Anyone here take or teach martial arts?

[drjustice454]

I am looking to get back into some type of unarmed hand to hand combat open to ideas. Please contact me of you take or teach some type of martial art. Thank you

I have been a martial arts student all of my adult life. Sometimes a teacher... I recommend a strong traditional basis such as Shotokan. While deemed to be rigid and predictable for real life applications, it does provide the strong foundation needed to built upon later on. Also, it does more to bring out the warrior spirit and discipline of individual studies of combat. Once, the meaning and understanding of the tactics and skills are developed the addition of cross training and assimilation of other methods seems like a natural evolution. Jujitsu, Judo,Aikido,etc are easy to adapt and customize according to the individual strengths and weakness.
Its similar to learning to read, write and express one's ideas in writing, before attempting to write a bestseller.
The art part in martial arts is no different. Its an expression of the individual not a carbon copy of a particular system. See, Jeet Kune Do concept by Bruce Lee. No one can do it for you. It is a lifelong and individual pursuit of perfection between mind, body and spirit with fluid, and adaptive qualities that adjust to modern day living conditions.The mind is the weapon and your pursuit and abilities in martial science is only limited by your own limits or dedication.

 

[MRH]

Yeah I was very into wrestling when I was younger and I have tried small amounts of bjj and various self defense courses at work. I am just looking for something reality based not some of the crap I have seen from various instructors.

After teaching for many years I have opinions, like anyone else. Maybe I can add something to the topic.

In my personal experience it seems to me that transitioning from stand up fighting to grappling is easier for most people, than for those who mostly grapple and then transition into stand up. Again, this is not universally true, but with most people I have seen, which is a whole lot.

If you are focused on self defense only, I will always recommend a proven stand up style of fighting, first and foremost.

My philosophies have changed dramatically over the years, and IMO, much for the better...When we are young, we picture ourselves "kicking their ass!" But with age comes wisdom and my philosophy is to survive and escape the situation, same as armed conflict. The perfect scenario is to avoid all fights. We never know what the other guy is thinking, and if he wants us dead, we must have the same mindset if we want to escape intact.

Grappling styles are much recommended, and effective in an ideal situation, but the reason I won't recommend them first is because they have more limitations, IMO, in an uncontrolled environment. While Judo, BJJ, freestyle wrestling, Sambo, etc are great for winning tournaments and MMA events, they are most effective when fighting one on one, and with rules. Not to say that they cannot be effective outside of the ring. I've trained for years in BJJ, love the style, and know all too well how effective it can be. An untrained person vs a BJJ fighter is like a fish out of water if they go to the ground...So yes, absolutely it is good to know grappling if grabbed, and I don't want to steer anyone away from it, but when fighting 3 guys at once, or some drug crazed lunatic brandishing a blade, grabbing them may not be the best option for survival. I've seen both happen firsthand and the results were costly. That's reality. The UFC fighters are tough as nails and would be hell on wheels outside the ring, but the UFC is not reality. Reality is a baseball bat, a knife, fighting on a muddy hill, inside a small confined space, etc...All scenarios where I want to stay on my feet so that I can escape.

One of my oldest friends nearly died after some idiot geeked up on speed cut him repeatedly in a confrontation that lasted maybe 10 seconds. My friend is a highly trained BJJ fighter, a big guy, very athletic, and easily took the guy down. This was in his own driveway, at night. None of us, including my friend, knew he was cut until he let the guy up, the guy ran, jumped in his car and drove away. Then and only then did we realize what had happened. He was cut in 7 places, and halfway around his neck. That idiot missed his jugular by 1/4". Its a miracle my friend survived, but he did, 250 stitches later and a permanent reminder when he sees his neck in the mirror... The guy who cut him wasn't a trained fighter, but he was crazy, and had the will and a way to kill someone. He nearly succeeded.

When training in grappling, I have always tried to imagine how to incorporate biting, eye gouges, fish hooks, finger breaks, wrist locks, etc when rolling. All illegal in any popular grappling style. I also edc a blade so I consider that too when training.

I don't fight in a ring anymore so that mindset no longer pertains to me, but it is the best way to test and prepare oneself for reality, IMO.

