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[norinrad21]

martial arts?

I wanna get in shape, theres a Gym nearby, but i dont feel like i belong there. Place is probably full of jerks acting tough and thinking they own the world and get get all the women for being on steroids. Thats why i`ve been searching for a perfect martial arts school to join.

I have a list of a few martial art forms and i`m pretty sure there`s more.

Kung Fu
Aikido
Kendo
Yoga
Tai Chi
Jujitsu
Karate
Judo

Which one do you practise and has it improved your life etc?

I hear knowing one of the above makes you also powerful...hehehe

 

[Mama Smurf]

In my experience, most people in gyms will leave you alone and just work out. They might be jerks or they might be perfectly nice, I can't tell without them saying anything.

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

I actually find the gym to be a really great atmosphere. If anyone talks to you, they'll do so trying to help with technique and things like that. Most gyms are ALOT different then the steretypical way of thinking of the gym.

I'm a small guy, 5'7", 130 lbs, one of the smallest guys at my gym, and I don't feel out of place or unwelcome there.

 

[Mama Smurf]

While I've never taken up a martial art, I do intend to someday and did some research on it a while back. A few people told me that for the famous ones, Kung Fu and the like, you can get some right assholes as part of the group.

 

[Raxel]

.

 

[Mr Gump]

Why would people choose weight lifting over martial arts? Is that a serious question? People want to look good, looking good is associated with an impressive physique namely muscles, and that is usually associated with weight training.

People that go to a gym usually put looks over the ability to hold their own in a fight as their main goal at the end of the day.

 

[Alucard]

I don't really like gyms myself. A lot of the guys just seem like they're there to pick up.

 

[Stele]

Is Kung Fu really suppose to be a style? All it means in Chinese is a very general term for "skill" (and a couple other connotations), that doesn't have to refer to martial arts at all.

 

[karasu]

Weight lifting and Martial arts are completely different things, the only thing they have in common is that they're both physical. I fyou want to look like a bodybuilder, modern Martial arts won't do it for you, and really weight training will be a part of martial arts anyway if you want to be any good. A style in and of itself won't make you powerful, it'll give you some tools, but it's up to you to use them. It all depends on you, it's a personal journey. Always has been, always will be. I've been at it for 21 years and trained in everything you have listed (but there are over 300 forms of gung fu alone, and various forms of karate lol). They can improve your life many times over in many a way provided you put the work in, and most improtantly KEEP AN OPEN MIND. Take nothing that's said to you as "law" No matter how much your teacher presses it, they're all guideines, not the law.

Mama Smurf- there are assholes in everything.

 

[norinrad21]

People that go to a gym usually put looks over the ability to hold their own in a fight as their main goal at the end of the day.

You cant be serious?

 

[karasu]

Is Kung Fu really suppose to be a style? All it means in Chinese is a very general term for "skill" (and a couple other connotations), that doesn't have to refer to martial arts at all.

Yeah it's just the bootleg american term. You can refer to chinee martial arts as Chuan Fa, Wushu, Gong fu, etc etc etc

 

[Stele]

Gung fu? lol, you just spliced the Wade-Giles spelling of Kung Fu and the pinyin romanization of gongfu.

Karasu, I have a very sophisticated Chinese dictionary, and none of those really refer to any style. What I'm trying to say is, essentially everything you learn in America about Chinese martial arts is probably a mishmash of nonsense.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I'm sure that's true, but the sort of jerks he wants to avoid at the gym sound like the guys who just want to beat the crap out of people and immediately join a famous "cool" one like kung fu. I suspect you'd get less of those people at something more spiritual, like Aikido.

 

[norinrad21]

I really want to avoid the gym totally, with martial arts, theres a teacher around, at the gym even the guy behind the counter is an asshole, well most of them are and i hate it with guys coming to me to say hey its our turn, we train here wiht this type of crap every 5pm

 

[Mama Smurf]

You must have gone to some shit gyms, I've been to 3 different places in the last year (due to moving/prices) and I've never experienced anything like that.

