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.

 

[Draggon]

Bouncer,
I do agree with these guy's expose yourself to as many Art forms as possible. You will find one that suits you. As for lifting and doing martial arts, I haven't found that its a problem. I do it to help with strength. My favorite art is Muay Thai. I also have tried Grappling, Jun Fan/JKD & have just started Vale Tudo. Like I said try them all out and do what is best for you.

 

[Super Girl 22]

i've been weight training for the last 3 years and i've been doing martial arts (taekwondo) for 11 years. the only problem i have with combining the gym & martial arts training is that my muscles take alot longer to stretch. they are alot less flexible in my MA training. overall, they are 2 totally different workouts. you can't get in the gym what you can in the dojo... and vice versa. martial arts is not only great physically but mentally. try it out...results may differ for different people

 

[LeviathanX]

Kwai-Chang Caine, my comments weren't meant to establish me as the authority on martial arts. I've only been training for 15 years, while many others I've trained under have trained for 3 times that. However, I do think it is important to remind people that martial arts is 80% mental, and only 20% physical. I've seen these arguments on what the "best" martial art is over and over again, but the entire discussion is based on techniques - not the individual characteristics of the person or the quality of their instruction.

I speak out of frustration, not egotism, because I've competed and believe the quality of competitor has decreased even from 10 years ago. Full contact fighting has been televised since the late-1960s, it isn't something new to the martial arts world. Try to get your hands on a few copies of fights back then, and I think you will agree that the respect that the competitors show each other in and out of the ring and the quality of their technique is superior to that of competitors today. I am frustrated that so many schools have become "black belt factories," and these "black belts" walk into a competition as if they were streetfighters - no respect, no honor, no humility. It is sad to see this occuring.

Of course, there are exceptions (i.e. Sakuraba), but I speak in general terms.

I respect everyone's opinion, but I think it is important to make the distinction between martial arts and fighting arts. Even if you disagree with me on that definition, I've spoken with many masters that have this same perspective, and would like to preserve the traditional values that the martial arts instill.

I'm sorry if I offended you.

 

[edgecrusher]

Bouncer,

Chances are since you have been bulking recently and probably have not been doing incredibly intense cardio, you will lose some muscle initially. However, one to 2 days is a good start for most beginners. So long as you give the techniques some practice when your not training.

 

[ZenMachine]

Bouncer,

What styles are available in your area?

I am partial to any art that uses techniques at or about full power in realistic scenarios. That is why I like boxing vs. Karate/Tae kwon do (I have studied both). When you spar in boxing you hit each other. When you spar in karate you "nearly" hit each other, or with reduced power.

A grappling style would be a great addition too, Currently I am starting Judo. Wouldn't necessarily be my first choice but it is what is available.

Zen

 

[Thaibox]

Zen, Boxing is just as restrictive as TKD. Any traditional art studied in a dojo within the bounds of the particular 'safety concerns' of the prof will be inadequate on the street. Study what you can and create your own ideal art. Study Thai or Shansho. Even if good dojos are limited in your area, make your own. There's always dudes willing to learn realistic combat techs. I built a ring in my backyard and train with several other NHB fighters(Most with amature or pro experience). We create a very realistic situation, sometimes with multiple opponents and fight full contact. An excellent learning atmosphere.

 

[ZenMachine]

Thaibox,

Using your definition, Muai Thai would also be just as restrictive. My criteria for differentiating certain arts is that they allow full or near full power strikes (within the confines of certain safety restrictions.). Rereading my orginal response I think I can see where I wasn't clear. When I said realistic situations, that isn't necessarily what I meant. Just trying to reinforce the need for contact.

My early experience with TKD taught me I never had to protect my head. You couldn't punch me there anyway, so why bother. That is until I duck into a ridgehand and popped my nose. Point is in boxing/Muai Thai etc. You are taught to strike and how to handle being struck. At least to a degree.

I absolutely agree with your Bruce Lee like philosophy of study lots and find things that work for you. I too have found the most success in training with a variety of people and learning from them.

Personally I like styles that incorporate the NHB type of fighting.

