50 kicks in da cubes

both of my trainers teach judo throws with bjj for takedowns... i love the throws.... :thumbsup

I just turned 30. I'm pretty flexible, but starting to get out of shape. I'm 5'10 and 185 lbs. I've always been pretty slender but I'm starting to get a little stomache padding... no love handles yet :1orglaugh

Then I would say traditional Jiu Jitsu.

Gets you both the defense training and the regular training in real life. If you want to go a bit tougher, then BJJ. If you do the latter then Anthony will give you a traditional BJ :winkwink:

I used to practice Kyokushin as a regular student and participated into tournaments without doing any extra workout (specific training for competitions).. people used to say I was crazy, but if what I do in class doesn't work, I don't have any reason to continue doing it... I generally lost my fight because I used to lack in stamina I could do up to 6 minutes fighting, but when you are in tournaments you will have to go to a few rounds in order to win... my best result was 4th place...

if you click on the link for the video below you will see one of my fights a few years ago... there was over 10kg in body weight (and my opponent was about 20cm higher)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=tcvkoygnu9I

I only used my Kyokushin knowledge once when there was 4 guys robbing my parents house... I was able to handle them... to bad the cops took over 2 hours to show up...

BTW: in this 10 years of training I was not able to get the black belt (yet)... I Brazil we have one of the hardest Kyokushin black belt exams of the whole world (harder than in Japan)

I recommend that you go make 1 class of each of the martial arts that you have some interest in knowing... and only choose after that...
do you know that rule we have about what works for me might not work for you? it is also applied to martial arts!!

Brazil is a warrior country. Thanks for sharing!

That's very good advice. I have an intro session for kenpo that I already made for the 8th. Based on the advice in the thread here I think I will dismiss this one, but the appointment is already made and I might as well check it out.

I'm also going to check out the krav maga / jiu jitsu place next week as well. The wiki page on krav maga makes it sound like something I would like. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga

There are a couple muay thai places around here that I'm going to look into and hopefully check out the second week of October. Thanks Anthony for the suggestion on muay thai.

Kajukenbo and Kyokushin look like nice choices as well, but there just aren't any schools here that teach those.

where are you located at?

If the AJJ ends up being a renamed japanese jiu jitsu, is it still something worth taking?

Based on my readings on the internet, krav maga seems to fit that bill. It seems to stress simple effective moves, without a 5 step technique. Seems to be whatever works, do it. Is that your understanding of it? The wikipedia page on krav maga makes it sound pretty appealing to me.

In most of the actual real life fights I've been in, the majority have ended up on the ground. That's why I'm wanting to take some kind of jiu jitsu.

I'm pretty flexible, it's probably one of my stronger points over brute force. Thanks for the muay thai suggestion, I'm going to look into a couple of the schools here for that.

I totally agree with this.

Thanks Anthony, that's the kind of post I was looking for, sorry for butting heads with you earlier. You've given me a lot to think about and a lot of good suggestions. Definitely going to check out the local muay thai places, there's 3 or 4 of them within half an hour of me.

Do you have any suggestions on picking a school and instructor? Questions to ask, things to look for?

I live in Minneapolis, MN. Not too far from the Mall of America.

Buy a samurai sword. No one fucks with a dude carrying a samurai sword.

Bro, you have Pedro Sauer in your area http://www.mmaacombatzone.com/ one of the most highly regarded BJJ Black Belts around.

They also have MT.

Is there any reason why no one has mentioned Keysi? Should it be filed under Bullshido or is it just unknown?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zVWyqBdE5RI

I'll add it to the list of places to check out, thanks :thumbsup

http://www.americanfistlaw.com/ is another local MMA place I was thinking of checking out also.
http://www.runningtiger.com/ is the kenpo place in St Paul

I've never heard of that one. One of the local places also offers Wing Tzun which I've never heard of either.

