Martial Arts

[outlawstar69]

When I was about 5 or 6, my dad started my sister and I in a karate program. We just started getting into the meat of it when we moved, so that quit taht field for me. It's been 11 years later, and where we live there aren't any places that teach any form what so ever. Does anybody know if there are colleges that teach martial arts? Even as a sidw program?

[James]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Swordsaint [/i]
[B]Sorry bout not responding sooner UnsungHero, but yes I study Ninjitsu. It's pretty cool, we learn how to disarm people, pressure points, places to land a punch (neck, the spot where your ribcages join on your chest) pretty much we learn to do whatever it takes to take down an opponent/s as quickly as possible.

We also learn tumbling, about the chakra's (key points of energy on the body) and self control through using the five elements (just stances that we move slowly from to learn balance and control) And we learn how to use Katana, I struck out on my own to learn how to use Knunchaku. That's basicaliy it with ninjitsu. if I happened to have not answered your question, tell me and I'll try to do better. [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=#707875]I did Ninjitsu, and we never learnt about five elements or anything like that.

Primarily, it was about getting away from a bad situation; avoiding a fight. Afterall, the idea in self defence is usually to avoid a confrontation if at all possible.

Even if you do have to confront someone, Ninjitsu is mostly about buying time -- buying time to actually get away from your attacker.

I found that there was very little in the way of direct combat, at least until you reach more advanced levels. Rather, it was more a question of using personal items (like a key or your glasses or something like that) as a weapon of defence.

So we never learned how to use a katana or anything like that, as you're very unlikely to be carrying a katana around with you on the street.[/color]

[Heaven's Cloud]

[color=indigo]Although I have no real inclination towards the martial art (other than I think it looks really cool) I thought I would relate an experience I had over the weekend.

As many of you know I spend a quite a bit of time in the gym. About a month ago the owner told me that he hired a couple guys to teach a Mui Thai (at least that is what I think it is called, I am not a martial arts aficionado) and they were going to run an open gym on Saturdays. I really have no idea why he told me this, I don?t look like someone that enjoys physical combat, and I haven?t taken martial arts since I was little.

On Saturday, I found myself in the gym at the same time they were running the open gym, so after I lifted I decided to sit through some of the class. It was more like an open spar than a class, actually it was more like an open ?try and fight me? class. It was actually kind of fun, I?ve been wrestling long enough to know how to hold my own and I did take boxing for several months. The guy that taught the class was an ex-ranger, and he put me on the ground in roughly thirty seconds (by kneeing me quite hard in the stomach), but he didn?t know how to apply the figure four. Being the good Samaritan I am I demonstrated how to lock it on (sure it is a slow and pointless move, but it does hurt)

Anyway, it more or less aided my theory that some people are just naturally better at fighting than others, and martial art only helps to heighten that aptitude. Regardless, it was fun and I can see why so many people enjoy it? [/color]

[James]

[color=#707875]Heh, it sounds like that was a pretty loose class, HC. But fun, nonetheless.

When people post here saying that they do ten martial arts or something...I find it hard to believe. I say that because I know that if you are going to [i]truly[/i] learn or master martial art, you really have to dedicate a massive amount of time to it.

It'd be like training to swim in the Olympics. Think of all the hours that must be invested into that to be successful. Martial arts is very similar; you can't just do a bit here and a bit there and think that you're really learning it. I mean, you wouldn't train to be an Olympic swimmer [i]and[/i] a triathelete. You know? Each individual activity requires huge levels of attention and time. So it's very unlikely that you'd be studying two or three martial arts at once -- unless you're investing very little time with each one. Even some of the most skilled martial artists were only ever trained in one particular form, because they literally invested their life into studying it.

The whole reason that I stopped taking martial arts was because I personally didn't have the time to commit to it. Even just doing one at a time required several hours of my time each day.

Not to mention the fact that I think a lot of kids get into it because they think it's cool or because they want to be tough. lol

And that's why a lot of people quit, too. I don't think they realize that being cool/tough isn't what it's about.[/color]

[Chaos]

I would like to just mention that nearly all forms of martial arts only work as effectively as you see in the movies...in the movies. You get surrounded by a gang on the street, and bust out with some crazy pose, you know what is going to happen? Someone behind you is going to pull out a gun and blast you to hell.

And when actually fighting, it doesn't work as well, either. I know this for a fact. Because I've had a guy try it. Fast but light hits, that's what most martial arts are about. Doesn't work if you're a fan of boxing. A flying kick is easy to avoid; a simple sidestep and you can clock them in the jaw when they go past.

All of these things you see with Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee and Jet Li is with trained professionals and stunt cannon fodder. You enroll in karate for a month or two and take on someone who has been living in an urban area for a good portion of their life, chances are, you'll end up with a shattered jaw and a broke nose.

Simple as that.

[James]

[color=#707875]And again, kids will go into this thinking that they'll be pulling off flying kicks in a month. lol

I mean, I just think that many of them have false expectations.

If some guy with a gun tries to shoot you in the street, you wouldn't be pulling out a katana...you'd be disarming him. Martial arts is usually about being defensive, rather than offensive.

Of course, if you're surrounded by a gang or something...I doubt that martial arts is going to help you very much, unless you have a weapon. The idea that you're going to somehow kick everyone's butt is pretty false. lol

But of course, by the same token, someone who isn't trained in martial arts isn't going to take down a karate expert with a strong punch or a crowbar or something. I mean, that is also pretty unrealistic in itself.[/color]

[Swordsaint]

I should have said some of this earlier, when we train with katanas, we aren't really expecting be able to use one in a fight. My instructor's instructor learned ninjitsu while he was in japan from a guy that held the martial arts scrolls for three different dojo's of Ninjitsu, and one for karate, hence why I ended up getting a few lessons on using a Katana.

Also, yes our class is about self defence and getting away from your enemy, but our instructor stresses the point of if he's already in your face, and is obviously going to hit you, take him out quickly, then get away.

Yes James, and Chaos, your both right. Martial arts isn't about being tough. An yes, lot's of time must invested into it in order to become aproffesional with just one style, our instructor teaches us mainly Ninjitsu, the other styles he teaches us, is for being able to handle things in a different situation.

And martail arts isn't what it's like in the movies, you can't take on a gang of people like Bruce lee does in his movies. Sure, you might hurt a few of em, but that's about it, your gonna get pretty screwed up in that fight. also, yes all it takes to get out of the way of a kick is a simple sidestep. And someone that's lived in a place like compton most their lives, likely would tak you out fairly quickly. And therin lies the reason that our instructor has a bouncer named stormy come in and teach us about what it's REALLY like in a fight. After his lecture, stormy pretty much has us practice kicking/ punching people in the nuts, pulling hair, headbutting, etc.

So pretty much, that's more of what our class is like, and once again I should have stated some of this stuff earlier. Thank you James and Chaos for bringing up those points.