Need help on choosing martial arts

[Teharesudar]

well beneloventdemon...

A lot of people will say something like kung fu is useless in a fight... but if you're not interested in self-defense it can be very fun

for self-defense i recommend a standup striking art to begin with (muy tai, tkd, kempo) and then supplement it with grappling art (jiu jitsu, judo, etc)... or do mma for a combination of both

This "lot of people" are SOOOOO WROONNGGG. I live in the Chicago area like benevolentdemon. As a young Hispanic kid from the "hood", the only martial art available when young was boxing. Yes. It is indeed a sweet science. The body positioning and footwork skills developed are far superior to any other art. However, as sweet a science as it is, it is limited by the rules of the sport (i.e. no clinching, punches below the belt, leg strikes etc..).

While in college, I started taking Wing Chun kung fu. The trapping skills and efficient blocks learned were phenomenal. in fact, with the combined skills acquired from both arts, I made my income during the latter college years and law school working as a bouncer in several chicago night clubs.

Now, as an old man with three rugrats, I have started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I am slowly, but surely, adding an additional dimension to the previously acquired skills. I must add, without any hesitation, that BJJ is perhaps the most grueling martial art, and for good reason. On the ground, you are leveraging your own weight from a most difficult position, and also an opponents weight.

Bottom line, as another poster stated, Benevolentdemon, you are far better off to invest the time sufficient to learn one art very well, then move on to another art. There are no shortcuts wherein you could acquire mutliple skills simultaneously. Particularly if you are weightlifting 3 times a week. Even at your envious testosterone raging age, recovery is just as important as muscle breakdown. Any and all martial arts have their limitations and weak points. But, when one trains enough in ONE martial art to become proficient, it usually supercedes what the general population is capable of.

Thus, Benevolentdemon, your choice is limited as follows. Take the best instruction available, given your geographic location and financial limitations, possible. Later, in your more dollar daddy years, you can always supplement. Do not make the mistake of going to a half ass school just because the product they sell seems to be a cure all martial art.

You might end up like Napoleon Dynamite and his brother attending a joke school.

i will post some info for GOOD schools near Algonquin.

Peace Out

Uncle Rico

[WuChi]

yeah ricco`s right.
Its a shame no one else was trying to give you good info, to much polotics. The truth is mate, that if you want to be effective in combat, its you and not the system. You need to learn to control your emotions. If you want to feel safe, and be able to defend yourself . The truth is, that all arts are effective, none are all-encompassing. If you train in say muiy thai or kickboxing(with really good hard sparring), any other arts you do like wing chun, will become more usefull in actual combat. I trained in wingchun from the age of 8-16, I am 21 now. At the time, I wanted to do MMa so I upped the other types of training I was doing, because I felt wingchun was not effective enough. But the truth is that the more I understood confromtation, fighting and such like, I realised that there waere more usefull points than Id thought. So Id do the most interseting art for you, if you want some tradition eg why not?, but then suppliment your training with something hard, like good jujitsu or mma or even like you say Muiy t, then you will understand all you are being taught easier, I think.

[Blue Wave Gym]

jeeeez!!!!

I have tried to help pvt. Pyle but I have failed, I have failed because you have not helped me, you people have not given pvt. Pyle the proper motivation(soap in towel beating in middle of night) so from now on whenever Pyle fucks up I will not punish him, I will punish all of you instead and the way I see it ladies you owe me for 1 jelly doughnut the're paying for it you eat it EXERCISE!!!!!

Hey kid don't listen to any one who has an agenda be it ma or fitness politics.
1. keep lifting
2.try to find/attend an intro class in as many striking and grappeling arts/schools you can find figure out what you like better then get good at that if you pick striking great if you pick grappeling great if you pick mma then great btw you can still work on basic strikes on your own if you pick grappeling via dvd and home training and if you pick striking you can always buddie up with guys on the wrestling team who might be willing to use you as their throwing dummie in their spare time so add hoc cross training may be feasible.

[benevolentdemon]

Ok, now I've searched around these forums even more and I have decided that I dont want to learn the time of martial arts where your rolling around on the ground with the other guy, although your opinion may be that thats very effective and I'm stoopid, but even so I dont think that that kind of ma is "me", you know like so I'm guessing that means that i wouldn't like mma because that is what you do apparently from what I've read in many posts, so I guess the kind I'm looking for is standing up fighting where I use fist and foot moves to take down my opponent, so any suggestions about that. Remeber, I'm still in the process of deciding so help would be appreciated.

[grappler-jordan]

I guess that depends if you wan't sport or self-defense oriented training...

For Sport: Muay-Thai would probably be a good fit for what you are looking for... Punches, Kicks, Elbows and Knees, very effective style of fighting proven in the ring time and again... but once again this is a sport and when trained as such will teach you how to be a good fighter but not neccesarily prepare you for a street fighting situation... (although it would be better then nothing).

