Poll: Martial Arts - Yay or Nay?

[sageoftruth]

I've been practicing Taekwondo for about 7 months so far and am now a yellow belt. It's definitely fun for me, since I used to do fake martial arts when no one was looking. Also, I found many of the fellow members to be of the sort you'd find on the escapist, rather than the usual, "Did you catch the big game after golf yesterday?" type that I find at work. Geek culture is pleasantly prevalent there.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I don't currently, but I did a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago. I practiced Karate till I was about 14 but I stopped when the club I belonged to shut down.

 

[NinjaRabies]

Tae Kwon Do for three years, never got anywhere because there was no real competition or coperation in the club. Judo for a year. Last year in fact. More for sport and training than anything. Though the armlocks have proven themselves usefull already.

Ps: Yellow belt in both. Will continue with Judo once I have the money for classes.

 

[Jackhorse]

Grade 12 (top beginner grade 2 years in) Wing Tsun

I saw a Penn and Teller: Bullshit! episode on martial arts a while back. Pretty much proved what a bad thing they are. Interesting stuff.

Really does depend as they showed with the break their goddam face option. In my class we learnt to go for the bollocks, eyes, neck anything you can hit that will hurt them. We learnt to run from multi assailant if their was a way out of it.
We learnt from the earliest to just keep punching them until they hit the ground, don't try and fancy moves just destroy them quickly if the option opens up.
Hell after learning all the defences and techniques the grading for my multi assailant was just keep standing & punching while everyone beats the crap out of you with boxing gloves.
I wouldn't beleive myself invincible in a fight, most ofmy technique would go out of the window but I'd know where to hit, how to hit harder and to hit without hesitation.

 

[Eumersian]

I used to do martial arts. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It built up what little confidence I had at the time (I started at 6 years old, and continued until I think 6th or 7th grade) and I gained a few friends through it as well.

All of those years, Kenpo Karate. I stopped when I began to focus on my trombone playing, and so I wasn't practicing either one as much. In the end, I picked trombone over karate. But it was probably very good for me in the intervening time.

I got up to green belt, which is a kind of middle way belt in Kenpo.

 

[Blindswordmaster]

I have a black belt in Karate, but I've been teaching myself Krav Maga lately.

 

[caz105]

Tried karate, didn't like it. I prefer fighting my own way anyway, so bleh

Karate is very systematic and relies heavily on forms. It's not very good for everyday fighting since once that form is disrupted, unless you know how to immediately adapt to that situation, you've screwed yourself over. Only masters are really effective in that style.

A good base for self defenses involves knowing how to quickly block a strike and knowing what your options are from that position. Martial arts relies heavily on body mechanics, no matter what style, and should be one of the first things taught, followed by showing how to effectively use them.

You can't generalise all karate just on Kata. It maybe a large part of traditionalist systems but not all systems are the same, Kata is more about the contribution of the whole in ones technique; the mind, body and spirit acting together as one in complete harmony as a form of meditation more than self defence. Many freestyle systems (such as mine) practice real life situations such as being punched, grabbed etc so the body becomes used to countering street fighting but the importance of Kata isn't forgotten.

 

[Dogstile]

Tried karate, didn't like it. I prefer fighting my own way anyway, so bleh

Karate is very systematic and relies heavily on forms. It's not very good for everyday fighting since once that form is disrupted, unless you know how to immediately adapt to that situation, you've screwed yourself over. Only masters are really effective in that style.

A good base for self defenses involves knowing how to quickly block a strike and knowing what your options are from that position. Martial arts relies heavily on body mechanics, no matter what style, and should be one of the first things taught, followed by showing how to effectively use them.

Well that's the kicker isn't it. Martial arts requires that you choose the right one for the situation and that you can adapt your own personal use of it, and many people can't do that. Anyone i've known who is good at fighting grew up getting the shit kicked out of them, and either learned through experience, or practiced so hard they became a master.

So for the average everyday person. Martial arts is a nay. For someone dedicated? Definite yay. I've only fought one good martial artist in my time, and even then I only beat him because I got damn lucky.

Slippy bastards...

 

[AnAngryMoose]

I wanted to when I was a kid. Then mom told me I was violent enough already without actually learning how to punch someone. Sadly, I haven't learned anything since then.

I'd prefer more of Krav Maga than martial arts. I like the Capoeira movements though. I would probably break my neck trying them.

Holy shit... I'm exactly the same! I'd love to take up Capoeira, but when it came down to me getting mugged I think Krav Maga would be more useful. But capoeira is just badass

 

[PhiMed]

Martial arts, as sold to the public, are stupid. If you want to exercise, do so. If you want to learn how to fight, do that. Don't join a class to get some jackass to teach you to "fight", as exercise.

 

[Okysho]

Tried karate, didn't like it. I prefer fighting my own way anyway, so bleh

Karate is very systematic and relies heavily on forms. It's not very good for everyday fighting since once that form is disrupted, unless you know how to immediately adapt to that situation, you've screwed yourself over. Only masters are really effective in that style.

