Ever wanted to learn a martial art that is largely considered "ineffective?"

[SummerStriker]

Interesting. I remember seeing a fight science show on one of those discovery channels where they compared kicks from MT, TKD and the capoeira kicks produced the largest amount of force by a pretty decent margin. What was cool was they didn't look nearly as devastating as the other two styles, but the proof was in the data collected.

No doubt. I mean, my impression of capoeira is that the main kicks are just like Thai round kicks and karate turning kicks, with more power thanks to a great big and ugly telegraph, which they try to hide with footwork.

That's why it sucks as a stand alone art in mma, but as a toolset you tack onto conventional and conservative moves, it is badass.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Do the traditional Japanese Jujitsu styles like Danzan Ryu have matwork? Why are the Japanese the only ones to have matwork it seems in their traditional arts?

Also what style does Carlos Newton do?

 

[cc023]

I was stuck on boxing, muay thai and other modern-styled techniques for so long that it's become boring to me. I've competed and have tested myself both in and out of the ring. I've reached the level of physical fitness I wanted. Granted, the years of inactivity have set me back quite a bit again, but the point is that i reached it and lived it, even if it was only temporarily.

My point is, I've become interested in the other sides of martial arts. The spirituality, the oneness with the universe and all that yadda yadda that most people seem to ignore. I tried yoga for a few weeks and liked it. Very relaxing, and it seems to put me in a place where all that anger and insecurity and hatred I usually feel are cast aside. I'm going to try Tai-Chi next, and if I find a classical Kung-Fu (or Wushu) class nearby, I may just try it.

A query, though. Have I gone off the deep end? Am I going nuts? Has anyone else felt that they're just sick of all the macho bullshit and attain what people probably would label as inner peace?

No, you're not crazy.... I think this is a point that all martial artists come to when they develop an appreciation for all the arts in general rather than just their main art.

I love Wushu and Yoga. Tai Chi wasn't really my thing. I'm still a bit of an ego case with my jiu jitsu, but I love watching my brother and husband roll with people because they are so good that it has become effortless and peaceful. I know that this is partly because of their mastery of the art as brown belts, but I feel it is also partly due to their appreciation of all the martial arts because I know many other brown and black belts who are not capable of that lack of struggle in their jiu jitsu game.

The next art I hope to dabble in amongst my other training is probably Escrima or Kali because I think it would be fun to practice knife fighting.

The journey of the Martial Artist is very personal, you should follow it wherever you feel lead!

 

[Azam]

Interesting. I remember seeing a fight science show on one of those discovery channels where they compared kicks from MT, TKD and the capoeira kicks produced the largest amount of force by a pretty decent margin. What was cool was they didn't look nearly as devastating as the other two styles, but the proof was in the data collected.

I wouldn't buy into that fight science show - saw the episode your were referring to a long time ago - all their experiments were actual nonsense - it's surprises me as an engineering graduate how awful some of their experiments were.

The episode for example, you are referring to was nonsense as well - had people of different body types & weights/heights throw different kicks - if I recall the capoeira guy threw a spinning kick, whereas the karate guy through a front kick (chudan mae geri) - it was the same for the MT & I think tkd guy as well - all had different kicks - so much for accuracy.

 

[DivineComedy]

I wouldn't buy into that fight science show - saw the episode your were referring to a long time ago - all their experiments were actual nonsense - it's surprises me as an engineering graduate how awful some of their experiments were.

The episode for example, you are referring to was nonsense as well - had people of different body types & weights/heights throw different kicks - if I recall the capoeira guy threw a spinning kick, whereas the karate guy through a front kick (chudan mae geri) - it was the same for the MT & I think tkd guy as well - all had different kicks - so much for accuracy.

Karate guy threw a front kick, MT guy threw a roundhouse, TKD guy threw a tornado 540 kick, and capoeira guy threw their version of a spinning hook kick.

 

[jensen34]

Good points regarding the fight science, I don't put a huge amount of stock into it, just remember seeing that show awhile ago.

That said just looking at capoiera it would seem from a physics standpoint that the kicks would generate more force. If anyone knows for sure I'd be interested in the answer.

 

[barnowl]

alright then feel free to show me a kung fu guard pass or an escape from when someones taken your back

Can do both, and they look a lot like what you would see in BJJ. However, Not so sure BJJ has any at all direct link to Chin Na. Maybe thourgh some random like to Judo, but that is about it.

 

[SaiWa]

Karate guy threw a front kick, MT guy threw a roundhouse, TKD guy threw a tornado 540 kick, and capoeira guy threw their version of a spinning hook kick.

yeah i remember that episode as well.. that was a silly way to run that test and proved absolutely nothing besides different kicks will generate different power output (duh!).

there was another one trying to prove if a woman can hit as hard as a man. i doubt that that a woman (of the same size) is capable of hitting as hard as a man (to an extent) but the way they did was absolutely retarded. guy threw a cross while the girl throw a hook. i vaguely recall the girl winning i think...

