Martial arts advice for a newbie please

[bouncer]

HI guys, just looking for some advice please.
I'm 35 years old, have been BB'ing/strenght training for 9 year's now and weight 260lbs.
I've been thinking of taking up some form of this great sport, however I have a few questions first.

Since I don't want to back off from my gym work, would I be wasting my time giving Karate, kick boxing or whatever 1 night training a week, and maybe a sunday morning ?.

Bouncer

 

[p0ink]

I would reccomend you check out brazilian jiu jitsu. grappling is the best form of fighting (which can be verified considering mostly every winner of the UFC is a grappler) Shit like karate and taekwando is completely impractical and only good for competing. brazilian jiu jitsu is great for learning to fuck someone else. Another good martial art for fucking up people is Muay Thai. That shit is straight up brutal.

 

[sargx2000]

No need to kill off training

I workout 4(or 5) days a week and I train in martial arts twice a week. I find no problem training in martial arts after weight training. The only consideration you need to take is priority. If you are a bodybuilder first, martial artist second, then consider your MA class more of a long warmdown(depending on the art, of course).

Despite his comments, Karate and it's Korean counterpart are not impractical. Those styles develop good technique to blend other styles with, or a good solid foundation to start training. My punches doubled in power, my reactions were greatly increased, and your hand eye improves.

Besides, we're mostly all bodybuilders here, due to our size, martial arts can be more than a 'self-defense' issue.

And personally, I am a bit partial to Aikido/Aikijitsu, Morei Ueishiba(sp?) was one crazy son of a bitch. (Explaination of Aikido: see Steven Segal).

 

[Thaibox]

I lift 4 days a week and train in the arts 6 days a week. In order to keep my gains from lifting and not overtrain, I eat all the time and rest as much as possible. I also do cycles about 3 times a year. If I didn't do these things my size would definately shrivel from all the cardio. Anyway, my answer is no, you wouldn't be wasting your time.

Although I see what Poink is trying to get at, he is completely wrong. Brazilian jj is useless on the street. Grappling is the dominant form of fighting currently under sanctioned bouts in a ring. Try mounting some dude in the street on cement as his two buddies swarm your ass. Ever lay with you back against concrete? Introduce a weapon and see what happens. I've been a Thai boxer for years and have been training on the ground for a few now because I'm now a NHB fighter. But, for what it sounds like bouncer wants, traditional schools would be good if you can find a decent one. See if there are any Thai dojos or check out Aikido(one of my personal favorites) you fall al the time but there's less chance of an injury in Aikido than say Muay Thai or Ground fighting.

Anyway, go to a dojo and enjoy your training. Good luck

 

[Kwai-Chang Caine]

I beg to differ...

Bouncer,

I actually tend to disagree with these guys. I think it's important that you know both striking and submission grappling for the street. I practice Shootfighting and we train in both of these aspects and I must say that you are definitely at a disadvantage if you do not train for all situations. I highly suggest a shootfighting or MMA school of some sort if you can find one, but if you can't consider cross-training. If the kickboxing you are talking about is Muay Thai then definitely jump on that. If you can find another school that teaches Brazilian Jujitsu or submission wrestling then train there also. That is, if it's economically feasable for you.

Regardless of whether you actually ever get in the situation where you need to fight, it will definitely put your mind at ease to know that you have the ability to do so on the ground and on your feet.


BTW, get THE FIGHTERS NOTEBOOK! You can find it at www.mixedmartialarts.com. It is by far the most comprehensive and practical martial arts book I have ever read. It's the second best thing next to a teacher. In all actuallity, it is better than most instructors. If you have a few buddies and the will to train and learn with each other, this book is an amazing resource.

 

[Bigsatan13]

I took Karate for a year- good cardio workout, some practical self defense. I took JuJitsu for a year- not a cardio workout, excellent self defense, you could apply this to your everyday work as a bouncer. You would be amazed how easy you can control a very big violent man with this form. You do need 2 days a week to become proficient in this art. If you talk to a good instructor he may come up with a training program for what your looking for. I must warn you that you will be practicing alot of joint locks and manipulations. You will get hurt from time to time and you will nurse strains alot. I found boxing to fill my need to stay active out of the gym. I wish I had more time to devote to this.

 

[Thaibox]

How can you "disagree with these guys" if you said virtually the same thing as I did?

 

[danielson]

given that the cardio is very intense and drawn out and having trained previouslty your muscles wouldn;t have recovered properly, how do you guys do it without it interfering with the gym?

how do you train after training and still maintain strength for instance?

 

[LeviathanX]

If you are interested in the martial ARTS, then ignore everything that has been previously said. I've been training 15 years in the Korean art of Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, and I can honestly tell you that what you learn mentally will help you 10 fold what you learn physically on the street and in life.

If you are interested in martial TACTICS, then I suggest a cross-training routine in several martial arts to become proficient more quickly. But, what many of the above posters don't realize is that at higher levels all the martial arts come together - Tae Kwon Do artists learn Jiu-Jitsu at the highest levels, and Jiu-Jitsu artists learn the moves and how to deal with them of Tae Kwon Do at the highest levels.

It all evens out in the end, and it really comes down to your dedication and the quality of your instructor.

Be careful who you take advice from. From my experience, most martial artists today don't know what they are talking about.

 

[Kwai-Chang Caine]

Leviathan X,

That was an awfully egocentric post you just made don't ya think? He doesn't have to ignore anything any of us have said because just like you we all have different opinions and views about what's considered a "martial art" and about what works on the street, in a ring, etc. Furthermore, for you to make such a comment leads me to believe that after 15 years of training you still have a great deal to learn about humility and open mindedness. I find it almost comical for anyone in your position to judge other martial artists who have choosen not to train in the traditional manner, especially considering all that has happened over the last decade with the UFC, PRIDE, and numerous other full contact/reality martial arts tournaments and events.

Bouncer,

My best advice to you is to just expose yourself to as much as you can. Go to all of these classes, see how they train, and make an educated assessment of how well that style will serve you on the street or anywhere for that matter. And also pick the school that trains the hardest and with the most emphasis on realism. If you do these things you will be happy with your decision, especially since you are limited in your choices.