For Self-Defense: You may want to look for a Reality Based Self-Defense system (RBSD) and be sure to check the instructors credentials. It's hard to point you in the right direction here because it will depend alot on what is available in your area. Go check out some of the classes in your area, see if they appeal to you or not...

I know you said you are not interested in grappling training, and BJJ, or grappling as a sport may not be for you. However, you may want to ensure you get at least SOME cross training in ground grappling as it is an essential part of a rounded fighters game (even in self-defense). You do not need to spend years practicing and studying it, but a base understanding and the ability to get back to your feet in a fight will go a LONG way.

Good luck to you in your search...

Jordan

[Teharesudar]

1. Eh, I don't totally understand the question, so probably no, I guess?

2. Yeah I actually don't eat much, maybe twice or three times a day and it consists of cereal in the morning, burger or subway sandwhich at lunch, and then a carl budding beef sandwhich or two after school. But I don't starve myself, for some reason I am able to run off of low amounts of food for many hours, but then again that might be bacause besides lifting weights and doing abdominal muscle excersises I'm not very active at all.

3. I used to do lightweight lifting which consisted of:
Benchpress: 3 sets, 10 reps, 80-90 lbs.
Curl: 3 sets, 10 reps, 40-45 lbs.
Wrist rollers: 3 sets, 10 reps, 40-45 lbs.
Military Press: 3 sets, 10 reps, 50-65 lbs.
Bentover Row: 3 sets, 10 reps, 40 lbs.
Toe raise: 3 sets, 15 reps, 40 lbs.
And i think the last is called a half sit or something and that is: 3 sets, 12 reps, 30 lbs.

But now since I feel I need to gain some weight (in muscle of course) I've been doing this workout for the past month or so.

Benchpress: 3 sets, 6-7 reps, 115-130 lbs.
Curl: 3 sets, 6 reps, 60-65 lbs.
Wrist rollers: 3 sets, 6 reps, 60-65 lbs.
Military Press: 3 sets, 6-7 reps, 70-85 lbs.
Bentover Row: 3 sets, 6-7 reps, 60 lbs.
Toe raise: 3 sets, 8-10 reps, 90-100 lbs.
And i think the last is called a half sit or something and that is: 3 sets, 6-7 reps, 50 lbs.

Well there ya go, hope that helps.

1. As far as having an aerobic base, your response indicates you do not have one. Building one will greately improve the results you might derive from a subsequent anerobic program such as weighlifting or martial arts.

All this means, in plain and simple terms, is to stop the weights for about 8 weeks. You can keep doing the ab routines if you wish. 2 months is not alot to ask, and in fact, if you were older, you would need about 12 weeks. During those 8 weeks start jogging, on a treadmill or otherwise. The first week 3 times at about 20 to 30 minutes should be sufficient. Keep your breathing to a point where you can talk (or sing) to yourself without stuttering. Second week, add minutes to each session, so that at the end of week 2 you are jogging 25 to 35 minutes 3 times a week. Week 3 add a day. So now you are going 25 to 35 4 times a week. Follow this formula until by week 8 you are jogging 5 to 6 times a week at 45 minutes plus. CRUCIAL POINT. ALWAYS jog at a pace where you can talk or sing. Hight Intensity Training will come, and be far easier, later.

2. Do not take this the wrong way, but your diet sucks. It is essentially consists of high glycemic carbs and high fat. Cereal for breakfast is ok, as long as it is not Sugar Pops, Captain Crunch, or Coco Crisp. A bowl of oatmeal made with milk and a glass of orange juice would serve you better. I realize that as a student your lunch menu is limited, so try to stick with whole grain bread subs, pay extra for double turkey or roast beef, and avoid burgers altogether. If you can pack a lunch, a tuna sandwich on whole grain bread would be ideal. Finally, if you can divide your 3 meal into 6, spaced out over the day is better than 3. Foryou, I would add some snacks betweenmeals such as apples, peaches, or other fruit, or raw veggies.

3. Ahh, here is the formula. Forget about the assistance muscle recruitment (bicep curls, wrist rolls, toe raise), to gain muscle, you need to do heavy compound exercises. I.E. Back: Deadlifts, pull-ups or rows, shrugs. Chest/Triceps/Shoulders: Bench Press, Dips, Military Press. Legs: Squats, Straight-Leg Dead Lifts. That is all you need. Try a 5x5 routine for about 6 to 8 weeks. 5 sets x 5 reps. Add a little weight every session (3 sessions per week). You will soon find that your buttocks and hams will grow to a point where you can see where your butt ends and your thigh starts,

Hope this helps,

Arnold

Pain is caused by weakness leaving your body.

[chillaplata]

An entertaining and knowledgeable, if tongue-in-cheek and idiosyncratic, view on choosing a martial art to train:

http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=31384