Any martial arts enthusiasts here?

[Asa Samuel]

I'm just wondering if anyone else here practices martial arts?

I started out at 7 years old learning shotokan karate and 7 years later decided to stop after getting my second black belt, I then took up fencing but stopped after moving down to Cornwall (I still have all the gear though). I also started learning Li family system tai chi of which my dad is an instructor. At the moment I am not practising anything but would like to take up Jeet Kune Do which you may not have heard of but you will certainly of heard of it's founder, Bruce Lee.

I've always had a deep interest in martial arts and wondered whether anybody else here has a similar interest?

Asa.

 

[harryhaller]

I have a great interest in martial arts, Asa, but I don't practice it. I've refrained from going on a course because of my age. Not because I think that one can be too old to learn, or start learning, it. But because I would feel uncomfortable and self-conscious on a course that would have mostly young participants - plus I wear spectacles, have some false teeth etc.!

But I am a buddhist and I believe in keeping fit, so you know where I am coming from. I also thoroughly enjoy the quality films from China etc. and the old classics such as Bruce Lee - a great man whose fitness methods I use.

I'm glad to see you are interested in Jeet Kune Do since I think that is closer to the original spirit of the martial arts - the divisions into different schools being caused by geographical, sporting and commercial factors. Bruce Lee never wandered away from the original reasons for martial arts - being able to defend oneself, family and community.

As you know, he was an american chinese and suffered all the prejudice (even from Hollywood) plus the rivalries within the U.S. chinese community among the youths. But he became a hero for the chinese people in Hong Kong and elsewhere because his low budget (but, for the time, very innovative) films reversed the Hollywood role play, showing chinese as strong and as the goodies and the western caucasians as weak and as the baddies.

I am so proud, really, really, proud that my young grand-nephew is learning and enjoying Kung Fu - because I am assured that will give him the mental and physical discipline to help him through life.

As for me I will start tentatively to practice Tai-Chi at home from books (I've already made a few starts) - and then, if one day I feel insanely brave, I might do a course.

Michael

 

[sandsnakes]

Yep another long term oldie here. Tai-chi Tong Long (grand ultimate preying mantis) done it off and on for about 30 years plus a few other things. Still keep my hand in though no longer run schools as I am old, blind, deaf, fat, diabetic and am missing a few teeth as well!

I still teach some of the close work stuff to people when the ask also a Chan Buddhist, so its a small world!

Sandsnakes

 

[BushcraftBaird112]

I used to like Ninjutsu I was more interested in the history than the fighting style. I had lots of books, some in japanese, that I read alot. I guess Bushcraft is more useful.

 

[HillBill]

Not marshal arts as such. More real world CQB stuff.

Like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3D76tiWsyg

A bloke from our unit. He got deep into this stuff and went on to become an instructor in America. This is one of his you tube vids

 

[loz.]

Yep,

TKD then when realised that was pants went onto Muay and BJJ, and mixing the two for some good fun amature MMA.

Loz

 

[Tank]

I used to do karate when i was younger from 12 - 15 (i think) . Got a few belts behind me and won a few comps (lost a few too, once nearly having my teeth knocked out when i step i for a punch to get caught by a fist)

sadly stopped going and always missed it.

When there I went I was always put with a girl as we were about the same height weight and age, so we always ended up sparring..she now holds a 3rd Dan Black Belt in Bujinkai Karate and became European Super Welterweight champion in Dec 2006

just if i had carried on!!! lol

 

[Gill]

that is martial arts ! there is a lot of jiu jitsu in there as well as some thai . if you have a look at the UFC or Cage Rage you will see a lot of the same moves there .these tournaments are the home of MMA (mixed martial arts) and generally most who win and are successful are good at more than one dicipline , ie boxing and jiu jitsu . if a fighter does not have a ground game ,when he is on the floor he is like a fish out of water ,and that is where the majority of fights end up.

