Theres also a JKD school. It’s the same one the Machado/Paulson place is. This instructor is directly under Guro Dan and Ron Balicki and Diana Lee. Is JKD worth learning if the Aikido sensei doesn’t work out? Ive Always been confused with the JKD/Concepts/Jun Fan names.
Im in a conundrum
- Thread starter OldManJim
- Start date
Thai Boxing would be a good place for you. Kinetic. Excellent conditioning and a nice balance between hand, feet, elbows knees and throws/sweeps. I’m not a big fan of BJJ taken by itself for street defense (depending how progressively it’s taught of course),but in combination with other arts, I think it makes an individual a well rounded weapon.
Last edited:
Good stuff.
Most martial arts are not necessarily combat arts. Do you really want to box with a street opponent? Or trade mid to high kicks? With that said, JKD can be a good street defense if practiced that way. Muay Thai the same, but IMO better at conditioning. MT is a great workout!
The boxing and BBJ schools I went to priced me out.I'm 54 still got it in my eyes but it looks like a new style is next.It really does'nt matter if you enjoy it.This is only exercise not real self defense.At our age we need weapons.
isshinryuronin
Senior Master
Weapons are nice, but sometimes you are stuck with "empty hands," even at "our age." MA may be just exercise for you, (and that's OK) but it could be so much more.
I wish it could be more but I'm so much older its impossible to make friends so I get what I can out of it.
AIKIKENJITSU
Green Belt
I'm 77 but most people think I'm 50. I've studied and taught American Kenpo since I was 26. I have found that the Kenpo techniques are great for keeping the body limber. I still teach but privately at my home studio. I teach just adults. I'm in Puyallup, WA.
Try Kenpo, it's easy on the body, but the techniques puts your body through it's paces.
Unfortunately around here you’ve got your TKD, BJJ/MT/JKD, American Open Style (Robert Trias), one Hapkido school and a Kung Fu school. There was one place that taught something called Shorinji Kempo but it closed down. I’m gonna wait a couple of weeks to see what my Aikido Sensei comes up with then I’m gonna look around
Grandmaster Yue men quan
Orange Belt
Go to the hapkido school. It's real martial arts and is similar to aikido. Sounds like you're more into real martial arts then sports so it would probably be a better fit.
Jeff Richardson
Yellow Belt
Jim..... Which American Open Style Karate school.... who is the instructor?
I can Gaurantee you that if it is one of the main schools in the association that the instructors and what they teach is no joke. Keith Haflick, Jimmy Horsley, Ricky and Randy Smith.... are just a few of Hanshei Piddinton's very notable black belts from back in the blood and guts days. Mr. Piddington himself was trained by Ed Parker, Mike Stone, Robert Trias and a few others. He was good friends with Joe Lewis, Al Dacoscos and Chuck Norris and a top competitor in the 70's. American Open Style Karate was formed by him under the invite of Robert Trias and Jhoon Rhee and was chartered by the U.S.K.A. Piddington on Joe Corley created the first professional kickboxing rules under the PKA
Note there are people who trained under Grand Master Jerry Piddington who got their black belts other places than from him. He has been around for a long time. A lot of people use his name for clout if they have had any ties to him.
Last edited:
I’ll give his last name. I live in NC. His name is Allison
Take it from a middle aged karateka. NOTHING beats the grappling arts! I started out in a karate / stand up style for most of my life...I've even faired well against some grapplers, managing to keep my distance and pummel them with leg kicks...until they couldn't walk any more. But there is no worse feeling than being taken to the ground and smothered by a grappler time and time again. The helplessness I felt was horrible! and it wasn't coming from a high level jiujitsu player either. You already have experience in the striking arts, learn the grappling side of things. As I've aged (54 now) I don't like to get hit anymore. It takes much longer to heal...and now I also have sports induced asthma...so learning how to lay on my back defensively until I can sink something in is a good feeling and/or being able to apply pressure on top, staying in dominant position is also a good feeling....but running around strike for strike, trying to kick head height for me has become very difficult...I'm not a Van Damme, Bill 'Super Food' Wallace...or Chuck Norris for that matter....those guys are legends...
Although Aikido looks great and has it's advantages...you have to be able to grab your opponent to make it work. (by the way, it takes longer to master Aikido than BJJ) It will not work against a striker and or unwilling opponent who's putting pressure on you. For more on this subject from an Aikido sensei, look up Sensei Rokas. After training and teaching for years he decided to put Aikido to the test and found himself disenchanted...rather than giving some excuse, he called it for what it's worth. I don't care what people have to say about him, he put his art to the test and learned it didn't hold up to his expectations....that's a true martial artist. He now has that base and can incorporate other techniques that have been pressure proven. In light of that, the following are the arts I most recommend for defense, fitness and sport if you so chose.
First and foremost: Gracie Jiujitsu! This is taught primarily as a self defense art....where as BJJ is geared more towards sport. I am sure both can and will protect you in a self defense situation, especially against an untrained attacker. Jiujitsu allows you to be adept at evading punches, taking a person to the ground without being hit and controlling that person...It teaches how to conserve energy as well...(very important for me) You can lay on your back and play defense as long as you want...until your opponent tires out...and/or you decide to end it with a finishing technique.