Why do you use a ring if you are trying to simulate a realistic situation? Or is that in addition to NHB training?

 

[rgosit]

Ne oppionions on JKD
i realized classes were available at gym i was thinkning about jioning near by.
mostly in my community the only thing u find is taekwon do.

i was thinking about wrestling this year for my highschool, i have never wrestled before. im a senior. i play football

do u think wrestling will help me for self defense in the future??

i was planning on wrestling then going into jkd.

in the future i plan on trying muay thai, and bjj and whatever else is available.

 

[Thaibox]

I guess I misunderstood you bro. I agree there is a significant need for contact. Thats is what virtually every art trains for, is to protect against some one trying to hit you, and everybody gets hit. If you don't know what its like to take a nose shot, even a light one, its shocking, and you will lose your focus and fail. Muay Thai is constant impact full and otherwise. It is the most practical stand-up art that I have studied. Thats why it is the primary stand-up weapon in NHB fighting. Its simple and brutal.

We use a ring for almost everything. Its used for Thai practice and upperbody work(boxing) primarily, But we also use it for NHB training a lot. We also do work on a large slab of cement, because thats where most street fights will be, and many techniques are very difficult when you're eating hard unforgiving cement. We also built a small phone booth looking box out of 4x4s and chain link fence used for close quarters training. When you are forced to fight in an area that size, many conventional techniques are useless. We find that a lot fo Wing Chun, Boxing, and Thai elbow/knee strikes are the most practical.

rgosit, from what I understand, if you want to train in JKD, look for a dojo that refers to it as Jun Fan. JKD died with Bruce. Same art-different name.

 

[rgosit]

well theres actually a Bruce lee piture on the wall for advertsiing

how is boxing alone for self defense?

 

[Draggon]

rgosit,
One thing you have to remember is that Jun Fan is the actual art & JKD is the Philosophy behind it. When you are at the dojo ask the instructor to explain it to you. I like the Jun Fan. But, if you are looking for a more "self defense" class to take, I would suggest Muay Thai or grappling. Because there you learn how to defend yourself standing up and on the ground. That is what I love about Vale Tudo. Check around at other places if you can and try out a couple of different classes. That is what I love about our dojo is that we have everything there to try ( Muay Thai, Grappling (JJ), Jun Fan/ JKD, Wing Chung, Kali & Vale Tudo).

By the way were do you train?

 

[ZenMachine]

rgosit,

Try out the available dojos and see if what they offer is what you want. Ususally they will let you try a class or two for nothing.

I think wrestling would be a great choice and you can basically do it for free. It will help with you balance and explosiveness, as well as takedowns and counters to being taken down. Definitely things that you can incorporate into your own "fighting style".

I like boxing. Quick and precise hand techniques. It also has its limitations, but again, take what is useful and go from there.

Zen

 

[CanadianCripple]

If you want the best of both worlds, try Hapkido. You'll get TKD (kicky punchy) training plus some really nasty hold & breaking (bone) techniques... Aikido on roids.

UT

 

[LeviathanX]

Hap Ki Do is included in Tang Soo Do/Soo Bahk Do. They call the Hap Ki Do techniques Ho Shin Sul (self-defense) in Tang Soo Do. Hap Ki Do alone doesn't emphasize the kicking techniques of Tae Kwon Do, and the punching techniques of Chinese Kempo quite as much as Tang Soo Do. Of course, I speak from a biased position considering I've studied Tang Soo Do since age 5.

 

[CanadianCripple]

I think it must depend on your instructor. Considering TSD HKD & TSD are all Korean and are considered to be derived from the the same origional art, you'll find many schools which combine them. Of course that depends on the background of the instructor(s).

UT

 

[sargx2000]

All you need is Tai Bo... he's a real martial artist, you can get a black belt in a few short study sessions. Why subject yourself to all the traditional styles, just learn the best.



(sarcasm)

 

[LeviathanX]

I think it must depend on your instructor. Considering TSD HKD & TSD are all Korean and are considered to be derived from the the same origional art, you'll find many schools which combine them. Of course that depends on the background of the instructor(s).