I can see why you're against them though if that's your experience. I'm sure they can't all be like that around you though.

Do you actually have all those martial arts around you BTW? Not living in a very big town means my choices would be severely limited, which sucks.

 

[norinrad21]

I live in a big city, you can find pretty much anything around here

 

[Luscious LeftFoot]

I really want to avoid the gym totally, with martial arts, theres a teacher around, at the gym even the guy behind the counter is an asshole, well most of them are and i hate it with guys coming to me to say hey its our turn, we train here wiht this type of crap every 5pm

You really need to find a new gym.

Every gym I've been to has incredibly sociable people. Most just come to work out then leave, others are more than willing to help with techique, offer suggestions, or "spots".

Maybe it's just you ;p

 

[karasu]

Gung fu? lol, you just spliced the Wade-Giles spelling of Kung Fu and the pinyin romanization of gongfu.

Karasu, I have a very sophisticated Chinese dictionary, and none of those really refer to any style. What I'm trying to say is, essentially everything you learn in America about Chinese martial arts is probably a mishmash of nonsense.

Of course they don't refer to a specific style, they're general terms for Martial Arts. if you wanted to refer to a specific style it'd be more like Hung Gar, Mok Gar, Shaolin(or Sil Lum if you will) Quan, SheQuan, Bajiquan, Pakua/Bagua, etc etc etc, but some of the general terms are Chuan Fa, Wushu, gong fu, and in some cases Kuoshu or Guoshu ,etc etc. It isn't a mish mash of anything. If you're in China, and you ask about Wushu, they will know what you mean because theyc all it the same thing. if you ask about gong fu(Skill gained through hard work, even cooking) in China, it's more vague, but they will know what you mean. (For example "Kung Fu Movies are called "gong fu pian" in China, and 'wuxia pian"("flying" stuff) respectively.)You'd only refer to a speciic style if you actually knew which style you were looking for. Most people with a general interest in Martial Arts do not.

PS - "gung fu" is Bruce Lee's term.

 

[Stele]

Your method of mixing the outdated Wade-Giles spellings and the pinyin spellings is confusing the fuck out of me. Here's where I use my elementary Chinese ability to clear some things up. Chuanfa does not refer to martial arts. It's a word that comes from the morphemes chuan[tone 2] (meaning the act of passing on] and fa[tone 3] (meaning methodology). It could refer to carpentry or Buddhist scriptures. I don't know what kuoshu is, but "wushu" and "wuyi" are the really only terms that refer to martial arts without ambiguity. I have traveled China two times, and if you wanted to buy Kung Fu discs, you would never call it "gongfu pian" but something similar to "wuda pian" which means acrobatic fighting.

The thing with Chinese martial arts is, many styles don't have anything to do with each other. They're not sub-categories of Kung Fu or whatever, because they were developed separately due to China's expanses.

BTW, I think Bruce Lee is an overrated piece of shit.

 

[NLB2]

I fyou want to look like a bodybuilder, modern Martial arts won't do it for you, and really weight training will be a part of martial arts anyway if you want to be any good.

Do the Gracies, specifically Royce, weight train? I'm not trying to be an asshole, I don't know the answer but it just looks like they don't do much weight training.

 

[karasu]

Your method of mixing the outdated Wade-Giles spellings and the pinyin spellings is confusing the fuck out of me. Here's where I use my elementary Chinese ability to clear some things up. Chuanfa does not refer to martial arts. It's a word that comes from the morphemes chuan[tone 2] (meaning the act of passing on] and fa[tone 3] (meaning methodology). It could refer to carpentry or Buddhist scriptures. I don't know what kuoshu is, but "wushu" and "wuyi" are the really only terms that refer to martial arts without ambiguity. I have traveled China two times, and if you wanted to buy Kung Fu discs, you would never call it "gongfu pian" but something similar to "wuda pian" which means acrobatic fighting.

The thing with Chinese martial arts is, many styles don't have anything to do with each other. They're not sub-categories of Kung Fu or whatever, because they were developed separately due to China's expanses.

