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Martial arts advice. Help me choose.
- Thread starter Freak Show
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The_RAIDER
New member
I've posted before about this Guy that's been doing Aikido for years.
He amazes me every time he shows me something real simple.
For Instance, he will ask you to grab his wrist. As you go to grab it, a split second before contact he has rotated his wrist a few degrees and already getting the wrist lock behind your back in motion.
Even when I do it again and know what he is gonna do, it still does not matter.
If you come up and try to hit him with your open palm in the chest(easier for demo than a fist) he deflects it just enough to harmelessly pass the hit out to his side.
Again, even knowing what he is gonna do and I think I'm ready for it, It still is deflected somehow... Too cool!
He amazes me every time he shows me something real simple.
For Instance, he will ask you to grab his wrist. As you go to grab it, a split second before contact he has rotated his wrist a few degrees and already getting the wrist lock behind your back in motion.
Even when I do it again and know what he is gonna do, it still does not matter.
If you come up and try to hit him with your open palm in the chest(easier for demo than a fist) he deflects it just enough to harmelessly pass the hit out to his side.
Again, even knowing what he is gonna do and I think I'm ready for it, It still is deflected somehow... Too cool!
LeviathanX
New member
As a 15 year practitioner of Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, I can highly recommend this martial art to a beginner. This form of martial art, although similar to Tae Kwon Do, is far more disciplined and focuses equally on hand and kicking techniques. We also teach a variety of Hap Ki Do techniques (refered to as Ho Sin Sul or "self-defense" techniques in our school). Furthermore, you will learn balance, distance control, power control, breathing control, as well as many other valuable aspects of martial arts training that are often not touched on until much later in other forms of martial arts.
Concerning the comments on Shaolin Kung Fu practitioners winning most competitions, I find that Tae Kwon Do artists almost hand's down take the most trophies from a competition. Tae Kwon Do is a competition oriented martial art, Kung Fu is not. Shaolin Kung Fu is also a generic term, there are hundreds of styles out there that are very different from each other.
In fact, Tang Soo Do is a combination of Chinese Kempo, and Northern and Southern Shaolin styles (so in a way Tang Soo Do, and it's descendant Tae Kwon Do are forms of Kung Fu, which simply means "skill" in Chinese).
In my opinion, all martial arts are equal under good instructors and dedicated students, but Tang Soo Do will make your body more supple if you intend to continue with other martial arts training.
Concerning the comments on Shaolin Kung Fu practitioners winning most competitions, I find that Tae Kwon Do artists almost hand's down take the most trophies from a competition. Tae Kwon Do is a competition oriented martial art, Kung Fu is not. Shaolin Kung Fu is also a generic term, there are hundreds of styles out there that are very different from each other.
In fact, Tang Soo Do is a combination of Chinese Kempo, and Northern and Southern Shaolin styles (so in a way Tang Soo Do, and it's descendant Tae Kwon Do are forms of Kung Fu, which simply means "skill" in Chinese).
In my opinion, all martial arts are equal under good instructors and dedicated students, but Tang Soo Do will make your body more supple if you intend to continue with other martial arts training.
My back ground not that it matter is in wrestling, judo for the throws and boxing...I learned of the other arts out of interest but will never pay anyone to teach me what I feel should be a gift. I despise the commercialism of these arts.
My beef with Kung Fu is that animal arts require way to long to master and might or might not be all that. I don't want to spend years learning the one to find out it wasn't all that great,
Tae - seems cool because of the bases around the standard moves. Learn the meat and potatoes and then go from there. So your getting a good base right away.
Aikido - seem great and I tell everyone it cool, because its totally defensive.
My beef with Kung Fu is that animal arts require way to long to master and might or might not be all that. I don't want to spend years learning the one to find out it wasn't all that great,
Tae - seems cool because of the bases around the standard moves. Learn the meat and potatoes and then go from there. So your getting a good base right away.
Aikido - seem great and I tell everyone it cool, because its totally defensive.
maxellyz
New member
LeviathanX said:
Like U said there are hundreds of different styles so you cant say that kung fu isn't competition oriented our club holds or participates in about 7-10 competitions per year and almost always takes home best club awards. Plus my master is the coach for the national team in Sweden and they have numerous medals from World and European Championships.....
