Which martial art suits me?

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

You're assuming that just because a martial art doesn't focus on self defense, that you can't learn it. That is horribly untrue.

If you go to a class for two years and even only 5% of it is self defense, that's more than if you burned out in a month on a self defense class that you hate.

Id argue thats worse for the person. Their goal is to learn self defense, they are settling on a school they're happy with and isn't really teaching them self defense. For a more apt comparison, it would be like recommending OP go to a swim school-itll build his muscles up a bit, and if he's ever attacked in the water he's golden, but overall it's not much help. The school's that claim they teach 5% self defense, but don't actually focus on that part of it, aren't much better.

 

[skribs]

Id argue thats worse for the person. Their goal is to learn self defense, they are settling on a school they're happy with and isn't really teaching them self defense. For a more apt comparison, it would be like recommending OP go to a swim school-itll build his muscles up a bit, and if he's ever attacked in the water he's golden, but overall it's not much help. The school's that claim they teach 5% self defense, but don't actually focus on that part of it, aren't much better.

You're learning more self defense than you realize.

 

[Deleted member 39746]

Ok, so first thing off, one of you asked about native Portuguese martial arts, there is just one native martial art:

Jogo do pau - Wikipedia

However this is like sword fighting and I might not have a stick with me at all times. (Literally this is the only native martial art in Portugal.)

Second I live nearby big cities, I have a lot of school a google search of distance. Just within a 15 minute walk I have a gym that teaches krav maga and a karate dojo. If I catch a bus to the next town, the local football club offers judo classes (competitive). But like I said I hated judo, in judo if you're down you can't support yourself with your hands and then kick with the legs, whenever I fell down i put my hands backward as instinct and I just hate let myself go and just plain hit my head in the tatami.

I would say, give the Krav maga school a look at, do you know which organization it is with, and what karate style the karate is what origination they are with? (dont want you to dox yourself, so if you dont know/its a local only thign its fine in not relaying it) Some people here may have had dealings with the style or orginsiation pending how international it is.


If the Krav maga school does sparring and you enjoy it, its better than nothing. Their knife and weapon defence is a bit dodgy though, that or keep with your Muay Thai idea. Just dont put all your eggs in one basket. And i would advise you at least try a grappling style or at least try to get the break falls in one which teaches them down just in case you get knocked down. Thats something you really should try to do.

Just for the statement of self defence you might have to bear something you dislike doing to learn a important aspect of it, it kind of cannot be avoided if you don't have something else which fits its gap in the area.

 

[drop bear]

False equivalency. It would be more like if he wanted to be a doctor, but couldn't afford to go to a prestigious medical university, and so instead your advice was to look at getting prereqs done at a community college or state school.

Being able to actually go to class is better than not going to class.

No. Because education that provides a prerequisite for a profession is to a standard.

And for a very good reason. As much fun as crystal healing might be. It will not help someone be a doctor.

As much fun as a random martial arts may be it will not make you a fighter. There is no inherent requirement for a martial arts to provide martial skills.

 

[drop bear]

And bear in mind self defense is a weasel word. It doesn't mean anything in a martial arts context.

 

[Headhunter]

Ok, so first thing off, one of you asked about native Portuguese martial arts, there is just one native martial art:

Jogo do pau - Wikipedia

However this is like sword fighting and I might not have a stick with me at all times. (Literally this is the only native martial art in Portugal.)

Second I live nearby big cities, I have a lot of school a google search of distance. Just within a 15 minute walk I have a gym that teaches krav maga and a karate dojo. If I catch a bus to the next town, the local football club offers judo classes (competitive). But like I said I hated judo, in judo if you're down you can't support yourself with your hands and then kick with the legs, whenever I fell down i put my hands backward as instinct and I just hate let myself go and just plain hit my head in the tatami.

What organisation is the Krav place? Ignore the people who say oh Krav Maga never spar or Krav Maga is only standup. They obviously don't have a clue. In Krav Maga we spar weekly after a 2 hour class. There's also grappling every week but not sport grappling it's more focus getting off your back and onto your feet. They do use bjj concepts like passing the guard, butterfly sweep, bridging, shrimping etc but it also has a lot of stuff not seen in bjj etc. Tonight we spent most of the class working on ground and pound and passing the guard but while we do the person on the bottom is punching us.

You said that your worried about a temper. Well you'll learn very quick to control that temper in class because if you don't you'll be out

 

[jobo]

You're assuming that just because a martial art doesn't focus on self defense, that you can't learn it. That is horribly untrue.

If you go to a class for two years and even only 5% of it is self defense, that's more than if you burned out in a month on a self defense class that you hate.

why are you obsessed with people HATING self defence classes, as no one has recommended self defence classes,

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

You're learning more self defense than you realize.

Not necessarily. If all I'm learning is how to throw someone who's letting me throw them, or how to lightly tap someone with my hand or foot (there are a lot of schools that only teach those), I'm not really learning self defense. But if I do it long enough, and the school has a 'supportive' environment, I may think I'm god's gift to MA.

 

[skribs]

Not necessarily. If all I'm learning is how to throw someone who's letting me throw them, or how to lightly tap someone with my hand or foot (there are a lot of schools that only teach those), I'm not really learning self defense. But if I do it long enough, and the school has a 'supportive' environment, I may think I'm god's gift to MA.

