Martial Arts for the Unemployed

unmitigatedbadassery

I've really wanted to get back into martial arts since I've been losing weight and getting healthy. I did TKD for about a year when I was 15 but had to quit because I failed algebra... I'm a grown up now but my situation is this:

I'm unemployed at the moment therefore my budget is non-existent. I also live in a small town so the closest decent class is 30-40 minutes away.

What forms of martial arts (if any) can I get started with at home via DVD without it being a complete waste of time from a technique stand point?

peteb79

Interested in this as well.. maybe something on You tube?

Expatgirl

BUMP Great question! Meeeeee toooooo!

Jashella

The only Martial Art know that caters for Distance training is OIKA.
http://www.oika.pages.qpg.com/index.html

The main branch is in Australia, but there are few dojos in USA.
http://www.oika.pages.qpg.com/id11.html

With it, you get DVDs that instruct you how to do the techniques, and once in a while you send a video of you doing the techniques to receive feedback and improve.
Extract from the website

"DISTANCE ISSHINRYU KARATE COURSE
On initial membership application and payment, you will receive your Lifetime Membership Certificate from the Okinawa Isshin‑Ryu Karate Australia, OIKA . You will also receive the Isshin‑Ryu Patch, OIKA member patch, Training Manual, Grade card and ID Card.
Your first instruction dvd will also be included, which is all the requirements for your requirements from 9th Kyu Yellow Belt to 6th Kyu Green Belt plus all the Isshinryu History.
You will need to return a DVD of yourself from front and side, performing all requirements for assessment, comments and upgrade. You will then be sent a certificate confirming your grade level and the next dvd training programme.
You can send your DVD at any time after a month of training or when you feel confident of passing. This will keep you costs of training time and postage down.
Arrangements for testing for Black Belt can be made to come to the OIKA Dojo in June or December on Black Belt grading dates for those students in Australia, or be tested by the closest Isshinryu black belt near you. Other arrangements can be made by OIKA Aust. For overseas students.
All techniques and testing requirements are unified in all branches of OIKA."


There is also Weapons Distance training for anyone who's interested.

allisonkempo

My husband's a martial arts instructor, and I'd suggest you call your local YMCA or YWCA. Most of them have scholarships and sliding scale memberships fees for people who meet certain income requirements, and believe it or not there are some really great instructors through local Ys. Many of them are long time instructors who are more interested in sharing the skills than getting rich teaching. Don't get me wrong--there's nothing wrong with making a good living teaching, but it's also nice to see people giving of themselves to people who are anxious to learn and willing to be dedicated. but who may not have the means to pay the larger MA school fees.

hemlock2010

You might look at the Anderson Silva MMA workouts on dvd. I got mine from Amazon. There's a book that's part of the same series, but I didn't order it. I wasn't interested in boxing or MMA when I started, but I wanted something I could learn at home, and there's a lot of really good material out there for boxing and MMA.

wellbert

Kickboxing. There are a lot of great books on technique, too. I'm currently reading through Complete Kickboxing by Martina Sprague and Keith LIvingston. If you can get someone else to workout with you, it outlines a lot of partner exercises.

I find it to be pretty consistent with my in-person kickboxing class and still a valuable additional asset used as a supplement to classroom training.

You can probably also get a heavybag setup cheap on craigslist if you have space for it. Working a heavybag is great exercise.