NeoGAF Martial Arts |OT| Should You Desire the Great Tranquility, Prepare to Sweat
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Heya, Martial Arts OT!
I took karate for about a month when I was in grade school, but that was the full extent of my experience.
I've been interested in starting Muay Thai for about a year and a half for now, and am trying to talk myself into joining the local dojo in 2017.
I have some questions.
1. I'm about 40 lbs overweight. I've been doing DDP yoga relatively regularly for the past 9 months, so I'm not as out of shape as I used to be, but is it possible that Muay Thai would be outside of my fitness level right now? They offer beginner courses, and there are even a few kids who participate, but I don't want to join up if there's a base level of conditioning needed before you can realistically start.
2. The cost is $55/month. Is that reasonable? I have no frame of reference for comparing the pricing structure.
3. What startup equipment does a beginner need? Shorts, mouthguard, gloves... anything else?
4. Are there any inspirational (short) reads online about the benefits of Muay Thai, not from the perspective of a hardcore fighter? It'd be nice to find examples of other out of shape people who used the training to improve both mental and physical fitness.
Overall, the idea of embarking on something like this next year makes me anxious, but in an invigorating way. For where I'm at in life right now, it's a realistic challenge, yet one that will still require me to push myself a lot further than I'm used to. Since I'm still so uneducated on the topic though, I wanted to get some input from you guys and gals to make sure I'm not trying to reach for something that's out of my league!
I took karate for about a month when I was in grade school, but that was the full extent of my experience.
I've been interested in starting Muay Thai for about a year and a half for now, and am trying to talk myself into joining the local dojo in 2017.
I have some questions.
1. I'm about 40 lbs overweight. I've been doing DDP yoga relatively regularly for the past 9 months, so I'm not as out of shape as I used to be, but is it possible that Muay Thai would be outside of my fitness level right now? They offer beginner courses, and there are even a few kids who participate, but I don't want to join up if there's a base level of conditioning needed before you can realistically start.
2. The cost is $55/month. Is that reasonable? I have no frame of reference for comparing the pricing structure.
3. What startup equipment does a beginner need? Shorts, mouthguard, gloves... anything else?
4. Are there any inspirational (short) reads online about the benefits of Muay Thai, not from the perspective of a hardcore fighter? It'd be nice to find examples of other out of shape people who used the training to improve both mental and physical fitness.
Overall, the idea of embarking on something like this next year makes me anxious, but in an invigorating way. For where I'm at in life right now, it's a realistic challenge, yet one that will still require me to push myself a lot further than I'm used to. Since I'm still so uneducated on the topic though, I wanted to get some input from you guys and gals to make sure I'm not trying to reach for something that's out of my league!
You want shorts that come up your thighs. I use basketball shorts for boxing and I feel like they constrict my kicks a little.
Your gloves should be 16 oz. minimum if you intend to spar. You can start cheap if you like, but you'll notice the difference with a good set of gloves.
You need handwraps. Shouldn't spar, do mitt work, or bag work if you don't have wraps on under those gloves. They make them in various sizes, but you need 180" wraps to give you proper coverage. Anything less I only recommend for children because they have smaller hands. Once you buy them, unroll them, watch video online to learn how to wrap your hands, and then roll them up backwards when you're done so the thumb loop is on the outside of the bundle.
Depending on what you're doing you'll want shin guards as well. I don't wear them for pad work, and I only wear them half the time when I'm on the bags, but I always wear them for sparring. If you can, find a place you can try them out otherwise you can look on the manufacturer website for sizing guides.
I can give some limited advice on gear too if you need it.
StrawberryJam
Member
Hey guys, just a quick question from a complete dummy when it comes to martial arts. Are there any classes I could take while having knee problems? I know kickboxing and the like are definite no for me, but maybe anything else that isn't so high impact on the knees? Apologies for my general ignorance on the topic!
Rest
All these years later I still chuckle at what a fucking moron that guy is.
You might try Tai Chi, it should be slow paced and low impact, but from what I hear from people who do it, it's still a pretty good work out if you're doing it right. You might not find a dedicated gym for it, but any community center should have a class or two. A lot of dojos that specialize in something else are also likely to have Tai Chi classes.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Kendo isn't too demanding on the knees. I know many kendokas who have chronic knee problems. The hardest part for them are just the sonkyo (crouching/bowing before a match) and seiza (sitting down during the opening/closing ceremonies) haha.
juliushandle
Member
I had knee issues and took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu and my knees actually healed without surgery. It was mostly the weight loss that helped relieve my knee pain. Just be sure you find a gi school that focuses on the ibjjf rule set where knee bars and heel hooks are not allowed until brown belt. Do not try a no-gi school or your knees will get wrecked.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
That's probably good. Your arms should never be the focus in kendo. If you arms are sore after practice you are doing it wrong. 
