What style MA do you do and what are you currently learning?

I realised from another thread in this section, that I don't know much about other MA styles or even other tkd schools, I just went to mine because my brother and sister in law go there.

So, I do tkd. At my school it is very structured, all adult coloured belts learn the same syllabus for a few months, are graded, then all move on to the next syllabus. When you do all 9, you are cho Dan Bo, so training for black grading. The syllabus is all clearly listed and there is a DVD you can look at at home. I go 3 times a week and each class they will focus on different things. There are 30- 40 in each class, 3 instructors, pretty even gender split, a lot of energy.

There is always some fitness too, focusing on leg and arm strength. Although they always teach the technical way to do things for grading first, they then say in a real situation you would do this and tell you to go for the groin or whatever is appropriate.

So this term we are doing:

- general reinforcement of previously learned blocks, strikes, kicks
- a pattern (poomsae)
- step sparring- face punch, defend, hip/ shoulder throw, lock
- two new kicks- flying side kick, triple roundhouse
- boxing combo- hook, hook, upper cut, cross etc
- sparring practice
- kicking drills
- street self defence - side choke and headlock from behind
- weapons defence - defence to specific types of attack from knife, gun, club
-wrestling on feet and knees
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Replies

  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
    Well, hi! Welcome! I missed this one.

    I've been learning a mixed style, which places more emphasis on practicality and defense and less emphasis on sport, for about 10 years. We have a colored belt system, with a minimum of six months between tests, a minimum of one year between brown and black belts, and a minimum of six years total training to be eligible to test for black. But other than the minimum, we are tested for the next level when our instructor believes we are ready. Some folks take longer than others.
    Although there are techniques and kata we are expected to know at each level, our learning is somewhat individualized, based on our strengths, weaknesses, and needs. At brown and black belt levels, we are no longer given a list of things to work on; we are expected to know the physical techniques by then. After that, it's all about application and mindset. We are taught the first five katas by our instructors, but we are responsible for learning the black belt katas on our own.
  • CriosDubh
    CriosDubh Posts: 60 Member
    Our style is mostly TKD. In addition to traditional patterns and sparring, we work on self-defense, some weapons (short stick), board-breaking, general fitness, and agility. We have a testing every two months, but you have to pass several pre-tests in order to be allowed to test for rank change. K-12 students also have to get permission to test from teachers and parents.

    We have a curriculum that changes a bit every cycle. Minimum time to black belt is three years for the most diligent students, and our school is not shy about handing out "no-changes" at testing time if a student can't demonstrate proficiency.

    Black belts are only permitted to test evey other cycle in order to progress through levels and degrees. To test for any black belt, students are also required to perform community service, pass an oral exam regarding the tenets of TKD, and to read and report on a serious book. Naturally the educational requirement is tailored to a student's age. It's not as if third graders are having to read War and Peace.
  • trackercasey76
    trackercasey76 Posts: 781 Member
    We do Traditional TKD with more emphasis on self defense and sparring. We go two days a week and the fastest we can test for black belt is 3 years. The Kids classes are stranger danger, Sparring, and Forms and our students are encouraged to compete in tournaments as often as possible. 15 students Brought home 15 trophies and several Medals two weeks ago from the AOMA Nationals.
  • The art I train in is Soo Bahk Do Muk Do Kwan. Even though I'm a Cho Dan (1 degree black), I have been out for awhile because there wasn't a school in the area for some time. Now that a new school has open, I'm returning and mostly starting from the beginning to wake up my body and mind again.
  • Cookme1
    Cookme1 Posts: 15
    I study Shorei Goju Ryu , Small Circle Jujitsu and modern Arnis.
    I am currently working on nan dan sho kata, ni hanshi kata and Ten sho kata. Plus the Bunkai to Sai en chen. I just started small circle and arnis so am picking up the basics of each. The first two arts use a sylabus.
    We run forms or kata in shorie. Plus sparing and self defense patterns.
    Small circle uses pressure points and lots of joint manipulations, traping and immobalizations. Breaks if needed. i also need the Bo staff, Tonfa, and Nunchukow for my next promotion.
    We do warm ups for ten minutes but most physical activity is your own responsibility.
    We need to know anti knife and club techniques. choke and bear hug escapes.
    Applications of different chokes , arm bars, wrist locks and the practical application of your forms are studied as well.
    We have one, two and three step sparring as well as free sparring.
    1st degree or sho dan requires a biography and why you take karate. Also a history and liniage of Shorei Goju Ryu is required.
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
    I fight, but these are the styles that I mash up :

