Martial Arts: Who practices?

[Xeryus Weapon]

Does anyone on the OB study any form of martial arts? I'd like to hear about it if you do :).

I have beem interested in Kenjutsu (the art of the sword) for so long, but have never been able to go and practice it. School these days... -___-'

Seriously though, I own quite a few sets of Japanese swords, Tanto, Wakizashi, and full length Katanas. Apparently to buy the training gear you need a "license", but it's okay to buy the real thing - laws these days, honestly...

I'm also interested in Boxing and Muay Thai since they are two of the best styles in terms of ruthlessness and combat, but won't be doing them for a while because I'm skimt enough as it is.

[Panda]

I am a 3rd degree brown belt in Tae Kwon Do, which is a Korean form of martial arts. I started when I was in the 4th grade and started to slack off in Junior High because of school activities and studies. I wish I would have kept up with it, but at the time I was overwhelmed with school sports, band and studies.

I loved competing and did win trophies in hyungs (patters of moves) and free sparring. There were only 2 girls in the class of over 50 guys. I was one of the highest ranking in the class. My brother and one other student were the same rank. We actually got to lead the classes if the instructor was gone. Ah, those were the days.

One thing I loved doing was breaking boards. For testing you had to break boards and I loved it! It really impressed my friends. My brother stayed with it and went on to study a few other forms of martial arts and still does. He doesn't let me forget that he is higher ranking now....darn him! I am such a slacker.

Best of luck to you in your studies. Stick with it, I wish I did!

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

I'm a 2nd Dan Black belt in Taekwondo, and should be testing for my 3rd dan in about a month or so. I've been practicing it for 14 years now, and really would have been 4th dan at this point had I tested regularly. But whatever.

My real strength is in the forms, while my free sparring skills are just plain ok. I used to win at tournaments in both categories, but I'd win state championships in forms. Anyway it's been a while since I've competed, because it's expensive and I end up losing at least an entire day to go to a tournament (and I might get judged unfairly there, which will ruin the whole day).

Of course with our TKD training my school practices some Hapkido as well as some weapons. For some reason we've started practicing Kendo, so now I have to buy a $350 set of friggin kendo armor. The worst thing about martial arts is it's an expensive hobby.

[Xeryus Weapon]

A question for the students of Tae Kwon Doe

Are you trained to actually physically fight, or is it a form of mental rest and fitness training?

Yes you are right Panda, it is a good idea to stick with it even if you are no good at all, it gives you the chance to hang on to something through old age and even something to pass on to those willing to learn.

Sciros - The more the merrier... :D

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

Taekwondo is first and foremost a form of combat. It is very combat-oriented; even more so than Kung Fu for instance (at least from my experience). But like most martial arts, it is more than that, and stresses the mental as much as the physical. I personally practice it for physical fitness and to be cool. I think martial arts are cool.

[Xeryus Weapon]

Cool? Uh-huh!

Martial arts are like the centre of all young people's fantasies! Don't you ever get the odd day dream that a cute girl is getting harrased by some no-good gang members and she is begging for mercy, where you step in with a corny line like "leave her alone" or "she's with me" and then beat the crap out of all of them, to get the girl or a "kiss" as a reward?

That is so like the life for me.

Martial Arts, keep it real. :cool:

[foreverinfinity]

I have a first degree green belt in tae kwan doh, a korean martial art and new olympic sport. on saturday I will be in a sparring tournament, in which competitors try to hit spots on their opponents protective gear and push them back to score points. their are two 45 second rounds, and the person with the most points after two rounds gets to go to the next person.

[Shiguru]

I instruct Goji-Ryu Karate, and I know a lot more bits and pieces of martial arts. Like stuff from Jujitsu, Kempo, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, etc.

I did Muay Thai for 3 years in junior High and did western boxing before that.

I do MMA tournaments which are like UFC and Pride fighting. So you have to be able to defend and strike standing and on the ground. I've been choked out once for 3 min. and passed out, and got second place out of 30 of those guys. It hurts and training is a *****, but it's fun.

I used to get into a lot of fights, so I started learning martial arts (not the fights mentioned above, more like "I heard you talking to my girl. Now I'm gonna fight you." kinda thing.) and fell in love with it.

[Kwai]

[size=1][color=navy]I've been doing Kenjutsu/Kendo for the past 9 years or so. I took Yagyu Shinkageryu style for the first four or so years, and switched to the Hong Moo Kwan style for the other nine years since my original master had to go back to Japan to take over the family business or something. I've also dabbled in Nitoryu Kenjutsu on and off for the past three to five years, so I'm quite familiar with that as well.

An interesting aspect to consider is that the Yagyu Shinkageryu style and the Nitoryu style are both styles that evolved in, and for combat, so most of their sweeps, strokes, stabs and what not are all made in full swing, with more emphasis on power. On the contrary, the Hong Moo Kwan style, which is more for sports, concentrates more on the speed and accuracy of each blow, so we're not encouraged to make wide swings and such.

