What martial arts should I study?

[MAfreak]

or here:

 

[Flying Crane]

my school was in worlds biggest karate federation and we also did training/seminars with other schools.
just search for straight punch defense on youtube and you'll see what i am talking about. one of the hapkido guys at the championships didn't even know what to do when his partner accidently made the punch with the wrong arm, i mean, common. in boxing one would had both forearms before the face and it wouldn'`t even matter, which of the opponents arm makes the straight punch.

same here:

it IS common, accept it.

Speak for yourself. There is context involved. You may not understand it. But that's your experience, not mine.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Late to the party, but for what you're looking for, either capoeira or just learn parkour and combine it with your TKD. Easiest way to make yourself flashy.

 

[Ledz96]

Late to the party, but for what you're looking for, either capoeira or just learn parkour and combine it with your TKD. Easiest way to make yourself flashy.

Nobody's ever late here! I think I'm going to start it in some months, so I have plenty of time to consider all the alternatives!
Parkour is something I'm considering, but it's not a martial art, so I don't feel I have to talk about it here!
I'm more interested in the "grappling" part (armlocks etc.)

 

[Langenschwert]

As a TKD guy, you're first and foremost a striker, and I'll assume you specialize in kicks. So here's what I would recommend, in no particular order:

Boxing: you'll learn to punch very, very well. Obviously, a very useful skill. It's also super fun.

Wrestling/Judo/BJJ: whoever is the better grappler in a fight will determine where the fight takes place. It is VERY hard for a pure striker to keep a wrestler at bay. Not impossible (Hello Holly Holm), but it's really hard. If you want to fight on your feet, you have to be able to stay there. The only way you'll learn to stay on your feet is by training a grappling art with resistance. Otherwise, you're going to fly, and you won't like the landing. And should you ever end up on the ground, you should know what to do there. Otherwise, you're toast.

Weapons: If anyone tells you "take this unarmed form, and add a weapon, and it's good", they are talking nonsense at best and lying at worst. Weapons require dedicated study, just like anything else. Your best bets in most cities are HEMA, FMA and a Koryu Bujutsu if you can find it. Also, knife defence is ridiculously hard. An aggressive, athletic person with a knife will destroy most unarmed black belts in short order. Plus, there is nothing more fun than learning how to use a sword. It's even more fun than groundfighting, which is so much fun it should be illegal.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Nobody's ever late here! I think I'm going to start it in some months, so I have plenty of time to consider all the alternatives!
Parkour is something I'm considering, but it's not a martial art, so I don't feel I have to talk about it here!
I'm more interested in the "grappling" part (armlocks etc.)

In that case, just choose a grappling art and go with it. I'm partial to judo, but in reality if it's a good teacher you'll learn what you want. Only exception could be bjj-a lot of places (that I've been to) will focus almost purely on ground grappling, so you wont really learn standing grappling which is what I'm guessing you want.

 

[MAfreak]

But that's your experience, not mine.

seeing it everywhere makes it very much objective, not just "my experience". but it's okay. also often i see that people don't want to hear, that what they did and believed in for many years might have major weaknesses.

my last post on this topic here, another example:

don't try with someone like him:

ok, now lets end the off topic since most people wouldn't even believe it when getting beaten up trying their "punch defense".

 

[drop bear]

It is influenced by ritual. But is also trained alive. It is kind of a weird blend.

I trained with these guys. It was quite fun.

 

[Flying Crane]

seeing it everywhere makes it very much objective, not just "my experience". but it's okay. also often i see that people don't want to hear, that what they did and believed in for many years might have major weaknesses.

my last post on this topic here, another example:

don't try with someone like him:

ok, now lets end the off topic since most people wouldn't even believe it when getting beaten up trying their "punch defense".

I'm sorry to hear you had a less-than-optimal experience in karate. There a are a lot of schools that give poor instruction, that much is true.

 

[Flying Crane]

I trained with these guys. It was quite fun.

Yeah, I don't know how anyone can mistake that for a dance.

 

[oftheherd1]

My first advice is stay with TKD for a while. You will (and need to) develop skills such as speed and strength, that will allow you to do things that don't seem possible now, in TKD and other arts you might choose.

Then look for a grappling school. You mentioned Aikido. You might also look for anyone, including your current TKD teacher who may have studied enough Hapkido to be belted and be able to teach. Judo and Jujitsu would also probably teach the things that seem to interest you.

You mentioned improving your senses. That can be done, but never over night. It takes most people a lot of time, and use of gi, which not all teachers believe in, so don't teach. In fact, gi is hard to teach anyway. Breathing exercises as well as belief, and much practice are needed for gi. Even then you may never develop the senses popularized in movies and TV.

Consider, are you willing to walk around blind for a year? People who become blind don't get better with their other senses in one week of intense training. How about muscle memory, necessary for many techniques, do you think you will learn that in a month? You would be very unique if you could for all techniques you are taught, from punching, kicking or grappling.

Along with senses and muscle memory, you need to develop an almost instinctive reaction to any attack, with some defense you have learned, from several you will probably have learned. If you have to think about what defense to use, you are almost assuredly already to late in your defense.

If all the above seems like a long time journey, it will be. Don't try to cut corners. Go back up and read the advice from Buka again. He is right on.

 

[Ledz96]

My first advice is stay with TKD for a while. You will (and need to) develop skills such as speed and strength, that will allow you to do things that don't seem possible now, in TKD and other arts you might choose.

Then look for a grappling school. You mentioned Aikido. You might also look for anyone, including your current TKD teacher who may have studied enough Hapkido to be belted and be able to teach. Judo and Jujitsu would also probably teach the things that seem to interest you.