LeviathanX
New member
Well... one thing that almost every Kung-Fu style has in common (except Shaolin Long Fist and Wushu), is that they are in-fighting arts. In other words they don't have an effective way of dealing with a Tae Kwon Do or Muay Thai artist when they are outside of the kicking and punching range.
I have seen many very experienced and skilled Kung-Fu martial artists do very well in tournament competition. But, IN GENERAL, a very experienced Tae Kwon Do artist tends to win against a very experienced Kung-Fu artist in competition (maybe not on the street).
In its favor, I find Kung-Fu forms (especially Wushu) to be some of the most beautiful and complicated forms in the martial arts world. Unfortunately, for some reason at most competitions I attend Kung-Fu artists don't win forms competition because it is they are being judged at as harshly as everyone else, but are performing a much more difficult form. When I judge, I try to judge to the level of the form.
I have seen many very experienced and skilled Kung-Fu martial artists do very well in tournament competition. But, IN GENERAL, a very experienced Tae Kwon Do artist tends to win against a very experienced Kung-Fu artist in competition (maybe not on the street).
In its favor, I find Kung-Fu forms (especially Wushu) to be some of the most beautiful and complicated forms in the martial arts world. Unfortunately, for some reason at most competitions I attend Kung-Fu artists don't win forms competition because it is they are being judged at as harshly as everyone else, but are performing a much more difficult form. When I judge, I try to judge to the level of the form.
Acneman, I agree with you 100%. I myself am half asian and half white. The theory about
asians being too small to pack a wallop is pure speculation. As of now, I'm 5' 10'' 206 with
~15% bf. Back in high school I was an amatuer boxer, and at age 16, I was ranked 9th
overall in California for the junior welterweight division: 140lbs (I was really 155, but with
all the diuretics, water flushing, sweating, sauna, etc. we did before the weigh in). in fact,
boxing got me a scholarship to a Cal-State University.
Anyway, acneman is right. When you streetfight, the is no one to break it up. It's anything
goes, and usually after a few punches land, it's all groundfighting. IMO, the best martial arts
would be some type of shoot-fighting/groundfighting. Look at how the grapplers dominate
those ultimate fighting events.
Personally, I haven't fought in years, except for once about a year ago, when two drunken
marines at a jack in the box took on a friend and myself and got beat down. other than that,
I think fighting is something that should be left for high-school kids.
asians being too small to pack a wallop is pure speculation. As of now, I'm 5' 10'' 206 with
~15% bf. Back in high school I was an amatuer boxer, and at age 16, I was ranked 9th
overall in California for the junior welterweight division: 140lbs (I was really 155, but with
all the diuretics, water flushing, sweating, sauna, etc. we did before the weigh in). in fact,
boxing got me a scholarship to a Cal-State University.
Anyway, acneman is right. When you streetfight, the is no one to break it up. It's anything
goes, and usually after a few punches land, it's all groundfighting. IMO, the best martial arts
would be some type of shoot-fighting/groundfighting. Look at how the grapplers dominate
those ultimate fighting events.
Personally, I haven't fought in years, except for once about a year ago, when two drunken
marines at a jack in the box took on a friend and myself and got beat down. other than that,
I think fighting is something that should be left for high-school kids.
Shotokan, i took it since i was 7-15 i stopped it last summer since i needed to concentrate on my studies, i earned my 1st degree blackbelt and was about to go for my second degree test but school was starting so it was a nono, sucks though, i never finished below silver in both fighting and forms. 
~WizKid
~WizKid
A learned man once went to a Zen teacher to inquire about Zen. As the Zen teacher explained, the learned man would frequently interrupt him with remarks like, "Oh, yes, we have that too...." and so on.
Finally the Zen teacher stopped talking and began to serve tea to the learned man. He poured the cup full, and then kept pouring until the cup overflowed.
"Enough!" the learned man once more interrupted. "No more can go into the cup!"
"Indeed, I see," answered the Zen teacher. "If you do not first empty the cup, how can you taste my cup of tea?"
Finally the Zen teacher stopped talking and began to serve tea to the learned man. He poured the cup full, and then kept pouring until the cup overflowed.
"Enough!" the learned man once more interrupted. "No more can go into the cup!"
"Indeed, I see," answered the Zen teacher. "If you do not first empty the cup, how can you taste my cup of tea?"