Oh yeah, and if you happen to want to take Martial Arts for the fantasy of saving a damsel in distress and being rewarded with a kiss or affection, then don't. I find it highly annoying when someone wants to play hero because they know 'martial arts'. The days in which martial arts was used for fighting is over. Martial arts are for finding your own path, for your own discipline, and in the end, for finding the path of your life.

On a side note (well... more for bragging purposes), I placed second place in an all national tournament for junior youth individual division in 2002. But then, I haven't been entering too many tournaments since then so I might have gotten a bit shabby.[/size][/color]

[Shiguru]

Martial arts can be used for fighting, if you do what I do. I like Kenjitsu and SERIOUSLY debated if I wanted to take that or Muay Thai, but in the end I figured the human body is the worlds greatest weapon and decided hand to hand is the perfect way to go.

1) it can be very useful in self-defense
2) It is much more diverse than any weapon style.
3) and it is the basis of all combat.

[Balinese]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]i practice tai chi. the grace, strength and beauty of it are a good way to relax and good training. i believe it's a form of kung-fu, although i could be wrong.

i hope when i get to UNC that i can start taking Judo. they offer classes, and it looks like a lot of good, fun work.[/FONT]

[Xeryus Weapon]

There are no good and bad martial arts, some are different than each other, like Tai Chi is calm and soothing, while Muay Thai is aggresive and rough.

I agree with Shiguru completely, the human body is the best weapon, but unfortunately for us small folk it's much harder to make full and effective use of it :(.

It's also a question of weather your dedicated enough to practice, and even though I don't study any forms of martial arts, I will occasionally slip on my gloves and shadow box for a good hour, or go jogging around the block to maintain my fitness.

On the Sword side of things, Kenjutsu is "how to kill", while Kendo is more of a sport. Kenjutsu students practise with Bokken, where Kendo students practice with a Shinai and spar with armour. Where I live there is only one dojo that teaches Kenjutsu, focusing on the Niten Ichi Ryu, the style of two swords. It is a popular style as it is the one that martial arts legend Miyamoto Musashi used and founded.

[Kwai]

[size=1][color=navy]Kenjutsu and Kendo aren't all to different, despite the fact that one's for sports and the other's for killing. I might even venture to say that they are equal in terms of real combat. Kenjutsu's focus is more on killing the opponent in one quick blow, hence their attack always results from a huge swing. Kendo is more for faster and accurate hitting, so the blows are made from small swings, probably incapable of slicing through anyone or anything in real combat. But. Kenjutsu's attacks, though powerful, always have a big opening before and after each blow. Kendo's attacks, though probably impossible in scoring a quick kill, is very good for wittling down the opponent through quick hit-and-run blows. So in the long run, I think they are both very capable in combat.
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[Guest Chris]

well, i found out that my art instructor (stefan duncan) was a three time undefeated kenjitsu champion. i had him teach me some, and now i'm pretty good, though i'm not sure i'm competition level. i have studied a little jujitsu and know some basic locks, breaking techniques, throws, and releases. i like jujitsu because it's very useful for practical self defence and for just putting ******** in their place. i have very recently started tae kwon do, and am just a white belt (it's the only martial arts i study for belts) it's funny because i'm a white belt and i'm better than most of the people in my studio, excluding the instructors. i like tkd because of its style and focus on the basics, but i wouldn't use it in a fight because it focuses more on what looks good than what is useful compared to other martial arts. i'd say i'm probably best at kenjitsu, but that's only because so far i'm undefeated with a sword. i need to practice more.

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

[quote name='Chris']i like tkd because of its style and focus on the basics, but i wouldn't use it in a fight because it focuses more on what looks good than what is useful compared to other martial arts.[/quote]

I hear a lot of people say that, including many Taekwondo practitioners, but I never hear any instructors say that. You know why? Because the people who do say that don't realize what they're talking about. Nothing you learn as part of any martial art is going to be 100% applicable in many situations. You just have to know what you're doing and not be a moron. If I get into a fight, I'm not going to do a jumping spinning wheel kick. I'm going to sidekick a guy right in the knee, then kick him in the balls, and then introduce my elbow to his face. Is that Taekwondo? Sure it is. Is it practical? Heck yeah. Sure, a lot of Taekwondo is really cool kicks which won't come in all too useful (except for some serious intimidation, which in reality is most important), but most importantly it teaches you good technique and the ability to deliver very powerful blows. Taekwondo is not less practical than Judo in my opinion, because although most fights do end up in "grapple" situations, there's nothing like a good hammerfist to the opponent's temple or a palm strike to his face or throat.