A good base for self defenses involves knowing how to quickly block a strike and knowing what your options are from that position. Martial arts relies heavily on body mechanics, no matter what style, and should be one of the first things taught, followed by showing how to effectively use them.

Well that's the kicker isn't it. Martial arts requires that you choose the right one for the situation and that you can adapt your own personal use of it, and many people can't do that. Anyone i've known who is good at fighting grew up getting the shit kicked out of them, and either learned through experience, or practiced so hard they became a master.

So for the average everyday person. Martial arts is a nay. For someone dedicated? Definite yay. I've only fought one good martial artist in my time, and even then I only beat him because I got damn lucky.

Slippy bastards...

This was actually just in response to karate in particular. I spent time studying matrial arts (it was a mix, but pulled the better fundamentals and mashed them into one epic style) and I daresay it works well. I still remember quite a bit of it and I've even managed to get away from a couple rights without any real incident.

Of course each style is different, and the mindset behind it is

"if it can help you when you're in a fight, use it"

but it's not as simple as that (sorry bruce lee!) because after leaving the style I learned (for many reasons) I tried Karate, and found it far too rigid, expecting situations to be very specific in order for self-defense techniques to work properly.

Not trying to be convincing or anything, you're entitled to believe what works for you, this is merely my experiences with it

 

[Vausch]

Bujin-Ryu Karate for 8 years.

 

[Okysho]

Tried karate, didn't like it. I prefer fighting my own way anyway, so bleh

Karate is very systematic and relies heavily on forms. It's not very good for everyday fighting since once that form is disrupted, unless you know how to immediately adapt to that situation, you've screwed yourself over. Only masters are really effective in that style.

A good base for self defenses involves knowing how to quickly block a strike and knowing what your options are from that position. Martial arts relies heavily on body mechanics, no matter what style, and should be one of the first things taught, followed by showing how to effectively use them.

You can't generalise all karate just on Kata. It maybe a large part of traditionalist systems but not all systems are the same, Kata is more about the contribution of the whole in ones technique; the mind, body and spirit acting together as one in complete harmony as a form of meditation more than self defence. Many freestyle systems (such as mine) practice real life situations such as being punched, grabbed etc so the body becomes used to countering street fighting but the importance of Kata isn't forgotten.

Mine does too (although I've since left the school, I practice a bit still) we even had flowing forms to familiarize yourself with the various situations, but a) very little and b) we were then trained on the individual positions for which the forms represent. I guess it is a poor judgment, but that was my experience with Karate. I joined a Karate group at my University. I didn't dedicate to it not only for the previous reason, but it felt like it'd break the style I'd already learned... maybe it was the Karate style, but it was quite rigid and stiff

 

[FalloutJack]

It would be more proper to say that I understand Jeet Kune Do. As more than just a martial art but rather also a kind of philosophy, it would be safe to say that I know it and yet I know nothing, that my life is open to many possibilities and adaptations...while seriously being able to fling a 300 pound man into a wall. (No shit, I actually did this.)

 

[Draco Kaiser]

Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and Judo.

 

[A.A.K]

mm...different forms of kung fu for as long as i can remember (and am still practicing) - currently a northern dragon style and a southern dragon...but in my travels I've dont some ninjutsu, 2 forms of karate, muay thai and wing chun....and I have a bokken but havent found a good enough teacher.

People have tried mugging me 14 times. 5 people have broken into my home (with me still in it) and I've come out of 3 gang fights relatively fine...So I'm all for martial arts - It is NOT to be fucked with.

I envy your dedication friend. I've been meaning to take up my training again, my reflexes have dulled and my groundfighting is hazy... Doing a few kicks and basic defenses to the air does not suffice...

-sad face-

Well the road of martial arts is a long and very painful one, even when done "correctly", but so long as you're doing something, even if it's the glancing thought, you'll never lose it.

and as to the whole doing a few kicks and basic defense in the air - Even if that means you do 30min every week, so long as you put who you are, or you put your whole self into it, It'll be just as rewarding as some of the people who do 3-4 hours a day.
Reason being, most people dont practice outside the dojo/do-jong/kwoon etc, and a majority of those that do are just going through the motions, and that doesnt do shit.

 

[Swny Nerdgasm]

took some classes, totally hated it, never went back

 

[Zykon TheLich]

I got up to red belt in TaeKwonDo before all the spin kicks took their toll on my knees. (I'm old.) Now I fence. The two are surprisingly similar.

Pretty much exactly the same here.

..and another for "well duh!" on the Penn and Teller thing. Unless you are very good at a martial art that is designed specifically for self defence you are more likely to get yourself into trouble and even then it's more sensible to hand over your wallet. That said the original blanket statement of:

Pretty much proved what a bad thing they are.

Is bullshit. Although I believe the poster hasclarified their statement to a slightly more reasonable one.