Are martial arts for a 35yo newbie (no sports experience whatsoever)?

[Ghost]

I'm in Tucson too and have trained at or visited almost every gym in town. Send me a PM if you want or have Q's about specific places or arts and I'll help you out.

tart




The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

[Flaves]

Hope this helps

I may be a newbie but at least my caps lock key is not broken. :-P

The following styles are available in my town: Aikido, Karate, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Brazilian Ju Jitsu, Tang Soo Do, Muay Thai, Jujitsu, Mixed Martial Arts, Danzan Ryu Jujitsu, Krav Maga, Capoeira, Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, Hiraido Jujitsu, Kung Fu, Wing Chun.

I'll pick the top 3 suggestions from you guys and try them all next week.

Sure man, I'd be happy to help you understand anything that you were confused on.

I am going to preface my message by pointing out that some people on this board will undoubtly read some of what I am going to say and disagree or debate it to wits end. The thing is the below is my opinions and beliefs based on my personal research and experience. Different people will have different beliefs and experiences and thus their opinions will be different. I sincerely hope this doesn't turn into a 5 page debating post. Especially since the main goal here is to help 35yoNewbie find a school that is right for him... not one that we think is the best! ;-)

While I understand the concepts and styles of most of these arts I have not taken them all myself, although I have researched many of them. I currently train in Muay Thai, Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, Wing Chun, Submission Grappling, and Krav Maga.

Wing Chun along with most forms of Kung Fu/Gung Fu usually have a lot of forms that accompany them. They are good for developing agility and flexibility and over time you will also develop conditioning. There are many different styles from more traditional schools to more modern schools, and each system has it's own philosophies to accompany the style. You will most likely have to try the school to see if it fits your personality.

Muay Thai is a great art. It deals with strikes from all of your human weapons including hands, feet, knees, elbows, and in some cases head (although not legal in competitions). In most cases a MT school will get you in great condition in a limited amount of time, while at the same time allowing you to learn a style that allow you to defend your self in a real world situation if necessary, although the art is typically taught from an in ring or competition perspective. The tricky thing here is finding a MT school that fits your personality. Some MT schools will actually be more along the lines of an MMA school, while others will be more traditional. It sounds to me that you would enjoy the more traditional better. You can look on Thai Boxing Association of the USA to see if there are any schools in your area which are under the Ajarn Chai linage.

I love the art of Krav Maga as well. You will get in condition quickly and learn a style that is extremely applicable in real world situations. The thing is that you will learn a lot of techniques that are banned from competitions such as finger jabs to the eyes, kicks to the groin, etc. If you like this style, you may also like a JKD school, as the schools of thought are similar, although KM can be a little more hard core.

Aikido may also be an art that you may want to explore. One of the main concepts of Aikido is to prevent injury to the attacker while defending yourself. This is done through redirecting of energy instead of meeting force with force like in a Karate style. Like most Japanese arts these schools usually have a uniform requirement of a Gi as well as belt rankings.

Capoeira is an awesome art in the sense that it is a lot of fun. It is not necessarily the best for defense unless you can get to a high level. It is also an art that you need to have a good amount of flexibility, balance and agility before you even start. Without those skills, you may have a difficult time.

If I were going to pick 3 arts for you to try based only on the information you have given, I would have to say to try:

1) Muay Thai
2) Wing Chun
3) Krav Maga

although I wouldn't discourage you from trying any of the other arts.

I think you need to ask yourself a couple things. 1) What is your main goal? Getting in shape? Self Defense? To compete in a ring? Learning a new skill? Making friends? etc.

2) Are you a goal oriented person? Do you want to have a level or belt system that you can advance in?

3) How much money and time do you want to invest into the art? Some arts may not require a uniform, or only a T shirt, but may instead require you to purchase a good amount of training equipment. Some on the other hand may only require a Gi and Belt.

My final advice to you is to visit all the school and do your research on the instructor's background as well as the culture of the school. You can learn a lot about a school based on the instructors background or the school's linage. To give you a couple examples there is a big difference between a TBA certified school and a MMA school that does a little MT. Also for a style like Krav Maga, a IKMA school is much different than a Commando Krav Maga school, which is different from a World Wide Krav Maga school.

I hope this information helps, and I would be more than glad to discuss matters with you more. Best of luck.

Dan

PS Thank you for the complement, but I don't think of myself as THE MAN... I'm just A MAN who is glad to help.