    muay Thai
    Judo
    NoGi jiu jitsu
    Wrestling

    I don't do any belted stuff. Maybe in a year or two I'll work on my jits belt, but for me, it just doesn't matter.
  • wocko6092
    wocko6092 Posts: 69 Member
    I have previous experience with karate and kickboxing But i couldn't keep things going to home life. But i'm studing Shaolin Chuan Fa which is a form of kung fu. I love every bit from the body condtioning to the sparring.
    I have been doing this for 3 months now and i'm going in for my first grading which will be for a white sash in about 3 weeks.
    We can train up to black belt which would take at least 4 and half years min depending if you can pick it up quickly
  • emtron500
    emtron500 Posts: 102 Member
    I do taekwondo as well, but it sounds a little different from yours. we learn one poomse per belt, focus on one breaking kick per belt (where we need to break a board with that kick in order to pass our belt test), and learn new self defense moves at every belt level. obviously throughout the process we're also focusing on kicks other than our breaking kicks. I go twice a week, and the second one is always focused on practicing sparring techniques and doing light-contact sparring. we also have to spar at belt testing starting at green belt.
  • shinkalork
    shinkalork Posts: 815 Member
    I've been doing Hoshinkido Hapkido for a couple years now and it's the perfect one for me.
    I tried many different MA styles during 14 years in total.... Judo,Shorin Ryu Karate,TaeKwonDo and Ninjutsu...

    I'm a security officer so.... Learning pressure points,joint locks,throws,take down etc is the best for me.

    We have close to 3800 technics in total..so it's pretty complete.
  • ColoradoRobin
    ColoradoRobin Posts: 510 Member
    I'm studying Shotokan karate right now, and preparing to test for my black belt. We cover defenses, one-step sparring techniques, and arnis in addition to Shotokan katas, blocks, kicks and strikes.
  • rachmass1
    rachmass1 Posts: 470 Member
    Aikido! :)
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Was doing Muay Thai for a while. The good trainer left, so I did sad-kickboxing that was more cardio than technique until my prepaid membership expired.

    Right now, I'm looking for something.
  • I study TKD, and have been doing it for 10 months now. Both my son and i go to the same school, so we have some bonding going on there which is always good! Currently i'm a green belt, and i'm now learning tornado kicks, spinning back kicks, self-defense using what's called "escort escapes", when someone grabs your shirt if you're standing next to them........there are three escapes and manuipulations for that. One-step sparring with kicks now being incorporated in them, as opposed to the previous belts where it was just striking. Also, i'm at the level where i can do sparring on a consistent basis, and my instructor has been wishing i do that since he likes how my left leg can cause a problem with other students. hehe! We also have blocking techniques with counters, and also forms (Taeguek Il Jung).
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    boxing lately

    Used to do kyukashan
  • Sammybunny711
    Sammybunny711 Posts: 92 Member
    I train in both Hapkido and Taekwondo at the same school. Our Taekwondo school follows the Kukkiwon regulations and requirements, so it is pretty structured. Our Hapkido is a mixture of various schools' practices that my master has trained in. Love them both, though. I'm testing for my yellow stripe belt next Saturday in Taekwondo (yellow belt with a green stripe through it) and am testing for black belt in hapkido sometime next year (I'm a red belt now).
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    Have studies for almost 38 years. Primarily TKD and Shorin-Ryu. Stopped competing in 1987. Practice forms now. Couple times a week.
  • nl1310
    nl1310 Posts: 1
    Hi I'm new to MA and to this group! I just started Shotokan last week with my teenager. We're loving it. My son started over the summer and as we watched him we both got interested.

    My problem is that I'm starting this in my 40s! Would love any tips to try to get my flexibility back so I can learn properly.
  • lre224
    lre224 Posts: 83
    Hi I'm new to MA and to this group! I just started Shotokan last week with my teenager. We're loving it. My son started over the summer and as we watched him we both got interested.

    My problem is that I'm starting this in my 40s! Would love any tips to try to get my flexibility back so I can learn properly.


