# Which is the best self defense schools on Long Island NY?



## DiveInArts222 (Aug 6, 2018)

Does anyone know any?


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 6, 2018)

There is no best, it depends on you, how far your willing travel, what places are near you and what you are after.

Which leads me to; do you want to narrow down the search area a bit, Long Island is 1400 square miles in size


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## DiveInArts222 (Aug 6, 2018)

I'm from the South Shore area. Bellmore to be exact. Doesn't have to be too close but not too far. A reputable place that's been around for a while would help.


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## jobo (Aug 6, 2018)

Self defence schools are to the most part bogus, go and learn an art or a style that appeals to you or suits your attributes,


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## DiveInArts222 (Aug 6, 2018)

Kung Fu or Karate?


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## Deleted member 39746 (Aug 6, 2018)

DiveInArts222 said:


> Kung Fu or Karate?



which ever one you like/applies the patterns a lot/spars a lot.                     Not a school which turns out pattern perfection and little understanding of why you do them and how to do them if you were to fight.

(also style of Karate and Kung fu would be good information here)


Edit:  If its tai chi, dont do it for self defence, just dont.   Maybe once in a blue moon you have a good combative tai chi school but they are rare and not worth looking for.    To cover that base of kung fu, im pretty sure everyone can agree with me on that one.


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## Flying Crane (Aug 6, 2018)

Rat said:


> Edit:  If its tai chi, dont do it for self defence, just dont.   Maybe once in a blue moon you have a good combative tai chi school but they are rare and not worth looking for.    To cover that base of kung fu, im pretty sure everyone can agree with me on that one.



Categorically?  No, I do not agree with you.


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## DiveInArts222 (Aug 6, 2018)

Rat said:


> which ever one you like/applies the patterns a lot/spars a lot.                     Not a school which turns out pattern perfection and little understanding of why you do them and how to do them if you were to fight.
> 
> (also style of Karate and Kung fu would be good information here)
> 
> ...



I don't know any tail chi schools around me and never took that style before so I wouldn't know much about it but I hear it's good for health benefits. 

Basically I'm looking for a self defense style that's geared towards also keeping in shape stamina, endorance and so on.


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## Flying Crane (Aug 6, 2018)

DiveInArts222 said:


> I don't know any tail chi schools around me and never took that style before so I wouldn't know much about it but I hear it's good for health benefits.
> 
> Basically I'm looking for a self defense style that's geared towards also keeping in shape stamina, endorance and so on.


It sounds like taiji would not be a good match for you, and there is nothing wrong with making that assessment.

Just don’t fall into the trap that mr. Rat apparently has, in believing that taiji is not an effective martial method.  It most certainly can be.

However, it is true that teachers who are good at teaching taiji as a combat method are few and hard to find, and the approach to training it is often hard to grasp by Westerners.  So for most people, taiji is a poor match.  But that does not mean that it inherently has no value as a combat method.


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## Deleted member 39746 (Aug 6, 2018)

DiveInArts222 said:


> I don't know any tail chi schools around me and never took that style before so I wouldn't know much about it but I hear it's good for health benefits.
> 
> Basically I'm looking for a self defense style that's geared towards also keeping in shape stamina, endorance and so on.




To be clear to avoid confusion, i was advising you away from it for self defence. 


As for the second point any good self defence or martial arts school should do a fair amount of fitness training and by repetition of the movements keep you fit.         dont get brought into labels like krav maga etc, keep a objective mind when you look at it, and from what i understand if they regularly do full contact drills where they stick you in armour, its usually a good sign. (at least for physical self defence)         As for looking for styles, look for generic self defence labels and just keep a objective mind and see if they pressure test what they teach regularly and to re emphasis the point dont get brought into names.       

If they have a legitimate overarching group which regulates the style they teach, do research into that as well.

Edit: @Flying Crane    we will agree to disagree on the matter of tai chis direct combat applications.


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## Flying Crane (Aug 6, 2018)

Rat said:


> To be clear to avoid confusion, i was advising you away from it for self defence.
> 
> 
> As for the second point any good self defence or martial arts school should do a fair amount of fitness training and by repetition of the movements keep you fit.         dont get brought into labels like krav maga etc, keep a objective mind when you look at it, and from what i understand if they regularly do full contact drills where they stick you in armour, its usually a good sign. (at least for physical self defence)         As for looking for styles, look for generic self defence labels and just keep a objective mind and see if they pressure test what they teach regularly and to re emphasis the point dont get brought into names.
> ...


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## JR 137 (Aug 6, 2018)

The same advice I have for everyone who asks where they should train, what is the best school, best style, etc...

Pick a school, not a style.  Make a list of every school in your area.  Eliminate the ones you can’t afford and the ones that conflict with your schedule.  Visit the rest.

