What is the MA Mecca of the USA?

[Omar B]

Wouldn't it be cool if all US martial artists had to make a Hawaiian pilgrimage?
Daniel

I'm with you on that man. But first I have to make it to Korea. Japan I've done, I think I've gotta do Korea then Hawaii.

 

[joeygil]

For MMA, I'm guessing Huntington Beach, CA - which is in the Greater Los Angeles Area. I was in that area over the weekend, and spotted the Gracie Jiu Jitsu school, and several MMA gyms.


More over, in the Los Angeles area is Reseda, which was a big Kempo / Karate mecca from what I remember (anyone seen 'Karate Kid').

A little north of LAX, you'll find the Inosanto Academy, where people come in from all over the world to train.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I'm with you on that man. But first I have to make it to Korea. Japan I've done, I think I've gotta do Korea then Hawaii.

I hope to visit Japan and Korea in one trip, then go back and visit each one exclusively. I suppose that there is no good reason that not to go to Hawaii first then fly to Japan from there.

Daniel

 

[pete]

Huntington Station, New York... home of www.silkwindstudio.com

what can i say, i am biased.

pete.

 

[Carol]

I'm definitely a bit biased but seriously I wouldn't rule out the greater Boston area. There are a wide variety of training facilities here, and many top-notch instructors. :asian:

 

[IcemanSK]

I wouldn't try to sell anyone on the idea that the Los Angeles area is a mecca for MA, but we sure market it well.

Black Belt magazine is published in my town (north of LA) & Big John McCarthy (former UFC ref) has a HUGE MMA gym within a few miles of BB magazine. There's no secret that BB taps a lot of So. Cal folks for articles & to do stories about them.

"Judo" Gene LeBell spends a great deal of time at a local MA supply store in North Hollywood. If an MAist has hopes of a movie career, they show up here. So, many "noteables are here. If you're "somebody" (or used to be somebody) you might be here.

 

[Guardian]

I wouldn't try to sell anyone on the idea that the Los Angeles area is a mecca for MA, but we sure market it well.

Black Belt magazine is published in my town (north of LA) & Big John McCarthy (former UFC ref) has a HUGE MMA gym within a few miles of BB magazine. There's no secret that BB taps a lot of So. Cal folks for articles & to do stories about them.

"Judo" Gene LeBell spends a great deal of time at a local MA supply store in North Hollywood. If an MAist has hopes of a movie career, they show up here. So, many "noteables are here. If you're "somebody" (or used to be somebody) you might be here.

I have to say, after reading all of these over the past couple of days, this one seems pretty reasonable on all fronts.

 

[Joab]

hmmm, no there are actually very few kenpo schools in San Francisco proper. Of the top of my head, I can think of maybe four, including a USSD school and a couple others. No strict Parker schools, nor Tracy schools that I'm aware of.

The greater Bay Area has several, if you go all the way down to San Jose and up to the North Bay as well and include Oakland and the East Bay. But even there, I'd say there are far fewer than 50.

LA, and Pasadena, however, has quite a lot. Ed Parker settled in that area, and a lot of his lineage still reside down there.

That was back in 1980. 46 went under since than, what a drag! Some were in the surrounding areas like Daly City, Ralph Castro's Kenpo Karate comes to mind. Back in 1980 there were 50 in the yellow pages.

 

[Ninebird8]

I respectfully disagree about my fair country of Texas. And, I have a unique base of comparison since I trained in NYC and Hong Kong as well as going all over competing in the old days and judging now. Texas has some great kung fu schools like Raymond Fogg (John Cheng's teacher in Texas and his training bro Jeff Hughes in Austin), Johnny Lee (Mijhonglawnhorn, ba gua, and Wu tai chi), Jimmy Wong (Chin Woo and Wu Hao tai chi), Jeff Bolt (Long Fist, White crane, Yang tai chi), Henry Poo Yee (Southern Preying Mantis), Ricky Anderson (Wudan Shaolin and Internal), David Pickens and John Wang (Chinese wrestling), Paul Chu, George Hu, Cheng Sai, etc. That is just Kung fu and I have left out many. There are also great tae kwo do like Ray McCallum, Billy Jackson, Walt Mason, Allen Steen, Tim Kirby, the Lopez brothers, etc. Then there was the great Bill Sosa in aikido, I could go on and on. The general theme is that Texas does produce a preponderence of great fighters including Guy Metzger, etc and yes Chuck does live here nearby with ranches near Ft. Worth and in the Valley near Tommy Lee Jones, a fair actor. Betcha did not know Houston as the 4th largest Asian pop in North America, almost 500k, and the Chinatown here is the 5th largest in North America! So there, padnuh!!

 

[Flying Crane]

That was back in 1980. 46 went under since than, what a drag! Some were in the surrounding areas like Daly City, Ralph Castro's Kenpo Karate comes to mind. Back in 1980 there were 50 in the yellow pages.

wow, well I guess times have changed between then and 1994 when I arrived.

Ralph Castro is still in Daly City, and there are a couple right in San Fran, but most of them I'm not sure of their lineage. Navarro's, and Vega and Beliso and Alemany and a USSD school are all that come to mind.

There are some others in the greater bay area.

 

[VegasM4]

How about Las Vegas?

-Las Vegas has more than 100 MA schools.Krav Maga,Karate,TKD,BJJ,Judo,Aikido,Kenpo,MMA,boxing,Muay Thai, and others are all represented

-Las Vegas is home to the UFC and most fights take place here.

-Las Vegas has a large Asian population including a "Chinatown".

-Las Vegas is the home of many prominent UFC/MMA fighters including Frank Mir and Randy Couture

-Las Vegas being the entertainment capital of the world is host to numerous MA events including seminars and tournaments.