 

[Melonfish]

used to do a fair bit of Aikido, until that is my knee's started playing up.
shame cause i really enjoyed it.

 

[harlequin]

I recently started learning Hung Ga Kuen (Hung Family Fist).
It's the Tang Fong lineage so training is very strict indeed. There is a high attrition rate with new students!
It's a form of Shaolin Kung Fu, but then again almost all martial arts try to claim a link to the Shaolin Temple traditions.
Lots of hard style qigong at the start of every class and the form I'm currently learning is called Gung Gee Fuk Fu Kuen (The art of taming the tiger in an 'I' pattern) but it is more famous for the next form I have to learn called Fu Hok and is often known as the translation of this name - Tiger/Crane boxing in martial arts circles.

Cheers

 

[Cap'n Badger]

Taught 'Shoto Ki juitsu' fer three years.....Then got into beer an' wenches......Still have a sparre wi' me mate Owen (Ninjitsu) every now an' then......But just t' keep the moves alive more than regular practise.

 

[the interceptor boy]

dabble in a few over 30 years that is all.

 

[korvin karbon]

Done tae kwon do, karate and judo in my youth, Now learning krav maga, much more fun and effective.

Comments about MMA are right, its a street fight not a demonstration of repetive moves. BJJ is the best when it comes to grappling but if you get yourself into that situation somethign has went very wrong.

 

[Opal]

I started marital arts over 40 years ago, pretty good at it by now, learned to dodge the odd plate full of beans on toast after coming home pi$$ed after work. The first plate stuck in the wall after I ducked, Bruce would have been proud of me, I still have good reflexes.

 

[bearbait]

A couple of years of Latosa Escrima (now Escrima Concepts), until I moved elsewhere in the country away from the teachers. Took it up in my mid-40s.

 

[Tengu]

Some Kenjutsu, but couldnt afford to keep it up.

I hope to return one day.

 

[Asa Samuel]

Wahey, didn't expect this many replies

Does anyone have any experience with Jeet Kune Do? Or know anyone that has practised it? The learning by sparring aspect really appeals to me as that is the part I miss most from martial arts. I also like the fact that you can essentially do what you want, if you are taught a certain move and don't like it you don't need to remember it

 

[C_Claycomb]

The guy that I used to train with said that what we were doing was JKD. I am not qualified to say whether it was or not, but we had a lot of fun whatever. Our group had no gradings, forms, uniforms, or belts. We used a mixture of techniques with some clearly recognisable from JKD, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Jujitsu and Systema. As you say, individuals were encouraged to find what worked for them, rather than contort themselves trying to get a one-size-fits-all technique to work for them. Plenty of sparring, plenty of focus mitt and bag work, some grappling, some knife/counter knife and a heavy emphasis on lateral thinking and self preservation ahead of heroics.

It was also cheap as chips since my instructor did it for fun, rather than for profit, which kept us away from a rigid syllabus but was probably also the reason that it eventually folded up.


...and I am not surprised by the number of replies at all. The interest in martial arts is closely tied with an interest in bushcraft.

 

[Asa Samuel]

Yeah, that's one of the things I didn't like about karate, although it was easier to teach and learn it just felt too rigid, especially with the sparring. before free-style you are told to do certain moves and then suddenly you do free-style and you don't even know what your allowed to do and what you aren't.

I personally love using my hands, I've got a fairly quick hand speed and think that apart from kicks below the waist - especially the shins - kicking isn't really effective in a real life situation. I had a lot of power in my legs against the pad but I just felt like I couldn't use them effectively in a fight but my favourite move was a backfist to the side of the head, got my mate plenty of times with that one cause he couldn't block fast enough

I was more expecting "I don't believe in violence" type replies rather than positive ones. I can't quite see the correlation between bushcraft and martial arts, apart from being at peace with yourself and nature

 

[C_Claycomb]

Well, there certainly does seem to be a correlation. I have always attributed it to a desire for self reliance, wanting to be able to cope with adverse circumstances. To be able to look after one's self.