Do you study martial arts?

[Tsyr]

Actually our teacher here did this (with a blunt sword). After the wildly slashing newbie stopped three times in a row after the first step with a blade at his throat, he choose to forget his movie fighting style

Well, yes, my instructor will occasionaly do something similar to prove a point, but that's hardly indicative of the entire class.

 

[roguebmk]

I have studied Aamkajutsu for about 3 years. It is kind of an ecclectic style that is based on karate.

 

[seasong]

Mostly self-taught, I'm afraid. Lots of good schools around here, but I just don't have the money for the ones I want .

Fonts of Knowledge:
Mr. Green, shotokan karate, Nacogdoches, TX: taught me how to look at martial arts movements and how to learn them mo' better. Also taught me how to punch with my hips, and without hurting my wrists. If you're in that area and you want to train with an ex-military, 60-year old guy in better shape than you, who has a degree in education, I highly recommend.

The Fighter's Notebook: Excellent beginner's source book on the ground game. A lot of it would be better supplemented with some greco-roman wrestling, but that's what my scribbled notes are for .

Mr. Birdsong, aikido, Austin, TX: wonderful, wonderful footwork. Stepping into attacks, walking circles around an opponent, shifting direction with little loss of speed or control. Yummy stuff.

Mike Sigman's Internal Strength videos: If you want a dry, mechanical look at internal strength, this is it. Perfect for learning how to do it, without any of the flash and hype.

 

[Clefton Twain]

Arts

Jui-Jitsu for a year back in college.

I just stopped TaeKwonDo only two weeks ago (after three years of study) due to monetary and time shortages. I have more important things to spend them both on. Martial arts are expensive. I still practice on my own, however.

--CT

 

[HellHound]

Five years of Judo that was either

(a) a really conservative dojo

or

(b) proof that I'm a slow learner

Left with a red belt after five years.

 

[Khan the Warlord]

Six years of Bushido. Finished with a black belt with one red "tip".

Roughly six months of kick-boxing.

It would have been longer for both of those, but having double hernias can really put a cramp in your training and conditioning.

 

[Mobius]

Black belt in shotokan from when I was a young'un and a few years in Aikido, which mentally and physically, fit me like a glove. Too bad the instructor was such an idiot he challenged the head of the International Aikido Federation to a fight to the death to prove who was tougher. Needless to say, I quit.

 

[Wolvorine]

Made it up to yellow belt in Shotokan Karate before the bank account couldn't handle a family of 3 taking classes from a money-centric arab 'sensei' who let his high-level students do practically ALL the teaching for him (often including his pre-teen son and daughter).

I'd love to go back to something; shotokan, bujinkan, Jeet Kun Do (gotta be something that strikes me as fun, too), but until the bank account can handle a now-family of 5... *chuckles*

 

[ranix65]

I've learned from quite a few different instructors(most of em close friends I met through tournaments) so I know bits from a lot of different styles, including Jiu-Jutsu, Taijutsu(unarmed ninjutsu), Tai Chi Ch'uan, Hapkido, and many others, but my preferred art will always be the one that I learned first, Muay Thai.

By the way, if ya ever wanna see something really funny, throw a Muay Thai fighter in the ring with a BJJ fighter and watch what happens if the BJJ fighter isn't uber-fast in getting the kickboxer on the ground. (As soon as the BJJ fighter tries to grab him, Clinch, kneekneekneekneekneeknee drop-BJJ-fighter-to-ground; I've seen it happen quite a few times).

 

[The_Gneech]

Some Tae Kwon Do when I was way small, all forgotten...

Judo and (western) archery in college...

Wing Chun Kung Fu as an adult...

Currently not studying any, but hoping to take up Shaolin Kung Fu sometime before the end of the year.

-The Gneech

PS: And yet, for all that, no cool stories. I'm boring as toast.