[Neptunecat13]

[font=Verdana][color=deepskyblue]I'm a red & black belt with 5 stripes. I've been taking Shotokan karate for 5 years. I'll admit - sometimes, I just don't wanna go. But once I get there, I get into it! ^^ But lately, my asthma has been preventing me to perform to the best of my abilities...:( [/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=deepskyblue][/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=deepskyblue]I used to go to all the tourneys I could, but I haven't been to one in a year. Hee hee, the last one I was in, I got grand champion in my division for katas! ^___^[/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=deepskyblue][/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=deepskyblue]Anywayz, I hope that anyone & everyone who takes a form of martial arts has fun, & uses it the right way.[/color][/font]

[Falkon]

I study Karate an ancient japanese style. Actually, my style is Kwan Shu, which means the way and path of the fist. I am currently an orange belt (i only joined in October) but my friend is provisional black, which comes after 1st degree brown in our style. its a really fun sport, and if any of you out there are looking to do some form of martial arts, i really recommend this one ^_^

[Shiguru]

Karate isn't Japanese. It is Okinawan, Shotokan is an exception as it was developed in the 40's in Japan (I think ReFlux should know, and if he doesn't someone else should and he should be ashamed. :laugh: )

[Falkon]

ahh close enuf :P

[dMage]

I thought that Shato Khan was the american form of Karate? Of course, i'm basing this off of a hazy memory of the small little afterword they have at the end of "Bloodsport" so I could be wrong... Currently I am in Shato Khan Karate (I only started about a month ago) and its really not only alot of fun, but a great workout. A friend and I are doing it togehter, which is really helpful, as we can critique each other whenever we practice outside of class (which we do about once or twice a week) I hope to go all the way to black belt, and after that, maybe trying out another type of martial art. I dont think it's considered a martial art, but another thing that I've always really wanted to do was fence (swordfighting with epee's, foils, and sabres) The fast play of the swords looks really awesome, but, like ScirosBlade said, its really expensive. But I still think its really kool, and hope at one point or anotherin my life, to try it out.

[Chocobo Gene]

I stidy just a normal from of Karate, at the moment i am a Red belt, not bad for me only doing it for a while, my teacher says i have some real talent, I alwasys wanted to practice Kendo though, but there is nothing local that teaches it, and so, you see my prob, I practice Fencing (Which I am really good at), abd I think I could implement my skills into Kendo, So I really need to look, I really hope it's as good as i think, well, see ya

[Zen]

[color=green][size=1]

Martial Arts is probably the thing that has changed my life the most that I've had control over. It gave me confidence, self esteem, made me physically fit, made me more active, and most of all, more in touch with philosophy, spirituality, and my own soul.

It began when I wanted to get into Tae Kwon Do cuz I loved playing as Hwarang on Tekken Tag Team. When I moved back to the States (then I was in Germany), I found a Tae Kwon Do School and immediatley signed up. By the time I left the state, I was a Green Belt, which I still am, although that is because one, I couldn't afford to test in my old school, and two, because I hadn't really practiced for the time of about 3 months. I'm now a high green belt, about to test, and I have learned alot more about sparring, grappling (which is due to the fact our teacher's teach us some JuJitsu) and more artistic and powerful kicks, like the jumping 360 turning kick (a bombshell). Aswell as being taught TKD, I have also learned traditional boxing, wrestling, and Nunchaku-do from my Dad, and Goshinjutsu from one of my Dad's co-workers. I also studied alot of Bruce Lee's performances in Movie's and biographies and tried to mimic a few Wing Chun in-fighting techniques and a hidden kick attack, which both worked out quite well!

I got into Philosophy of all types. Ranging from Buhhda, to Jiddu Krishnamurti, to Confucious, to Mohammed, to Jesus (I'm Christian, but I havn't read the bible nore do I go to church. I beleive in God, Jesus, and living a good life has its rewards), and one of my fav's, Bruce Lee. I saw one clip of his movie and fell in love. I read everything I could on him, watched his movies (all of them) and I'm still inthrauled and hope to someday equal his ability.

So many things have become of me because of martial arts, I can't even say.

BTW- I'm a virtual encyclopedia of martial arts history now, aswell. And I do beleive you are right, Shiguru about the Shotokan thing. It was I beleive a japanese who took Jujitsu and peiced it with Karate, which was introduced into Japan in around the 1920's. I'm still trying to make sure if it was the one created by a monk or if it was Goju-Ryu. Do you know Shiguru?[/size][/color]

[Falkon]

[quote name='dMage']I thought that Shato Khan was the american form of Karate? Of course, i'm basing this off of a hazy memory of the small little afterword they have at the end of "Bloodsport" so I could be wrong... Currently I am in Shato Khan Karate (I only started about a month ago) and its really not only alot of fun, but a great workout. A friend and I are doing it togehter, which is really helpful, as we can critique each other whenever we practice outside of class (which we do about once or twice a week) I hope to go all the way to black belt, and after that, maybe trying out another type of martial art. I dont think it's considered a martial art, but another thing that I've always really wanted to do was fence (swordfighting with epee's, foils, and sabres) The fast play of the swords looks really awesome, but, like ScirosBlade said, its really expensive. But I still think its really kool, and hope at one point or anotherin my life, to try it out.[/quote]
well, if you want to try a really fun form of karate, try Kwan Shu. Thats what i take and, sure sometimes i dont feel like going (i mostly go tuesdays/thrusdays, and sometimes wednesdays) but when i get there, i have a great time. I have actually made friends of every person in my class (white/yellow/orange belts; about 10-15 people in my class. Of course, there are my friends who i have had from school that go too. its really a lot of sun for me, so you should think aobut checking it out ^_^