UT

True... they are all derived from Soo Bahk Ki and Hwa Rang Do. TSD, HKD, and TKD are all very different martial arts because of the political changes that have occurred in the last 60 years. TKD and TSD, for instance, have totally different hyungs (forms), different stances and sparring strategies, etc.

Schools that combine these martial arts are liable to forget a large amount of what makes these martial arts different.

 

[manny78]

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

Why dont you try Ninjitsu/Taijutsu, I'v been on this for over 1 year and its specially developped for law enforcement/army boys !!!

 

[Big Moose]

I don't understand how you guys can afford to train at more than one gym/dojo. Besides all my bills, I pay monthly for my gym and monthly for Muay Thai Kickboxing. The Muay Thai is real expensive and I would like to try something else in addition, but economically I am screwed. The good thing about my Muay Thai school is we also do learn grappling.

 

[manny78]

I don't understand how you guys can afford to train at more than one gym/dojo. Besides all my bills, I pay monthly for my gym and monthly for Muay Thai Kickboxing. The Muay Thai is real expensive and I would like to try something else in addition, but economically I am screwed. The good thing about my Muay Thai school is we also do learn grappling.

My gym cost me 12$/months, my ninjitsu-taijutsu cost me 18$/monyh.... not really expensive no ?

 

[Thaibox]

How much to you get charged Moose?

 

[rgosit]

gym 40$ month..

and the jkd clases are 30$ each

 

[califighter]

Hi...

Go with a form of grappling.
You'll gain some flexiblility and you'll get a good all around work out. I consider myself pretty strong and I don't lift ever.

I'm not a body builder, I'm a fighter at 170lbs.
I train Brazilian Jiu jitsu 3-4 days a week, Judo 2 days a week and Muay Thai off and on (i trained full time in Thailand), add some no rules training 2 times a week. Thats when I'm not in agony from daily pains. Personaly, I get the best work out from jiu jitsu.

I've been able to make a beginner 250pounder sweat like he's never sweat before. Try Braziilan Jiu jitsu or submission wrestling. Shootfighting might be fun too if you're into striking. But its a different work out. Judo is a lot of fun, but it can be rough on the back. I've been babying mine all week!

have fun.

 

[Big Moose]

I pay over $100 a month, unlimited classes, when I start to fight rate will drop. Sifo is a regional champ that's why rates went up.

 

[XBiker]

My recommendation to you, Mr. Bouncer is to learn some sort of mixed martial art, or train in more than one discipine.

I hold a belt in Tae Kwon Do, and it was great for the cardio workouts, learning to use your whole body as a weapon, and the theology behind it.

However, it was totally lacking on any ground fighting skills. Therefore, I joined a Jiu Jitsu team (NOT BJJ, mind U) and had a blast learning the ground work I needed to get the rest of the fighting skills I needed.

Look around your area, go in and talk to the instructors, take a class or two and then go with what feels right for you.

 

[bighead]

Bouncer,
there is an outstanding bjj (brazilian jiu-jitsiu) school up on the north circular road run by john kavavagh.It's a full time school and there are a few very big lads there.I would highly recommend that you give it a try.I go there myself so pm me if you want to know more about the place.A lot of the lads there are doormen aswell.

best regards.

 

[Kwai-Chang Caine]

What bighead said...

Take bighead's advice.
If you have a BJJ school near you then jump on that opportunity. The form of grappling I study is different (shootfighting), but I can say nothing but good things about the technique that BJJ players have on the ground. I would, however, advise you to find an additional school so that you may learn striking. Unless this school teaches a hybrid style of BJJ you won't learn striking. Try to find a boxing or Muay Thai kickboxing club to train with to supplement your BJJ classes. Training in both BJJ and boxing or Muay Thai will give you the skills you need to become a proficient fighter.

 

[Jetboy]

I would do some research, determin what is going to complement your bouncing job, i am a bouncer at a local club for 3 years, and utilize trapping and grapling, along with boxing and Thia Boxing. Just figure out what is availible in your area and find a martial art that you enjoy. Also i strongly recommend brazilian jiu-jitsiu if you can find it, its not very common especially in small towns and is kinda pricy.