What works best for one guy may not work best for another. My personal favorite styles of fighting are western boxing, Thai boxing, Savate, Judo, BJJ, freestyle wrestling, and Hapkido. I also like the philosophies of JKD because of their practicality. A good eye jab is effective, quick, and gives more reach. Just an example. But again, what works best for me may not be best for the next guy. We are all different.

I would not discard all traditional styles. If you find a truly legit teacher, almost every style has at least one or two things that can be effective. Some offer much more. Just because they aren't seen in the UFC does not mean they are no good. Take the things that work for you and discard what doesn't work, no matter the style...Of course, like you stated, there is no shortage of BS out there, either, but this also includes all styles. Imposters and phonies are everywhere.

Find a good stand up gym, and grappling gym. Plenty of gyms these days offer both. Train hard and spar often. The hands off approach just isn't going to cut it in reality.

For LEO's who are trying to subdue, apprehend, etc, well, I would not want your job. Same as gun fighting, I only want to escape and survive, not apprehend...Still, if I were a police officer, I would fight the same way, if I had to fight... Dirty...Very dirty.. It may get you in some hot water, but you may survive....I would never leave home without a vest of some sort. A stab proof vest, at least. Carry that pepper spray and taser.

Carry a gun.

 

[Trailrider]

After teaching for many years I have opinions, like anyone else. Maybe I can add something to the topic.

In my personal experience it seems to me that transitioning from stand up fighting to grappling is easier for most people, than for those who mostly grapple and then transition into stand up. Again, this is not universally true, but with most people I have seen, which is a whole lot.

If you are focused on self defense only, I will always recommend a proven stand up style of fighting, first and foremost.

My philosophies have changed dramatically over the years, and IMO, much for the better...When we are young, we picture ourselves "kicking their ass!" But with age comes wisdom and my philosophy is to survive and escape the situation, same as armed conflict. The perfect scenario is to avoid all fights. We never know what the other guy is thinking, and if he wants us dead, we must have the same mindset if we want to escape intact.

Grappling styles are much recommended, and effective in an ideal situation, but the reason I won't recommend them first is because they have more limitations, IMO, in an uncontrolled environment. While Judo, BJJ, freestyle wrestling, Sambo, etc are great for winning tournaments and MMA events, they are most effective when fighting one on one, and with rules. Not to say that they cannot be effective outside of the ring. I've trained for years in BJJ, love the style, and know all too well how effective it can be. An untrained person vs a BJJ fighter is like a fish out of water if they go to the ground...So yes, absolutely it is good to know grappling if grabbed, and I don't want to steer anyone away from it, but when fighting 3 guys at once, or some drug crazed lunatic brandishing a blade, grabbing them may not be the best option for survival. I've seen both happen firsthand and the results were costly. That's reality. The UFC fighters are tough as nails and would be hell on wheels outside the ring, but the UFC is not reality. Reality is a baseball bat, a knife, fighting on a muddy hill, inside a small confined space, etc...All scenarios where I want to stay on my feet so that I can escape.

One of my oldest friends nearly died after some idiot geeked up on speed cut him repeatedly in a confrontation that lasted maybe 10 seconds. My friend is a highly trained BJJ fighter, a big guy, very athletic, and easily took the guy down. This was in his own driveway, at night. None of us, including my friend, knew he was cut until he let the guy up, the guy ran, jumped in his car and drove away. Then and only then did we realize what had happened. He was cut in 7 places, and halfway around his neck. That idiot missed his jugular by 1/4". Its a miracle my friend survived, but he did, 250 stitches later and a permanent reminder when he sees his neck in the mirror... The guy who cut him wasn't a trained fighter, but he was crazy, and had the will and a way to kill someone. He nearly succeeded.

When training in grappling, I have always tried to imagine how to incorporate biting, eye gouges, fish hooks, finger breaks, wrist locks, etc when rolling. All illegal in any popular grappling style. I also edc a blade so I consider that too when training.

I don't fight in a ring anymore so that mindset no longer pertains to me, but it is the best way to test and prepare oneself for reality, IMO.