I was hoping this would be a relatively easy decision, but I still have more questions than answers :1orglaugh

muay thai vs TKD



muay thai looks straight to the point and pretty effective.

A good tradition TKD school (ITF system) can be hard to find, but are quite good. Have 25 years experience, though to be effective in a real life situation you simply have to add in some strength and power training also some grappling both of which aren't really taught all that much or at all in any schools.

No one system is perfect, and as was mentioned earlier at least 95% of martial arts schools are crap, and pretty much a waste of time. No matter what style you learn make sure you do at least some basic grappling training, because most situations end up on the ground, and once you are down there your TKD, Karate, zip-de-doo or whatever isn't going to do anything for you.

Damn that looks so familiar.
I trained TKD for about 7 years and then got tired of it.
Too much show. Too little efficiency.

So I figured Muay Thai would be good to develop better and more effective stand up.

Dude did I get knocked the fuck out on my first training.
Just like in the video. I tried a fancy headkick, he grabbed it and followed up with a lowkick.

Then out of nowhere an elbow from hell to the temple. Lights out. Welcome to MT.

:2 cents: :thumbsup

Does anyone have suggestions for picking a school? Things to look for, questions to ask? I'm going to be checking out 4 or 5 places in the next couple weeks.

my favorite muay thai fighter....

this represents what muay thai is all about..

the fights start about 1 min in..

I would check out the place Anthony mentioned for sure. Its close to you, looks like there are some really reputable mma people and it looks like they have Muay Thai and BJJ. Looks like a win win to me.

black belt in Beer Fu and 5 Knuckle Fist Of Fury

currently working on a big epenis belt in keyboard warrior Jiu-Jitsu

I'd say mix it up - get a feel for what works for you. I trained in Okinawan Kenpo and earned a 2nd Degree Black Belt, but I have to tell you, it's more about you than the system. How in shape are you? How much time you want to put into this, and what do you expect to get out of this? You don't need to be trained by a Grand Master or MMA Pro to achieve your goal of rounding out your skills. I do believe if you train in Kenpo, you'll need to supplement that with some ground skills, because they focus on the waist up. Good luck with your training.

Hey, love the video...thanks for the share.

How was the Okinawan kenpo? I understand that's different from American Kenpo? Do you find it to be pretty effective? Can you elaborate a little on the kinds of stuff they teach?

I'm pretty flexible, in semi-decent shape but I probably couldn't run a mile right now in under 12 minutes. I'm looking to do some kind of martial art once or twice a week. I'm not looking to compete in MMA or anything, I'm looking for something for self defense and exercise.

I'm still looking into muay thai, and I'm torn between muay thai / bjj or krav maga / bjj. I read somewhere that "you should train how you want to fight, because you'll fight how you trained." That's why I'm considering krav maga, it's geared strictly towards self defense and they don't teach "if someone does this, do that" I'm also checking out a kenpo place next wednesday.

posting an update for everyone that gave advice :thumbsup

I kept my appointment and checked out the kenpo place. Instructor was nice, and it looked like everyone was enjoying the lessons. It reminded me a lot of TKD but with more emphasis on kata and forms and memorizing techniques. They practiced with a partner but didn't use pads or strike each other. Kenpo doesn't really seem to be what I'm looking for right now.

I also checked out an aikido school after a couple recommendations in the thread here. The school was neat, and students were practicing with fucking swords. Pretty badass, but not really what I'm looking for.

Next I checked out a muay thai / bjj school near me based on advice from Anthony. Students fought in a boxing ring and the moves looked really effective, but I'm looking for more of a self defense training than training for competition. This was real close to what I was looking for though.

I decided on doing krav maga. I found a school near me that is run by an isreali team. Students practice full strength with each other using pads and protective gear. Pretty similar to the muay thai stuff I saw, in fact some of the elbows and knee strikes are taken from muay thai. This school placed an emphasis on self defense which I really liked and was looking for. They also deal with some grappling, which I asked about. Besides the lessons with full contact pads, there are also sparring sessions on Saturday mornings.