That's a good starting place for beginners.

And even if your school never moves beyond that, at least you have the basics down when you go to a new school.

 

[Headhunter]

I would say, give the Krav maga school a look at, do you know which organization it is with, and what karate style the karate is what origination they are with? (dont want you to dox yourself, so if you dont know/its a local only thign its fine in not relaying it) Some people here may have had dealings with the style or orginsiation pending how international it is.


If the Krav maga school does sparring and you enjoy it, its better than nothing. Their knife and weapon defence is a bit dodgy though, that or keep with your Muay Thai idea. Just dont put all your eggs in one basket. And i would advise you at least try a grappling style or at least try to get the break falls in one which teaches them down just in case you get knocked down. Thats something you really should try to do.

Just for the statement of self defence you might have to bear something you dislike doing to learn a important aspect of it, it kind of cannot be avoided if you don't have something else which fits its gap in the area.

Um...how do you know the knife and weapon work is "dodgy" you don't train it...

 

[skribs]

No. Because education that provides a prerequisite for a profession is to a standard.

And for a very good reason. As much fun as crystal healing might be. It will not help someone be a doctor.

As much fun as a random martial arts may be it will not make you a fighter. There is no inherent requirement for a martial arts to provide martial skills.

And if you decide that you're not learning self defense, you can find a new school, and at least you've learned better how to move your body and at least some principles relating to the techniques you'd use.

That's better than if you go to a school with a poor master and even though you learn "self defense" everything is wrong, because the guy was a useless tool.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

That's a good starting place for beginners.

And even if your school never moves beyond that, at least you have the basics down when you go to a new school.

What makes you think they would go to a new school? In a school like that, a lot of people don't discover they need to move on, because they're having fun at the school. And considering OP's situation, he may need those skills quicker rather than later. He might not have two years to build up to more applicable skills.

 

[jobo]

And if you decide that you're not learning self defense, you can find a new school, and at least you've learned better how to move your body and at least some principles relating to the techniques you'd use.

That's better than if you go to a school with a poor master and even though you learn "self defense" everything is wrong, because the guy was a useless tool.

that's why you should never sign up for any ma that has a " master" , it's a big red flag, that he 8s a **** if he calls himself a master or some such

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

And if you decide that you're not learning self defense, you can find a new school, and at least you've learned better how to move your body and at least some principles relating to the techniques you'd use.

That's better than if you go to a school with a poor master and even though you learn "self defense" everything is wrong, because the guy was a useless tool.

The goal would be to find both. Find a style that teaches quickly applicable self-defense, and a good master/instructor. In a big city like OP, and with a need to learn soon, there's no reason for him to have to choose one over the other.

 

[skribs]

What makes you think they would go to a new school? In a school like that, a lot of people don't discover they need to move on, because they're having fun at the school. And considering OP's situation, he may need those skills quicker rather than later. He might not have two years to build up to more applicable skills.

If it's a bad teacher, he's not going to learn those skills.
If it's far away and he can't attend much, he's not going to learn those skills.

 

[skribs]

The goal would be to find both. Find a style that teaches quickly applicable self-defense, and a good master/instructor. In a big city like OP, and with a need to learn soon, there's no reason for him to have to choose one over the other.

I spent months searching for the right martial art before I signed back up. Only took a few days to find a good school once I stopped trying to find the right martial art.

 

[jobo]

I spent months searching for the right martial art before I signed back up. Only took a few days to find a good school once I stopped trying to find the right martial art.

but you've got 9 dances to learn, are you sure you found the right one .?

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

If it's a bad teacher, he's not going to learn those skills.
If it's far away and he can't attend much, he's not going to learn those skills.

The good thing is, with what he's said, there are enough schools close by he can find a close one with a good teacher.

I spent months searching for the right martial art before I signed back up. Only took a few days to find a good school once I stopped trying to find the right martial art.

He doesn't need to spend months researching though. Take the list of applicable arts from this thread (there were like 6 or 7 mentioned I think), try out schools for each. Now he's both had the ability to find a style that fits his circumstances, and a school/instructor he meshes with.

 

[silveringking]

Just one quick correction, I do not live in a big city, I live in a small city. However Portugal is a small place and the roads are actually very good meaning going to a bigger city and find out something is not difficult. In order to answer your questions, first there is competitive sambo in a nearby city, there is a federation there, but I think their focus is competition. Regarding the karate dojo and the krav maga gym, the karate dojo is well estabilished here, I think it is older than me. Regarding the krav maga gym, they don't focus in krav maga, they are a regular gym (aka a gym where you go to bulk up) they just happen to have krav maga lessons once or twice per week. The martial arts scene in Portugal is well developed, I can find anything here, capoeira, muay thai, karate, whatever you want is within my reach. I am not sure about the quality of the gyms, I told you before I must focus first in finding one or two martial arts that suit me and then focus on finding a job because there is a lot of gyms, and I do mean a lot.

 

[silveringking]

My problem is not finding a school, is finding a school that suits me, understand? I must understand what is better to me, hence me asking which art I should learn. I've told you before I've practiced judo in the arena of a local football club and I've hated judo because I have to let myself go and actually fall before defending. Taking this in consideration, sports are huge in Portugal, there is a lot of martial arts because there are a lot of people who practice sports, bodybuilding is also huge here.