[Tant01]

I'm in Tucson too and have trained at or visited almost every gym in town. Send me a PM if you want or have Q's about specific places or arts and I'll help you out.

THERE you go...

Problem solved! LOL

[ICC1]

BJJ for sure!

[jonbey]

I suggest Tai Chi, if it is taught as a martial art. The kung-fu could be good. Anything with little throwing or high kicks. A good southern kung-fu style. Or maybe boxing? Never been to a boxing gym myself, they are probably pretty hard core!

[Bjjexpertise@be]

THERE you go...

Problem solved! LOL

What's your rank in judo anyhow, Tant? You're always such a big advocate for it .

[TTEscrima]

I'm thinking Tai Chi now.

Hey now. I almost sprayed my keyboard with water.

I'm thinking ANY art that's taught as a martial art will be too much from the way the first post reads.

The idea of training a martial art that you aren't likely to be injured in strikes me funny.

I'm guessing even the Yellow Bamboo guys strain their vocal chords occasionally.

From the list he provided of available schools, Wing Chun is probably the best to dip his toe in the water and see if he actually likes training, and the injuries are likely to be least serious for a beginner.

Saying there is Kung fu available is like saying there are restaurants in town, what TYPE of KF schools are available?

Hung Gar might be an option as well if its available.

[35yoNewbie]

Yes, there is Hung Gar academy in town. What is Hung Gar?

[TTEscrima]

Yes, there is Hung Gar academy in town. What is Hung Gar?

Hung Gar is a Southern style noted for its deep stances and extremely powerful hand strikes combined with the Tiger claw. It will get you physically fit and give you some basics to draw on. Once you're fit and ready for a little rough and tumble find a Judo school then maybe a MT school.

YouTube - Basic Introductory Hung Gar and Arrow Hand

[Hardball]

I wasn't trying to belittle Tai Chi, I was just suggesting an Art that had lower probability of injury.

[Hardball]

Hey now. I almost sprayed my keyboard with water.

I'm thinking ANY art that's taught as a martial art will be too much from the way the first post reads.

The idea of training a martial art that you aren't likely to be injured in strikes me funny.

I'm guessing even the Yellow Bamboo guys strain their vocal chords occasionally.

From the list he provided of available schools, Wing Chun is probably the best to dip his toe in the water and see if he actually likes training, and the injuries are likely to be least serious for a beginner.

Saying there is Kung fu available is like saying there are restaurants in town, what TYPE of KF schools are available?

Hung Gar might be an option as well if its available.

Are you saying that tai chi has high probability of injuries?

[TTEscrima]

I wasn't trying to belittle Tai Chi, I was just suggesting an Art that had lower probability of injury.

I gotcha bud, it just struck me funny as a Tai Chi guy.

[Hardball]

I gotcha bud, it just struck me funny as a Tai Chi guy.

Thanks Killa,, LOL

[Hardball]

Everybody here knows you love tai chi just like tanto loves judo. Peace Out

[TTEscrima]

Are you saying that tai chi has high probability of injuries?

When it's taught as a martial art, it's no less rough than any other.

I've definitely heard people asking for lower levels of intensity in Boar's Tai Chi classes, the fools, that just makes him worse. (easy, easy) ROFLMAO

**************************
Article First Published 1983



This is the first part of an interview that one Mr Hu from China Wushu
had with Mr Chang Yiu-Chun back in the mid to late seventies. Chang
was a student of the not so famous Yang Shou-Hou.



Q. How long have you been practicing the T'ai chi ch'uan

A. Since 1911.



Q. Who was your first teacher and how long did you study with him.

A. My teacher was Yeung Shou-hu the grandson of the founder of the
Yeung style, Yeung Lu-sum. (Yang Lu-Ch'an). I was with Yeung from 1911
until his death in 1930.

Q. Many people have commented upon the sometimes brutal nature of
Yeung Shou-hu's teaching methods.

Yes, quite often we would finish a training period with blood on our
vests and many bruises. Sometimes a bone would be broken. Yeung did
not have many students.



Q. What are your views on this type of training?

A. It was good for me because I was very undisciplined in my younger
days. I always wanted to fight and so with Yeung I got plenty of
fighting. It taught us that if we did not do T'ai chi ch'uan correctly
then we were hurt. Most of us did it correctly eventually or we left.