BTW, I think Bruce Lee is an overrated piece of shit.

lol I've trained in china four times dude, and my teacher is from Beijing. You seem to be missing the plot. Who is saying that these styles are associated with one another? Nobody is saying that, even though a great number of them are. You're trying to tell me not to use general terms for "Martial Arts" which is ridiculous. Martial Art = any combative form, even wrestling and boxing. It isn't a style for crying out loud. Chuan Fa could refer to buddhist scriptures? "Martial Arts" could refer to Bazookas and tanks! Geeze this is the internet, do something simple like looking up the terms I've used, that every chinese martial artist uses in some capacity or another. I assure you that you'll see them many times over. I don't care if you've traveled China, I have too. Are you a Martial Artist? Do you train? If not, please don't tell me how to refer to something I've done almost my entire life, NOT in commercial studios mind you. (21 years, started at 6 under my dad)

It doesn't matter what you think of Bruce Lee, I'm not saying he's the best ever or any garbage like that. I used his term. He's chinese, he refers to martial arts as gung fu, plain and simple. Next time you're in China mention "Shaolin Chuan fa", and then come back and tell me that people had no idea what you meant(Chuan= fist, as in Tai CHi Chuan, or Taijiquan if you will, FA=method or Law),refer to kung fu films as gong fu pian and tell me people were confused. If you can actually tell me that, you aren't in China, you're in Japan. Or you didn't put things into context.

Oh and dude, Wu da pian is the modern stuff, jackie chan created this. They're basically modern action movies with Martial Arts and big stunts. Gong Fu Pian is the old Shaw Brothers stuff, the down and out "gong fu" movies. "Tiger style versus this, Drunken fist versus that, etc etc.

And there are Sub Categories of Chinese Martial Arts! Nei-Gong for example. That's not to say that the styles under this categorization were created at the same time and share the same history, but they DO share the same principles. This is just Pathetic. There are many forms of Karate too, but the blanket term for them all is Karate. I know very well the difference between Shaolin and Wudan Martial arts, Northern and Southern,the various family styles, imperial systems, internal and external, and so on and so on. But that is so not the point.

"Wushu" is one of the more t popular terms in use right now, but even that has loads of controversy, thanks to the flowery sport versions. A good number of traditionalist refuse to refer to chinese martial arts as Wushu afraid it'll be confused with for lack of a better term governemt created "Modern Wushu" (aka what jet Li does). Or didn't your dictionary tell you that...

 

[karasu]

Do the Gracies, specifically Royce, weight train? I'm not trying to be an asshole, I don't know the answer but it just looks like they don't do much weight training.

Royce does, he has a trainer. Rickson doesn't if I remember correctly. I think he only uses his body weight, loads of push ups and such. Everything else is technique, but I may be mistaken here.

 

[Slurpy]

Stupid Question.

There's no way I'd be able to achieve my goals through solely martial arts. No way.

 

[Stele]

Nobody is saying that, even though a great number of them are. You're trying to tell me not to use general terms for "Martial Arts" which is ridiculous. Martial Art = any combative form, even wrestling and boxing. It isn't a style for crying out loud. Chuan Fa could refer to buddhist scriptures?

...

I'm saying your (and the common) terminology denoting Chinese martial arts means absolutely nothing and refers to no specific style, hence using it is entirely pointless. I thought I made that abundantly clear. And of course chuanfa can be used to refer to the passing on of Buddhist scriptures. It's a very pedestrian term, and without specification, I guarantee nobody will know what you're talking about.

I don't care if you've traveled China, I have too. Are you a Martial Artist? Do you train? If not, please don't tell me how to refer to something I've done almost my entire life, NOT in commercial studios mind you. (21 years, started at 6 under my dad)

OMG, let's compare cock sizes. I've wrestled for 10 years, and have a couple hundred matches under my belt, but that's all really beside the point. Oh, since we're still pissing here, I have enough reading/speaking abilities in Mandarin to travel around by myself quite efficiently. I really don't think I'm behind you in terms of language nuances.

here are many forms of Karate too, but the blanket term for them all is Karate.

In terms of the breadth of culture and history, Japan is nothing compared to China. That extends to martial arts as well. Not a very good comparison.

"Wushu" is one of the more t popular terms in use right now, but even that has loads of controversy, thanks to the flowery sport versions. A good number of traditionalist refuse to refer to chinese martial arts as Wushu afraid it'll be confused with for lack of a better term governemt created "Modern Wushu" (aka what jet Li does).

Don't write things and assume I know what you're talking about. Flowery sport version? "Afraid it'll be confused with for lack of a better governemt created 'Modern Wushu?'" What? My dictionary has over 250,000 entries for Chinese terms, but it still can't fix butchered syntax.

Edit: lol, I just realized I misinterpreted you because you spelled something wrong. You meant to write "quanfa" not "chuanfa."

 

[Teddman]

Stop making excuses. Go to the damn gym and lift your weights.

 

[Slurpy]

Its also funny how everyone here complaining about the gym is doing so from their own insecurities. Grow up. Go there and do what you need to do. You being insecure is your fault, not anyone else's.

 

[karasu]

I'm saying your (and the common) terminology denoting Chinese martial arts means absolutely nothing and refers to no specific style, hence using it is entirely pointless. I thought I made that abundantly clear. And of course chuanfa can be used to refer to the passing on of Buddhist scriptures. It's a very pedestrian term, and without specification, I guarantee nobody will know what you're talking abou

OMG It is not meant to refer to a specific style! Just like "Cinema" refers to no specirfic genre! "MArtial Arts" refers to no Specific style! " Karate" refers to no specific style. "Food" refers to no specific dish. Jesus H Santiago! What the hell are you thinking? @_@

G, let's compare cock sizes. I've wrestled for 10 years, and have a couple hundred matches under my belt, but that's all really beside the point. Oh, since we're still pissing here, I have enough reading/speaking abilities in Mandarin to travel around by myself quite efficiently. I really don't think I'm behind you in terms of language nuances.
Quote:

That wasn't meant to compare cock sizes. You're a wrestler, I'm not. How stupid would I look trying to tell you what wrestling was and what wrestling isn't? How would I look trying to correct you on the name of a technique or how a style is referred to? I'd look like a fucking retard.

In terms of the breadth of culture and history, Japan is nothing compared to China. That extends to martial arts as well. Not a very good comparison.

Jesus.

Don't write things and assume I know what you're talking about. Flowery sport version. "Afraid it'll be confused with for lack of a better governemt created 'Modern Wushu?'" What? My dictionary has over 250,000 entries for Chinese terms, but it still can't fix butchered syntax.

lol. You see, the goverment "bastardized" Chinese Martial Arts in the 50's and 60s. They gathered a good group of traditional masters and forced them at the threat of death or imprisonment to create a watered down system of chinese martial arts with no combative qualities whatsoever. The goverments idea was that "Comrades shouldn't fight Comrades" , so this new form was meant to be like a Kung Fu version of dance and gymnastics. What they did was exaggerate the movements of traditional styles, put the focus on grace and looking good instead of power and functionality. Throw hand picked athelets into little camps and train them for at least 8 hours a day in sport versions of every category of Chinese MArtial Arts you can think of. Chang Quan is an exagerated sport version of Northern Longfist, Nan Quan is an exaggerated version of southern systems like Mok gar or Hung Gar(Aka Hung Kuen AkA Hung Quan AKA Hung Ga, basically Hung Family Fist), etcetera etcetera. Naturally this pissed off the traditionalist who were forced to go underground or flee to places like Taiwan to keep their systems alive, and because of all this many refuse to use the term Wushu. There are dozens and dozens of ways to refer to chinese martial arts as a whole. They all share principles and certain techniques, the Shaolin temnple is the birthplace of most modern Chinese martial arts, so much was created, refined, or combined there> Wudan is responsible for most of the internal or soft styles, and of course there are family systems and such that straddle between the two.

Anyhow to cut this short and leave out a million details and leave in a million typos and spelling errors, if you ever google the term "Wushu" the first thing that shows up are tons and tons of Sport schools, teaching the "watered down entertainment version" of Chinese martial arts that's flashy as fuck, but focuses more on form and maybe health, than combat or philosophy. If you ever watch those "Shaolin onks" who are on tour, they are not doing traditional martial Arts, theyre doing the sport version created by the goverment. Not to say that they don't know the real stuff, but the sport version makes for more Oohs and Ahhs. Personally I think it's a great addition as far as training methods go, but it should be kept in context, and not confused with real "Kung Fu", gong fu etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc


but it should be noted that some of these Wushu athletes HAVE learned combat application. They aren't all "Hua Quan Xiu Tui" (Flowery fists and brocade Leg) as the martial expression goes. Which means to say boneless, or impotent.


Edit: I should probably apologize for being annoyed. So, sorry.

 

[Luscious LeftFoot]

Uhh.... does anyone know what karasu and Stele are debating/arguing about anymore?

 

[Stele]

That wasn't meant to compare cock sizes. You're a wrestler, I'm not. How stupid would I look trying to tell you what wrestling was and what wrestling isn't? How would I look trying to correct you on the name of a technique or how a style is referred to? I'd look like a fucking retard.

Did I tell you what martial arts was or wasn't? Norinrad started out the thread by splotching out a list of martial arts forms. Listing Kung Fu is like listing martial arts under martial arts forms.

Anyhow to cut this short and leave out a million details and leave in a million typos and spelling errors, if you ever google the term "Wushu" the first thing that shows up are tons and tons of Sport schools, teaching the "watered down entertainment version" of Chinese martial arts that's flashy as fuck, but focuses more on form and maybe health, than combat or philosophy.

Yes, I'm aware of some of this, but it's not too much different than tournaments renditions of Taekwondo and Karate. Either way, it's taking the bite out of the art.

 

[LinesInTheSand]

Uhh.... does anyone know what karasu and Stele are debating/arguing about anymore?

Thankfully I have no idea.

 

[Teddman]

Uhh.... does anyone know what karasu and Stele are debating/arguing about anymore?

It's a great, riveting argument between two formidable opponents. Right now I'd give the edge to Karasu, but it's still anyone's debate...

 

[karasu]

Did I tell you what martial arts was or wasn't? Norinrad started out the thread by splotching out a list of martial arts forms. Listing Kung Fu is like listing martial arts under martial arts forms.
Quote:

Most Martial artist know that when someone lists "Kung Fu" they mean Chinese Martial arts as opposed to Korean, Japanese, Brazillian or Russian. I even pointed out that there were over 300 forms of chinese martial arts in my reply to the kid lol. It's correct. Like I said, people outside of the arts don't know which specific style they want anymore than someone going into a boxing gym knows which style of boxing they want. If they do know which form of Kung Fu/Chinese Martial Arts they wish to train in, it's usually because they saw it in a movie.

 

[Boogie9IGN]

Don't forget Jeet Kune Do, Ninjitsu, and Iaido!

All the martial arts focus on different things, so just do a little research and pick the one that best suits you. Don't forget to also drop by the different dojos and ask if you can watch a lesson, it'll help you pick.

I'm going to be taking kendo starting this winter in a good dojo at the Buddhist Temple in Japantown.

 

[Ryu]

Why not both? Lift your weights on M,W,F and go to classes on T,TH. If you go to college, you can always use the school's facilities for free and then take martial arts classes. That way, if weight lifting just doens't work out for you, you can always stop without any regrets of wasting money. I think the school gym is probably one of the most under utilized resources at colleges, though that's just my opinion. Most people I know just go for classes and stuff, but swimming, weight lifting, and classes in martial arts are just great things to have access to while you're there, even if you don't even sign up for the class and just kind of participate. Self improvement is better then the credit imo.

But of course, you may not even be going to college in which case I'm just wasting my breath.

 

[Lil' Dice]

Stop making excuses. Go to the damn gym and lift your weights.

