Do you study martial arts?

[shurai]

This is inspired by lurking on the sports board. Do you study a martial art? Which one? Any good stories or experiences to relate? How about some advice for gamers who might want to begin studying for themselves.

I myself study Japanese swordsmanship, that is to say kendo and iaido (though most of my kendo experience is limited to the kendo kata). I also study hung gar, a style of kung fu.

-S

 

[jhanzur]

grappling/jiu jitsu

 

[Umbran]

I studied shotokan karate for a number of years, and fully plan to return to it when my schedule permits, if I find an acceptable teacher.

The biggest piece of advice is this - one year of martial arts training is just enough to get you into real trouble.

 

[NoOneofConsequence]

I studied - and will return to - chow gar/buk sing choy lay fut.

This is a southern style kung fu with a heavy northern shaolin influence (Buk Sil Lum). Lots of fun with circular punching and low kicking.

 

[Drakmar]

well.. I did Tae Kwon Do for about 4 years..

then after pressuring some discs from bad streches (I was too young to know better) I laid low for a couple..

Then I got back into it and did Wing Chun Kung Fu for about a year. But stopped.. cause I didn't like the ethics of the sifu.

Then I did one style of Hung Gar for about 3 months.. fell in love with the style.. but the small class became a closed one shortly after that.. and it was 1 1/2 drive away from where I lived.. a bit too far for someone with little money at the time.

then I went back to the TKD for a about 6 months..

Then I went to another school of Wing Chun for about 3 months having decided that Kung Fu's were the way to go for me.

Then.. after a years break I found a school of Hung Gar.. really love that style.. but this school also had a sifu of questionable morals.. so I quit..

Then I stumbled onto a school that had a great instructor.. that taught Wu Shu/Drunken Fist and Hung Gar.. which was great.. until the Hung Gar teacher quit.. and the replacement teacher was a Tong Long instructor.. and although both of them are great martial arts.. they don't suit me.

I am so tempted to move to another city, because Brisbane does not seem to have many schools of Hung Gar. RAH!!!!

and you are right Umbran.. one year of martial arts training is enough to get people in trouble.. heck.. joining a club is enough to get some people in trouble.. Too many people think that they need to test their martial art skillz out on people. personally either the club has the wrong focus.. or they have missed some important lessons.

 

[Oni]

I have practised Shaolin Silum for many years now. Started with jujitsu when I was a little kid, but didn't get much past the basics with that because of moving. Luckily I've never really had to put it to practicle use other than I'm certain it's probably saved me from injury on a few falls. My brother took a 12-14ft drop off a bridge onto rock when we were little, he says the only reason he walked away from that was he heard our jujitsu teacher's voice telling him how to take the fall and he did it. There are benefits to the martial arts that people don't normally think of.

Advice for someone looking to begin: There are a lot of styles out there, and a lot of teachers. Shop around for style that fits well with your body type and what you want to do. Find a teacher you like and trust. I will say I think a good teacher is more important than style, you can always grow into a style, make it your own, a good teacher will help you do that. Oh and avoid anyone that tells you that they're own style is superior to all others because that is a load of bunk.

 

[NoOneofConsequence]

I will say I think a good teacher is more important than style, you can always grow into a style, make it your own, a good teacher will help you do that. Oh and avoid anyone that tells you that they're own style is superior to all others because that is a load of bunk.

Amen to this. I guess this is kind of the same around the world at the moment, but here in Oz there's a huge "Brazillian jiu-jitsu beats everything" crusade going on.

An additional small piece of advice: if you don't want to learn to fight by just getting the crap kicked out of you till you figure it out - I went to a Savate school like this for a while - then kung fu is often a good way to go. All the kung fu schools I've been to spent a lot of time emphasising the basics, so that by the time you came to sparring, you had some sense of what you could do and what you should do. It makes a hell of a difference.

 

[Jeremy]

Been doing Kung Fu San Soo for a good while now, I'm sorry, I don't know the full chinese name for it but it's a very destructive, quick-resolution style that if has proven quite beneficial so far.

Much fun, good exercise, and very applicable.

 

[Black Omega]

I'm surprised the BJJ is still going so strong in Oz. The Gracies have lost enough now it would seem people have seen the style has some definite weak spots to go with the strengths.

I've done JJ and shotokan karate as well as boxing. Though not in far too long, I'm out of shape.

I know just what you mean about being dangerous. I had a friend in shotokan who thought after four months he could beat anyone not studying karate. Took a little work to guide him past that without him getting hurt.

 

[ThomasBJJ]

ThomasBJJ = Thomas Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. (John Lewis & Chris Brennan academys)

I did Kung Fu San Soo for about 10 years.