Q. Most people in the West would look upon this type of T'ai chi
ch'uan training as being quite brutal. The style of Yang style T'ai
chi ch'uan today in the West is not brutal at all.

A. I do not know about what they do in the West. But what they do in
China is a modified form of T'ai chi ch'uan invented by Yeung
Shou-hu's brother Yeung Cheng-po. This style is Yeung Cheng-po's own
invention so that many older and sick people can do T'ai chi ch'uan.



Q. What you are telling me is that there are actually two different
types of Yeung style?

A. Yes, the one that was founded by Yeung Lu-sum is not like the Yeung
Cheng-po type.



Q. What are the differences?

A. When my teacher used to do his T'ai chi ch'uan, we would often say
that he was like a canon shot one second and like the great river in
the next second. He was very energetic. The Yeung Cheng-po style is
all soft and flowing with no canon shots.



Q. I have never heard of this and I find it quite interesting. Why is
it that no-one knows that there are two Yeung types of T'ai chi
ch'uan. Did Yeung Cheng-po do the original T'ai chi ch'uan?

A. In the early days before Yeung Cheng-po, we would only teach T'ai
chi ch'uan to family members and very close friends, friends who were
almost like family members. I am a family member, a second cousin to
the Yeung Shou-hu family. Yeung Cheng-po was the first one to teach
everyone and he became very famous all over China. So this is why we
only ever hear about this style. Yes, Yeung Cheng-po did the original
Yeung style of his grandfather before about 1915, then he changed it.
Many people watched him practice the original style and he even taught
a few people. But when he invented his own style and changed it over a
few years, all of his students forgot about the original style.



Q. From what you know about him, was Yeung Cheng-po as good at self
defence as we are told today?

A. Yes, he was very good at self defence. He was quite large and
strong and he could also be quite brutal in his pushing hands but he
learnt the original style first.



Q. Other T'ai chi ch'uan styles sometimes say that the Yeung (Yang)
style is no good for self defence, why is this?

A. Yes, it is no good for self defence if you are talking about the
Yeung Cheng-po style. But if you mean the Yeung lu-sum style then it
is very good for self defence. No-one outside of the family knows the
Yeung Lu-sum style and so everyone thinks that the Yeung style is useless.



Q. How good then is the original Yeung style of T'ai chi ch'uan?

A. ... it is the best.



Q. Why and how is it used for self defence.

A. We use T'ai chi ch'uan in two ways. The first I can tell you about
because many people know this way today. This way we take the
movements and use them for self defence. we move out of the way of an
oncoming force and give our own attack as he passes. we lock his
bones, we break his legs and arms. This is the first level of T'ai chi
ch'uan self defence. The second way is too sinister and evil for me to
talk about.



Q. Why?

A. I am sorry, I have taken an oath not to tell about this way of self
defence.



Q. Does pushing hands play an important part in your T'ai chi ch'uan?

A. Today it does but in the early days it did not. we used to place
more importance upon the fighting but as we learnt more, we used
pushing hands to teach us about balance and the theory of yin and yang.



Q. What do you mean by 'fighting'.

A. By that I mean the shan-shou. But there are also today two versions
of the shan-shou. The one version by the Yeung Cheng-po family is
softer and less brutal while the older version is quite brutal.



Q. Brutal, why.

A. We do the shan-shou in three ways. The first way is to learn the
movements of attack and defence. The second way is to do these
movements faster and with much more power, this is where we get some
bruises. The third way is when we try to strike each other for real
and try to get each other off balance by doing the movements in the
wrong sequence.



Q. If Yeung Lu-sum were to be alive today, what would he say about his
T'ai chi ch'uan.

A. Firstly he would not recognize the name because it was not called
T'ai chi ch'uan until fairly recently. He would even recognize what is
being taught in his name today. Unless he saw the Yeung Shou-hu style.
Although I am sure that over the years this too has changed as
everything does. But not as much as the Yeung Cheng-po style.



Q. Many people in the West have changed the Yeung Cheng-po style even
more. Even in China we now have people changing the styles trying to
integrate the three styles. (the beginning of the Peking styles...
Editor). What is the future of T'ai chi ch'uan.

A. I do not want to say anything about the way in which our Government
is changing the styles and I do not care what is happening in the
West. But if T'ai chi ch'uan changes any more and no more people begin
to teach the original Yeung style then when we used to have a goat,
now we have a duck.