You mentioned improving your senses. That can be done, but never over night. It takes most people a lot of time, and use of gi, which not all teachers believe in, so don't teach. In fact, gi is hard to teach anyway. Breathing exercises as well as belief, and much practice are needed for gi. Even then you may never develop the senses popularized in movies and TV.

Consider, are you willing to walk around blind for a year? People who become blind don't get better with their other senses in one week of intense training. How about muscle memory, necessary for many techniques, do you think you will learn that in a month? You would be very unique if you could for all techniques you are taught, from punching, kicking or grappling.

Along with senses and muscle memory, you need to develop an almost instinctive reaction to any attack, with some defense you have learned, from several you will probably have learned. If you have to think about what defense to use, you are almost assuredly already to late in your defense.

If all the above seems like a long time journey, it will be. Don't try to cut corners. Go back up and read the advice from Buka again. He is right on.

All you've said is absolutely right.
I feel I'm ready to start a new martial art because I feel I waste a lot of time playing videogames, surfing the internet or just staying on facebook. That's something you can do for 1-2 hours a day at most.
I think that, by starting a new challenging activity, I can stop wasting so much my time in things that, even being entertaining, don't help me grow up as a person.
I'll definitely not leave taekwondo, at least as long as I'll feel motivated. And of course, I need to develop speed and reflexes, since I'm not that good at the moment.

About the "senses" part, i don't know anything about gi. I'll do some research about it as well.
I'm sure it will take a lot of time, but self-improvement is what I like the most.
It may seem sad, and maybe it actually is; but, since I don't believe in anything greater than us, I think that all we can and must do is try to improve, both physically and mentally, for us and for the people we care about. When I'll be 80, I'd like to think that I seized the opportunity to learn what I liked, back when I could.

P.S.: about the whole "walking around blind part", is it a metaphor, isn't it? I'm sure there are better ways to improve senses than getting hit by a car ahahahah

EDIT: I didn't find anything about gi. What are you talking about?
2nd Edit: It's the way Korean people spell ki, isn't it?

 

[MAfreak]

i think he means qi, those mysterious energy chinese tradition tells about. i'd recommend concentration exercises, like in meditation and not to always listen to loud music.

 

[JowGaWolf]

00:15, I think it's a joint breaking technique. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work against a person willing to kill you in real life, but I took this example in order to show the kind of "self-defense thing" I'm interested on

That technique actually works. That same technique is in Jow Ga but is thrown different than what you see in that clip. My guess is that the hand position in the clip is different because they didn't want to make the mistake and actually break the arm. In other words it doesn't take much to break the arm that way so playing around with it isn't recommended.

I wouldn't have any problem doing that technique if the opportunity presented itself. It's a very practical technique but it only works against certain punches while you are in a specific position.

 

[Touch Of Death]

That technique actually works. That same technique is in Jow Ga but is thrown different than what you see in that clip. My guess is that the hand position in the clip is different because they didn't want to make the mistake and actually break the arm. In other words it doesn't take much to break the arm that way so playing around with it isn't recommended.

I wouldn't have any problem doing that technique if the opportunity presented itself. It's a very practical technique but it only works against certain punches while you are in a specific position.

You can position yourself so that a grab is an over-reach, and as for punches, you watch your opponent. If they fail at repositioning right away, they will probably be open for a break, upon you getting out of the way, which means, side step, and slap at the elbow, he left hanging.

 

[Ledz96]

That technique actually works. That same technique is in Jow Ga but is thrown different than what you see in that clip. My guess is that the hand position in the clip is different because they didn't want to make the mistake and actually break the arm. In other words it doesn't take much to break the arm that way so playing around with it isn't recommended.

I wouldn't have any problem doing that technique if the opportunity presented itself. It's a very practical technique but it only works against certain punches while you are in a specific position.

I meant it couldn't actually work against a gun.
Basically everyone is saying that this technique is pretty common among martial arts such as jiujutsu, kung fu, hapkido etc., if I'm not mistaken

 

[Touch Of Death]

I meant it couldn't actually work against a gun.
Basically everyone is saying that this technique is pretty common among martial arts such as jiujutsu, kung fu, hapkido etc., if I'm not mistaken

Actually lots of things work on a gun at close quarters. As long as you can keep it pointed away from you, you are golden.

 

[Ledz96]

Actually lots of things work on a gun at close quarters. As long as you can keep it pointed away from you, you are golden.

Well, I think/hope I'll be lucky enough not to see a gun in my life!
A wing chun master I know used to tell his "class" that, if someone's pointing a gun, it's VERY hard to move it away without being shot in the process. As it's very difficult to disarm a man with a knife, especially if he's scary/drugged/drunk.

 

[drop bear]

Yeah, I don't know how anyone can mistake that for a dance.

Traditionally when the cops came the music would change and it would become a samba de roda.

 

[oftheherd1]

...

P.S.: about the whole "walking around blind part", is it a metaphor, isn't it? I'm sure there are better ways to improve senses than getting hit by a car ahahahah

EDIT: I didn't find anything about gi. What are you talking about?
2nd Edit: It's the way Korean people spell ki, isn't it?

What I was trying to say was that most people cannot improve their senses sensitivity in a short time. And it will usually require some practice with some deprivation of the some senses in order to heighten others.

Gi is how the Koreans pronounce the existence and ability to use an inner force. Many people don't believe in it. They will never know how to use it. I consider that their loss, not mine. MAfreak was correct that qi is another way to write and pronounce it, as is ki. It mostly depends on the transliteration used to go from Korean or Chinese to English. As I said, gi is the way I have heard it pronounced in Korean. Some may have heard it pronounced differently, or more likely only thought they did.