blackshadow

greetings forum!!! I have been lurking on here for about a month and decided to join Well I have no MA skills unless you consider some wrestling a skill...lol But, I wanted to know what would be good for me to train in as far as another style of fighting. I'm sort of a big guy (247lb, 5'9...ex powerlifter.) So what i wondering would me learning a new style be hindered because of my size? I don't think I'm slow as I have some speed but i have a problem with guys faster than me, and taller than me. As they have a great advantage over me with speed and length. Any help is welcomed. thanks

Gabe

HtTKar

Well of course you will have problems with people that are faster than you, and people that are taller than you.

People will have problems fighting you because you are much stronger than they. Each person has an advantage if they know how to use it.

Being a powerlifter takes devotion. If you devote yourself just as much to whatever art you want to learn, you will excell. So it will depend on what you're looking for. I'm sure you'll be fine. You might want to start with an art that helps you develop traits you feel you lack. If you want speed and agility, you might want to try BJJ(http://bjj.org/techniques/), Boxing will help you with conditioning and endurance. Or you might want to take up a weapons like escrima so you dont have to run those fast little guys down.

Basically you have attributes that most fighters want. A lot of strength, a low center of gravity, and a good attitude. As long as you enjoy what you do I know you be OK. Just go talk to some guys and see what they offer. You'd be better off to have a good instructor that you like, than to choose an art and end up not enjoying it. Good luck, and welcome!

__________________
"The harder you train, the harder it is to surrender"
(Vince Lombardi)

blackshadow

I see, thanks for sharing with me. I think that I will give that a try. Only thing is and i'm not whining but there's isn't anyone that teachs BJJ out where i live because i live in the darn country....hahah. But seriously what could be done? I have bags and stuff, could watching some instructional tapes work also?

gabe

HtTKar

Probably not. Most likely you would develop bad habits that could take a long time to work out.

Your best bet, being that you live in the country, is to first find what is in your area. Go and talk to the instructors and pick an instructor that you'r comfortable with. Anything is better than nothing. Once you are in class and learning stuff you'll meet a lot of people that know what's going on around you. You'd be surprised to learn just how many people have martial arts experience. Some of these guys could probably teach you more than a dojo in your area. Get involved and you'll have many opportunities to branch off and learn new things. There are some things you should look for in your instructor before joining. Does he make you sign a contract? If so, look somewhere else. What are his feelings about you crosstraining at another dojo? How often is he actually sparring his students, and how much time does he spend on the floor?

Noone is going to teach you better than the head instructor. That is what you'll be paying for. Many times they delegate their tasks to "assistant instructors". That's OK, as long as the main guy is still getting onto the floor and willing to spar. He is who you will learn the most from, and who you are actually paying for. After you know what good technique is, then your bags are a necessity. Like I said before though, in my opinion, you should seek expert advise to learn what proper form is, before you develop bad habits. Few people are able to look at themselves from outside and see what mistakes they are making.

What schools are there in your area?

__________________
"The harder you train, the harder it is to surrender"
(Vince Lombardi)

Tom Yum

Hey Gabe, welcome.

What style of wrestling do you practice? Wrestling is very usefull.

blackshadow

HtTKar

I do know of some TKD schools in the area. I also found out that i do have an uncle who is an instructor, but he doesn't have a school no more. But, I will try talking him into giving me private lessons.

Tom Yum

Um funny you ask...lol it's no more than high school wrestling with a little grappling thrown in. The guy who taught it in High school was a quack, but he knew his stuff.

Tom Yum

Ok, but what style of wrestling? Freestyle? Greco-Roman?

blackshadow

oooops freestyle....lol

Tom Yum

I'd stick with that.

blackshadow

well ok, but why if you don't mind me asking? But I would like to learn something else not just wrestling.

Penance

Definitely check out local schools. Call around, or stop in and ask if you can watch a class. You seem to be more interested in something that is going to be practical in real life and not so much self-development or philosophy/spirituality.

If you find a school that does contact sparring that's a big plus. You don't want to devote years of time to a school that does nothing but prepare you to get beaten on and freeze up when a bad situation arises. (This is what happened to me...2 or 3 years learning karate, without ever doing contact sparring or practicing real life situations or mental conditioning!! Bad bad bad!!)

But from the other thread I read about you winning vs. someone bigger and heavier than you, so you must have a level of natural talent, which is always a huge plus. So, like the others said, if you're worried about your speed or endurance, try out a boxing or muay thai school, they'll help you augment your muscle and power with technique and focus!