Is learning ANY martial art better than learning NO martial arts?

[drop bear]

In answer to the op.

Kind of
It is complicated.

 

[drop bear]

There are a few Martial Arts Studios in my area. There's judo, jiu jitsu, and tae kwon do.

I want to learn Martial Arts for "combat purposes". Note that I didn't say "self-defense". I don't like that term, self-defense. If I wanted to learn self-defense, I'd learn how to use a gun. I want to learn combat. I want to be able to hold my own when challenged to a fight. It's like old-school dueling with a pistol, only without any deaths...

Basically, I want to be able to win in a "fight-clubesque" type of match. The kind of match that has no rules, like Brazil's Vale Tudo style...

Have you heard of Akuma from the Street Fighter series? I wanna be like him. His sole purpose in life is to seek out opponents who are worthy of him.

Do MMA.

It will give you the widest range of options to seek worthy opponents.

Think Connor McGregor who suddenly wanted to be a boxer. He has the grounding to explore that option.

The wider range of tools you have the more opportunities you get.

 

[Steve]

Am I the only one who's a little suspicious of a user who has a troll face as his avatar?

 

[Zombocalypse]

Am I the only one who's a little suspicious of a user who has a troll face as his avatar?

I earned this avatar many years ago back when I was terrorizing a video game forum.

But now, I'm more mature. I'm not a troll anymore.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Am I the only one who's a little suspicious of a user who has a troll face as his avatar?

No, its ok. In his first post he said to ignore that troll face, and that he is not a troll

 

[drop bear]

Am I the only one who's a little suspicious of a user who has a troll face as his avatar?

 

[marques]

Good question. Many times I chose NO martial art rather than ANY martial art.

Sometimes (2x ?) I was getting bad habits (due to training restrictions/"weirdnesses") and getting worse tactically. So I found it was better loosing slowly what I knew, not training, rather than messing up everything with bad training. Sometimes (4x ?) I decided not training due to partners going crazy when outboxed, avoiding more injuries, even the instruction being quite good.

Perhaps I expect too much and/or have no motivation to do any Martial Art. As martial arts are often just sport and fitness, when not nurseries, rather than art+martial, and often bad and risky fitness, currently I opted again for NO martial arts and going to the gym instead. Just some bag work.

Perhaps ANY martial art (available nearby) is better than NO martial art (as for skill), but then we still enough time, money and motivation.

Martial arts, when above good, can give you some skills, awareness, focus... that nothing else compares. When just average... not sure if better than any other sport or physical activity (even for fight purposes ).

 

[drop bear]

Good question. Many times I chose NO martial art rather than ANY martial art.

Sometimes (2x ?) I was getting bad habits (due to training restrictions/"weirdnesses") and getting worse tactically. So I found it was better loosing slowly what I knew, not training, rather than messing up everything with bad training. Sometimes (4x ?) I decided not training due to partners going crazy when outboxed, avoiding more injuries, even the instruction being quite good.

Perhaps I expect too much and/or have no motivation to do any Martial Art. As martial arts are often just sport and fitness, when not nurseries, rather than art+martial, and often bad and risky fitness, currently I opted again for NO martial arts and going to the gym instead. Just some bag work.

Perhaps ANY martial art (available nearby) is better than NO martial art (as for skill), but then we still enough time, money and motivation.

Martial arts, when above good, can give you some skills, awareness, focus... that nothing else compares. When just average... not sure if better than any other sport or physical activity (even for fight purposes ).

There is a cricketer called Donald Bradman. Who by all accounts was pretty good.

His childhood game was bouncing a ball against a water tank with a cricket stump. Which is not cricket but gave him the tools to play cricket well.

There is more to a good or bad style than can be determined by their outward apperance.

 

[Paul_D]

I want to know if it's worth investing money on a martial arts instructor.

I don't not think you are suited to MA. All you have talked about since you got here is fighting people in the street, which is idiotic, illegal and will get you kicked out of most martial arts club anyway.

I want to be able to hold my own when challenged to a fight......I want to be able to win in a "fight-clubesque" type of match.......Have you heard of Akuma from the Street Fighter series? I wanna be like him. His sole purpose in life is to seek out opponents who are worthy of him.

And to borrow your phrase "Please don't take offence at this" But this is just retarded. It makes you sound like a twelve year old who masturbates over Michael Dudikoff films.

 

[Zombocalypse]

I don't not think you are suited to MA. All you have talked about since you got here is fighting people in the street, which is idiotic, illegal and will get you kicked out of most martial arts club anyway.


And to borrow your phrase "Please don't take offence at this" But this is just retarded. It makes you sound like a twelve year old who masturbates over Michael Dudikoff films.

You misspelled "offense".

 

[drop bear]

I don't not think you are suited to MA. All you have talked about since you got here is fighting people in the street, which is idiotic, illegal and will get you kicked out of most martial arts club anyway.


