Martial Arts

did karate and ju jitsu - karate was good for keeping fit and also had a sport side to it with sparring competitions.

Ju jitsu is a very effective martial art for self defence and probably brings you to a level where you're able to defend yourself a lot quicker than other martial arts.

Tis a while since I did either and I was never a black belt or anything but I'd echo what the above have said - the culture of both those martial arts emphasized that you should never strike first.
 
arfur said:
which is where training comes into it, theres no shame in running if you live to see another day, and in todays I wouldnt think twice about running is someone had a knife regardless if I fancied my chances or not, you only get 1 chance and 1 life.
Click to expand...
Run from a knife and you'll get cut.

Don't believe me? Find a friend, put on a white t-shirt and trainers. Get your friend to put on his trainers and give him a marker pen. Stand mugging distance away from him, then turn and run and let him see how many slashes he can get before you run away from him.

We used to teach this, and it scares the **** out of people. Bear in mind he'll be expecting you to run, and running for you won't be an immediate instinct as you'll be pooping and shocked.

As for the op, it's MA have made me a much calmer person. I don't get angry at all anymore, certainly not physically. When someone annoys me, I know I could really hurt them, or if they hurt me I'd heal and it probably wouldn't hurt. Knowing this somehow comforts me, so I don't display any anger. Knowing how to fight means you don't have to.
 
Last edited:
I started Karate when I went to uni because I wanted to learn to control my temper (I take a long time to crack but when I do its nasty) as well as a desire to learn an MA, get fit etc.
It worked a treat. I have excellent control of myself now. The simple fact that I know how much damage I could do to someone if I lost my temper instantly quells any rising anger. The other benefits are obvious.

Try a martial art. My one piece of advice is to take a few sample lessons of different styles before commiting to one. In my experiece (and I have trained in / are training in a total of 8 MA's) is that one will just "fit" your personality etc. For me, its karate. For others kung fu, judo etc.

Enjoy.
 
Regardless of how many years you have been doing MA and regardless of which ones you do, if you've never been in a "real" fight situation, it is unlikely that your training will have any real use. The massive amounts of stress and adrenaline you are likely to feel will far outweigh the training you you have received. Self defense classes are also a waste of time for the same reason.

I have 13 years of MA under my belt (excuse the pun :p)
 
I'm fortunate enough to have found a good Ju Jitsu club. The problem I have with most clubs is the lack of sparing and practice of the techniques in a more realistic situation. For example, we are told to throw full and proper punches, and block hard. When doing grabs the Uki is asked to use force and to resist the technique. The Sensei will constantly relate techniques to situations and when/when not to use them.

I've been to a few other MA clubs in the past where the majority of the time is spent practicing the techniques against imaginary targets, and Kata. I don't see how this is preparing someone to defend themselves? When I go to class, I always get hurt, and I learn to deal with pain, I think it's important.
 
Mat - I disagree. In the fights I have been in since I started MAs I have found my training to be absolutely invaluable. I can react quicker, my level of fear is manageable and - probably the most important thing - I can think clearly. Sure, there is fear and adrenaline but my training helps me manage those. Sounds like you need a new teacher mate :)
 
I also disagree Mat..

if you compare someone that has some MA training and someone that doesnt being put in to a real fight for the first time, the person with training stands a much higher chance than the one without.
 
I don't see how throwing real punches and being 'hurt' every week has any benefit. I spent my time at a wado-ryu club, and we never had full contact bouts. If we wanted that we went to competition.

If you are hurt, you are injured.... if you are injured - you are not at peak fitness. Being 'hurt' from blows every training session is doing you more harm than good, and will be detrimental to you when you do come up against an aggressor, and more importantly you will also suffer when you are older - and will constantly have weak areas that can be used as target points for an opponant to find.

An Ideal balance is a club which sends you to competitions every few months, but allows you to improve fitness, speed and agility through light sparing in every training session, so you learn what your moves are like in real situations.
 
Last edited:
I don't understand how you can't see the benefits of throwing real punches?

Being hurt doesn't mean being injured - it just means feeling a bit of pain from the technique.

We commonly practice multiple attackers - anything goes, and competition style ground fighting.
 
divosuk said:
I don't see how throwing real punches and being 'hurt' every week has any benefit. .
Click to expand...


It prepares you for a proper attack, if your stunned by a punch or strike your dead, if you can shrub off the first 1 or 2 hits you have a better chance of surviving and not being stabbed to death kicked while on the ground and end up the news at ten or worst youtube
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom