Marital Arts

[Pheebs]

Thanking you people for your thoughts and what not! Apol - I think I will have to have a look around at different sorts Was kind of my aim to the thread - to learn about different sorts to find one that suits! Been quite interesting I didn't realise how many different types of martial arts there were!

Jmc41 - 60mile trip! Erk! I hope you find something a bit more local!

[A Place of Light]

Originally Posted by Pheebs

Thanking you people for your thoughts and what not! Apol - I think I will have to have a look around at different sorts Was kind of my aim to the thread - to learn about different sorts to find one that suits! Been quite interesting I didn't realise how many different types of martial arts there were!

There are several hundred styles of Karate alone!!!

TBH you need to decide exactly what you want from learning a MA, as this will determine which is best for you. You may just want something that will return you a high level of fitness/agility with the added novelty of it being related to a different culture to boot. You may want to go down the competition route, or you may want to learn an actual self defence system for that "just in case" scenario where someone decides they want your famous baps.

If I were you I really would whore myself around as many different classes as I could find, and indentify what suited me best. There is no "best" style to go for, as the style is as important a part of the equation as the practitioner and his/her own specifics.
If you take lukes suggestion of Thai Boxing for example.
Thai boxing is an explosive form of combat. It works well, but only if you can give it 110%. If you just want to turn up and do a class once a week, then learning Thai Boxing will not give you a devastating ability to defend yourself.
Good, yes, but only if you put the hours in. It does, in any measure, demand high levels of fitness.....so this may appeal to you.

[luke]

Originally Posted by A Place of Light

There are several hundred styles of Karate alone!!!

TBH you need to decide exactly what you want from learning a MA, as this will determine which is best for you. You may just want something that will return you a high level of fitness/agility with the added novelty of it being related to a different culture to boot. You may want to go down the competition route, or you may want to learn an actual self defence system for that "just in case" scenario where someone decides they want your famous baps.

If I were you I really would whore myself around as many different classes as I could find, and indentify what suited me best. There is no "best" style to go for, as the style is as important a part of the equation as the practitioner and his/her own specifics.
If you take lukes suggestion of Thai Boxing for example.
Thai boxing is an explosive form of combat. It works well, but only if you can give it 110%. If you just want to turn up and do a class once a week, then learning Thai Boxing will not give you a devastating ability to defend yourself.
Good, yes, but only if you put the hours in. It does, in any measure, demand high levels of fitness.....so this may appeal to you.

tbh mate i think that applies with any martial art and i fail to see how you single thai out as needing more commitment than any other

[phykell]

Originally Posted by luke

tbh mate i think that applies with any martial art and i fail to see how you single thai out as needing more commitment than any other

More risk of injury for a start and all that hardening of the shins and so on? It's also bad for the joints because it's high impact stuff. I'm sure you've seen plenty of injuries.

FWIW, I reckon a good Ju Jitsu class is the best compromise for most people. Lots of throws, locks, shows you how to punch, how to counter and so on but like APoL says, have a good look round. Ultimately, I think the style is less important than your instructor, your commitment and your "classmates".

[luke]

Originally Posted by phykell

More risk of injury for a start and all that hardening of the shins and so on? It's also bad for the joints because it's high impact stuff. I'm sure you've seen plenty of injuries.

FWIW, I reckon a good Ju Jitsu class is the best compromise for most people. Lots of throws, locks, shows you how to punch, how to counter and so on but like APoL says, have a good look round. Ultimately, I think the style is less important than your instructor, your commitment and your "classmates".

depends at what level you do it. in a beginers class, ime, all you do is light pad work. at our gym that was all i did for the first year and you can continue doing that

you dont have to do all the hardcore shin hardening stuff as you are only kicking pads that dont hurt. shin hardening is for competition only. u spar with shin pads on, but sparring is more advanced anyway and some people dont even spar

[Piggymon]

I've been doing boxing for the last few months. The instructor has now left so starting Kickboxing next week

Can't wait RAAAAAAH !!

[Belmit]

Did Jung Shin Kwan Hapkido for three years and made it through seven belts to the senior grades. Unfortunately at the end of 2007 my instructor married her partner (also an instructor) and they moved away. Now the closest school is about an hour away.

Hapkido is quite similar to Aikido - using the opponent's body weight to your advantage - plenty of locks, holds and redirects. Most of it is technique so there's not a lot of physical endurance, but grappling was hard work; kneel on the mats opposite your opponent and use whatever technique you can to make them tap out. 60 seconds of trying to pin someone attempting exactly the same thing as you is exhausting and occasionally excruciating.

[vix]

Originally Posted by Kitten

everytime I look at this thread I think it says 'marital arts'.

I didn't but I do now!

I find any sort of physical fighting or combat very stress releiving. My ex and I used to have fights, protecting ourselves with pillows. Looked very silly but worked.

We ended up hating each other though.

[A Place of Light]

Originally Posted by luke

tbh mate i think that applies with any martial art and i fail to see how you single thai out as needing more commitment than any other

Because Thai boxing relies on an extremely high level of fitness more than almost any other fighting style.
Think of it this way. A doctor is more skilled and knowledegable than a first aider, right? Now take a first aider who's halfway through a six week full time course and really enjoying it, then put them against a trainee doctor who only has one lecture a week and isn't really putting any effort in.

Which would be more effective should someone become injured?

Thai boxing is extremely effective, but unless you train hard it's no better (and in some cases worse as some style produce better results given minimal effort) than any other form of combat.

[A Place of Light]

Originally Posted by vix

I didn't but I do now!

It seems that you should, as someone has changed the thread title.....allegedly

Hmm.