# what would you do?



## drummingman (Oct 30, 2006)

i have been trying to find a martial art that i would like to take for awhile.right now im doing a bunch of research because im nursing an injury and i hope to start up something when it gets better.
i have fond a place that is about 15 min from my work that teaches goju ryu karate that looks cool.im going to watch a class tomorrw night.
i also found a place that teaches jkd that is about an hour away from my work.the reason why it matters how far away it is from my work is because i teach drums for a living and i get off work between 6 and 8 pm.so i will have to be going to class after work.
lets say that both teachers are great and from what i know both styles are geard towards self defense which is what im looking for.so with these things in mind which do you all think i should choose? like i said the jkd class is an hour away but i want to know if you all think its worth making the drive or if i should start up with the goju ryu karate?


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## Hand Sword (Oct 30, 2006)

Both are good, But, I would start out with Goju Ryu in the beginning.


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## drummingman (Oct 30, 2006)

how come?


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## Hand Sword (Oct 30, 2006)

1. A closer commute never hurts-lol.
2. JKD has a lot to it. IMHO, very difficult for a newbie to "get". Probably better to try it out once you have a good base.
3.The Karate will give you a solid base and foundation to build from.


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## Carol (Oct 30, 2006)

The commute alone would turn me off.

I used to have a commute to a school that was nearly an hour...sometimes more if traffic was bad. 

It was a rough drive to make. The most difficult part of the drive was going back home after a hard workout and trying to stay alert behind the wheel. The more-frequent trips to the pump sucked up a lot of cash. It really stunk to have days where I had to make the choice between training and driving a long distance in dangerous weather. The experience was draining. 

They are both good styles to train in...but what may keep you training is a choice that fits your life.


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## drummingman (Oct 30, 2006)

yeah,i already have to drive about 45 min to get to work.the goju ryu school is just right up the highway from where i work.i live in a very small town and it takes at least 20 min to get to anything worthwhile.
i think that jkd would be my first choice if it were closer, but from what i have been reading the goju ryu looks cool because of the mixing of the hard and soft.


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## Hand Sword (Oct 30, 2006)

Good luck no matter your choice.


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## drummingman (Oct 30, 2006)

thanks hand sword.


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## SFC JeffJ (Oct 30, 2006)

Goju Ryu is great.  I've been cross-training a lot with a practitioner and have added a lot of the methodologies from it to my training/teaching.  Be patient with it though, it's not a quick style to pick up.  

Jeff


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## MJS (Oct 30, 2006)

drummingman said:


> i have been trying to find a martial art that i would like to take for awhile.right now im doing a bunch of research because im nursing an injury and i hope to start up something when it gets better.
> i have fond a place that is about 15 min from my work that teaches goju ryu karate that looks cool.im going to watch a class tomorrw night.
> i also found a place that teaches jkd that is about an hour away from my work.the reason why it matters how far away it is from my work is because i teach drums for a living and i get off work between 6 and 8 pm.so i will have to be going to class after work.
> lets say that both teachers are great and from what i know both styles are geard towards self defense which is what im looking for.so with these things in mind which do you all think i should choose? like i said the jkd class is an hour away but i want to know if you all think its worth making the drive or if i should start up with the goju ryu karate?


 
If time is an issue, then I'd go with the Goju classes.  I guess it really depends on what you want to do and what you want to get out of your training.  If you're looking for something specific, and the JKD is the art that has it, then in the long run, it'd be worth the drive. 

I'd check out both places.  Take a class and see how you like each one.

Good luck in your search! 

Mike


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## FunkyDemon (Oct 30, 2006)

I would have to recommend the Karate.  Not because it is better but because of the closeness.  I had a similiar situation.  The class that was an hour away was the best class that I have ever been to, but I only went for a month because I couldn't handle the commute.   A two hour commute for a 1-2 hour class just doesn't make sense.  

You may have the will to keep going, but it is difficult when there is a perfectly acceptable school closer.  When I started looking for a school a few weeks back I set a radius around my house.  Anything outside it wasn't even considered no matter how good it was.

Thanks,
J


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## Jade Tigress (Oct 30, 2006)

MJS said:


> If time is an issue, then I'd go with the Goju classes.  I guess it really depends on what you want to do and what you want to get out of your training.  If you're looking for something specific, and the JKD is the art that has it, then in the long run, it'd be worth the drive.
> 
> I'd check out both places.  Take a class and see how you like each one.
> 
> ...




Ditto this. 
Be sure to let us know what you decide and keep us posted on your training. :asian:


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## bushidomartialarts (Oct 30, 2006)

the long commute will be a problem.  it's easier to blow off practice if you have that one more excuse.

also, i agree with hand sword.  jkd is a great art, but sometimes it falls under the heading of 'you have to know the rules before you can break the rules'.  jkd is an awesome second art to study.

i never say 'if i were you'.  but if i were me in your situation, i'd do the karate school.


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## drummingman (Oct 31, 2006)

well i went and checked the goju school tonight.i think im sold.the teacher was a great guy and i ended up talking with him for about 2 hours.
i plan on signing up sometime in november!


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## MJS (Oct 31, 2006)

drummingman said:


> well i went and checked the goju school tonight.i think im sold.the teacher was a great guy and i ended up talking with him for about 2 hours.
> i plan on signing up sometime in november!


 
Congrats on finding a new place to train!!  

Mike


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## cfr (Nov 1, 2006)

Id say try each one out before making a commitment. If a school isnt right for you, it doesnt matter how close it is. Of course on the flip side, if it's too far away, it probably wouldn't matter how much you liked it. You may also want to search out alternatives to what you find in the phone book. I currently train in two garages, with instructors that have both been in MA's for a long time, but dont want to instruct on a full time basis. Neither of them does any sort of advertising, and it was purely by persistance that I found them both online, on forums just like this.


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## SFC JeffJ (Nov 1, 2006)

drummingman said:


> well i went and checked the goju school tonight.i think im sold.the teacher was a great guy and i ended up talking with him for about 2 hours.
> i plan on signing up sometime in november!


Good luck with the Goju Ryu!  Get ready for lots n lots of Uke Waza and Tensho!

Jeff


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## drummingman (Nov 2, 2006)

thanks all!


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