Which martial art suits me?

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

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.

The competetive sambo could actually work for you. For someone who wants results quickly, i normally recommend a competition art/school, since what they do is tested. My only issue is that sport sambo typically does less striking, which you might not be a fan of given your issues with judo, I was more thinking towards combat sambo with that recommendation.

 

[silveringking]

Also take in consideration this, Portugal is not the US, people here mostly are very active, specially within my generation. In my country I'm considered obese although I'm a little less than 100 kg and I am 181cm I'm way bigger than most guys, except bodybuilders, and if I am not bigger I am taller (most Portuguese men are between 175cm and 179cm).

 

[silveringking]

The competetive sambo could actually work for you. For someone who wants results quickly, i normally recommend a competition art/school, since what they do is tested. My only issue is that sport sambo typically does less striking, which you might not be a fan of given your issues with judo, I was more thinking towards combat sambo with that recommendation.

Well I can ask the federation if they know anything at all, I'm not quite sure what is their focus, they must teach combat sambo too.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Well I can ask the federation if they know anything at all, I'm not quite sure what is their focus, they must teach combat sambo too.

Definitely worth a shot, just don't be too discouraged if the sport sambo reminds you of judo a bit.

 

[silveringking]

Also just so you know ridiculously big the offer his 30km away from there is a kung fu school. A KUNG FU school, I didn't even know someone practiced Kung Fu here, just google and I found out. Most of the schools are pretty affordable, like I've said being healthy is hip in Portugal.

 

[jobo]

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.

if you want to be able to fight reasonably quickly, do boxing or mt or wrestling or another contact art,, 8ts that simpl3

 

[drop bear]

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.

No that is pretty much the same.

You go to a school not get the training you need and waste time and money and wind up being a dud.

That can be because of three things.

A poor system.

A poor teacher.

Or a poor student.

This is a very common decision made by our competition fighters. Do they want fun training, sleep ins and pizza? or do they want to avoid getting their heads smashed in?

 

[silveringking]

No that is pretty much the same.

You go to a school not get the training you need and waste time and money and wind up being a dud.

That can be because of three things.

A poor system.

A poor teacher.

Or a poor student.

This is a very common decision made by our competition fighters. Do they want fun training, sleep ins and pizza? or do they want to avoid getting their heads smashed in?

Sorry, but I've been reading what you wrote and I've got something to say. I didn't give up judo because I thought it was hard, I gave up judo because I didn't like judo. I've told you before besides being a good guy I got a short temper, and I am somewhat explosive. When I was little I used to challenge other kids frequently. I gave up judo because I've hated judo, it doesn't make sense to me let myself fall and possibly hurt the head when you can avoid that fall and strike down. I've sparred a bit in judo with people with more skills than me, and when they threw me in the ground and I was able to counter attack with my legs, the other students weren't able to stop my attack. However after the master would scour me because those are illegal moves in judo.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

No that is pretty much the same.

You go to a school not get the training you need and waste time and money and wind up being a dud.

That can be because of three things.

A poor system.

A poor teacher.

Or a poor student.

This is a very common decision made by our competition fighters. Do they want fun training, sleep ins and pizza? or do they want to avoid getting their heads smashed in?

To be fair, if they went the sleep ins and pizza route,they probably wouldnt bother with the competition, and have an almost guarantee not to have their heads smashed in that day.

 

[Oni_Kadaki]

Second, krav maga is garbage.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you here, sir. Your point about competition adding pressure is well taken, but it is possible to train with intensity without doing sparring in the traditional sense. In my experience, that's how Krav trains (note that I did Krav for three months, but it's not my primary art for several reasons). If what OP is looking for is a quick way to acquire some worst-case-scenario defensive skills, Krav is what I'd recommend. It doesn't have the deep philosophical component that many Eastern arts do, nor the rich tradition, but it is brutally efficient.

 

[drop bear]

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you here, sir. Your point about competition adding pressure is well taken, but it is possible to train with intensity without doing sparring in the traditional sense. In my experience, that's how Krav trains (note that I did Krav for three months, but it's not my primary art for several reasons). If what OP is looking for is a quick way to acquire some worst-case-scenario defensive skills, Krav is what I'd recommend. It doesn't have the deep philosophical component that many Eastern arts do, nor the rich tradition, but it is brutally efficient.

