So I guess this can be a general discussion of the topic -- anyone here do martial arts? Which one do you do, if so?

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I've been thinking for awhile of taking up martial arts. However, I'll be honest, I'm very nervous about doing so. I'm a pretty shy person, 5'3" (and I'm a dude), pretty unfit and to top it off I have dyspraxia, which affects my motor skills/coordination. So this has really stopped me from just 'going for it'. I've wanted to do one since childhood and I'm 20 now.

What's made me really think about it is that I've realised that there's a place that does aikidou that's less than a five minute walk from my house. My girlfriend says to just go for it but I'm really not sure.

I want to try aikido too but don't have any free time to go to the local dojo.

Used to do judo as a kid, and kung fu as an adult. Both were pretty neat. As long as your dyspraxia isn't likely to hurt your sparing partner, there shouldn't be any problem. Plus there's always a beginners' group, with shy people, so blending in could be easier than you think. I guess you don't risk too much by trying. You can always quit, right? It's not like your life in engaged or anything. And when you'll turn 30, it'd begin to be difficult to start a sport, so whatever you do, don't have regrets.

I do Eskrima/Kali/Arnis, which is Filipino Martial Arts. Started last August. I mostly did it because my uncle said it was cool and he referred me to this gym down the street from me.

It turns out my Sifu has his own wikipedia page, and his reputation is well-earned. I think that for sure you shouldn't just join any gym, interview them, get a feel for what they do, see if their style matches yours, see if they're accommodating to your problems, see what they accomplished, etc.

I like it for several reasons:
-With sparring, there's an emphasis on full-contact, high speed. It's more "realistic." Since I'm a beginner, I get beat really bad. It really gives perspective on the skill disparity.
-I'm Filipino so it helps me get in touch with my culture.
-Keeps me fit... I think.

I've never bought into the whole self-discipline/meditation/philosophy stuff that they always promote in martial arts, though.

If I had more time I'd also take wrestling/jiu-jitsu lessons here.

i just have free for alls in the gym. the pics of one of my sessions are here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a...463&type=3 I'm the guy in the pink shorts.


We practice stuff like stamping on people's heads and strangling each other.

I often challenge bouncers to fight though now I have a career this has come to pass.

I did some reality based training in CQB and liked it. I read several books on grappling and took techniques from them. I learnt the basics of grappling from books and got offered a cage fight. I think its a myth you can't learn techniques from books.

HonyakuJoshua Wrote:i just have free for alls in the gym. the pics of one of my sessions are here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a...463&type=3 I'm the guy in the pink shorts.

Your privacy settings don't allow anyone to see that, that isn't your friend.

I thought I'd give kendo a go, innocently thinking 'well that looks quite fun'. So I bought a bokken and learned how to do a basic swing, it's good exercise. But other than that I live much too far from a dojo and have no money for travel fees as well as being a bit nervous to go to a dojo. I'll probably pick up more mistakes than get any real training

This is only very tangentially related to martial arts, but it is my own (small) success story.

When I was a senior in college (probably around age 22) I decided that parkour/freerunning/tricking was cool, so I wanted to learn how to do a backflip. I started going to a gymnastics gym near my college and playing around once or twice a week. I was really out of shape at the time, so it took me a long time, but finally after about 6 months I was able to do a freestanding backflip outside on the grass. (Keep in mind that 6 months is a really long time. Athletic people can easily learn a backflip in a single day if they have confidence and a good spotter.)

After graduating from college, I've kept up this hobby along with branching out into more pure parkour, as well as more tricking. More than anything, I feel a lot more "athletic". I feel a lot more confident in basically any physical situation.

Don't worry about your age. It's better to start now than to regret later.

Thanks for the advice guys. I really should just go for it, shouldn't I? I think I will check it out, it'd be a waste to not give it a go, expecially something so convenient and close. I think I'm going to ring up and ask if I can watch a few sessions before I do anything to make myself a bit more comfortable (that's a normal thing to do, right? haha)

Like you guys have said, no point in having regrets...

I did a bit of mma and enjoyed it quite a bit. You will feel a lot more confident and manly after a few weeks, which is my favorite part of it. The focus on agility and flexibility over pure muscle makes the workouts more fun too.

