MARTIAL ARTS

[Yossarian1507]

I do Capoeira, and I like it very much. Some people say 'OMG, Capoeira? They're dancing, not fighting!', but honestly I bet none of those (khem) 'critics' ever saw anything from Capo except a several shows which are almost entirely made of acrobatics for show purposes.

That being said, It's definitely not the best martial art in terms of efficiency in self defense (that's gonna be Krav Maga probably, maybe Sambo). I would even said it's a lower tier in that terms, but it should give you enough for a tight situation in real life.

What Capoeira gives, which almost no other martial art will give you (at least I cannot think of any other) is spiritual boost. Capoeira mixes fight with a lot of Brazilian culture (dance, singing, playing the instruments like berimbau), and with good Capoeiristas around you, you are guaranteed to have amazing atmosphere during every practice (and when once or twice per year some Brazilian supervisors of my group are coming to Poland then it's even 100x more awesome than usual) which gives you huge energy boost for the rest of the day (or even longer).

 

[zen5887]

Snip

While I am happy you made the effort for such a long post I disagree ith the "Don't bother if you're only doing it as a hobby" thing.

Whythefucknot? I enjoy my hobbies, if something becomes more than a hobby, than its a job and I don't like my job. Now I'm sure we're getting some crossed wires here, your definition of a hobby might be different to mine. I can still take my hobbies seriously, I'm studying my 3rd year of music, and I still consider it a hobby. I've just started Martial Arts again and while I don't joke around when I train, I still consider it a hobby and I still have fun.

A bit off topic but I feel it needs to be said.

A lot of people questioned why I did Taekwon do for so long. I am well aware kicks don't work in a street situation, but I don't care. I was always taller for my age so TKD suited me just fine, I had a ball in the comps and the people there were friendly. Its lack of effectiveness never bothered my in the slightest. I did it because I enjoyed it.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

I've done Karate, which I wouldn't recommend, just based on personal experience, Judo, which was fun and fairly useful and Kick Boxing, which I'd recommend on the basis that if you need to defend yourself, hitting your opponent really hard with both feet and fists helps.

 

[House_Vet]

Spoiler: May I suggest the sacred art of the Colt Python?

Seriously, Martial Arts has been totally outdated sense 1885.

Guns are noisy, uncontrollably fatal, they jam, recoil and run out of bullets. Instantly, the other person knows (or at least should believe) that you fully intend to kill them. They will then either run, or try to kill you. With a decent sense of martial arts, they're out of the fight before it begins.

The reasoning behind Wing Chun Kung Fu is not to allow a fight to begin - at best, it simply ends in a single move. If things go wrong, you know how to deal with it - not get hit, and hit back hard. It is a remarkably simple, often instinctive style. Not at all flashy, but with its own rhythm. The way I've been taught is to be smart, subtle, fast and above all adaptable. Even if you can hit harder than anyone in the world, or construct the most perfect block, if all that effort is used against you, or the block is avoided you're in severe trouble.

 

[WitherVoice]

What do you want to DO?

I have practised Judo for many years. It's great fun, but it's a SPORT. There are elements that can certainly be used for effective self-defence, but that's not what it's FOR. When done right it is completely harmless.

If you want to beat people up, I suggest Tekken or maybe Street Fighter. They allow you to do awesome stuff with a character on a screen, with a complete lack of danger of prison rape (unless you travel some intensely weird circles).

If you want to do "awesome flip-out waving around" then Tae Kwon Do always seemed to have every base covered there. It is also largely ineffective in any actual form of combat.

If you're for some legitimate reason interested in actual combat, you need to shop around a bit. Do Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, for instance, to learn how to get people on the ground and destroy them. For standing combat, it honestly doesn't matter much. Western boxing is great, Thai boxing will do the job, whatever. Learn to defend, learn to punch hard and accurate, learn that kicking above thigh height is pointless gimmicky bull, and do enormous amounts of cardio. Fighting is EXTREMELY exhaustive if for some reason the first blow does not end the match (usually, though, it will).

Then realize that this skillset is COMPLETELY pointless, since nothing worthwhile has been adequately settled by fisticuffs in recorded history... except possibly disputes over the relative merits of pointless fisticuffs skillsets.

 

[A1]

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[LeonLethality]

I take taekwondo and I like it. I only hate doing the patterns for promotion...

 

[Steel Ronin]

I have always been interested in the martial arts and am now thinking about trying a style. I am looking for some advice in what style to try.

Any martial art practitioners out there, could you please tell me your style and why you chose it.

I'd go with Krav Maga (i think that's the way you spell it )it's called extereme self defense.It's kind of fighting dirty with strikes to the neck,eyes and private areas but you get to learn hot to snap necks and do horrid stuff you'd be proud(or ashamed of).You can learn how to kill a man for less than a minute, no wait I mean self defense him to death.

 

[shinigamisparda]

Snip

While I am happy you made the effort for such a long post I disagree ith the "Don't bother if you're only doing it as a hobby" thing.

Whythefucknot? I enjoy my hobbies, if something becomes more than a hobby, than its a job and I don't like my job. Now I'm sure we're getting some crossed wires here, your definition of a hobby might be different to mine. I can still take my hobbies seriously, I'm studying my 3rd year of music, and I still consider it a hobby. I've just started Martial Arts again and while I don't joke around when I train, I still consider it a hobby and I still have fun.

A bit off topic but I feel it needs to be said.

A lot of people questioned why I did Taekwon do for so long. I am well aware kicks don't work in a street situation, but I don't care. I was always taller for my age so TKD suited me just fine, I had a ball in the comps and the people there were friendly. Its lack of effectiveness never bothered my in the slightest. I did it because I enjoyed it.

Yes, my definition of "hobby" and your definition are different. To me a hobby is not something you take seriously. Per my definition if you've done 3 years of music and if you don't mess around when training then neither music or martial arts are your hobbies. Just because something is more than a hobby does not make it a job, in my opinion at least.

And I'm glad you never let it's so called "lack of effectiveness" get to you. In my opinion every martial art can be used just as effectively in any situation, but some are just some that are more suited to certain things. Even still I'm sure that boxing can be used effectively for self defense and Muay Thai can be used in tournaments (I mean, you don't HAVE to attack in a way mean to kill just because the style was designed for that). BTW, even though I take Kung Fu I have penchant for using kicks instead of punches due to my TKD background. Plus, they have more range than punches.

 

[phoenix_tetsu]

Pentjak Silat, one of the most effective (in my personal case, of course) is flexible enough to fit your own body type and preffered style. I have practiced Silat for 12 years now

 

[sukotsuto]

You know what? I find this thread an excuse to post some of the cool martial arts vids I have in my favorites in youtube lol:

Erik Paulson during his Vale Tudo days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rUil78kqE0

Igor Yakimov's Sambo demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q643x_i_k6s

Tribute to the late Andy Hug, one of the most popular K-1 kickboxer and kyokushin karateka:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KltbxRVP0gU

Peter Aerts kicking the sandbag (Him and Cro Cop probably has the strongest kicks known to man):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE7p-baxBTk

Ken Shamrock using a catch wrestling leglock finisher in an MMA fight (WARNING: If you can't stand seeing someone in great pain or seeing someone get injured badly, don't even think of watching):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx9E6k79z50

I have HUNDREDS (probably reaching thousands) of martial arts-related videos added as favorite in youtube, so it's an understatement to say that I'm merely a martial arts enthusiast (although I'm an average martial artist at best). Watching some quality vids might help one decide on what martial art to take... that and assess whether this kind of thing is for them or not.