Hi I’m new to the board and I’m currently seeking advice on what MA’s I should consider studying.
Background info:
I’m 17 and I live in Flushing, NYC. It’s tough being a kid in NYC and especially with the people I involve myself with. Anyway I know how it feels to get into fights and such. One of the obvious reasons for me to learn a MA is purely fighting or “self-defense,” whatever you want to call it. I don’t go around looking for fights but a lot of sh!t happens around here.
Also I want to get into shape and I find MA’s really interesting. I don’t do crap in school or anything acedemic so I guess I should do something atleast half productive with my time other than shooting pool and stuff.
Styles I was looking into:
#1 style I thought of was Krav Maga. Yeah its really not a style but its supposedly works in the street. #2 as I was reading more into MA’s I discovered Aikido. I thought well its not really going to anything for me but I read some books and it looked interesting. I went to a intro workshop and I seem to like it a lot. How cool would it be to break someone’s wrist as they fall and break their butt on the concrete (sorr thats the teenager in me talking). #3 I figured I needed some striking or offensive to compliment so I looked into kicking boxing. San shou and Muay Thai look pretty **** good. #4 I was also looking into some BJJ or traditional Jui Jitsu. #5 Then I went on and discovered the world of Kung Fu (yeah im chinese). My uncle used to be a pretty avid MAist and he started with Wing Chun. It seems like a possibility aswell.
School Options:
Krav Maga - There is a school held in Manhattan for that. It looks pretty decent but I have yet to go to a intro class.
Aikido - Plenty of places around me. I particularly like Bond St. Dojo which I went to check out a couple weeks ago.
Kickboxing - Another style that has many schools in my area. I talked to a guy from a place that teaches San Shou. Looks pretty good, i like the grappling along with the striking, looks pretty complete.
BJJ - Renzo Gracie has a academy in Manhattan. I don’t know how good it is though since i figure he is always training for the MMA and grappling events.
Kung Fu - There is a Shaolin Temple in Flushing that teaches Kung Fu. Songshan temple I think. Well it has got to be pretty respectable, its a freakin’ Shaolin temple!!! Guoshin Lin is the monk’s name??? hes pretty well known from what I hear. Theres also a Wing Chun school run by Alan Lee??? I heard its pretty good also. I was looking into Shiao Jiao Kung Fu, but no where in NYC that I know of teaches that art.
Conclusion:
Well there are a lot of questions floating through my mind right now. Is it wise to cross train with different arts. I know some people say stick with ones, others feel it doesn’t hurt to expand knowledge. I want to be a complete fighter, I am willing to deticate the time and the work into training. Another question I have is what will be the most effective in the street? I get into a lot of 1 v 1 situations. Yeah just walk away yada yada yada, not so simple where I live.
I tried to put together my thoughts in a semi-coherrent manner with the limited time I have to post this message. Its probably really confusing, sorry trying to put my thoughts down as I think them up. Anyway… anyone who has any good advice for me please post or e-mail me at GrdStorm11@aol.com
Also if you live in NYC and know specifically any good info about schools and such please let me know!!!
Little China, the choice seems clear to me. Shaolin. it is perfect for your age group. do not worry about cross training until black belt level. Aikido is excellent but progress there may seem slower to you. Shaolin has suai jiao and chin na (cool wrist breaks). Try it first. Maybe get a friend to join with you.
Some say that “monk” is a fake that teaches shaolin kung fu, and others say he is a fake that actually teaches Wushu and calls it shaolin kung fu. Either way, from what I saw on TV he knows his sh!t, and training with him would definately be something I’d look into.
Hello LittleChina.
Welcome to the boat.
I´ll start by checking your post out,and making my own conclusions of what would be good.
It seems you do have many choises around,which can be beneficial.
Krav Maga:Straightforward,“no-nonsense” art.Highly based on self-defense.Meant to teach you effective and simple way of defending as quickly as possible.I´ve heard lots of good stuff about it.It is very likely that you´d find it interesting.
Aikido:Having some training,I personally like this art.
It is a complex art and not necessarily easy to learn.
It is one of the more spiritual arts,based on technique vs brute strength,and is highly peaceful art,“goal” being to solve conflicts with love.it is noted at times that it takes generally more time to become practical in it.Emphasis is often placed more on other things than self-defense.
