Late bloomer

[lklawson]

Welcome! I agree with PB. I'd get a heavy bag and some boxing gear and start with boxing. It's simple, gives you cardio which will help you lose weight and a great stress relief. It's good for self defense purposes too.

...you know, if you already know how to throw a proper punch and correctly use the bag.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[TMA17]

I actually loved going to a gym, I let out all the stress from the day. I would get in the zone with nothing but my music going. I suppose the art itself would work in the same sense. Being able to do something with an empty mind is an amazing feeling. I’ve reached out to two schools about trying a free session that they offer and maybe a couple classes before committing.

Awesome!

 

[lklawson]

Remember how I said that self defense law can be confusing and is often misunderstood? Go here and listen to the suggested section to begin to understand.

Unarmed martial arts and self-defense law in the US

Peace favor your sword (mobile)

 

[dvcochran]

Here is the school I’m looking at. Blankenship Martial Arts – BMA

Seems legit, especially being 45 years old. Very traditional in the approach. Not so much being so eclectic, but that is not a bad thing. They have weapons training which you mentioned your interest in. As they said, visit and spend some time with the instructor(s). Have a real talk about your weight and see if what they recommend and do fits into your lifestyle. See if the have a few trial classes you can try. Expect to be stretched. Don't expect change to come overnight.
Best of luck and keep in touch.

 

[jobo]

Hello, my name is Jeff and I’m looking to start a martial arts class. I’m starting late in life i suppose, as I’m in my lower 40s, 6’3”, and weigh just over 300. I work in grocery retail where the work is demanding. I have arthritis in my knees that causes some Inflammation and a bone spur that causes some discomfort from time to time. For these reasons I’m not really looking to do a lot of jumping air kicks or much that will be high impact on my knees. I have no issue standing for hours or twisting. It’s only an issue when I do a lot of kneeling or sitting on my knees to stock.
I want to learn something that would ultimately help me get into shape and at the same time sharpens my mind/focus. I know what is portrayed in movies is BS for the most part, only for the benefit of what looks good on camera, but I’d love something that I could incorporate some meditation into as well. I’m not interested in being the karate kid and pick fights with ice sheets or boards, or even kick banana trees in half as I’ve seen on some videos. I just want to learn something where I could defend myself with a weapon or with empty hands. I’ve looked at JDK, a Vietnamese art, a Filipino art, wing Chung, and a couple of others. Does anyone have any advice on the subject?

Here's an off the wall thought, do you think there may be any connection between being 80/ 100 lbs over weight and having bad knees ?

 

[Yokozuna514]

Osu, welcome to the site and in terms of being a big guy and training, speak to the head of the school to inquire if HE feels the school's program will benefit you regardless of your restrictions. You will gain a lot more information that way and will more than likely see if you want try a class after what you have heard.

The style, to me, is less important than the quality of instruction you will receive. We have a few big guys like you at our dojo and they do what they can when it comes to the physical portion of the workout. As the years go by and the pounds come off, they can typically do more and more. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Buka]

Welcome to Martial Talk, Jeff.

 

[NewbieJeff]

Osu, welcome to the site and in terms of being a big guy and training, speak to the head of the school to inquire if HE feels the school's program will benefit you regardless of your restrictions. You will gain a lot more information that way and will more than likely see if you want try a class after what you have heard.

The style, to me, is less important than the quality of instruction you will receive. We have a few big guys like you at our dojo and they do what they can when it comes to the physical portion of the workout. As the years go by and the pounds come off, they can typically do more and more. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Thanks, I’m hoping to stop by a school close to my job if I can get my schedule to work around it. I’ll post anything I find out at that point.