I've signed up for a krav maga course, with lessons twice a week, that will get me up to an intermediate level. After that course is done, I'll probably take the intermediate lessons once a week and do jiu jitsu once a week also.

If anyone wants a little more info on krav maga, there's a very good 5 part "Human Weapon: Krav Maga" linked here https://youtube.com/watch?v=XcyrG...eature=related

Thank you everyone for the advice and discussion :thumbsup

Krav Maga is the best I've taken for self defense, though I've noticed I use a lot of BJJ in street fights as well..

For me, I will try to keep a fight very short if it's on a paved surface. If it's on the grass, I'll immediately take someone down and roll all day.

In a nutshell.. I find it better to be more well rounded. I also wrestled in junior high and high school a majority of the time(did greco and freestyle during the off seasons..) plus judo..


Every person I know who thinks they're way tough 'cause they're a black belt in Karate or something lasts about 30-45 seconds when we spar.. but, those who've taken Karate + BJJ + MT or something are much better off than someone with just BJJ or MT in my opinion.

Good choice on the Krav, though. It'll help you a lot.

You've taken krav maga before? It definitely seems to fit what I'm looking for. I will also be starting jiu jitsu in about six months to round out my training.

you make it sound like every idiot in street fights is a BJJ black belt or something. I would take TKD training over nothing any time. I have see 13 y.o. skinny kid take on two football guys and beat the living shit out of them. That black belt really helped him out.

i spent some time watching some Kenpo classes once just out of curiosity to know more about other martial arts and what they do. It was by far the most bizarre display of ridiculous insanity that i had witnessed as someone who went to all tournaments in the seattle area, studied couple styles of karate, boxed and owned a martial arts school.

fighting is fighting. if you want to learn to hit... you better be in an emotional place to BE HIT... if you want to kick... you better be in a place where you are prepared to be kicked. if you want to be good... you better be prepared for pain. if you are kinda into it... don't bother. if you want to learn how to fight on the ground... train bjj. if you want to be good... be prepared to give 110% every second you are in the gym... be prepared to work until you puke. if you're not ready for that.. don't bother... if you want to carry a gun, be ready for someone to take it from you and kill you with it. if you want to learn some jackasses "self defense" course... be prepared to kick a guy in the balls and have him in turn, tear your head off. if you want to use mace... be prepared to get beat to death by the pissed off psychotic guy with mace in his face.

there are no easy answers. life is wildly unpredictable, violent and chaotic. if you want to feel safer.. don't put yourself in an unsafe place. that is the single best answer. if you think training is the answer... you will only be as good as the effort you put into it and as good as the instructor can make you. the vast majority of martial arts is pure bullshit. martial arts that isn't bullshit is hard work, pain and intense training.

I've been involved in martial arts off and on for my entire life and been in quite a bit of real fights. (Shaolin Gung-fu, Niesi GOJU Ryu Karate, Sanuces Ryu Ju-Jitsu, Ho Chi-Mo Karate, Thi-Chi, Kick boxing and now Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu)
Not saying I'm great or anything, (Was pretty freakin' good at one time) but I trained for a lot of years.

#1 Been witness to many real fights and it is true that 90+% go to the ground, especially in bars and in tight locations. (Sucker punches not withstanding)
This is why I'm going to advocate Brazillian Jiu Jitsu over any other marial art listed on this page.

#2 In order to be able to defend yourself for real you must train in a live martial art. One that you train with a live opponent on a daily basis. You can train in BJJ throughout your entire life. (In other MMA style like Boxing or Muay-Thai the punches and kicks to your face/head etc.... will get old after a while)

#3 I started training BJJ when I was 45 and was able to get right in and train without serious injury, this should be true for most people as well.

#4 As an added bonus BJJ will get your ass in the best shape of your life.