Striking arts (kickboxing,sanshou,muay thai) :Classic striking/kicking combat sports.In theory,easier to put to life due to their relatively linear approach.Also remembering that kickboxing is a sport,for ring.Muay thai,also being part sport,is slightly more martial art,and I´ve got the idea that it´s effective.
BJJ:I don´t know much,but it seems to be loved,possibly because of the charisma and competition succes of Gracies.
Grappling art,groundfighting is a big thing for them.
Jujitsu/jujutsu:Art does have a lot to give in the name of self-protection.“Complete” art which seems to have something for many areas of combat.
sidenote:Jujitsu had a heavy influence on aikido.
Kung-fu:A large subject.
Wing chun is largely recognized and respected art.
And then the temple…Go for it.If possible,reaching your uncle could help too.
That´s it about those styles.
You may go out try those styles&schools out,which is possibly the best way to see what really suits you.
You might want to talk to the teachers,maybe try out a class or two,check out their background etc.
BTW,If you are interested in learning how to fight or in other words,protect yourself,you don´t have to study martial arts.
You can as well study plain self-defense (go to courses,seminars etc.)
Martial arts do have a lot more to it than self-protection,if you are not interested in health benefits,spiritual growth etc. that could take away excessive energy of yours.
Not to mention those martial sports or self-defense styles we previously talked about,so think about it carefully.
Here´s this for now.
Don´t be afraid to ask for more,or search more.
Check out the teacher. If you like the teacher in the places near you then choose the art.
Think about why you want to do it. Fitness (part-timer!), spiritualism (hippy!), SD (pu**y!), kicking ass (psycho!), looking good (pretty boy!) or other (probably the right reason).
Then choose wing chun or aikido. Or something with big swords.
that temple in flushing is one of the official Shaolin offshoots, its posted at Russbo.com.. I tried to get more info but that portion of the site is down right now. I would definately consider Shaolin, at least give it a try.
I recommend stone sculpture. Moving blocks of marble or granite is great conditioning, and hammer/chisel and rattail file are subtle yet incredibly dangerous weapons.
Do it the traditional way - go to each school in turn and tell the instructor you are here to close down his school - then choose the one that gives you the biggest kicking and knock on his door each night until he accepts you as a disciple.
If you don’t fancy that you might try asking if you can watch a lesson of each and when you’ve done that you’ll be ready to start at the wing chun school in the knowledge that there is nothing else better available locally
Well, if you are seeking to learn to defend yourself and real quick-like, go with Krav Maga. I went to the seminar right before classes started at the KM center here and it was a hell of a workout. My shirt was completely drenched and salt-stained at the end. They brought out the kick sheilds and focus mits after about 20 minutes. They had you throwing punches, kicks, elbows and knees in the first hour, something that is very very rare in any kind of traditional school. It was a very very different experience and I think that some others on this board are too quick to dismiss KM as a legitimate art, simply because they don’t understand it.
Aikido will get you punched in the face over and over and over…outside of japan hardcore aikido, don’t trust some pot bellied aged hippy to teach you to pack a fight’! Want it quick? Go take Krav Maga or kick boxing.., want more of a challenge, take a chinese style that isn’t taught in a McDojo, want to get sweaty and wrestle for submission, take BJJ.
Do you like kicking? punching? trapping?
I like hands, traps, limb destructions and brutal bone jarring throws- so i take taijutsu. Think about what you want and then take anything that fits it. (except TKD!)
what the hell are you talking about Krav maga is a bunch dirty shyt. Some thing simple and effective is sambo! Hell karate is better than krav maga. Check out www.kravmaga.com and look in the interactive section and look at thos BS videos some body with minimal training can counter that crap. Well I might be judging to quick but from what I saw those videos WERE a bunch of nonsense and if some poor sob tried it on the street he will get his brains scattered all over the pavement. Wing chun, shaolin, or muy thai. some body tell me if im wrong
Aikido teaces how to move off center and shifting turns. Buys one time~ to strike and get to objects to threaten or use other ways.
The strike based stuff takes time to learn power and targets and power to do damage and endurance for executing the techniques. Good stuff for fun. But for save yourself, learn to run/move first.
A taijutsu person should understand the significance of movement to surviving a fight. Unless you don’t understand what you are doing-ish. While your stomp kick might be good you might be better if you could incorporate movement. Taijutsu–Body displacement. So it doesn’t seem as though you should not advise taking Aikido ((hopefully the Art will come through the instructor, contrary perhaps to your experiences).