FYI:
1990 Indiana Golden Gloves Champion
1991, 1992 Indiana State AKA Amature Kickboxing Champion
Martial arts instructor at Ballys in Houston TX

 

[Khafra]

I got respect for BJJ, it's an art the Gracie family developed and refined by taking all comers from any art in no-holds-barred matches. I would suggest reading a lot and looking around. Don't believe absolutely everything you read, however.
I've read a lot of information about over 50 arts, and tried out over 5 in practice. My personal favorite Hsing-I chuan. It's a bit like Tai Chi, but with more focus on being able to end a fight with one hit. It's much less well known, but while you'll have a harder time finding a kwoon that teaches it, you'll be less likely to find one that's fulla ****. Check out http://www.emptyflower.com/xingyiquan, it's the best site on any martial art.

 

[Kwai-Chang Caine]

Khafra,
Ending a fight with one hit? You can do that with simple boxing too. I wouldn't trust my life with anything that resembled tai chi on the streets. If you feel good about using that stuff against aggressive non-cooperative opponents then you my friend have fallen prey to HYPE.

This is how I see it elite brethren...

There is so much unessential crap out there in the martial arts. All kinds of tradition, people you're supposed to bow to, and other garbage. There are very few instructors out there that are worthy of such submission. The ones who are worthy I respect the hell out of, but many are just jokes. Because of this I picked an art that allows me to be the person I am, not some fuedal japanese or korean shoe shine lad. With traditional martial arts you waste incredible amounts of time with tedious things such as history, language, formality and friggin katas and pumses which resemble dance moves more than they do combat. For the bro who started this thread... Do you wanna dance, bow to Tae Kwon Do instructors with names like Joe and Bill, and learn how to count to ten in korean? Or would you like to learn how to really fight? Tradition bogs down the essence of what it is you are trying to accomplish. If you want to fight and know how to truly defend yourself forget tradition and find a BJJ, Shootfighting, or Pancrase school that is in the business of doing one thing and one thing only...TEACHING YOU HOW TO BEAT ASS!

It is schools like these where you will want to respect all who attend because you know that on your first day everyone there can drop you in a heartbeat. NHB fighters and practicioners dont think their techniques work, they know their techniques work. Life isn't a point sparring match bro. Practice as hard as you fight!!! Find a school and an art that will allow you to do just that.

 

[rgosit]

khafra, that link most be wrong.

i was going to start keet kune do and also be doing some wrestling to start hows that sound??

would wrestling 2 times a week, jeet kune do 2 times a week and lifting 4 times a week b to much??

i would like to do bjj or muay thai boxing but its not avialable in my area.

how do u guys trian wile doing martial arts? what kianda lifts do u do..do u do explosive work and plyometrics?? cardio

thanx

 

[farmer2001]

what a thread...