-Las Vegas is the boxing capital of the world.Many of the most famous fights have taken place here even in fiction.Rocky's last fight was at the Mandalay Bay events center.

 

[IcemanSK]

How about Las Vegas?

-Las Vegas has more than 100 MA schools.Krav Maga,Karate,TKD,BJJ,Judo,Aikido,Kenpo,MMA,boxing,Muay Thai, and others are all represented

-Las Vegas is home to the UFC and most fights take place here.

-Las Vegas has a large Asian population including a "Chinatown".

-Las Vegas is the home of many prominent UFC/MMA fighters including Frank Mir and Randy Couture

-Las Vegas being the entertainment capital of the world is host to numerous MA events including seminars and tournaments.

-Las Vegas is the boxing capital of the world.Many of the most famous fights have taken place here even in fiction.Rocky's last fight was at the Mandalay Bay events center.

I'l agree that it is/was the boxing capital of the world. If boxing still can cal anyplace home. Vegas has a growing MMA community to be sure. With Los Angeles only 4 hours away by car, many MMA folks prefer to go back & forth between the two cities. Your point is well made.

 

[Sensei Payne]

Over all I think it comes down strictly to opinion to where the Mecca would be. I have read though all the other posts and people tend to put where there style came from or there headquarters...

I would have to say that for me, my Martial Arts Mecca is where ever that there are Martial Artists wanting to enrich there lives and there minds, by sharing and keeping an open mind to the Principals and knowleadge of others, and that keep in mind that we are all brothers and sisters bound together as students of the Arts.

Cheers

 

[VegasM4]

I'l agree that it is/was the boxing capital of the world. If boxing still can cal anyplace home. Vegas has a growing MMA community to be sure. With Los Angeles only 4 hours away by car, many MMA folks prefer to go back & forth between the two cities. Your point is well made.

I agree.California as a whole is probably it as far as schools,organizations go.Las Vegas is known for hosting alot of MA/boxing events.

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

I think a better way to answer what the MA Mecca of the USA is, would be to do a few things.

1st. Put a label on the different Martial Arts being taught in the USA Today

2nd. Put a label on the top 5-10 instructors of every martial art being taught in the USA Today

3rd. Put a label on the quantity of schools per population in each area.

4th. Put a label on the amount of tournaments, seminars, and other events that are held in each area, how big they are, and the draw they have.

I am sure there are other items that could come up, but those strike me as some of the most important.
I have been to many martial arts schools that are pathetic, horrible instruction, and horrible students. I am not bashing the style, it was just apparant that the teachers were absolutely horrible. So a city with 50 little crap schools with horrible instructors does not equal a martial arts mecca, a city with 5 heads of nationally recognized styles, is a martial arts mecca. I would also say that if there are 10 million people in an area with 100 schools, and you have another area with 500,000 people and 50 schools that the smaller area very well may be more of a martial arts mecca then the larger.

If I had to guess I would say Southern California in General, and Los Angelos specifically as being a MA Mecca, not sure if its the MA Mecca of the United States, but its pretty close if not the one.

 

[girlbug2]

Luckyboxer, yeah, I live in north Orange County and I'm hard pressed not to find a TKD or Karate school in every flippin' strip mall on every corner!

In the last two years or so I'd add Brazillian JiuJitsu to that list as well. OC must be some kind of B JiuJitsu mecca. I know that the Gracies have a boatload of schools just minutes south of my humble home...the further south one travels, the more BJJ you run into, LOL. Somebody must have leaked the word out about our fair weather...

 

[Senjojutsu]

I think a better way to answer what the MA Mecca of the USA is, would be to do a few things.

1st. Put a label on the different Martial Arts being taught in the USA Today

2nd. Put a label on the top 5-10 instructors of every martial art being taught in the USA Today

3rd. Put a label on the quantity of schools per population in each area.

4th. Put a label on the amount of tournaments, seminars, and other events that are held in each area, how big they are, and the draw they have.

I am sure there are other items that could come up, but those strike me as some of the most important.
I have been to many martial arts schools that are pathetic, horrible instruction, and horrible students. I am not bashing the style, it was just apparant that the teachers were absolutely horrible. So a city with 50 little crap schools with horrible instructors does not equal a martial arts mecca, a city with 5 heads of nationally recognized styles, is a martial arts mecca. I would also say that if there are 10 million people in an area with 100 schools, and you have another area with 500,000 people and 50 schools that the smaller area very well may be more of a martial arts mecca then the larger.

If I had to guess I would say Southern California in General, and Los Angelos specifically as being a MA Mecca, not sure if its the MA Mecca of the United States, but its pretty close if not the one.

I do not necessarily disagree with this sentiment and other posters.

It is almost to say you need a critical mass of agreed upon criteria within a defined geographical area to qualify for this title. Now comes the hard part - agreeing.


However now taking a slightly contrarian view.
Doesn’t it also matter what MA you want to study?

If I am an eighteen-year old athlete who wants to be an Olympic competitor in Judo, what then is the US Judo epicenter to where I should relocate to?

Finally it’s like being a lonely boy in the big city. A target-rich environment eventually becomes as much as an aggravation and distraction until “the one” is found. Sigh, I really do have to stop watching the Bravo network.

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

However now taking a slightly contrarian view.
Doesn’t it also matter what MA you want to study?

If I am an eighteen-year old athlete who wants to be an Olympic competitor in Judo, what then is the US Judo epicenter to where I should relocate to?

Naw, this was specifically called Martial Arts Mecca, which is plural and all encompassing, if you are looking for a specific martial arts mecca, that could then be dependant on specifics for that given art... like your Judo example.