Self-defence and exercise

[Cyriacus]

Hopefully not, I'm a cheap drunk. :uhyeah:

*Scoffs*
*Sips Brandy*

Of Course.
-Ill stop derailing the topic now -

 

[Monroe]

*Scoffs*
*Sips Brandy*

Of Course.
-Ill stop derailing the topic now -

Derail away, no problem. I have a love hate relationship with my whiskey and scotch. I detest getting drunk but they taste really good. They're my treat that I don't open very often and hen only have a little bit of. I have bottles around my house because people see me drink them occassionally, but they don't realize I can't drink that much that often. At least I won't run out.

 

[KempoGuy06]

I'm considering starting a martial arts course. I've been reading and looking at what's available in my area. It's a lot of information. Anyone willing to help narrow this down a little? I posted in the women's section, but thought might get ulternate opinions here.

I'm looking for exercise and self-defence. I'm not a small woman, I'm 5'9" 156lbs. I'm not fast or unusually strong. I'm currently not in the best shape. I swim and jog, but it's just the bare minimum. I have a temper I've been working on for years, but it still has room for improvement. I don't really have formal training, just some basics my father taught me.

I don't want to try high kicks.

Suggestions for which form of martial arts I should look at? Thanks in advance.

Why wouldnt you want to try High Kicks? Theyre an Advanced Exercise in Balance and Control, as well as Displaying Flexibility. And it wouldnt be Expected Right Away.

In any Case, you may be geared more toward Self Defense Classes, or some form of Non-Shotokan Karate.
Optionally, Aikido, if youre into that sort of thing.

Also, Height and Weight should never be a Factor. Height is largely Irrelevant, and Weight can be Minimised.

What is said here.

Again weight and height make no difference in the arts and they shouldnt be used as values on which are you choose. I stand 6'3" and currently weight 244lbs so i am far bigger than you are. I also am not fast and the only strength i have comes from my size. Ive learned to use those to my advantage as well as improve my speed.

As for your temper. I also have one. Check it with your ego at the door of any school you walk into. Neither will do you any good.

As for high kicks, try them. you wont do well at first (or maybe you will surprise yourself) but practice is important. eventually you will come to love them and over time you learn to value them. everything has its place

B

 

[Cyriacus]

Derail away, no problem. I have a love hate relationship with my whiskey and scotch. I detest getting drunk but they taste really good. They're my treat that I don't open very often and hen only have a little bit of. I have bottles around my house because people see me drink them occassionally, but they don't realize I can't drink that much that often. At least I won't run out.

Fair Enough - My Body is practically immune to Alchohols, so i can get away with Stronger Substances without any Issue.
Somewhat Useful, since I only really like the Taste.

 

[Monroe]

What is said here.

Again weight and height make no difference in the arts and they shouldnt be used as values on which are you choose. I stand 6'3" and currently weight 244lbs so i am far bigger than you are. I also am not fast and the only strength i have comes from my size. Ive learned to use those to my advantage as well as improve my speed.

As for your temper. I also have one. Check it with your ego at the door of any school you walk into. Neither will do you any good.

As for high kicks, try them. you wont do well at first (or maybe you will surprise yourself) but practice is important. eventually you will come to love them and over time you learn to value them. everything has its place

B

I try to watch my temper. It was a problem when I was a kid, but I've improved a lot since then. I was hoping MA would help to control that.

I think I'll leave high kicks to one side and deal with that issue later.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I think I'll leave high kicks to one side and deal with that issue later.

I think you're worrying this point needlessly. You don't learn high kicks. You learn to kick, and eventually, with practice, they get higher.
One of my favorite sparring partners is a Tae Kwon Do 4th Dan who has incredible kicks. He loves to throw 3, 4, 5 kicks before his foot touches the ground. All heights and from all angles. He's fast, but he only kicks moderately hard.
One of my other favorites is a 1st Dan who rarely manages a kick above my ribs (I'm 6'1", 210lbs), but his kicks have roughly the impact of a SCUD missle. I can block kicks from the first guy, but the second must be evaded.
So you don't need to be able to kick 8 feet in the air, even in Tae Kwon Do.