Who’s teaching, how it’s being taught, and who you’ll train alongside are far more important that the style, barring anything that’s just absolutely ridiculous.  Go in and watch the teacher teach.  Watch the students train.  Even if there was a style that was inherently better than everything else, would you go there if it was a bunch of kids that thought they were ninja turtles and the teacher was a guy who catered to that exclusively?

Don’t discount the stuff people usually don’t think of as martial arts - boxing, wrestling, etc.  Boxing and wrestling will give you a better workout that pretty much anything else, and they’re quite effective for self defense.

I could refer you to the organization I’m in, Seido karate, but I don’t know the teachers who run the Long Island branch dojo,  or have I been to their school.  I really like Seido karate, but there are some dojos in the organization I wouldn’t join because they focus on kids.  Absolutely nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s just not what I want.  I found my dojo by going out and visiting the various dojos in my area.  Some places I visited were a great fit on paper, and weren’t worth my time when I saw what they did.  A few places surprised me by being better than I thought they’d be, including where I ended up.

And forget about websites for the most part.  If it were for websites, I wouldn’t have stepped foot into either dojo I’ve joined.

Visit as many places as you can and pick the best school.  What any of us consider the best might not align up with what you’re looking for.  If you’ve got someplace specific in mind, it won’t hurt to post a link and ask us what we think.  But again, everyone’s idea of the best is going to be different.


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## DiveInArts222 (Aug 6, 2018)

@Rat and @Flying Crane thanks guys I'll use that advice. I haven't found any tail chi schools near me yet I can't say if it suits my style or not but if I found a good one I would probably give it a try but I'm probably looking for something more than that.


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## DiveInArts222 (Aug 6, 2018)

JR 137 said:


> The same advice I have for everyone who asks where they should train, what is the best school, best style, etc...
> 
> Pick a school, not a style.  Make a list of every school in your area.  Eliminate the ones you can’t afford and the ones that conflict with your schedule.  Visit the rest.
> 
> ...



Oh I agree with you completely. I'm more concerned about finding a good school than just worrying about the style. But as long as they give a good training and self-defense and is taken seriously. I'd much rather avoid schools that ate full of a room of kids training to be like Ninja Turtles. But this karate school you mentioned sounds very interesting. Do you know if they have a good location that's closer to me? it's very hard to find a good school here on Long Island.


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## Flying Crane (Aug 6, 2018)

DiveInArts222 said:


> @Rat and @Flying Crane thanks guys I'll use that advice. I haven't found any tail chi schools near me yet I can't say if it suits my style or not but if I found a good one I would probably give it a try but I'm probably looking for something more than that.


No worries, and I’m not trying to steer you toward one.  I’m simply providing an education, because a lot of people make an erroneous assumption that taiji is inherently worthless as a combat method.  I’m offering some information on that.

What method you decide to pursue is your own choice.  Enjoy!


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## DiveInArts222 (Aug 6, 2018)

Flying Crane said:


> No worries, and I’m not trying to steer you toward one.  I’m simply providing an education, because a lot of people make an erroneous assumption that taiji is inherently worthless as a combat method.  I’m offering some information on that.
> 
> What method you decide to pursue is your own choice.  Enjoy!



Oh I know that!  and I know you're not trying to steer me in the wrong direction. I would actually love to try and Tai Chi school but there's no one really around that teaches of here. It would be great to find a school that teaches Tai Chi mixed with other martial arts and that way I get a little bit of everything.

Thanks for the help!


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 6, 2018)

DiveInArts222 said:


> Kung Fu or Karate?



Just as a note: Kung Fu is a label of a series of Chinese marital arts styles. There is no one Chinese martial art "Kung Fu"
And because of that you get a plethora of different approaches to Self Defense within the label Kung Fu

All of these fall under the label Kung Fu 
List of Chinese Martial Arts

What schools are within the area you are willing to travel to get to training regularly?


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 6, 2018)

Flying Crane said:


> Categorically?  No, I do not agree with you.



Speaking as a guy who has been thrown on the floor more than once by his taiji shifu....... I believe we agree.

But speaking as a long time Taijiquan guy...many taijiquan classes today are all about health with little of no ,martial arts involved.


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## Deleted member 39746 (Aug 6, 2018)

My only experience was a indie branch of tai chi not a main stream one.  It wasnt Chen, Yang etc.        (doesnt help that i think it was tailored to the more elderly of persons)    I didnt actually do it though.

Edit: Also posting places is most helpful, if you are worried about personal security you could cite us overarching federations etc.