 

[Frode Falch]

alright then feel free to show me a kung fu guard pass or an escape from when someones taken your back

I dont get your point? How do you slip the jab in BJJ?

Silly point anyway.

 

[Azam]

yeah i remember that episode as well.. that was a silly way to run that test and proved absolutely nothing besides different kicks will generate different power output (duh!).

there was another one trying to prove if a woman can hit as hard as a man. i doubt that that a woman (of the same size) is capable of hitting as hard as a man (to an extent) but the way they did was absolutely retarded. guy threw a cross while the girl throw a hook. i vaguely recall the girl winning i think...

The worst one I saw of that was when they did gsp & shogun - apparently gsp's punch had more force than Shogun's kick, when I witnessed that I knew instantly I was watching bullcrap - I don't understand though how they as professionals thought nothing was wrong with their conclusions.

 

[Havamal]

yes. pre-Meiji jujutsu, the "mother" art of judo, aikido, BJJ, JJJ

http://www.koryu.com/library/tthreadgill1.html

 

[salamander7]

learn ufc?

 

[pakho]

I spent 3 weeks in Beijing one time and did some shuai jiao there. From what I understand from localsm even in China shuai jiao is fading in popularity as parents would rather send kids into tkd and athletes eventually switch to judo for better career opportunities. The locals were making efforts to "rescue" their traditonal art by uniting different local shuai jiao clubs together and during my time there beijing tv came to do a tv special documentary on it etc.

I always thought Shuai Jiao is a catch all term for wrestling in Chinese. Like it literally means wrestling.

Oh I would like to try some Shuai Jiao

I live in a heavily Chinese part of NYC, and there is no sanshou, or shuai Jiao. There is Kung Fu schools, but I don't think they spar.

If there is a Chinese fencing art, I would like to try this too. I cannot see why they don't. The Chinese have been fighting with swords as long as Greeks and Italians. How did they practice?

 

[ironwolf]

It could happen.

I had a really mouthy friend who, and I'm sure it was his fault, got into a fist fight with three guys.

So he takes off running from them to his car. He doesn't have time to get in but he can reach inside and get his kendo stick. (He had been taking kendo for 6 months.)

One of the guys takes off running. The other two stick around to fight.

"Look, if we are going to fight, we are doing it with this." - holding up the kendo stick.

So he got to whip the hell out of two guys with it.

Would have been a better story though if he had a real sword.

Would have been a better story though if it were true...

 

[DCSpartan]

Would have been a better story though if it were true...

exactly. Letting someone get into their car and then negotiate terms of a fight sounds like something from a bad 80s movie.

Anyway, a shinai will hurt, but he hits one guy with it and then the other guy slams him to the ground and they kick him to death.

You dont exactly learn 360 defense or how to handle multiple opponents with Kendo. Its point karate with a stick. Go with the Filipino stuff i you want to use a blade in a street.

 

[jclaudevandamme]

I've always wanted to try Escrima or some other weapons style. Ultimately I find stuff like forms to be extremely boring, so unless I get my sparring I'll pass.

Try Fencing, HEMA (or equivalent) or Kali Silat. The first two are western (so no kata) and the latter is equivalent to Eskrima/Arnis but with most focus on drills and sparring plus it does not have the shitty point count Eskrima have where small touches are as good as a clean hit and you will almost never have to deal with the crappy coreographed joint locks that Arnis seem to love. Drill heavy, sparring heavy with protection equipment to allow actual hitting, no bullshit stuff.

 

[Spirit Breaker]

As a kid I was all about learning Kung Fu because my hero was Bruce Lee, or ninjutsu because of the turtles etc.

Neither styles were accessible in southeast MI, but I remember making a big push to try and get my mom to pay for Kendo classes. The art of Japanese sword fighting is not overly applicable this day in age...

 

[DCSpartan]

Try Fencing, HEMA (or equivalent) or Kali Silat. The first two are western (so no kata) and the latter is equivalent to Eskrima/Arnis but with most focus on drills and sparring plus it does not have the shitty point count Eskrima have where small touches are as good as a clean hit and you will almost never have to deal with the crappy coreographed joint locks that Arnis seem to love. Drill heavy, sparring heavy with protection equipment to allow actual hitting, no bullshit stuff.

Any sort of FMA that isnt point based is good. Seems like there are a billiion names for them based on what island the school was at.

 

[BurningHero]

Bujinkan.

I know, I know, but I've always had this morbid interest in it. Even if it has no legit historical ties to actual ninjutsu and is notorious for being cult-like and ineffective, I still can't seem to shake this weird fascination I have with it.

 

[MMA made EASY]

lots of styles have pieces of wisdom to add to your art. Ba Gua is weird as heck, but it improved my ground grappling immensely. Xing Yi is crazy, but, creates some interesting angles of attack. Escrima is very useful for self defense logic, and the list goes on.

Explore, have fun, and build yourself how you want. Mindset is just as, if not more important of a journey, anyway. Good luck finding a competent Tai Chi instructor - Tsun/Sun style is likely your best bet for integration.