Beginner

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stephens248

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Not sure if anyone is from the SE Michigan area, but I am completely new to martial arts, and not sure where to start. 25 years old, tried boxing (40 lbs ago) at a local gym for free, but there was no instruction. I am looking to learn to fight, as well as get into better shape and maintain it. Figured this will help bring discipline to my life and keep me motivated.

Any way, looking for suggestions on where to start? What styles to look into? And hopefully if some one is in the area, a suggestion of where to train.

Thanks,
Jeff
 
do you also want to compete, or is your primary consern when it comes to fighting self defence?
It really all depends on the school and the teachers who teach.
If you practice a good art in a poor school you wont get far.
i suggest you also read the "Martial arts styles... what's what." its very good for beginners.
 
At this point, focus is self defense and learning. Depending on how I take to it, competion later.

I will take a look at that thread, thanks.
 
stephens248 said:
I am looking to learn to fight, as well as get into better shape and maintain it.
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Why would you pay a martial arts instructer to get you in shape. There is no point in paying for a lesson and doing a cardio workout.

Keep the martial arts in the dojo, and the fitness in the gym.

Look for a good class. Doesn't matter what style, just find the right teacher.

By the way, fighting/self defence martial arts are compleatly diffrent from competition arts. In true martial arts you'll learn how to stop an attack, immobilize an attacker and make use of any weapons (weapons= stone, floor, wall, tree, glass, etc...). However in competition arts you'll mostly be learning how to score a point.
So you really gotta choose between the two.
 
manofkent said:
Why would you pay a martial arts instructer to get you in shape. There is no point in paying for a lesson and doing a cardio workout.

Keep the martial arts in the dojo, and the fitness in the gym.

Look for a good class. Doesn't matter what style, just find the right teacher.

By the way, fighting/self defence martial arts are compleatly diffrent from competition arts. In true martial arts you'll learn how to stop an attack, immobilize an attacker and make use of any weapons (weapons= stone, floor, wall, tree, glass, etc...). However in competition arts you'll mostly be learning how to score a point.
So you really gotta choose between the two.
Click to expand...

Thats not necessarily true... I agree with some of it, but not all... and I'll explain.

Shotokan has been labeled a "competition art". We are taught not only the basic kihon, kata and kumite, but self defense applications of the techniques in order to be effective in a combat situation. I know the art I know works, because I've used it successfully.

That being said I've lost one competition point match in my albeit short martial arts career. The techniques are limited, but most of the same ones I can score a point with (reverse punch, backfist, front thrust kick) I can stop someone with. Maybe not in the same way, but I can. I have enough control to be able to compete and not injure someone. Competition and combat MA can exist at the same time...

HOWEVER...

One should be taught to defend themselves and then tone it down for competitions. If they're taught to compete and get in an altercation and all they've practiced is how to pull a punch, they're in trouble.
 
aevans410 said:
Thats not necessarily true... I agree with some of it, but not all... and I'll explain.

Shotokan has been labeled a "competition art". We are taught not only the basic kihon, kata and kumite, but self defense applications of the techniques in order to be effective in a combat situation. I know the art I know works, because I've used it successfully.
Click to expand...

Think of it this way. One man has played chess his whole life and his friend played cards but also played chess.

who would win at chess?



So... Yes it works, its a powerfull style, but if you have two guys of are equally matched, one who does pure fighting and competition and the other has spent all his time on just fighting, then pure fighting arts would win every time.

Its the same reason why I would never fight a wing chun student in a narrow ally. He would whoop my Ass. Ive spent 13years learning 100's of sweeps weapons, punches, grabs, throws, counter punches, kata, finger strikes, etc...

And while Ive been doing all this, the same Wing Chun student has been chain punching non stop.

So we are standing toe to toe, I want to step back and to the side to set up for a nice springy attack, or turn to 45 and jab jab hook. But I cant do any of that cos he has hit me 4times in the face.
 
Don't get me wrong, I agree with that assessment. I just think that competition MA and defense MA can coexist.

How many times is a martial artist going to defend his life against another martial artist though? Although there are a few bad seeds out there and they may attack me, but I'm more likely to be accosted by a guy who just thinks he's a bad ass and doesn't know anything about fighting, and he'll probably go down.

My point was don't necessarily discount a school because they compete.
 
It depends HOW they compete. Grappling matches are pretty much straight forward. MT tournaments, etc. If you want to fight, these are pretty good places to be. The wrong places to be are schools that are performance oriented and those that are like...****ing points.

Oh, and Final Fu.
 
Allen - Yeah ur right. Im just biased cos I love the pure arts.

Im like my dad. If he see's me putting cola with whiskey he goes mental saying "your destroying the flavour". I just feel the same way about classical martial art.

The way I see it anytime your compeating for points, then your playing a sport.
I love boxing and kick boxing so i am a hypocrite, but they are accepted as sports.
 
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