That's probably good. Your arms should never be the focus in kendo. If you arms are sore after practice you are doing it wrong.
That's good to know. How about my hands? I'm still not sure if I should have a tight grip or if I should be keeping my hands as loose as possible, or if the right amount of grip strength is in between those two extremes.
Going to start working in more sparring at the gym.
Sparred Saturday and Monday with my Kickboxing group. Monday I tried working from a Muay Thai stance rather than boxing or Kickboxing stances, but I can't help switching back while under pressure. I definitely feel like I'm improving for sure, though. I managed to completely sweep someone off their feet with just a low kick. I don't think I put a whole lot of power, mostly I think I just caught my partner off balance, his feet were very close together. I've also been working on the Superman punch with one of the guys there, but I've had more success because I do it after training my partner with kicks rather than throwing it out of nowhere. Same fella tried it on me, but I managed to defend myself in time. I've been having success with hiding switch kicks behind crosses as well, which I'm excited about because it's been good at catching others off guard.
Great sessions, got a lot of work in, and got my face and belly worked on too. Might be time for a cup though, had a close call or two. >_>
Sparred Saturday and Monday with my Kickboxing group. Monday I tried working from a Muay Thai stance rather than boxing or Kickboxing stances, but I can't help switching back while under pressure. I definitely feel like I'm improving for sure, though. I managed to completely sweep someone off their feet with just a low kick. I don't think I put a whole lot of power, mostly I think I just caught my partner off balance, his feet were very close together. I've also been working on the Superman punch with one of the guys there, but I've had more success because I do it after training my partner with kicks rather than throwing it out of nowhere. Same fella tried it on me, but I managed to defend myself in time. I've been having success with hiding switch kicks behind crosses as well, which I'm excited about because it's been good at catching others off guard.
Great sessions, got a lot of work in, and got my face and belly worked on too. Might be time for a cup though, had a close call or two. >_>
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Never a tight grip. You want your hands to be relaxed. Not necessarily "as loose as possible" but definitely not tight. The way we are taught is "like you're holding a baby bird"; firm enough so that it doesn't fly away, but not too tight that you'd kill it.
You only want to tighten the grip (with your hands, not your arms) at the precise moment you strike, and release it almost instantly after, like a snapping motion. This will give you a lot of power (without hurting your opponent 
) if you do it right. But it takes practice.Never a tight grip. You want your hands to be relaxed. Not necessarily "as loose as possible" but definitely not tight. The way we are taught is "like you're holding a baby bird"; firm enough so that it doesn't fly away, but not too tight that you'd kill it.
Thanks! I just came back from the dojo and keeping that in mind definitely helped. Now I actually look like I'm swinging a sword than flailing angrily
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Nice, glad it helped!
Well my legs aren't blindingly fast but they are blindingly white.
Small bit of something I recorded. It's nice to see it in third person because now I can see I definitely need to turn my hips in more on my kicks and commit to my punches more. Usually not so lazy with my hands, I normally do turn my hips more on my cross. Lead leg kick also looks way off, not enough whip around the knee compared to my right leg.
Small bit of something I recorded. It's nice to see it in third person because now I can see I definitely need to turn my hips in more on my kicks and commit to my punches more. Usually not so lazy with my hands, I normally do turn my hips more on my cross. Lead leg kick also looks way off, not enough whip around the knee compared to my right leg.
weemadarthur
Member
A discord server for martial art chatting. https://discord.gg/nzmVufx
Rawr Its Ry
Member
Anyone have any recommendations for knee sleeves/pads? Been doing jiu jitsu for 2 years and in the past 3-4ish months my knees have been feeling very raw when I go for or drill takedowns that involve dropping to a knee. I've tried a friend's cliff keen raptors and while the padding is nice I'm finding a bit tight. Any recommendations?
Depths of Orion
Member
Has anyone ever taken judo? I am very interested in taking martial arts and it seems like the best fit for me. How nimble do I need to be to do martial arts. I've been weight lifting for 15+ years but I feel like that's a huge detriment to flexibility.
Chaos2Frozen
Member
There's a martial arts OT?!
My wife's found a class for our 3ish year old. I suppose because I've done various styles for years she thought it'd be a good idea.
I'm travelling this weekend so she'll take him alone. I'd probably be too opinionated anyway. As long as he enjoys it.
I have no further details on what it is at the moment but I'm sure any activity will be good for him. I'm not really sure he'll be ready for this sort of thing but we can try. Will report back.
I guess I was wondering if anyone has experience of their kids training?
I'm travelling this weekend so she'll take him alone. I'd probably be too opinionated anyway. As long as he enjoys it.
I have no further details on what it is at the moment but I'm sure any activity will be good for him. I'm not really sure he'll be ready for this sort of thing but we can try. Will report back.
I guess I was wondering if anyone has experience of their kids training?
