Martial arts

Originally Posted by Void

One of my lifetime goals is to master a martial arts.

I don't think it's possible to master a martial art in a lifetime. If you're going to devote your life to martial arts, you'll end up doing so to make the most of the time you have, but you'll never master any of the disciplines. If you were to master a martial art, it would simply lose its meaning. That's just my personal thought on the subject, I'm sure there are people who would disagree.

I think martial arts is absolutely amazing. I'd go so far as to say that if it weren't for some of the disciplines that I've been a student of so far, I would've turned out alot worse in life. Without a doubt, I feel it is the best way to exercise, develop, grow stronger and if you're lucky - also get to know some really awesome people. Some of my closest and best friends are people I've met in the dojo.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Again, I'm going to sound like a smartass, but that's really not my intention. I just feel that this is something important that needs to be stressed, or else you'll be cheating yourself. In traditional martial arts - where coloured belts apply - the meaning that the black belt conveys is that you've reached a point in your training where you're ready to start learning. It's not a point you reach and say "ok, I'm done.", it's a whole new beginning. Everything up to that point is just basics, the things you need to know in order to start learning.

I've been a student of ju-jutsu since the age of 10. This has been my primary discipline - and still is. I've been doing some BJJ and Muay Thai along with that, but right now I'm mostly into MMA which feels most comfortable, since it's quite similar to what I'm used to.

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Quote:

I understand that when you become a black belt, all you know are all of the kicks and forms and means of fighting someone but it's only after you reach that point that you can apply it into actual fighting.

I'm not sure if I understand what you mean, correct me if I misunderstood what you just said - earning your black belt in a traditional style which doesn't include any kind of sparring, and then partaking in your first real fight makes you no more experienced than a white belt getting in trouble for the first time. There are indeed styles that do not cover any sparring whatsoever, so don't get fooled. Basically, you need to go up against real opponents - not necessarily by picking a fight out on the streets, don't get me wrong - but simply by visiting another club for a week or two and doing some full-contact sparring with a completely unknown person. Just the fact that you're fighting someone unknown makes it so much harder to match him. Maybe you get nervous, maybe you don't. Bottom line is - you won't know what to expect and you won't know how aggressive he is, but most importantly - you won't know how you react until you fight him.

As far as Tae Kwon Do is concerned - I haven't really tried it, so I can't say much, but from what I gather, it's an effective form if you're looking for technique in kicking and possibly punching, though there seems to be a lack of the latter in some styles. Other than that, I wouldn't spend much time doing it - there's no clinching, no grappling, no wrestling, no throwing etc. It's not as dynamic as some of the more popular arts, but it does have its own unique form and I can appreciate it for that. And as some of you have already pointed out - it's way too expensive - especially in relation to how much you actually learn from all of it.

Personally, I believe a good martial art is an art that makes you feel good and better about yourself. It suits your needs and your everyday goals in life. Like everything else, you need to balance it with the rest of your life. I've seen too many people walk away from the dojo, either because they don't have time (a legitimate reason) or because "they're not interested", whatever that means. Whether or not that stems from an actual lack of interest, or simply because they're unable to progress in their training, I don't really know. Needless to say, if it's the latter - you need to work things out with yourself, but don't turn your back on something great.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by RacinReaver

Not sure if it's just the place I went to or not, but we did a fair amount of throws, grappling, and submission moves in addition to the normal kick punch it's all in the mind. I actually wound up hurting a few people by accident because a few of my joints are freakishly flexible and I didn't know most people couldn't bend that far. ;_;

That's unlike anything I've seen here, what was the name of the style/school?

How ya doing, buddy?