    I was 45 when I started Tang Soo Do & will be testing for black belt next Wednesday (I'm 48). Generally, I suggest to take your time stick with it & make sure you take the time to stretch before. Your flexibility will gradualy improve. Hopefully your instructor keeps in mind that you might not be able to so something as well as a teenager, just because of age. Everyone in the class I'm taking has knee/wrist issues, including the instructor and this is what she reminded us about.

    Good luck with it & have fun!
  • CallMePat
    CallMePat Posts: 74 Member
    I started Wado Ryu Karate Jujitsu last October. It's pretty much half Japanese Jujitsu and half Shotokan. It's a really close quarters style (as far as Karate goes). I do an hour and a half on mondays and three hours on thursdays. Classes usually go like: Warm Ups, Stretching, some basic techniques, then we focus on a technique, doing partner drills then he'll expand on that another 2 or 3 times. Near the end we usually do sparring or work some forms.
    To Advance in rank you need: put in time (We only had 6 black belts since 1993, I know right), Forms, Techniques worthy of rank, terms for whatever stances or techniques in Japanese, Sparring. But really he told us whenever we start to look his idea of a Wado Whatever belt. He starts contemplating testing.

    As a one year anniversary type deal I started BJJ on monday, which turns out to Helio Gracie's Birthday, with only two classes and a few open mat days I cant tell you too much about it, but Its nice to be able to use a lot more strength and skill without having to worry about hurting someone while rolling/sparring.
  • Hi! I am new to this group... my 9 year old daughter won a 3 month pass to a Kenpo Karate studio near our home. Now that it is done we have joined as a family and my 5 and 11 year old daughters and I started classes last week. I am having so much fun! It is WAAAAY more "hands on" than I anticipated. Having people sit on you (and vice versa) to learn escape techniques on the very first day of class was not what I was expecting but it turns out I'm pretty good at it! :)
  • tigerblood78
    tigerblood78 Posts: 416 Member
    I really want to learn bjj.......but it is not currently offered anywhere near me. Two weeks I started taking muay thai. The instructor is really good. I really like it. The classes kick my *kitten*. Lets me know I'm not in as good a shape as I like to think I am. Also motivates me to train harder during the week.
  • Motleybird
    Motleybird Posts: 119 Member
    Yang style Tai Chi

    Currently, I'm relearning the sword form, and practicing the related warm up exercises. My shoulders have been bothering me off and on for the past couple years, so I decided that the light weight and controlled range of motion involved would help sort those out. So far, so good. It's been several years since I last practiced sword work, so I've been retranslating the moves I remember by adding the new things I've learned since then.

    There are no belts in Tai Chi, and as I understand, the standard Chinese greeting is something along the lines of "Your Tai Chi is no good." You just shrug and keep practicing anyway.

    Most people recognize that Tai Chi has forms, which are like long, slow, katas. It can take months to learn a form, provided that you practice and work at it. Once you have the form memorized, then you can pat yourself on the back for completing kindergarten. From there more layers of refinement are added until your pretty dance turns into an actual workout that will make you sweat. The kicker of it is that the casual observer can't tell the difference between doing it for show and the real thing, but your sifu can, or should. The form isn't Tai Chi. Tai Chi is what you put into the form. It retrains all of your movements from the inside out.

    There are also push-hands classes to practice sparring using the 'powers' you learned from the form, which in turn improves your form once you've seen how it works in action. Push hands helps you to develop 'powers' also. And...my goal is to get back into that side of it when my shoulders can handle it. Hard to have a decent ward off otherwise.
  • LordBear
    LordBear Posts: 239 Member
    when i first started way back when... it was itf/ustf taekwondo.. where i got up to red belt doing hwa rang...and yes probably killed the spelling.. itf is general choi hong hi.. style and group.. ustf is just here in the states and they are the guys u see doing all the sign wave stuff. which i had to do for a while. then due to lack of funds i cldnt advance and then had to drop and then go away to school and work and etc etc etc..lol... in that time i did a bit of kajekenbo.. yes that spelling i know i killed..lol.. did a bit kenpo karate.. and i did a bit of kungfu with friends.

    a year ago.. i started taking tkd again but at a different school. so i am considered a transfer..ugh..lol so stuck at white tell i relearn and get back up to where i was. this is baileys tae kwon do.