One tip I have is about the instructors. Usually they'll be the very calm "true martial artist" type, or the macho type that just yells at you. I guess someone yelling at you can be motivating, but after a while you'll just want to quit.

If it's a unique opportunity, it'll be a waste to miss it. I think a dojo is more than willing to accept visitors who may not be fully devoted but are still thinking about joining, they'll surely respect someone 'giving it a go' so why not go for it.

Not doing something and having regrets is a pretty awful feeling so I think you're alright, ring up and express interest and it'll all work out.

vinster - should work now

@HonyakuJoshua: you need to give the direct link of the image, right click it and copy image location -- won't work otherwise

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a...00dd875582

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a...3767_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a...3238_n.jpg


thanks - should work now?

I take aikido, and I love it! I've only been practicing for a few months though. I'm also 31, so don't worry about starting something if you are older!

Aikido is pretty challenging and can be confusing at first. It's kind of like meditation though action. I wouldn't worry about which martial art is most effective on the street, because most people are unlikely to ever have to use it in the first place. Take something that is close enough to you that you will attend regularly. It also depends on what you want to achieve with a martial art. Do you want to spar? Compete? Get in shape? Get big? Learn evasion and force redirection? Each martial art has a different focus. Read up on ones that are in your area and do some drop in classes.

I did Muay Thai for two years. I miss it very dearly. The intensity tempered my determination and spirit and boosted my confidence. Physically and mentally, I seldom experienced fatigue or bad moods. I felt great. Many of my friends at my gym had similar experiences as well. It's quite possible that you will too. Go for it.

Definitely go for it, I'm sure you would not regret it. It will help you a lot with your condition. Actually, it's a pity you didn't start sooner, but it's never too late. And you can quit whenever you want -if you no longer find it agreeable, for example-, so don't hesitate and give it a try.

I did Shotokan Karate-Do 「松涛館空手道」 half of my life, and then my knees said "no more". Since then I miss it every single day. It was addictive like a drug (but beneficial in every aspect, instead of harmful). It made me feel great, both physically and mentally; only when I was forced to quit I realized how much it did for me. I was more disciplined than I am now, my body was in a very good shape (now it's in a *perfect* shape -- i.e. *round* :-), I even had better digestions and slept way better. I'm sorry I can't express it otherwise, but my mind and my body felt *tuned* (as in a tuned musical instrument) and prepared for anything that would come.

About 空手道, or specifically about the 松涛館 style, sometimes I've heard it isn't a *real* martial art (though I strongly disagree with that opinion) because "you aren't forced to combat for gaining a new grade" (until the black belt exam) or "competition is not aimed at K.O." or "you'd never be able to defend yourself against another fighter (trained in a different discipline)" and things like that.
I am not even going to argue against this kinds of opinions, because *it* *really* *doesn't* *matter*, as RisuMiso has perfectly explained.

Of course the 先生 is of capital importance. Anyway, finding a good one is the most likely thing, so don't worry too much (unless you start to feel uncomfortable about something it'd probably be OK). I'd recommend a "true martial artist" as defined by quincy ;-): a teaching, patient and calm but strong and disciplining person (as opposed to a yelling and overreacting moron); but of course that's up to you: stick to a 道場 (and a teacher) where you feel you are enjoying the experience.

The last thing I want to mention is what I call the "two weeks barrier" and "the two months barrier". During all that time, I quit several times (to try another sports) and returned later (once after an almost-one-year-long interval of inactivity). When you start a new physical discipline there is a period of adaptation, specially when you are not used to a high degree of activity. The first time you'll feel like you need to stop is about two or three weeks after the beginning (again, your mileage may vary; among other things, I'm making the assumption you'll be training three times a week, and that your body will react more or less like mine did on that occasions). When that moment comes, just push yourself a little (don't force it, though) and keep the pace: your body will keep up and it'll soon be funny again, after another week or so. Then, about one or two months later, you'll reach a new milestone: you'll start to feel "lighter" (lacking a better word) because your body has finally reached the point where it becomes "downhill". From there on, you can focus on the real training and forget about things like pins and needles: you'll feel really relaxed after every session and with a sense of "healthy fatigue".

Sorry for the extremely long post, and good luck with your new adventure!

Regards

[s0apgun]

I would also recommend to you Aikido. Great discipline to learn and has many practical self defense moves you can learn very early on.

faneca's advice (two posts up) is golden.

