# It's good to meet everyone



## Andy Moynihan (Jun 10, 2006)

Swordlady pointed me to this place and it seems quite immense indeed....

Anyhow, I'm Andy, and I'm glad to finally be taking up martial arts again, and I'm very happy to be here tonight 

Just a little background on how I got to be where I am:

From the time I was 12 till the time I was 20 I was on and off involved in quite a few arts myself, and tho I never got higher than brown belt in one of them, i was exposed to about 7 styles that I got varying degrees of formal instruction in and independently kept reading up on anything i could find; if it was to do with a martial art i'd never seen, I wanted it. (I was a young, stupid, 20 year-old Boston Irish kid who thought that'd give him all the answers to make the best style there was, , what can I say?

Then while I was yet so young and stupid, I figured out, about the same time I figured out a lot of things, that any system of hand to hand combat, regardless of national origin, will teach a person one or more of the same  five things:

*hand/arm blows
*Leg/foot blows
*Grappling while standing
*Grappling while grounded
*Weapons

And any or all of those things can work in a real fight if the person using them is a real fighter.

Eventually I finally realized that what mattered most was not how your movements looked or if they were "scientific" or not, but how you handled the adrenaline dump into your system and how many techniques are *right there* in your nervous system that you can cover a standing/grappling/armed/whatever situation with that you can snap off lightning quick, and to that end, understanding what each art's function is, and choosing which functions suit his /her abilities/limits/temperament, and then doing the "absorb what is useful" bit.



Thing is though, come time you reach that point you probably have visited at least 5 styles trying to "find yourself" 'fore you finally realize you were always there, and you know enough at last to make informed decisions about what suits you.

Now that I'm  28 and been around the block a few more times, most of my preconceptions are gone, and I've no longer got any grand illusions about who or what I am, I'm not gonna become some grand poobah of some new art, I ain't gonna bring the martial arts world to its knees, all's I'm gonna do....is take a look with my now hopefully wiser eyes, at my limitations, what styles exist that function in a way that makes my limitations less "limiting", and go from there.

And to this end my choices have been thus:



FMA/Silat are what i'd like to/ have started training in as much as I can

Mainly because:

* All have a reputation for adaptability and/or simplicity.

* i like the fact they seem to have a natural flowing response rather than rigid prearranged actions,and are brain dead simple to learn, the work comes in getting them down(any person can do sinawali *drills*. NOT everyone can spar using them--certainly not me--YET)

*I like the fact that they seem to transition from armed to unarmed and back with very little hitch
stylistically(your nervous system won't hesitate while your mind tries to tell your body "It's a weapon. Change fighting styles" and gets you killed).


* I wear glasses and can't afford contacts/ corrective surgery right now. I'm severely nearsighted. If during a crisis those glasses come off my pistol just became worthless unless there's a laser sight on it and sufficient darkness to see it(my eyes without glasses can no longer use the sights but CAN still track the dot).I can however see enough for H2H/contact weapons just barely enough and such training is best there(If it were available around me I would have actually considered Wing Chun as well since it and FMA are supposed to have a lot in trapping range, Wing Chun's a Punching style, I used to box, and of course the trapping is an excellent area to be skilled at both because so few people are comfortable fighting that tight and for close in when you're nearsighted).

In my spare time I go to the range(I am also, for the time being at least, an NRA certified and Massachusetts State Police certified firearms instructor, which turned out to be a waste of time because the state won't cover you for insurance) , I also enjoy screenwriting, I'm a connoisseur of Dumb Horror Films and a sefl proclaimed master of vampire legends(I kinda had to become one with the screenplay I'm writing  ).


And that brings me up to speed.

Look forward to conversing with you guys .

Andy.


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## Paul B (Jun 10, 2006)

Welcome to MT,Andy!!


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## crushing (Jun 10, 2006)

Welcome Andy!


Why does this thread request that I log into dogbrothers.com?  Anybody else getting that?


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## Brian R. VanCise (Jun 10, 2006)

Welcome!

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com


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## green meanie (Jun 10, 2006)

Welcome Andy. 



			
				crushing said:
			
		

> Why does this thread request that I log into dogbrothers.com? Anybody else getting that?


 
Yeah, same here. What's up with that?


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## Andy Moynihan (Jun 10, 2006)

Oh.

I think i figured it out.

Some of this post is part of an intro I also typed at the dogbrothers forum where I'm also a member and the smilies are from there.
I'll edit them out. Sorry.


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## Andy Moynihan (Jun 10, 2006)

Sorted (i think).


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## stone_dragone (Jun 10, 2006)

Greetings and welcome.  Looks like you've put alot of thought into your personal study already!  Happy posting.


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## Drac (Jun 10, 2006)

Greetings and welcome to MT..You are wise for your age...


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## MJS (Jun 10, 2006)

Welcome to Martial Talk! Enjoy your stay and please ask any questions you may have!:ultracool 

Mike


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## Kacey (Jun 10, 2006)

Welcome, and happy posting.  It sounds like you have a good range of information to share from, and I look forward to further posts.