 

[MA-Caver]

I try to watch my temper. It was a problem when I was a kid, but I've improved a lot since then. I was hoping MA would help to control that.

I think I'll leave high kicks to one side and deal with that issue later.

I too have a temper that I've been working on for a long time. It takes a lot to piss me off now but I still lose it after a period of time has passed. Fortunately each of those periods are getting longer and longer. Will MA help? Probably not. Will the meditation that comes with MA (or should come with it) help... probably yes. Learning to control the temper/anger while still being in control of one's self is and should be IMO the goal. You're going to get angry. Angry at the jerk-off who attacked you coming out of an establishment on way to your car after you've had a wonderful time and he/they just screw it up by a stupid robbery attempt. So find a way to channel that anger into your training, keeping the cool head but the energy that anger can provide can be harnessed and channeled into whatever techs you have learned (so far). The meditation will help you cool off quicker after it's all said and done and the jerks are lying on the ground writhing in pain that you caused as you either drive away or talk to the cops.

Use MA to find your center, use your center as a balance in your life.

Good luck with your journey. :asian:

 

[oftheherd1]

...

Yes, grappling means wrestling, either standing or on the ground. Higher kicks do tend to leave you exposed for a bit, but Just because the style you choose has them doesn`t mean you have to use them.I`ve been doing martial arts for over 30 years. Whe I was a kid I enjoyed kicking high and spent alot of time training for it. As I got older I decided it was faster and safer not to kick higher than the chest. Now I rarely kick anyone above the waist. My style hasn`t changed, but my tastes have.

...

Don't be put off by the description of grappling as wrestling. We usually think of wrestling as the professional sport or as practiced in college sports. I don't know about BJJ, but they do seem to spend more time on the ground using submission techniques. Not necessarily bad. But arts such as Hapkido and Aikido, or even classical JuJitsu (as I understand it) do not.

Check them out if they are available in your area. I think Aikido is more inclined to try to redirect a person without injury if possible. Aikidoist can correct me if I am wrong.

Hapkido tends to think injury to an attacker is a lick on the attacker. I tell people Hapkido tries to take away an attacker's ability to fight, desire to fight, or both. If I dislocate a joint, I have taken out a leg or arm, so the attacker's ability is lessened or completely taken away. If every time an attacker attacks, some part of his body is subjected to extreme pain (joint locks/breaks or pressure points), I take away some desire to continue fighting.

However, I think Aikido is just as well used to cause great damage to an attacker. It also has the advantage of apparently being more comfortable for women practicioners.

Ultimately, only you can decide which art you will prefer. As others have said, try to visit schools and see if what they do and how they teach it looks like something you wan to do.

 

[Monroe]

Grappling doesn't sound too bad to me. I was just seeing if grappling was essentially something like wrestling. I read through the women's section and it sounds like the experience of most women has been the vast majority of guys are respectful during training. I'm not too worried. Accidents happen. I've grabbed someone by accident before and I'm sure it was more embarrassing for me than them. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that way.

It's best I don't think too deeply about what sort of damage these moves will do to someone or I'll skeeve myself out.

 

[Cyriacus]

Grappling doesn't sound too bad to me. I was just seeing if grappling was essentially something like wrestling. I read through the women's section and it sounds like the experience of most women has been the vast majority of guys are respectful during training. I'm not too worried. Accidents happen. I've grabbed someone by accident before and I'm sure it was more embarrassing for me than them. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that way.

It's best I don't think too deeply about what sort of damage these moves will do to someone or I'll skeeve myself out.

Unless youre learning Yoga or Tai Chi, the Chest is a Striking and Grappling Surface. Namely the Lapel. The Lapel is in proximity to the top of the Breast.

And so forth.
Contact happens. Just so long as its ACCIDENTAL, itd be ignorant to even care.
If it isnt Accidental, then tell an Instructer.

Otherwise, that shouldnt be a factor.