It is possible to do situational drills that train the same skills as sparring.

But Krav traditionally doesn't do those either.

Krav tends to be good at demos which don't have the real world application.

 

[drop bear]

Sorry, but I've been reading what you wrote and I've got something to say. I didn't give up judo because I thought it was hard, I gave up judo because I didn't like judo. I've told you before besides being a good guy I got a short temper, and I am somewhat explosive. When I was little I used to challenge other kids frequently. I gave up judo because I've hated judo, it doesn't make sense to me let myself fall and possibly hurt the head when you can avoid that fall and strike down. I've sparred a bit in judo with people with more skills than me, and when they threw me in the ground and I was able to counter attack with my legs, the other students weren't able to stop my attack. However after the master would scour me because those are illegal moves in judo.

You are not training to beat up your partners by any means neccessary.

You are training to develop skills that make you better. These are the skills that will make you the most uncomfortable using but will ultimately give you more depth as a fighter and as a person.

So in your case. Learning to have composure will make you a better fighter.

And that composure will also keep you out of fights.

A person who is a slave to their emotions is rarely a good person. Because they demand everyone else accommodates them. And that is incredibly selfish.

I had this argument with a girl who boasted how sensitive she was. And I told her sensitive people are duchebags. Everything is about them and how they are feeling. Screw everyone else.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

You are not training to beat up your partners by any means neccessary.

You are training to develop skills that make you better. These are the skills that will make you the most uncomfortable using but will ultimately give you more depth as a fighter and as a person.

So in your case. Learning to have composure will make you a better fighter.

And that composure will also keep you out of fights.

A person who is a slave to their emotions is rarely a good person. Because they demand everyone else accommodates them. And that is incredibly selfish.

I had this argument with a girl who boasted how sensitive she was. And I told her sensitive people are duchebags. Everything is about them and how they are feeling. Screw everyone else.

Did she start crying when you said that? If not, you caught her in a lie

 

[drop bear]

Did she start crying when you said that? If not, you caught her in a lie

She didn't take it well.

She was a duchebag though.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

She didn't take it well.

She was a duchebag though.

Okay, this had me cracking up.

 

[Headhunter]

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.

That's the whole point. FOR YOU not us so you have to figure it out yourself

 

[Oni_Kadaki]

A person who is a slave to their emotions is rarely a good person. Because they demand everyone else accommodates them. And that is incredibly selfish.

I had this argument with a girl who boasted how sensitive she was. And I told her sensitive people are duchebags. Everything is about them and how they are feeling. Screw everyone else.

Tell that to the social sciences. Seriously, all of my syllabi this semester have entire pages devoted to microaggressions and triggers. Make it stop!

 

[Martial D]

Tell that to the social sciences. Seriously, all of my syllabi this semester have entire pages devoted to microaggressions and triggers. Make it stop!

The word..sciences..should be used rather tentatively in that statement.

 

[skribs]

No that is pretty much the same.

You go to a school not get the training you need and waste time and money and wind up being a dud.

That can be because of three things.

A poor system.

A poor teacher.

Or a poor student.

This is a very common decision made by our competition fighters. Do they want fun training, sleep ins and pizza? or do they want to avoid getting their heads smashed in?

A competition fighter is training for a specific competition with a specific ruleset. There are way too many variables to try and focus like that on self defense.

 

[Deleted member 39746]

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

I have seen it via video and such. And its not limited to one person. There is at least that block out there. Not saying other styles are defacto better than it though, or someone who calls themselves krav maga couldn't have gone to shiv works classes like 20 times.

A competition fighter is training for a specific competition with a specific ruleset. There are way too many variables to try and focus like that on self defense.

Thats why the elements of observation and verbal skills etc are generally better with a small introduction physical skillet to get you out of situations you need to fight out of. Maybe more on the physical side than verbal if you arent the type who can ab lib your way out of things as easily.

An emphasis on stun and run is pretty good as well. Or hit first then run. (where it is lawful to do so, not presuming to know the legal status on that in Portugal) Maybe use the small physical skill set they give you to train your aggression as well so you can switch it on and off when you need to. That is a pretty key skill. (which i just forgot about)