    the itf/ustf class to advance and such..had to memorise some book stuff, step sparring, reg sparring, breaking, forms, then when u got up to where i was you had to start doing coriography. i hate my spelling..lol at that point advancement was a big deal and a lot went in to it.

    here at baileys we use all the same patterns as itf with no sign wave. for advanvement pretty basic.. go thru a class spar break do ur pattern and thats about it.. how ever sparring here is non contact only which is no biggy but if in a tourney and i imagine advancement?? if u barely hit some one u will lose the match automaticly?? not sure how that works exactly..but now matter how skilled u r contact is going to happen.. so i will see how that goes..just wished they did a bit of padded sparring as well..



    and to the op... there is also olympic tkd which to me is retarded...lol... same as just boring old boxing... the punch they hug they punch they hug.... well instead of punch it is know kick and hug. they dont do much for blocking if at all and dont use their hands... first time i saw a match i was like wow this should be cool... and then i was like what the heck is this??..lol
  • ChasingStarlight
    ChasingStarlight Posts: 424 Member
    Updating my op. we have started learning the curriculum for the new belt. So far it is all a bit fancy- the pattern has lots of cat stance and double knife hands and double blocks. The kicks are climbing hook kick and front face counter, the lock is scissor lock. So far a lot of fun!
  • I do Muay Thai Boxing and it is the best therapy in the world!!! I don't go nearly as often as I want to, but everytime our gym hosts a fight, I get incredibly jealous when I see the girls who are fighting. THAT SHOULD BE ME FIGHTING!! That is MY fight and I WANT IT!! Maybe it's good for those intermittent pangs of jealousy that help serve as reminders for what I really want and maybe it will help me to start training more regularly and work harder. I get frustrated that I still have SO MUCH weight to lose (about 100 lbs) and I have a LONG way to go. I need to remember to take it one day at a time, but keep my eye on the prize.

    On a different note, I'm so excited to be a part of your group!! :)
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
    Welcome! Muay Thai is what got me into fighting too. Now I've had 2 mma fights and 1 muay thai fight, and looking to get another in a month.
  • catbrand
    catbrand Posts: 227 Member
    I do kickboxing, just got my orange belt last week, so not grading for green for 6 months now. So in the meantime I'm going to refine and perfect all my orange belt stuff (crescent kick, spinning side kick, ridgehand etc) and learn some of the green belt stuff which I can't remember as I don't have the syllabus on me, but I'm sure axe kick and double round kick come in to it, plus 2x2 minute rounds each of sparring, bag work and skipping to prepare for. Luckily I know those already as we mix it all up in training, it's just getting comfortable with them for grading.

    Plus I've got to massively improve my sparring! I entered my first competition a few weeks ago and I came 2nd in points, but got battered in continuous!! Still, can't wait for the next one lol!
  • fatty_to_fitty
    fatty_to_fitty Posts: 544 Member
    Jujutsu, MMA and just recently Muay Thai

    I could happily give up work and train everyday
  • CriosDubh
    CriosDubh Posts: 60 Member
    Updating my op. we have started learning the curriculum for the new belt. So far it is all a bit fancy- the pattern has lots of cat stance and double knife hands and double blocks. The kicks are climbing hook kick and front face counter, the lock is scissor lock. So far a lot of fun!

    Are you doing Joon-Gun? We did that as a tribute form a couple of cycles ago. Our national association is completely Americanized and uses a novel progressive form. However, every cycle we get to learn a Korean form, and red and black belts have to test on it as well as the progressive form. Now we're doing Choong-moo.

    @Lord Bear.. we don't do the sine wave, either. It looks funny to me now. I agree that the Olympic sparring did look silly. And I think we like the same books...
  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
    Hello all!! I do several arts, including; Danzan Ryu Jujitsu, Tao Ryu Jujitsu, Lerdrit, Muay Chao Chur, Geron Bahala na Escrima, Bare Knuckle Boxing, Boar Bando, Simultaneous Close Quarter Combat, Combat Knife Fighting...

    What are we learning right now...hmmm...well every night is different. Thursday night I focused a lot on BKB, footwork, drills (knees/elbows), shadowing, combos on the bag, bone conditioning. Friday night was a lot of Jujitsu techniques, both from Danzan and from Tao, and we finished with some knife work. Who knows what Monday will bring...