Am I saying that BJJ is the absolute best thing there is? NO!!! Complete MMA traing including BJJ would be better as proven in the octogon.

For a healthy life long martial art (That works) BJJ is great.

FYI: there are many many nasty tricks like eye gauging, finger breaking, mouth hooking, throat and neck punching/chopping and nut kicking etc..... that MMA leaves out for obvious reasons. For self defense you should learn all the nasty stuff you can get your hands on too!!! And don't forget weapons guns, knife and sticks.

:2 cents:

I didn't really like what I saw at the kenpo school. They really seemed to focus on katas and forms and "if he does this, I do these moves" which I'm really not looking for. Anthony made a very good point about finding somewhere that practices full strength instead of punching and kicking the air, and that's why I chose krav maga.

You also have some very good points and I agree 100%. I always try to be aware of my surroundings and avoid situations, but shit happens sometimes. I'm definitely going into this 100% :thumbsup

Don't listen to Anthony, he knows nothing! It's Rex Kwon Do or go home

http://rlv.zcache.com/rex_kwon_do_bo...09q0yk_400.jpg

You're kidding right?

I imagine so, that's the "martial art" from Napolean Dynamite :1orglaugh

Bow to your Sensei!

I personally don't take anything.... that being said my Finacee has been taking BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) for almost 2 years and he loves it!

I recommend it cause: 1. it works and 2. its also good for self defense!

the krav maga beginner course is twice a week for a couple months, after that intermediate is once a week. I'll be taking jiu jitsu in addition to krav maga in a couple months when I hit the intermediate level :thumbsup

To Tae Kwon Do defense - it is a SPORT more than a street fighting thing. Here is the proof: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sfGz3...eature=related

yup, I think everyone here realizes that... but thanks for sharing the funny video

A lot of people shitted on TKD in this thread. I think someone like Pedro Xavier (considered by many to be the best point fighter ever) and his devastating kicks could stand up to some of the toughest MT guys.

sure... he could stand up to them... and score points... then get taken down and beat to death.

;)

and you're talking about one guy... not the sport in general. your talking about a sport that generally passes out black belts like a charity passing out free t-shirts to homeless people.

there's been some decent kung fu guys in MMA.. people like Ken Shamrock was originally Kenpo. Both still totally suck as fighting styles the whole and there is a reason you NEVER see Tae Kwon Do in mma. ;)

There is a difference between the fighter and his ability and the style he's trained. styles don't make people great.

haha.. watched the video

wow. typical TKD... effective against..... TKD.

I dare you to take one side kick in you torso and see. You guys are bunch of morons comparing apples and radiators. yes, TKD is flashy and I don't think very many TKD fighters will be using round house kicks all the timein a street fight, but come on, one headshot ala "Crocop" in the head and fight is over. Onse side kick in your beer guy and you're done.

here's your typical street fight. Mexican punk pics on some kid that knows a thing or two. Flashy? yes, but he takes care of "little Pedro".
Guys like Anthony don't pick street fights just for hell of it, because they have ethics and know their power. Its punk asses like this one.



https://youtube.com/watch?v=TsFmWipioeg

You ever watch that old baseball fight between Chan Ho Park (at the time of the Dodgers) and Tim Belcher (at the time of the Angels)? Park, who is supposed to be a black belt in TKD, didn't like the hard tag he received from Belcher after a sacrifice bunt. A fight broke out, and Park tried to throw one of those bullshit TKD flying kicks at Belcher. Belcher stepped aside and pushed Park to the ground, and then Belcher fell on top of, and pounded the living shit out of Park.

http://dodgerblues.com/images/chanhokick.gif

Personally I think your 13 year old skinny kid story is bullshit, but I don't care enough to argue with you. There are always freaks of nature like Cung Lee that can throw these stylish roundhouse kicks and connect with him, but for 99% of the world if you try and throw some obnoxious TKD kick you will soon end up on your ass with the other person on top of you...