need advice about martial arts

Hello Batu...

Why don't you try SUMO?????

I will describe a few of the benefits for you...

1. You get to eat ANYTHING you want...

2. You get to wear a sexy G-string...

3. Every now and then you demonstrate your strength and manliness in front of an enthusiastic audience who cheer for you...

4. You get to slap and push other big guys around a ring... very masculine and exciting...

5. Japanese women will love you...

6. When you retire you can come and live in a country like Australia and claim a disability pension...

I hope this helps...

Originally posted by Batu   I am planning to do some sports this year,and I wanted the sports I will do to be some kind of martial arts.   I've tried taekwondo before,which was good for nothing,and I got my a*s kicked(my tournament didnt last for long).And it  totally useless in the streets.   I heard that karate is the same,I have seen some videos about judo,which seems good but not that effective.   Aikido,was the best martial arts I encountred,but I want to get in shape aswell and aikido is not suitable for this.   I will probably go on for Wing Tsun or Wushu.They say wing tsun is better but wushu or kung fu looks more entertaining(I am nowadays watching the anime series "Avatar",and I like kung fu movies)   I want to see some action,to do some sports,and kick some a*s.     Anyways,which one(I will be pleased to see you add other martial arts styles) should I go for?

Edited by Paul - 03-Aug-2008 at 22:25

Batu, as you have already done a martial art, I am sure your teachers must have told you the all important rule: Once you get good at it, you are not ever allowed to use it anymore outside of training. With ability comes responsibility. Choosing a sport based on the damage you can do to others on the street is absurd.

Yes, I agree. if you are in danger, move. H2H combat is something you only engage in if you have NO OTHER CHOICE. You have another choice, move to a safer area and learn to difuse conflict. The most basic skill involved in self defense is"running away". What do you have to prove?

Read 'The Book of Five Rings'. Everything you need is there. 

If you want to learn how to fight, but not just the useless fancy moves. Study boxing-the most easy and effective martial art and Muay Thai. Those will teach you how to fight and you will much more confident only after one month of studying those.

Savate and Kick-boxing are also fine.

If you want to be a complete fighter you'll need some grappling skills as well in the future. So, you can study any kind of wrestling, though free style wrestling perhaps would be the most practical. And also in the end you'll need to get some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Originally posted by Sarmat12 Karate, Taekwondo, Wushu, Aikido etc. are good ways to keep yourself in shape but they are complitely useless on the street unless you face some untrained, physically not fit oponents.

Then why Karate was banned in Soviet Union? As you claim it is useless in real situations.

Only some spetznaz or KGB agents could get training in that martial art.

Generally, there is no lousy MA, only lousy MA teachers and MA students.

Nice topic here, Batu...

Others have said most of the "it's about confidence, etc." stuff that's the most important, so I'll settle for an overview of the martial arts I actually know something about.

Aikido:

Aikido can be effective. Joint locks and atemi, mainly. The chief problems; it's often not taught to be effective, and any locking/grappling art takes a long time to get used to, and even longer to be good at. I've found ikkyo and yonkyo to be reasonably effective (in real life, I'm a little bit of a martial arts freak...) but you have have studied for a long time learning the..."Right"...way (for you) to get them to work.

Taekwando:

Good kicks, and you can get crazy fit doing it--excellent cardio, and definitely a certain amount of strength training. It was originally adopted to fight enemies on horseback, so a lot of high moves which CAN be effective--they just need lots of time, lots of effort, and knowing when and how to apply them.

Brazilian jujitsu:

Good groundwork. It's fun. It's rough. It's hard to get used to locking and holding, like I said. My only gripe with BJJ is that it has no real means of dealing with multiple opponents--which is one part of martial arts I really like, even if it's disturbingly hard.

Wing tsun:

Wing tsun is a very nice striking art. It requires a lot of finesse, speed, control, and co-ordination. And, thus, it develops those aspects of your physical capabilities.

Wushu:

"Wushu" is a broad term for chinese martial arts. It can be sport-focused, with the emphasis on forms, flashiness, and fun. Or it can be very traditional, with the emphasis on, basically, getting stronger, faster, tougher, more skilled, and with a repotoire of incredibly effective techniques. Matter of personal preference;either can be great. Also a matter of style; there are LOTS of styles of Wushu. Fujian White Crane is in some ways similar to Wing tsun--lots of finesse and control. There are both Northern and Southern Praying Mantis styles, each with it's own distinctions. There is Monkey Kung fu, unpredictable and complex. And those are just the beginning...

Capoeira:

Capoeira is a brazilian martial art with the emphasis on kicks, take-downs, reading body language, unpredictability, and dodging rather than flat-out blocking. It can be effective, although there are certain techniques that are only there for training/display purposes. It comes in three varieties; Angola, which is closer to the ground and in which the emphasis is on clever planning, Regional, in which the emphasis is on speed, reflexes, and athletic ability, and contemporeana, a broad term denoting schools which seek to combine the best of both main styles. It is an EXTREMELY good workout, too; by twenty minutes into the first class, you will feel the strain.

...well, it depends on the teacher, but that was how it was for me--and i'm in pretty good shape.

Also, there are lots more: Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Savate, Sumo, Kenpo, Hapkido, Jeet Kune Do, Krav Maga, Silat, Eskrima....

It's up to you, though. Hope you find something to your liking!

I read that the top 3 martial arts suitable for the street are: Boxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jujitsu.