Although I do not have many posts on this [great] site, I do a lot of reading. I just finished reading this whole thread, and would like to make a few comments. I started taking TKD at a very early age..I went through all of the rigga-mawroe, but I did have a good master from Korea and he DID know his stuff.. The usual workout was agonizing and sometimes brutal--full contact was the rule, not the exception. I was pretty good, but in my heart of heart, I was simply aiming for that highly-held black belt... THEN, after about 5 years of training, this guy named Bill walked in. He was in his early 50's, not all that big (about 190#), but hard as a rock. He was dressed in what looked like a black karate uniform. He was introduced to the class, and we were told that this was his first day of TKD. He drove up in a '60's model Ford p/up that was all ragged-out--i could smell the cig. smoke on his uniform..
We were doing some full contact sparring that day, and it got pretty ugly..several students had been kncoked out that day. there was one or two students that were EMT's, and they being in class was always a good thing--(personally, i think they should have gotten a break on their rates because they were always 'doctoring'!!) [On with the story] I went up against Bill (kinda thinking I would mop the floor with him) but he DEMOLISHED me....He was using techniques that were not EVEN kin to TKD!! Grappling, JJ, etc...
I thought WTF? This guy is not 'supposed' to do this in here!!
I quickly realized that Bill was the epitome of real-world fighting.
To make a long story shorter, it was no time until I had asked Bill to train me.. I later learned that he had studied (mastered) about 7 other arts, and simply wanted to incorporate TKD into his regeme. I put in countless hours with him, and he tought me a lot. All of my training with him was in the TKD studio, right under the nose of our master (kim). I inherently dropped the desire to simply go up in the TKD ranks to get my black belt because I was learning soo much from this guy. I quit taking TKD with [only] a red belt, but could whip any of the people in my class--with the exception of Bill--but even that match had gotten close and the end of our training...I really like my TKD training, because in our school, we were focused on real-world situations--we incorporated TKD into real-world situations.. Yes, we did indeed do katas, but mainly learned them so that we could do them for belt tests.. Master Kim's grand master's were always there during belt tests, and i think he simply wanted them to see that we did do katas..
In closing, you can usually learn as much as you want to in most any school. While my TKD was awesome and I disagree with some of the comments made about it in earlier posts, it all depends on WHO your instructor is, and what he likes!! My training (even without Bill) was far from traditional.. Also, look around, meet others--there is a GOOD chance that there are a lot of experienced people in there! Just because a person is a white belt does not mean they dont know how to fight (ie Bill).
Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Thaibox]

Good story farmer

I studied Kenpo for a while under a guy who believed the best belt system is white and black. So, of course there was many very skilled white belts in this dojo. I can't start to tell you how many white belts from our school whooped the snot out of black belts from other schools. Those schools that weren't familiar with us were pretty upset to see this. It always made me laugh.

Belt systems are great for kids to have something to work for and accomplish. Other than that I believe they just provide a false sense of security which can be pretty dangerous

 

[LeviathanX]

Just a heads up... in the first martial arts organizations the belts were only white and black. It was the americanization of the belt system that lead to different colors being introduced.

Personally, I don't think your belt color means squat (no pun intended). I've seen 7th degree black belts from some systems that are 150 pounds overweight and couldn't take on green belts from many schools.

 

[danielson]

we only have 2 belts (well sash)

no belt for newbie

belt for student

belt for instructor

damn confusing when i first walked in

 

[Mjollnir]

Go with the one that suits your body type

I've been practising Judo since I was 8 (35 now) and it's quite suffficient for anything that's ever been thrown (pardon the pun) at me. The only difficulty it ever brought me was in competition, where the shorter guys with lower centers of gravity had a distinct advantage (I'm 6'3").

Punches and hits are fine for some things, but for defense, grappling and ground level techniques are what almost always win the day.

Have been a bodyguard and a stage guard, I have seen no fight, ever, that looked like someone actually was using something complicated that they learned in a dojo.

Krav Maga is an Israeli form, developed specifically for close combat, and, although not available everywhere, is very, very effective, from what I've seen of it.

Also, never be afraid to inquire of an instructor if he/she can specifically gear your training/conditioning for street situtations, if that is your need.

 

[Thaibox]

Mjollnir

One art that I haven't studied formally is Judo because I always thought it was too much of a sport oriented art. This point of view was smeared pretty good when I was fighting a bunch of guys(friends) on the beach in San Diego. We would argue about the effectiveness of one art versus the other and during the fight would stick to one chosen discipline. I was the most experienced fighter there and everyone expected me to do well. I did through most fights. One guy was a Judo instructor and he was a very strong fighter. I learned that underestimating Judo was a mistake and felt pretty lame when I was tapping out. Yes, I know have more respect for Judo as more than a mat art. With 27 years of Judo experience, I'm sure that you have easily overcome any weaknesses of the art.

 

[Immortal Juicer]

Its all the same shit. Punching is punching, kicking is kicking and grappling is grappling. Try to learn to fight according to a "style" is just limiting yourself as a fighter. Learn from as many people as you can and train with as many different people as you can.

On the street, someone who has mastered a single art and cannot fight outside that is fucked.