surfer_dude
Level 1 Valued Member
I agree wholeheartedly w/ everything Jeffrey wrote except the part about carrying a firearm. IMO pepper spray/CS/mace is the ultimate self defense tool along w/ always wearing shoes that you can run fast in.
Old Forum Best form of martial arts
- Thread starter Tyler Chism
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the hansenator
Level 6 Valued Member
As others have already said, the teacher makes all the difference.
I've been to several schools over the years and there can be dramatic differences in the way they train, even among similar styles.
I've been to several schools over the years and there can be dramatic differences in the way they train, even among similar styles.
prowler83
Level 3 Valued Member
I actually hate conflict but once War as been declared sometimes you have no choice but to fight.
I was once told a story. The black Belt goes to a pub with a friend gets into a fight, guy attacks him with a bottle then he ends up breaking the guys arm. The Sensi was invited to go the pub that day He chose not to go. Wisdom. The Sensi knew better. Is wisdom allowed him to avoid violence and a sitaution or place that was prone to violence.
I was once told a story. The black Belt goes to a pub with a friend gets into a fight, guy attacks him with a bottle then he ends up breaking the guys arm. The Sensi was invited to go the pub that day He chose not to go. Wisdom. The Sensi knew better. Is wisdom allowed him to avoid violence and a sitaution or place that was prone to violence.
Jake Steinmann
Level 1 Valued Member
Lot of good thoughts in here.
Honestly, I've found Dan John's writings on strength training to be really applicable to the process of analyzing and choosing martial arts systems. The importance of understanding your goal (among other things), is really huge.
Muay Thai is a great system, but everything it teaches will get you disqualified in a Judo tournament. The reverse, for the record, is also true. Neither system will completely prepare you for an MMA match.
Self-defense is a whole different animal, and most martial arts instructors don't address it well. As others have mentioned, there are elements of psychology, verbal tactics, awareness, and understanding of the legal system that are vital to understanding self-defense, but that are not taught in many martial arts schools. Rory Miller writes very well on some of these subjects. Tony Blauer has some great material regarding this as well.
Regardless of your goal, coaches are more important than styles. A bad instructor can make the greatest system awful .
As an analogy, consider Jillian Michaels and her butchering of the kettlebell swing. I think everyone on these boards agrees that the KB swing is a great tool, but if a friend or relative said they were taking kettlebell lessons with Jillian Michaels, we'd probably steer them elsewhere.
Find a coach that teaches in a way that address your goals and needs, and whose personality clicks with yours. Then you can worry about what the label on the door says.
Honestly, I've found Dan John's writings on strength training to be really applicable to the process of analyzing and choosing martial arts systems. The importance of understanding your goal (among other things), is really huge.
Muay Thai is a great system, but everything it teaches will get you disqualified in a Judo tournament. The reverse, for the record, is also true. Neither system will completely prepare you for an MMA match.
Self-defense is a whole different animal, and most martial arts instructors don't address it well. As others have mentioned, there are elements of psychology, verbal tactics, awareness, and understanding of the legal system that are vital to understanding self-defense, but that are not taught in many martial arts schools. Rory Miller writes very well on some of these subjects. Tony Blauer has some great material regarding this as well.
Regardless of your goal, coaches are more important than styles. A bad instructor can make the greatest system awful .
As an analogy, consider Jillian Michaels and her butchering of the kettlebell swing. I think everyone on these boards agrees that the KB swing is a great tool, but if a friend or relative said they were taking kettlebell lessons with Jillian Michaels, we'd probably steer them elsewhere.
Find a coach that teaches in a way that address your goals and needs, and whose personality clicks with yours. Then you can worry about what the label on the door says.
niggel
Level 1 Valued Member
g'day Tyler,
In the past decade two people have heavily influenced me with regards to my favourite pastimes. They are Pavel tsatsouline in regards to strength and conditioning and Richard Dimitri in regards to self defence/personal protection/martial arts. Richard's System is known as Senshido. It is not a technique based system but rather a set of principles or concepts. To put it in layman's terms If punches, kicks and blocks were the ingredients then this is how you combine them to make a cake. I will not say this is the ultimate "style/art" as there is none. However I would recommend you google Senshido and hopefully this does for your martial arts what strongfirst does for your strength.
All the best in your training.
In the past decade two people have heavily influenced me with regards to my favourite pastimes. They are Pavel tsatsouline in regards to strength and conditioning and Richard Dimitri in regards to self defence/personal protection/martial arts. Richard's System is known as Senshido. It is not a technique based system but rather a set of principles or concepts. To put it in layman's terms If punches, kicks and blocks were the ingredients then this is how you combine them to make a cake. I will not say this is the ultimate "style/art" as there is none. However I would recommend you google Senshido and hopefully this does for your martial arts what strongfirst does for your strength.
All the best in your training.
Mattsirpeace
Level 4 Valued Member
Nice comments, Jeffrey.
Getting into a fight in the real world is a terrible idea and an adolescent fantasy. Anybody can lose, and badly. And nobody wins. Walk away, run away, don't fight. If you can't avoid it, you still don't "fight." You injure. It's all or nothing.
Pursuing an art or a sport is worthwhile. Just remember it's not reality.
If you want to get fit, train for it directly -- resistance training, stretching, cardio. Don't confuse prerequisites with causation. Fighting doesn't give you a fighter's body.
Getting into a fight in the real world is a terrible idea and an adolescent fantasy. Anybody can lose, and badly. And nobody wins. Walk away, run away, don't fight. If you can't avoid it, you still don't "fight." You injure. It's all or nothing.
Pursuing an art or a sport is worthwhile. Just remember it's not reality.
If you want to get fit, train for it directly -- resistance training, stretching, cardio. Don't confuse prerequisites with causation. Fighting doesn't give you a fighter's body.
surfer_dude
Level 1 Valued Member
In terms of a martial art for fun and conditioning I would highly recommend looking into Capoeira
www.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Z8xxgFpK-NM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZ8xxgFpK-NM
www.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Z8xxgFpK-NM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZ8xxgFpK-NM
kyoei
Level 1 Valued Member
1) Martial arts != self defense
2) MT/BJJ together cover striking (with both hands, feet, knees elbows) and grappling, thereby covering the ranges needed under the MMA ruleset, though there are certainly other combinations (kickboxing + wrestling etc)
3) How could it be that on this forum, no one has suggested Sambo yet?
2) MT/BJJ together cover striking (with both hands, feet, knees elbows) and grappling, thereby covering the ranges needed under the MMA ruleset, though there are certainly other combinations (kickboxing + wrestling etc)
3) How could it be that on this forum, no one has suggested Sambo yet?
Craig Culver
Level 1 Valued Member
Your local MA schools will, not teach true self-defense. With that being said. I have founded Systema Russian Art Group when I was in NW Arkansas. My time in MA training was more productive then trying to earn a black belt. There is no such thing as a best style in MA. It is all about personal expression.
Michael Corrales
Level 3 Valued Member
"Be water my friend."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGFf3SRP1bE
Whatever you do, just train MA. Learn what's best for you and continue on that path.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGFf3SRP1bE
Whatever you do, just train MA. Learn what's best for you and continue on that path.
Mattsirpeace
Level 4 Valued Member
How true, Roper,
But what about...
The strength of a grizzly?
The reflexes of a puma?
And the wisdom... of a man?
http://youtu.be/RmE69bZ1rtM
But what about...
The strength of a grizzly?
The reflexes of a puma?
And the wisdom... of a man?
http://youtu.be/RmE69bZ1rtM
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