What works best for one guy may not work best for another. My personal favorite styles of fighting are western boxing, Thai boxing, Savate, Judo, BJJ, freestyle wrestling, and Hapkido. I also like the philosophies of JKD because of their practicality. A good eye jab is effective, quick, and gives more reach. Just an example. But again, what works best for me may not be best for the next guy. We are all different.

I would not discard all traditional styles. If you find a truly legit teacher, almost every style has at least one or two things that can be effective. Some offer much more. Just because they aren't seen in the UFC does not mean they are no good. Take the things that work for you and discard what doesn't work, no matter the style...Of course, like you stated, there is no shortage of BS out there, either, but this also includes all styles. Imposters and phonies are everywhere.

Find a good stand up gym, and grappling gym. Plenty of gyms these days offer both. Train hard and spar often. The hands off approach just isn't going to cut it in reality.

For LEO's who are trying to subdue, apprehend, etc, well, I would not want your job. Same as gun fighting, I only want to escape and survive, not apprehend...Still, if I were a police officer, I would fight the same way, if I had to fight... Dirty...Very dirty.. It may get you in some hot water, but you may survive....I would never leave home without a vest of some sort. A stab proof vest, at least. Carry that pepper spray and taser.

Carry a gun.

Excellent advice. Fights never go how we intend them to go and normally happen pretty quickly. I've seen it all over the years too. I like grappling in the event it gets taken to the ground, as some fights do. But like you said, it's never a fair one on one fight. Often times it's you verses them and their buddies that are standing around ready to jump in, or that are trying to sucker punch you from behind. Now I think the same way, stay on my feet and get the hell out of there as quickly as possible. Even if you win they might have friends coming, or the law.

 

[J hex]

MRH I appreciate you taking the time to message about this topic, you seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject. I like you philosophy’s I am not sure as to exactly what style I am looking for, I am open to any. What I am really looking for is a teacher with real world knowledge and experience. Full contact or close to it is preferred as it is the best my real way to learn in my experiences.

 

[Deleted member 91798]

I did systema for a few years. It was fun, I hardly even tell anyone what I do/take cause the less people know about you the better.

 

[OldFeller]

if you really want to learn some real world fighting techniques then you should go to a bar with my little sawed off, loud mouth, alcoholic cousin. i promise you he'll get you into more fights then you can get out of. you can either watch him get his ass beat, join in, or take notes. i always just mostly sit and watch.

 

[Cohutta68]

It also takes time. Make sure you’re willing to dedicate several years. If you are, I could recommend a place or two that go along with what MRH has explained. I agree with his advice. There are a few arts that are applicable and street oriented.
Theres a good school in Decatur and one in Johns creek.

 

[MNRSports]

You've already gotten some comprehensive and sound advise here. Here's my 2 cents to add. Don't focus so much on the style rather on the instructor and the style of training. In a nutshell, one of the most important elements is pure physical fitness. A short fight is physically and mentally taxing. A long fight is pure exhaustion. Physical fitness and real contact are a must. Otherwise its just theoretical play. If your not uncomfortable and in some degree of muscle soreness with dings and bruises, your not training or being trained. THIS, obviously is not for everyone, in fact not that many.

 

[Fish Fry]

I practice the fine art of jus-chu-em-in-el-bo

Been effective so far.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Spiderman11]

You've already gotten some comprehensive and sound advise here. Here's my 2 cents to add. Don't focus so much on the style rather on the instructor and the style of training. In a nutshell, one of the most important elements is pure physical fitness. A short fight is physically and mentally taxing. A long fight is pure exhaustion. Physical fitness and real contact are a must. Otherwise its just theoretical play. If your not uncomfortable and in some degree of muscle soreness with dings and bruises, your not training or being trained. THIS, obviously is not for everyone, in fact not that many.

Ain’t that the truth - I’ve always “worked out” and thought I was in decent shape - until I started training jiu jitsu. 30 minutes of “rolling” in roughly 5 minute intervals = thought I was gonna die the first 3 months . Been at it for a little over a year now and love it - not only is it excellent knowledge but it’s just an awesome physical and mental release sometimes.

Every martial art has strengths and weaknesses - for me, jiu jitsu (Gracie - not the sport version) has seemed to have the most balance for any real world applications.