LOL! Exactly, you sound like a social recluse. When you use "might" and "probably" in your description of gym environments it makes you sound like you have some underlying issues to work out.

How about this, you practice martial arts AND go to the gym.
Martial arts without strength training is like cooking pancakes without butter.

Also, if you're looking to learn a fighting technique for street use i suggest you take up grappling/or boxing. I've NEVER seen someone in a street fight beat the shit out of someone by using Kung Fu.

 

[karasu]

How often do you see any martial artist beat the shit out of anyone lol.

 

[BlackMage]

Every gym I've gone to has been full of people just minding their own business. I have never witnessed any guy trying to hit on a girl there or someone getting insulted for their appearance. ALL people at the gym are there to improve themselves. Also, I've always found the staff to be very helpful and nice.

 

[isamu]

Someone pinch me cuz I must be dreaming...

there isn't ONE post from Biff Hardbody in this thread. Biff are you OK man?

I hope he's alive..this is VERY strange!

 

[demon]

People that go to a gym usually put looks over the ability to hold their own in a fight as their main goal at the end of the day.

No shit, Sherlock. I've never been in a fight in my life....why the fuck would I put fighting abilities over physique and looks? Plus, martial arts training would take more time and money for me, two things of which I have little of to spare.

 

[Badabing]

I go to the gym 5 times a week and it's one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

Back in the day I was once tall and skinny. Very lanky looking. A year at the gym fixed that right up for me.

Of course, since my brother is an employee at the gym, I get in for free. Man, I've mooched about $720 off of that damn gym (it's $60 a month, damn) AND I get a free shake everytime after my workouts (Shakes cost like $3 each).

Yah, the place is expensive, but I wouldn't call it a rip off. They have some excellent equipment there, and a lot of space to do whatever the fuck you want. Changed my life, I tells you.

 

[Fatghost]

Don't base your judgements of the sublime and excellent art of weight lifting based on faggot body builders in a fucking froo froo gym.

Goddamn bodybuilders are the worst thing to happen to physical training ever.

If you're serious about fitness in general and martial arts specifically, you need to add some weight training into your regimine, for general strength, stamina, and durability.

 

[Slurpy]

Every gym I've gone to has been full of people just minding their own business. I have never witnessed any guy trying to hit on a girl there or someone getting insulted for their appearance. ALL people at the gym are there to improve themselves. Also, I've always found the staff to be very helpful and nice.

Yup. In the hundreds of times Ive been to the gym, I'v seen someone being degraded a total of one time. Since it was right beside me, I approached the degrader , and he was shown to all to be the extreme pussy that he was. HIs face red, he promptly left the gym, and I've never seen him since.

However, people need to be called up on things sometimes. Just today, this guy who obviously has never or close to never benchpressed in this life, managed to send both plates hurling off the bar(even with his useless spot) one just missing my friends foot. It was ridiculous and dangerous. I briefed them on the importance of using a damn clip, and using much less weight. Common sense. If its the first time you do a damn excercise, start off very light.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

People that go to a gym usually put looks over the ability to hold their own in a fight as their main goal at the end of the day.

General Health and wellbeing factors in there for some people too.

 

[Mr Gump]

No shit, Sherlock. I've never been in a fight in my life....why the fuck would I put fighting abilities over physique and looks? Plus, martial arts training would take more time and money for me, two things of which I have little of to spare.

He asked a stupid question, and look at the answer he got.

 

[Biff Hardbody]

Someone pinch me cuz I must be dreaming...

there isn't ONE post from Biff Hardbody in this thread. Biff are you OK man?

I hope he's alive..this is VERY strange!

Hey buddy, hows life?

Not sure what I should write, but I'll just let my brain empty out while I wait for my porn to finish downloading. Let me go through the stuff here and make any points I have.

why would anyone take weight lifting over martial arts?

Well, because if you don't have some type of power your technique will be ineffective against someone good or just bigger then you. Weight lifting is the quickest way to get power. Personally, I don't lift. I don't want to go into the reason why I don't, that would take to long. But, I do different types of strength training and its a huge part of my martial arts.