I tried Pencak Silat, Muay Thai and TKD in one week ( 2 lessons per week for each...it was intense!)....
And then my hip said: NO MORE!

Once my hip can handle a bit more I'll definitely return to one of them.
My feet pronate badly so I can't really run etc. and often experience hip/knee/lower back pains because of it >< but it was doable because of the padded floor.

I really liked Pencak Silat since it also takes into consideration that you might have to face multiple opponents at the same time.

Muay Thai scared me (mostly 'cause this girl wanted to punch me in the face during my very first class), but I think once I've improved my stamina (and am no longer scared of hitting someone else), and once I can handle the smell of gloves that have protected thousands of sweaty man hands *shudder* I might return.

TKD was really fun too. We focused a lot on kicks and sparring...but there's something about the teacher that makes me feel uncomfortable :/

I'm 25 by the way... So if you feel you're too old... Just remember there's people older than you who are just starting :p

I also do Aikido, it's great.
The first thing you learn is how to fall properly, which - I believe - has already saved me once when I was going downhill on my bike and the handlebar got stuck, sending me flying - and I knew the feeling enough by then to turn and take the impact on the soft part of my hip and only scraping my head lightly. Had I not changed my posture, I might have gotten serious brain damage or died. This ability alone is enough to study martial arts!
As I'm a 50kg woman it also helps that it's not about physical power at all. If one needs force it's done wrong. Some techniques are better for bigger opponents and some are better for smaller ones, but you can send them all flying. There are no competitions because people would get hurt; it's scary how easy it is to break stuff. There is a lot of trust between training partners because you trust them not to break your body. (I'm not talking about pain here, that happens a lot.. and you learn to feel the level that you can take without injury.)
My dojo has a lot of blackbelts, which is important, because you can learn most effectively when an experienced teacher is there. Also, I'm finally at a level where I can take some moves and that makes me a better training partner for others.

Actually, there is a lot going on spiritually. The old master (over 80, 7th dan, it's amazing they gave this to a non-japanese person, but then he is amazing) talks a lot about spirit, and how it influences the techniques.
Techniques are hard to convey when you have the rough stuff down - I believe these mental things are brain patterns that allow to understand and control the body better than just saying "put your arm here" - (but that might just be me). The old master used to be a university math professor, and there are quite a few scientists around, which gives their words more weight in my eyes (we're a university club) - if it didn't work they wouldn't say it. Sometimes, things just work, and I'll keep trying.

We also do ken techniques, because you can use the idea behind them without a sword. Training forces me to concentrate really hard, to *be* there, because if not I can get hit. The mental state is great. I am centered, and directing my power in one direction (ideally ), and controlling the space around me (or there will be bruises.. ) - I can understand how this can be meditation.

The downside is that Aikido takes years and years to learn, however. But even if you are over 80 like the old master, you will still get stronger - he gets stronger every year, it's insane.

Go do it, for a few disciplines fitness does not matter, or you will get fit soon enough, and you will be stronger not just in body. I'm a small girl, if I can do it, so can you.

TL;DR: GO DO IT!

Threads a little bit old but a few weeks after reading this I thought maybe I might want to start MMA. I'm 186cm and weigh around 170 pounds and workout on/off but I'd say I'm mostly skinny rather than muscular. Currently I'm working out so I want some more activity to go with my weight lifting. There's already a lot of info here but is there any advice someone can provide to my situation in particular? When I first started working out last year (hadn't done it in my life previously up until then) I felt stronger almost immediately despite not actually being that strong. It's this feeling of self-confidence along with self-discipline that I want to work on. I don't feel I take hits well which is a problem I hope to overcome.

I'm in America now and want to maybe look into starting something so that if I get to visit Japan next summer as I'm intending then perhaps I can enlist somewhere and meet people who also like MMA.

i have grappled for a year and have just started thai and taking knees and elbows. Body shots are the things which surprised me the most with how much they hurt.

I'm going to sign up for Aikido in 4 weeks when uni is starting again ^^
I like it's total defense approach and since I'm a woman too, something that works without to much body strengh is better anyway.

It's already a year since I discovered Kyudo and I love it! It is really relaxing, although it can be quite tough on your arms and upper body...