The man thread. (Page 2 of 2)

"DIFenders?" Really?

While I'm certainly flattered by the request,  weekly would be a bit much, firstly, and secondly, while I do hold a black sash in Jing Mu, its been probably 10 years since I transitioned from that to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai.  While I feel Im competant at what I do, I train with some very wonderfully skilled folk who put my skills to shame and kick my ass routinely.  They have online presences that I would direct you toward.

With that said, I have a long gestating DIF blog post about fight choreography as well as a desire to film some kind of short film thats just one big fight.  Ill give a heads up if/when either of those go up. 

I'm also open to ideas if you want to see me to do something resembling ass-kickery.

Last edited by Eddie (2010-05-24 16:39:15)

Hey, while we're on the subject of that sort of thing, I'm thinking about getting into some kind of martial art.  I know I'm a little old to get started by comparison to most, but I'm trying to get in better shape and I'd like something like that to spice up my routine.  On top of that, wrestling/being a wrestler has gotten me into a couple of situations where knowing how to defend (DIFend?) myself competently would have made things a lot less scary.

With that kind of criteria in mind, what would you reccomend?  I know there are general MMA classes and Krav Magra self defense classes in the area, but those seem fairly moneygrabby.  I know boxing is great for getting in shape and getting some power in your arms, but Muay Thai seems like it would provide that along with some flexibility.

Thoughts?  Also, if you ever do shoot that short film, I'd love to be involved in some way, if you'll have me.

I touched a boobie.

Oh hey there, just saw this.

I would recommend think outside of this notion of styles.  Traditional Styles are a byproduct of geography, sociology, weapons technology of that era, and other factors that aren't as relevant these days.  Instead of engaging in a debate of Tae Kwon Do vs Wing Chun, I would say approach this from a forensic standpoint. 

There are three ranges of unarmed, hand to hand combat.  Striking, clinching, and grappling.  Some arts address all three, others specialize in one or two.  I would say do some research, try a few classes based on what you have in your area, and pursue the one that fits your personality and your body type first.  Once you've gained some skill, try to supplement it with an art that's outside of what you've been doing.

STRIKING
Any art where punches and kicks are the primary methods of attack, usually at range of full extension.  A pure striking art would be something like Western boxing, most Karate styles, most Kung Fu styles (particularly Northern Shaolin styles), Savate, western Kickboxing. 

CLINCH
These are styles that either have an emphasis or at least serious attention paid to the close range, stand up fighting.  There are very few pure clinch styles, but rather arts that use the clinch as a means to either deliver strikes at short range, or initiate a takedown and a subsequent ground grappling exchange.  Among these arts would be Greco-Roman Wrestling (leading to a takedown), Judo (takedown), Muay Thai Kickboxing (heavy emphasis on knees and elbows), Sambo (takedown), and Dumog, (strikes, takedown).

GRAPPLING
A grappling style is essentially a variation on wrestling.  For some grappling styles, the goal is to pin or immobilize an opponent, for others the goal is to beat an opponent with strikes, and for others the goal is to finish an opponent with a submission hold (choke, joint manipulation).  Freestyle wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Catch Wrestling, Sambo, and Judo all have a strong ne-waza (ground grappling) element.

In my humble opinion....you need all three.  You can neither properly defend yourself nor explore your Martial potential without exploring in varying degree all three aspects.  Kyle, you are a big guy who has spent several hundred hours lifting other big guys.  I'm not recommending Savate.  I would say play to your strengths and try either Judo or Brazillian Jiu Jitsu.  You'll do more standing and throwing in Judo, and more mat work and submission holds in BJJ.  I love both, but have been doing BJJ for 10 years now for a reason.  Its a bit more comprehensive and a bit more, well, fun, in my opinion.  Ive seen guys in real time successfully defend themselves from an attack with nothing but Jiu Jitsu. 

If you really, REALLY, just want to hit something, I would try Muay Thai or a really old school, hard style Karate.  Maybe Kyokushin-kai or Uechi Ryu.  Youll punch more things in Muay Thai, but youll do a lot of kicking as well.  Kyoukushin, is one of the few modern Karate schools that stress the importance of live sparring.  I would agree.  A martial arts school that doesnt spend at least some time sparring is sort of wasting your time.  WIth that in mind, Wing Chun Kung Fu isn't horrible either.

If you want to roll onto a movie set as fast as possible, Kung Fu is still the standard bearer.  Northern Shaolin styles tend to be flashier.  Wushu schools are fairly common as well.  Capoeira looks damned pretty and if you at 300 pounds could pull off a quexada to armada and au combo, that would be pretty sick.

That said, if you're looking for a good workout and something thats more about stillness and peace, I would heartily recommend an internal art.  Something like Tai Chi, Pa Kua, Hsing-I, or certain souther Shaolin styles.

My journey has been an unusual one.  I started doing Yang style Tai Chi Chuan when I was 14 and within a year I was co enrolled in our schools Jing Mu Kung Fu classes.  I got my black sash in 3 years and during that time I took as many seminars and camps as possible.  I tried a little capoeira, eskrima, and Pa Kua.  I fought professionally at 18 in this thing called the Shidokan out in Chicago.  I trained in my native style, as well as lots of Jeet Kune Do....and subsequently got my ass knocked out in the 1st round by the previous years winner.  I reevaluated a lot, and after the Army I started training in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  I haven't REALLY looked back since.  Ive been very fortunate to train the last 7 years at a popular MMA school here in LA, and I've gotten to roll with tons of my heroes and they've all completely destroyed me.  Ive won a couple tournaments here and there but I feel like my real strength is as a teacher. 

I trained Amy Earhart for Return of Pink Five and as soon as a certain someone finishes a certain spacebridge battle, you'll see what I mean.

If you come at a dude with Seven Star Praying Mantis, it won't be much of a fight.

It pains me to say this....but most Kung Fu is not applicable for real self defense.  And I say this as a Black Sash in Kung Fu.  Let me put it to you this way.  Say you wanted to learn to defend yourself and you wanted to take up Boxing.  So you go into a boxing gym, and the first thing they tell you is stand with bot arms by your waist and your fists pointed upward, turn of the century style.  You'd laugh as you walk out of the place, and you'd be right to do so because that shit doesn't work anymore. 

There was a time when it worked because thats all people knew.  But as a society develops, so does its fighting techniques.  Kung Fu, while steeped in culture and often times beauty, was developed hundreds of years ago, and based on how people fought at that time in that part of the world.  We in the western world tend to romanticize it and ascribe a near supernatural aspect to it, but at the end of the day, its a series of prostrations that don't add up to this time period in this part of the world.

I'm not saying its worthless or never works.  I don't believe in absolutes, but I do believe in percentages.  If I throw a left hook that is properly timed and executed , it'll at least do some damage over half the time.  But if I try a mantis claw grab into a lop sau bil jee.... the percentage of that working is far less.  I try a pluck needle wristlock takedown, it'll work 15% of the time.  My chances go up significantly if I try a double leg takedown or even an Uchi Mata from Judo. 

So if you've got a hankering for some Crouching Tiger, by all means, go crazy.  If you want to learn how to fight...I can't in good faith recommend that.