Second: I would recommend Judo...which can require explosive movements...which is no big deal if you have that explosiveness...but it too will teach clinch, standing grappling, as well as how to get your opponent to the ground quickly and efficiently. One throw can end a fight when one lands on concrete and especially if the attacker does not know how to fall. There is no stopping a Judoka once he/she gets a hold of you. Once on the ground, a judoka has in his arsenal many of the jiujitsu techniques as well, after all, Jiujitsu is a derivative of Judo as taught to Carlos Gracie by Mitsuyo Maeda back in the early 1900's.
Third: I would recommend wrestling; however, this is unbelievably tough and requires probably the most explosiveness of all of the arts combined. I think it's a young mans sport...I certainly can't do it at 54....I mean, I may last 60 seconds or so, but I just can't be that explosive anymore, nor match the strength some of these young athletes have. But it will allow you to take an opponent down and control him/her on the ground from a dominate position. A perfect example of a wrestler turned MMA champion is Matt Hughes. Wrestling and hard work taught him endurance, explosiveness and gave him the strength and fortitude to continue.
-The next in line I would think about is an MMA class that combines striking and grappling...
-Then any one of the following: Jeff Speakman's Kempo 5.0, Wing Chun-CRCA, Kajukempo, and definitely Hapkido. All of these incorporate striking combined with grappling. At my age, I like to follow the path of least resistance and that's Gracie Jiujitsu. I'm not gonna win any titles or compete, I want to be able to protect myself and love the thought of being able to control my opponent with the amount of force I decide without pulling a hamstring or causing my opponent to loose a tooth. I still can kick (maybe chest height) and throw a punch, but my reflexes, timing and proper distancing for striking are going...It's weird how one can feel it... the thought, technique, movement, strike is in my head, but it doesn't make it to the muscles fast enough to keep up with the youngsters...Good luck....and please let us know what you decide on and keep us posted of your progress.
P.S. Chuck Norris is a 3rd degree Jiujitsu black belt under Jean Jacques Machado, so if you could find one of his schools that incorporates jiujitsu into CKD, you're already ahead of the game.
Last edited:
DTACTUSA Larry
White Belt
The original USKA (United States Karate Association) folded after Robert Trias passed away in 1989. His daughter kept it going for a while, but it splintered with off-shoots being claimed by several of Trias' former students. It was officially dissolved in 1999.
Since then, several organizations have used the acronym "USKA", but changed it slightly to avoid copyright protection to United States Karate "Alliance".
The important thing is whether the instructor can legitimately perform as he/she says they can.
In the martial arts, pedigree and performance can be two entirely different things and both should be examined carefully. Someone who would misrepresent their pedigree may not be qualified to rank you, and that rank may be suspect as well, if the instructor is not legitimate.
Prof. Larry Sloan
DTACTUSA
DTACTUSA.com
KenpoMaster805
2nd Black Belt
1st what martial arts you want
2 search any martial arts in your area
3 observe and watch the instructor on how he teach
2 search any martial arts in your area
3 observe and watch the instructor on how he teach
Jeff Richardson
Yellow Belt
I will have to check on Mr. Allison's connections to the Charlotte Warhawks and Mr. Piddington. But he does have connections to A.K.A.N.A. and is listed as a recognized dojo. His bio makes this claim "Most of my focus has been in the American Open Style Karate. I developed Allison American Karate, which is an authentic style of karate and is recognized by the United States Karate Association founded by Grandmaster Robert A. Trias. " As far as I am aware American Open Stye Karate is the only american system of karate formally recognized by Trias and the USKA before Trias died. American Open Style Karate was created and founded by Jerry Piddington at the invitation of Trias and Jhoon Rhee in 1972. There are formal registration numbers with the organization. I'm gonna have to ask Hanshei Piddington to take a look at his bio. Mr. Allison didn't get his blackbelt directly under Mr. Piddington but he may have gotten it from one of his students.
I unfortunately have never met Mr. Alllison so that's all I got until I get some more info from Mr. Piddington and Ricky Smith. But I note Mr. Allison has a very reasonable fee for unlimited weekly classes and two locations with no contracts. It can't hurt to go try it out for a month and see if it's your thing.
Kyoshi Ricky Smith's Sidekick Karate dojo is in Salisbury and Hanshei Danny McCall is in Denver (there are two of the members of the Charlotte Warhawks and direct Black Belts of Mr. Piddington. Also Sidekick Karate of Concord is run by Jeff Dixon who is one of Kyoshi Smith's blackbelts.
Last edited:
I’m not trying to oust Mr Allison at all. From a bio he had sent me it says he trained under Piddington and later was Representative of NC State USKA after Mr Piddington. It also says he got his first BB in TKD. It also says Hanshi Piddington founded the AKANA and made Mr Allison a 9th Dan
Jeff Richardson
Yellow Belt
Update on Mr. Allison's school. I talked to Hanshei Jerry Piddington, he has nothing but nice things to say about Mr. Allison and says he can recommend his school. Allison American Karate does not in fact have a recognized charter from USKA as claimed on the bio on his website. I am unclear how much time Mr. Allison spent around Jerry or the guys from the Charlotte Warhawks, but have confirmed he was not in fact on the team. Mr. Allison's school however is a member school in good standing with American Karate Academies National Association..... which is run by Mr. Piddington. Being a rep for USKA I don't know about. I'll have to ask about that 9th dan..... but I rather doubt Mr. Piddington did such a thing. I would be interested in seeing that bio he sent you. Hope that helps.
Last edited:
Similar threads