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## terryl965 (Jun 10, 2006)

Hello and happy posting
Terry


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## bluemtn (Jun 10, 2006)

Welcome and happy posting, Andy!


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## Gemini (Jun 10, 2006)

Welcome to MT, Andy!  Anything we can do to help you along the way, we'd be glad to do so. Sounds like you have a very mature attitude about who you are, where you're at, and what it's all about. Looking forward to your participation.


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## Henderson (Jun 10, 2006)

Hello and welcome, Andy!


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## jfarnsworth (Jun 10, 2006)

Hello and welcome to martialtalk.


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## Swordlady (Jun 10, 2006)

Hey Andy...great seeing you here!    Always good to see another familiar face.  See you around the forum...


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## HKphooey (Jun 10, 2006)

welcome to MT!


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## John Brewer (Jun 10, 2006)

Good to meet you, welcome.

John


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## Jonathan Randall (Jun 10, 2006)

Welcome!


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## OnlyAnEgg (Jun 12, 2006)

Welcome to MT!  Any friend of Swordlady's is a frind of the board!


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## Xue Sheng (Jun 12, 2006)

Welcome


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## Andy Moynihan (Jun 12, 2006)

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome, picked me right up after another sunburned Monday back to the grind, it did.:ultracool


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## Lisa (Jun 12, 2006)

WELCOME! :wavey:


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## IcemanSK (Jun 12, 2006)

Welcome Andy!:asian:


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## Ceicei (Jun 12, 2006)

artyon:

Glad to have you with us!  Welcome :wavey: to MT!

- Ceicei


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## Jade Tigress (Jun 12, 2006)

Welcome to MT! I look forward to your posts. :asian:


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## Carol (Jun 12, 2006)

Wow great to meet you!  Looking forward to trading bytes with you!


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## Andy Moynihan (Jun 12, 2006)

Carol Kaur said:
			
		

> Wow great to meet you! Looking forward to trading bytes with you!


 
Likewise! Not too many of us here in MA who like cats, martial arts AND 80's music at once!


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## Swordlady (Jun 12, 2006)

Andy Moynihan said:
			
		

> Likewise! Not too many of us here in MA who like cats, martial arts AND 80's music at once!



Now that is an *interesting* mix...  

Says the sword chick with two cats and a rather large collection of 80's hits...


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## Andy Moynihan (Jun 13, 2006)

Indeed.


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## Carol (Jun 13, 2006)

Andy Moynihan said:
			
		

> Likewise! Not too many of us here in MA who like cats, martial arts AND 80's music at once!



:roflmao: Very Very true!


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## KenpoTess (Jun 13, 2006)

Welcome and Enjoy the Board Andy 

~Tess


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## Grenadier (Jun 13, 2006)

Welcome aboard!  

I would have left you some positive feedback as a welcoming present, but it seems I've already left you some from your other posts...


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## matt.m (Jun 13, 2006)

Welcome Andy.


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## fnorfurfoot (Jun 13, 2006)

Andy Moynihan said:
			
		

> Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome, picked me right up after another sunburned Monday back to the grind, it did.:ultracool


 
Got to love training after a good sunburn.  Welcome to the board Andy.


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## Andy Moynihan (Jun 13, 2006)

Grenadier said:
			
		

> Welcome aboard!
> 
> I would have left you some positive feedback as a welcoming present, but it seems I've already left you some from your other posts...


 
Well only three days I been here and that's 355 Rep points and a classification that "Andy Moynihan is just really nice" next to the three green things, so I must be doing something right, right?


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## Swordlady (Jun 13, 2006)

Andy Moynihan said:
			
		

> Well only three days I been here and that's 355 Rep points and a classification that "Andy Moynihan is just really nice" next to the three green things, so I must be doing something right, right?



Heh...you accumulated more points in _your_ first three days than I accumulated in my first three _months_.    Yes, the little green pips are a good thing to have.  

MT has a reputation system, where you can give fellow members positive or negative reputation, depending on the quality of their posts.  Every hundred points of reputation is equal to one rep point.  You also gain one rep point for every thousand posts, and every year of membership on MT.  However, you can't start affecting other poster's rep until you make at least 50 posts.  Until then, any reputation you give will be "neutral", and indicated as a grey block in the other poster's User CP panel.

For more information about the reputation system, see this thread: http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13010&page=10


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## bobster_ice (Jun 14, 2006)

Welcome!


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## Hand Sword (Jun 14, 2006)

Greetings and Salutations! Welcome!


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## Kreth (Jun 14, 2006)

Welcome to MT, Andy.


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## mjd (Jun 16, 2006)

Welcome to MT


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## pstarr (Jun 16, 2006)

Welcome to the forum, Andy!


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## shesulsa (Jun 19, 2006)

Greetings and welcome!


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## kelly keltner (Jun 19, 2006)

welcome


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## matt.m (Jun 19, 2006)

Greetings


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