And to borrow your phrase "Please don't take offence at this" But this is just retarded. It makes you sound like a twelve year old who masturbates over Michael Dudikoff films.

His sole purpose in life is to seek out opponents who are worthy of him.

This is not that uncommon a goal in one form or another.

There is a guy called robert whittaker who will fight a legend of the sport.

Sort of the definition of having his purpose in life seeking out an oponant worthy of him.

 

[Charlemagne]

Some will try to tell you that that the choice of martial art does not matter. I disagree with this 100%.

As such, I would honestly suggest taking your time, doing your homework (which includes a good deal of thought into what exactly you are hoping to get out of training in the short, medium, and long term), comparing your goals with what you have available locally, and then make a more informed decision.

Doing it the right way up front can prevent some disappointment down the road, and as a result, you are more likely to keep training once you have started.

 

[Zombocalypse]

Some will try to tell you that that the choice of martial art does not matter. I disagree with this 100%.

As such, I would honestly suggest taking your time, doing your homework (which includes a good deal of thought into what exactly you are hoping to get out of training in the short, medium, and long term), comparing your goals with what you have available locally, and then make a more informed decision.

Doing it the right way up front can prevent some disappointment down the road, and as a result, you are more likely to keep training once you have started.

Good stuff. Thanks very much.

I really wish there was a Muay Thai gym close by my home. There's Tae Kwon Do though. Maybe I should try that.

 

[pgsmith]

Some will try to tell you that that the choice of martial art does not matter. I disagree with this 100%.

So, does this mean that you advocate sitting on the couch watching reality TV reruns rather than attending the local kurotty dojo, if that was all that was available?

The choice of martial art really doesn't matter much, in my opinion. The choice of instructor and dojo is an entirely different matter. I've been in a couple of dojo that I thought were absolutely horrible, and I vowed to myself that I would never step inside them again. They were a good art run by people with good credentials. However, their vibe and attitude were not what I wanted from a martial art.

The worst thing that a person can do, in my opinion, is to play 50 questions on the internet and not actually do anything with the information they gain.

 

[Charlemagne]

So, does this mean that you advocate sitting on the couch watching reality TV reruns rather than attending the local kurotty dojo, if that was all that was available?

Did I advocate not training and sitting on the couch watching TV, or did I advocate doing one's homework to find the right fit? I'm pretty sure it wasn't the former.

 

[Danny T]

You misspelled "offense".

Actually Zombocalypse, you are incorrect. Offence is a correct spelling though not the preferred spelling in the U.S.

 

[Zombocalypse]

Actually Zombocalypse, you are incorrect. Offence is a correct spelling though not the preferred spelling in the U.S.

Okay. Thanks. Good to know.

 

[Saheim]

There are a few sides to this question. Is it better to receive good quality(regardless of style) training in a martial art than no training at all? Yes. Is it better to receive ANY training opposed to no training? No. There are those that receive poor training, but they think they are receiving good training. Those that have an inflated view of their own skills might be more inclined to place themselves in volatile situation that they wouldn't otherwise. It doesn't necessarily mean you're walking around looking for a fight, it means they have a high level of confidence that is disproportional to their abilities. It's a recipe for disaster and gets people hurt.

Ok, not sure how he did it, but this dude just typed my thoughts darn near verbatim.

Bad training will develop bad habits AND an inflated sense of ability. That aside, yea, training (hard) in an art that is even known for being less street oriented WILL get you prepared for street confrontations more than not doing anything. Then again, if a guy got a heavy bag, practiced three basic punches and two basic kicks (even if he learned them on YouTube) AND ran a mile a few times a week he would be more likely to survive a violent encounter than if he had sat around thinking about training some day.

That said, pick a school an go. It ain't like buying a house, joining the military, or getting married. Ya don' like it, stop going and pick a different school. The time you waste going to the "wrong school" will still very likely have been better spent than time at home worrying about which school to go to. Just one Ape's opinion.

 

[Zombocalypse]

Ok, not sure how he did it, but this dude just typed my thoughts darn near verbatim.

Bad training will develop bad habits AND an inflated sense of ability. That aside, yea, training (hard) in an art that is even known for being less street oriented WILL get you prepared for street confrontations more than not doing anything. Then again, if a guy got a heavy bag, practiced three basic punches and two basic kicks (even if he learned them on YouTube) AND ran a mile a few times a week he would be more likely to survive a violent encounter than if he had sat around thinking about training some day.

That said, pick a school an go. It ain't like buying a house, joining the military, or getting married. Ya don' like it, stop going and pick a different school. The time you waste going to the "wrong school" will still very likely have been better spent than time at home worrying about which school to go to. Just one Ape's opinion.

Thank you.

 

[Headhunter]

Of course it's better for a number of reasons. The biggest it's better to be doing something than sitting on your *** eating junk and drinking beer.