Don't underestimate a weight lifter. They can wreck people because they are big and strong, and could even have tard/roid strength and aggressiveness. Most martial artists don't fight. They just talk.

Kung Fu
Aikido
Kendo
Yoga
Tai Chi
Jujitsu
Karate
Judo

Which one do you practise and has it improved your life etc?

Well, as others have said before there are many styles of Kung Fu. If you want to get into a nit picking contest about it, Kung Fu doesn't definitely mean martial arts, but everyone associates it with that so its fine to use it for that (argument between Karasu and Stele solved, woohoo!).

Anyhow, the state of Kung Fu is a sorry one. The national art of China, San Da doesn't even resemble styles of Kung Fu. If you don't know what San Da is, imagine kickboxing with wrestling style takedowns and throws. One can argue they are doing Kung Fu, or that styles evolve into what they have done, but I believe the basic truth of the matter is that Kung Fu has been in decline for a long, long time and allot of it is dead/lost.

There are good Kung Fu schools out there, and its always important to keep an open mind. But, your chances are slim of finding one in my opinion.

Aikido is an interesting art. If you look at the founder, he was supposed to be some type of saint or demi God. I've read a few biographies on Ueshiba, and I have to say I think he was an interesting man, but he's been more deified by certain groups of Aikidoka. The end result is it doesn't matter what he could do, but what practiconers of the art can do today. The answer? Generally, not much. Like Kung Fu there are some bad ass Aikidoka out there, but on the whole? Choose something else.

Kendo, haven't done it.

Yoga, not a martial art. Excellent stretching, and it'll make you strong.

Tai Chi, see Kung Fu. I'm an avid Tai Chi practiconer, and its helped me learn a unique way of jabbing. Its also increaded my strength a good deal, as well as my mental composure. That being said, 99% of Tai Chi people are granola eating hippies who would get their shit wrecked if they somehow got the balls to even contemplate fighting.

Jujitsu, depends on what kind. There are various Japanese styles, and they can be in the Kung Fu camp. Some are out of touch with reality and are just terrible, while others like Aaron Field's school in Seattle are grade A bad motheruckers. There is some excellent Japanese Jujitsu.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an excellent style that I recommend. I recommend learning it without a gi, and in a more "vale tudo" setting. If you fight with a sport minded BJJ, you can get pounded on. Very fun style to.

Karate, some tough guys in Karate. But, I think you'd be better off in a boxing or kickboxing gym.

Judo. Judo's awesome. Very underrated for self defense. BJJ will teach you better submissions, but a good Judo school (one that spends allot of time on matwork) will make you good at subs and standing. Very nice.

Personally, I recommend boxing. When people want to choose a martial art, they think of something esoteric or mysterious, as though it will make them a super man. The truth is, boxing is simple, will make you very tough, and will teach you the reality of being hit and hitting back under fire (something many martial artists never learn).

Its important that you learn something grappling oriented to compliment your boxing, because there will be no ref in a real fight to seperate you when you clinch. Learn Judo, wrestling, or BJJ along with it.

When you get good at fighting, you can check out Aikido or Tai Chi and see if it agrees with you. Even though the technique of those arts is old and antiquated, the theory is very good and can make you a much better boxer, wrestler, or fighter.

I'd also recommend you just get in shape. Being in shape will supercharge your technique, and honestly if you are out of shape its hard to fight.

I'm sure that's true, but the sort of jerks he wants to avoid at the gym sound like the guys who just want to beat the crap out of people and immediately join a famous "cool" one like kung fu. I suspect you'd get less of those people at something more spiritual, like Aikido.

You'd be surprised, but there is a giant amount of assholes in the martial arts world. You have to understand, it can be very cult like. Many people who get involved have a deep insecurity about themselves, and allot of them seem to be searching for a father figure. You can imagine the types of petty infighting and bizzare rumor spreading that goes on with a group like that. It isn't pretty. These types are more common in the Kung Fu realm where one can sit on the side, get fat and talk about how deadly he is without actually doing anything to prove it.

