Martial Arts Fitness (((AND I DONT MEAN TAEBO!)))

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  • ninpo_guy
    ninpo_guy Posts: 2 Member
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    I will say, that as far as fitness in the martial arts, it is up to you as the student, not so much the art, though I do believe that some schools will have a stronger emphasis on fitness than others. I have studied everything from TKD, Kenpo, Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu, Aikido, several different styles kung fu, Krav Maga, and finally, my current love Kuntao Silat. So far , Kuntao Silat, is the art that has forced the largest change in my body, both in weight loss, strength, flexibility, as well as mental and physical toughness. This could be due to my mental focus, the class dynamics or just where I am in my life, or the teacher and the art, or some combination of the above. I train in my teachers garage, not a school, and it has been some of the best training I have ever done, as far as actual effectiveness for my body and mindset. I would highly recommend trying multiple arts/styles and teachers, and there are so many variables involved when choosing an art/teacher/school. I have truly enjoyed training in the many and various arts I have tried over the last couple of decades, for different reasons for each art. I am at a place in my life where, I feel that, besides concealed carry, which I am a huge fan of, I want the biggest bang for any movement that I have to make in a combat situation. It could be maturity, or possibly a mental defect, but the Kuntao Silat that I do now, has helped me feel like I could end a life threatening situation quickly and efficiently, in a more decisive manner than any of the other arts thaI have studied.. That is not to discount the other arts I have studied, as I may have just been a poor student or was lacking understanding, as for my teachers, their art was the most effective for them, and I would not give up the time I spent training with them for anything. Sorry for the long post, in short, you can learn some amazing things from martial arts, but martial arts are about helping you become a better and more well-rounded person, and they give you tools and support that you can use to accomplish your fitness/life goals, but ultimately it is up to you to use what you are learning, to accomplish your goals.
  • tedioustrainingap
    tedioustrainingap Posts: 78 Member
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    The thing is, any movement learned, has to be repeated over and over for it to be available to you as a response in any situation requiring defence. This is where MAs can provide a useful grounding. My MA is Wing Chun (or Ving Tsun) and I qualified as a self defence instructor through it. In future, I'd like to take Wing Chun back up and also Ba Gua, for something little different.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    Lofteren wrote: »
    For self defense and fitness I would recommend either MMA or Krav Maga. If those aren't available, Sambo, Judo, Pancrase, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai are also very good styles. Check out several schools and watch to see which schools train the hardest and have the best students. Also remember that the practitioner is more important than the style.

    This is excellent advice. All great schools/teachers I have encountered first informed me of their teaching line before anything else. They also introduced philosophy and drill the importance of "the only rational reason to master violence, is to abolish it". If you're shopping for schools and they promote a package deal to get you to black-belt - seek your fortune elsewhere.

    Great self defense teachers will incorporate a lot of scenario construction and role play - involving a lot of sparring. Great teachers will be flexible enough to draw from other styles.

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