional style first and then move onto it's bastard spawn brother or visa versa? Don't want to get bogged down in the politics of it or anything just opening this one up for debate!
As I'm learning a softer/internal style(Tai Chi Chaun) there is a part of me that would love to take that and bring it into a harder style and see how I would fair up, not straight away but after about 6 months training! I would think that training lightly, for say 5 years, would make it a lot easier to get into a harder style. I know it's the opposite with people coming from harder styles into our school, there very stiff in the body and it takes months to get that tension out of their bodies!
Have any of you done this??? i.e. Moved from an internal style to a full on hard style or visa versa??

Pang

25-Sep-03, 05:44pm

I did TKD for 5 years and Kempo for 3. I found TKD pretty neat. A lot of TKD clubs lean towards teaching you sports tae kwon do as you see in TKD competitions ie Olympics etc. Good fun. The forms look good but I had a few questionmarks about its practicality.

TKD taught me how to kick pretty well . It lacks a lot when it comes to punches though. I didn't think that was very important until I went into a few full contact comps. With nothing but a groin gaurd and mouth gaurd you learn pretty quickly which areas of your style are letting you down.

I found Kempo more practical. I got much better with my arms and stuff and I tended to concentrate less on arials as I was taught in TKD. They're flashy but I've neer found them to be much good. They score points in TKD and points comps but I've found them pretty ineffective otherwise.

If your style has a pretty well balanced mix of kicks and punches and a mix of other neat stuff like throws, takedowns etc I think you're pretty set.

If your style is teaching you how to throw punches from your hip or flick your kicks out using your knee rather than drive through with your hips its time to go shopping for a new martial art my friend.

Gonna check out Soo Bahk Do with sirravesalot next week :-D Should be fun.

sirravesalot

25-Sep-03, 05:49pm

damn straight :-D

Pang

25-Sep-03, 05:52pm

Originally posted by Fecker

I would think that training lightly, for say 5 years, would make it a lot easier to get into a harder style. I know it's the opposite with people coming from harder styles into our school, there very stiff in the body and it takes months to get that tension out of their bodies!
Have any of you done this??? i.e. Moved from an internal style to a full on hard style or visa versa??

I've trained with people who've come from a bunch of other styles before and people who come from some of the harder Japanese/Korean styles like Karate & TKD have a bit of trouble adjusting to moving differently but it doesn't take very long to adjust if your teacher keeps pointing it out and paying out on you :lol: I learned pretty quick (maybe a few weeks tops)

Fecker

22-Oct-03, 02:56pm

Weapons!

Yes, I'm back with more questions to the martially trained out there.

Have many of you trained many weapons in your chosen styles?
I've done a saber & a pole form to date in Tai Chi. The saber form was OK, I didn't really keep up training it after a while. Not that practical I suppose! Walking around the place with a sword!

More recently we've done a pole form which is really fun and pretty handy to know if you can get your hands on one!

Anyway just wondering!?

Thoughts please!

MadRocker

22-Oct-03, 09:32pm

I've been practising martial arts for over 10 years. I'm currently training for UFC style cage fighting. Some of my training partners have already been competing in the no-rules arena. Bare in mind tho, cage fighting is NOT street fighting so I don't claim to know it all on the streets. For this kind of training I practise Thai boxing (stand-up fighting) and Brazilian Jiujitsu (ground-fighting).

Realistically you are not prepared to defend yourself on the streets unless you practise some stand-up fighting (karate, kickboxing, etc..) and some ground-fighting (Brazilian Jiujitsu, Lutre Livre, Sambo, Greco-Roman, etc...) A lot of fights end up on the ground no matter how hard you try and prevent it (crash tackling is common). When that happens, your striking is reduced to little rabbit punches.

Here's a run-down of what I think of other styles:
Thai boxing - deadly! Good for different distances (kick, punch, elbow). Brutal and straight to the point. You train till you drop and you learn to take pain. Simple moves such as these can be done quickly and without hesitation. You strike your opponent with your shins, not the foot.

Capoeira - more of a dance. You need waaay too much room to execute these moves and you can see them coming a mile away. Not very practical but good to impress people with at parties.

Pencak silat - Indonesians version of karate and like karate, there are many styles of pencak silat. Some styles are brutal like practising cracking coconuts with your heel to simulate smashing someone's skull.

Tae Kwon Do - traditional tae kwon do teaches some very bad habits. Dropping your hands will ensure you cop a few punches to the face! Kicking with your feet will just break the brittles bones in your foot and annoy the other guy. "Snappy" kicks have little power. Also high spinning flying kicks puts your balance at its worst.

aikido - apparently so deadly that they can only practise on each other and they have to be compliant and "roll with it". Good for preventing a fight but not so useful when someone goes "Mike Tyson" on you.

savate - original savate came from the French which they used on ships. One hand holds the sword, the other a rope for balance and their legs are used to attack. Savate is like kickboxing with boots. Not sure if savate schools today still use boots

Krav Maga - latest craze to hit town! Even J-Lo used it in her movies. This is practical fighting against multiple opponents in realistic environments (bars, restaraunts, etc..) I recommend this to people wanting a practical martial art that covers the most common scenarios.

Brazilian Jiujitsu - fairly new to Australia. Invented by a Brazilian who was weak and suffered from vertigo. This will teach you to immobilise an opponent on the ground by breaking limbs and choking them unconscious. I love this one! Have used it in night clubs. I believe this is the most useful for females because there is a whole system of fighting where you are on your back and the opponent is on top of you. My pretty Russian friend got out of a rape attempt when this 90kg guy had her on the ground and was on top of her.

Overall, I think martial arts are only effective if you are fit (not neccessarily strong) and if you have trained to TAKE pain as well as give it. You will NOT stop every strike so be prepared to get hit. And remember, assume the potential attacker is someone bigger, stronger and fitter than you. Don't train as if you are going to be attacked by old grannies!

Some martial arts are incorporating fear based training. They actually get actors in the class to abuse you and scare the hell out of you causing adrenaline dump. It is a new thing and not many martial artists are qualified to teach this but hopefully we'll start seeing more of it.