 

[isamu]

Kick ass post BiffR!

 

[karasu]

The national art of China, San Da doesn't even resemble styles of Kung Fu. If you don't know what San Da is, imagine kickboxing with wrestling style takedowns and throws. One can argue they are doing Kung Fu, or that styles evolve into what they have done, but I believe the basic truth of the matter is that Kung Fu has been in decline for a long, long time and allot of it is dead/lost.

Becaue it's a sport. Kickboxing doesn't look like Karate either.

 

[Scrow]

I wanna get in shape, theres a Gym nearby, but i dont feel like i belong there. Place is probably full of jerks acting tough and thinking they own the world and get get all the women for being on steroids.

"Probably" full of jerks? Go there first and find out. You'll probably discover that there's a lot of people like you going to the gym, just trying to get in shape. That's what I've found at my gym. There's a mix of people who've been going for years and are muscle bound, and others who have only been there a few months or a year and are simply trying to stay healthy.

 

[Biff Hardbody]

Becaue it's a sport. Kickboxing doesn't look like Karate either.

Whats your point? Sincerely, I don't understand. If San Da stopped being a sport it would resemble so called Kung Fu? I doubt it, it would look the same as when they fight in the ring. Fighters fight the way they train.

From what I know about San Da, the Chinese goverment did research into what would make their fighters capable in the quickest amount of time. Their results were that western boxing was quickest for training the hands, and they had heavily influence from the Thai's as well. They kept some of their own northern kicking, but nothing that really resembles the Kung Fu

 

[karasu]

Whats your point? Sincerely, I don't understand. If San Da stopped being a sport it would resemble so called Kung Fu? I doubt it, it would look the same as when they fight in the ring. Fighters fight the way they train.

From what I know about San Da, the Chinese goverment did research into what would make their fighters capable in the quickest amount of time. Their results were that western boxing was quickest for training the hands, and they had heavily influence from the Thai's as well. They kept some of their own northern kicking, but nothing that really resembles the Kung Fu

Naw, my point is that it's a sport. It was created for Sport, based on the old challenge matches from the early days. Traditional Chinese Martial arts (traditional striking arts in general)aren't generally suited for sport in their original forms, because the competition version depends alot more on muscle strength and the like than a real life altercation would. Of course that's only natural, in a sport you don't try to snap a guys knee (unless it's a submission lock) or strike any of his vital areas. You'd look like an idiot trying to do Wing Chun with a pair of boxing gloves on lol. Sanda is a combination of more freeform Kung Fu and Shuai Jiao, not because those systems are more effective overall, but because they work best in a sport setting. No one is seriously hurt, the fights are fast and non lethal, etc etc. The psychology behind it is totally different. It's not meant to be a "real fight" or anything like that, it's a game. Like all of them are, despite what their maketing wants you to believe.


San Da fighters, specifically from China are typically modern Wushu guys, yet in the ring they don't cop horse stances or use animal systems or any of that. Because really, it isn't as simple as 'fighters fight like they train', they fight according to their enviroment. San Da isn't a statement on the current state of the Chinese Martial Arts, it's just a sport. I have no idea why some in the martial arts community expect their sports to mirror real life fighting or express some grand sentiment about a system, they're two completely different states of mind. Let me point out that I am in NO WAY saying that athletes are ill equipped for street fighting lol, I'm saying that we handle fights in the street a hell of alot differently than fights in the ring. Sanda doesn't look like the traditional stuff, because it isn't the traditional stuff, and there's no way it could look like the traditional stuff. It uses certain techniques of course, and a million and one of the principles because everyone of their attributes is fueld and formed by traditional or modern wushu training. But it doesn't have the luxury of the grappling arts where you can apply pressure and force a submission. In the striking arts, if you want to hurt a guys knee, you kick it, you can't scare a guy with the threat of a broken ankle, it's either broken or it isn't, there is no submission. That is of course unnecessarily violent for a sport. That's all I mean.