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## mrt2 (Aug 6, 2018)

DiveInArts222 said:


> Oh I agree with you completely. I'm more concerned about finding a good school than just worrying about the style. But as long as they give a good training and self-defense and is taken seriously.* I'd much rather avoid schools that ate full of a room of kids training to be like Ninja Turtles*. But this karate school you mentioned sounds very interesting. Do you know if they have a good location that's closer to me?* it's very hard to find a good school here on Long Island*.



I did a quick google search and there are 139 Martial Arts schools in Nassau County, including a number right in your home town. I wouldn't be so dismissive of kids' martial arts.  At my school, there are a lot of kids, but some of those kids transition to the adult classes as teenagers, and some of them are pretty good.  Honestly, you have the tools to find local schools, and it makes no sense to ask internet strangers from around the world for this kind of advice.  Take some time, watch a few classes, even take a few classes.  Pay attention to the students who have been there awhile, because that is you in 6 months, a year, or 2 years from now.

You need to decide how hard you want to train.  I am happy with my choice of Tae Kwon Do, but if I were younger, I might go with a grappling style like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.


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## DiveInArts222 (Aug 6, 2018)

Rat said:


> Edit: Also posting places is most helpful, if you are worried about personal security you could cite us overarching federations etc.



I can do that!

Ling Nam Siu Lum - Kung Fu Academy 

Brown's Riptide Dojo

Master Higa's Okinawa Kenpo Karate School -  Home Page

Contact Goshinkan Ju-Jitsu Dojo In Merrick Long Island

I hope this is ok I post this here, I would love some honest opinions if anyone has knowledge of any of these places and which one would be the best for me from my descriptions so far. Thanks!


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## mrt2 (Aug 6, 2018)

How about this one?

Soca Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, BJJ, MMA l Long Island


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## DiveInArts222 (Aug 6, 2018)

mrt2 said:


> I did a quick google search and there are 139 Martial Arts schools in Nassau County, including a number right in your home town. I wouldn't be so dismissive of kids' martial arts.  At my school, there are a lot of kids, but some of those kids transition to the adult classes as teenagers, and some of them are pretty good.  Honestly, you have the tools to find local schools, and it makes no sense to ask internet strangers from around the world for this kind of advice.  Take some time, watch a few classes, even take a few classes.  Pay attention to the students who have been there awhile, because that is you in 6 months, a year, or 2 years from now.
> 
> You need to decide how hard you want to train.  I am happy with my choice of Tae Kwon Do, but if I were younger, I might go with a grappling style like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.



I can try to see, but I keep finding places that have too many kids with grown belts already. I listed some places right now that I haven't been to yet but heard of them and saw some star ratings online for them but that's about it. Is TKD a bad style?


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## mrt2 (Aug 7, 2018)

DiveInArts222 said:


> I can try to see, but I keep finding places that have too many kids with grown belts already. I listed some places right now that I haven't been to yet but heard of them and saw some star ratings online for them but that's about it. Is TKD a bad style?


Most successful Traditional Martial Arts schools will have a lot of kids.  The kids classes keep the lights on at a lot of these places.  Get used to it. Not really your problem as long as you get the quality training you need.

TKD is a fine style.  It is what I do.  Good workout.  That said, there are different styles of TKD from traditional to sport TKD.  As I said, go to the adult classes and give it a shot.  Does it seem like a good workout.  Do the adults apply the techniques?  What do they spend their time doing?  One of the things you need to know is, all traditional martial arts devote at least a little training time to patterns/forms/kata.  And that is fine.  But if that is all they do, maybe consider looking elsewhere.

I like the mix of traditional MA forms, drills and live sparring at my current school, and I can put up with the kids because I don't have to deal with the younger ones, and I realize kids are what keeps the doors open.   That said, this is the type of martial arts I grew up with, and it works for me. If I were younger and looking to compete or really challenge myself, which would mean getting my *** kicked night after night until I caught on, I would probably go more towards a more combat oriented MMA or BJJ type of school.


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## JR 137 (Aug 7, 2018)

DiveInArts222 said:


> I can try to see, but I keep finding places that have too many kids with grown belts already. I listed some places right now that I haven't been to yet but heard of them and saw some star ratings online for them but that's about it. Is TKD a bad style?


I can see how my original post may have been misunderstood.  There’s nothing wrong with children in the dojo.  I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way 

My reservation is training WITH the kids in the same class.  There are schools out there that have adults and kids training together in the same class.  That’s not for me, and it’s not for a lot of adults I know.

My daughter was 5 when she started training.  My CI was her main teacher.  I helped teach her class a few times.  I would’ve loved to take a class with her every once in a while.  But that would be for fun, not for anything serious.  And I wouldn’t take class with kids if my children weren’t in the class.  That would be like Kramer dominating the dojo in Seinfeld.


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