Yo just wanted to chime in and say that I'm totally still doing this Kendo thing. Training multiple times a week usually and having tons of fun. I think I'll be doing my first grading in a couple more weeks and then start wearing Bogu. That's gonna be a little rough on my wallet but what can you do.
Bloodporne
Member
Good on you. As far as I'm concerned, any martial art is a step in the right direction.
I took up Muay Thai about 7 years ago after being into Western Boxing for some years prior to that. Never looked back and still train 3 times per week.
The only thing I'd recommend is doing random free classes (if available) with schools in your area if there are multiple to see how they stack up against each other. Basically, get a feel to make sure you're not being strung along with a sub-standard school or something, there are plenty that prey on the average Joe's 'simple workout I wanna lose some fat' mentality. Not saying your school does that obviously but it's always wise to keep an eye out if you're first getting into something and don't have any other experiences to check against.
Been a while since a post here. But I am an avid martial artist, been doing Karate and Jiu Jitsu for 5 and 4 years respectively.
Additionally I practice Medieval Italian Martial arts (I'm not Italian but its the only sword work offered in my area). I've learned Longsword and Spear along with medieval dagger so far.
Soon I'm moving though for a job so I'll have to find new places to train. Finding a good dojo/club is always a challenge so hopefully I can find something good.
Additionally I practice Medieval Italian Martial arts (I'm not Italian but its the only sword work offered in my area). I've learned Longsword and Spear along with medieval dagger so far.
Soon I'm moving though for a job so I'll have to find new places to train. Finding a good dojo/club is always a challenge so hopefully I can find something good.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Awesome! Glad to hear you continued and are enjoying yourself.
It's sooooo much nicer when you have your own bogu. Totally worth it. Where are you ordering it from?And yeah it does suck when people don't aim so well haha. Fortunately with proper training it shouldn't happen so often...
Awesome! Glad to hear you continued and are enjoying yourself.
And yeah it does suck when people don't aim so well haha. Fortunately with proper training it shouldn't happen so often...
Well the one who bruised me was a higher up Dan dude so there's no avoiding that I guess
It was kinda my fault too, we were doing Kote-Do waza and I was inconsistent at moving backwards when receiving but oh well.
I got this one
It was between this and some cheaper sets but after I received that missed Do and some painful Kote strikes I was in the mood for some extra protection
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Hah, yes I won't lie, even us higher rank folks miss sometimes... but in my experience, we at least miss targets less often and we have far better control over our strikes. That said, unlike the other strikes, a missed do strike at full power can be more painful because of the way we hit that specific target.
All Japan Budogu is a great store! I have a similar set that I recently bought from Kendostar (from well-known AJB reseller Andy Fisher). But they are pricey. You went for pretty high-end stuff for your first bogu, but if that's what you want, then great! At least it should last you a very long time.
That said, unlike the other strikes, a missed do strike at full power can be more painful because of the way we hit that specific target.All Japan Budogu is a great store! I have a similar set that I recently bought from Kendostar (from well-known AJB reseller Andy Fisher). But they are pricey. You went for pretty high-end stuff for your first bogu, but if that's what you want, then great! At least it should last you a very long time.
Interesting, did you get the KASEI set?
I was looking at that but it seemed a little over the top for a first set.
I enjoy Andy's stuff on youtube though and he seems like a great guy and passionate about getting Kendo out there. Also he seems to have just partnered up with another Japanese Bogu workshop which looks interesting.
I was looking at that but it seemed a little over the top for a first set.
I enjoy Andy's stuff on youtube though and he seems like a great guy and passionate about getting Kendo out there. Also he seems to have just partnered up with another Japanese Bogu workshop which looks interesting.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Yeah that's too much for a beginner haha. Wait in 5-10 years or so
I got something called the "zero" set during a sale, but it's no longer on the website.
I got something called the "zero" set during a sale, but it's no longer on the website.
Splash Wave
Member
How does everyone go about cleaning the inside of their boxing gloves? I made the mistake of leaving mine in my gym back, and now the finger tip area is a little stinky.
I've heard some people use wipes, others just put dryer sheets in there after a session. There are inserts you can buy but I've never tried them myself. I've never cleaned any pair of gloves I own I just don't store them in my bag when I get home.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
If your fumikomi fucked up your foot you were probably not doing it right.
Also make sure you warm up properly before each practice.Rest well, I hope you'll recover quickly. And yes, achilles pain seem more common, though I have been spared this despite doing kendo regularly for a decade. Never had to wear a heel bad on my right foot either.
If your fumikomi fucked up your foot you were probably not doing it right.
Rest well, I hope you'll recover quickly. And yes, achilles pain seem more common, though I have been spared this despite doing kendo regularly for a decade. Never had to wear a heel bad on my right foot either.
Hm hopefully it's just a matter of fatigue because I was pretty much going from zero to three times a week training, with increasing intensity also especially since Bogu training started.
I'm gonna rest a week or two and and see how it goes.
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