Looking to take up some form of Martial Arts for self defence

Denis322

I'm a 16 year old guy, and I'm thinking of taking up some for of Martial Arts for self defence. Just want to know if this is a bit of a pathetic idea or what do you people think? I did bushido for a little while back when I was 10 and I enjoyed it, and I was thinking of taking up Kenpo as it supposed to be good and helps you in the case that you come up against multiple attackers. Any advice will be much appreciated

Zen65

Denis322 wrote: »

Any advice will be much appreciated

If you're going to take up a martial art for self defence be warned that the results of training are not quick. Most people I've met who have trained for 1-2 years in karate/judo/kung-fu/tkd/aikido would not describe themselves as proficient fighters. It takes a number of years (for most people) before MA training can be applied as self-defence.

There are exceptions of course. Some naturally strong/athletic types can become proficient fighters in shorter time, but in all fairness these people would probably mange to defend themselves quite well with not MA training.

I suggest you focus on finding a martial art you enjoy, and let the self-defence benefits come in their own time.


Z

antybots

It's not a pathetic idea at all. Most people who take up martial arts have self defense somewhere in the back of their mind. Muay thai is a pretty good way of learning to handle yourself. You could give that a go. The traditional martial arts like karate, tkd etc. do take years to make you a fighter (mainly because they use forms as the basis for teaching) but they can be great fun. The best bet is to try a few classes in a few different arts and see what you like.

RoboRat

As said above, its not pathetic at all.

Personally I have done Kempo for 2 years and Bushido for nearly 3 years and although I really enjoyed them, there wouldn't be a whole lot that I could take from them and use in an everyday scrap - especially when drink is involved and lets face it, in a lot of cases people are out socialising when a situation arises. In saying that, there are bits of both that I use when I am sparring in MMA. Personally I think that the likes of Muai Thai is a great striking art as it's very adaptable. Also, Judo is another great MA, its quite technical but extremely handy in close combat situations.

My advice, find a few forms in your area and try them all. You will find what you like and what suits you... everyone is different and what art you chose will have a lot to do with you the person.

Niall Keane

Not pathetic at all! If people doing ma are honest of course it's about self defence, otherwise why not do 5 a side etc. it was the reason I took it up.

For myself I found a full contact element a must for realistic timing range and angle skills, comps (Sanshou) were for me an excellent drive, putting in many times the training I would have otherwise. The style I practice includes weapons and I found that training invaluable for self defence situations. It prevented me becoming a linear, roll up the tank, and have a war of attrition fighter.

But most important is your own dedication, constant regular training, that means personal sacrifice!

To make it easier on yourself you should find something close by to you. Leaves no excuses for tired rainy days ;-)

Good luck and enjoy!

Peetrik

antybots wrote: »

It's not a pathetic idea at all. Most people who take up martial arts have self defense somewhere in the back of their mind. Muay thai is a pretty good way of learning to handle yourself.

+1

If you do Muay Thai 2-3 times a week with all the sparring and cardio involved you will be way better able to handle yourself within a couple of months. You'll also become more confident in yourself and be a happier person because of it.

Curly Judge

When I was growing up jiu jitsu was all the rage.
Is it practiced at all now?

Marcus.phelan

Curly Judge wrote: »

When I was growing up jiu jitsu was all the rage.
Is it practiced at all now?

ha mate jiu jitsu is so nineties, everyone knows how t defend that stuff nowadays, sure all they do is hug eachother anyway. its all about kenpo nd aikido http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVm2ld4f08I

Marcelo Archanjo

Hi,

I don't know if there is a krav-maga class in Dublin, but this is a good option to learn self-defense ...

Cheers,

Marcelo

james308

Wing Zhun is a great self defence martial art as it is purely based on street fighting ( all self defence)

MadMardegan

In my opinion, some of the best styles you could learn for self defence would be Muay Thai, JuiJitsu or Judo.

Muay Thai is balls-to-the-wall pure fighting. There's not that many bells and whistles involved. Don't get me wrong, there is some sweet moves (more advanced) but in general it's pretty much straight forward striking. It will make you proficient in sparring, which will help you in a random fight on the street.

JuiJitsu is great because it deals with close range attacks, and close range offence. It will teach you some pretty cool holds/locks that can really hurt someone if they attack you. There are strikes involved but not like Muay Thai.

Judo is great for defence on the street because it'll teach you how to throw someone properly, or bring them to the ground. That's probably the best thing to do in a fight, someone attacks you or grabs you and straight away you can throw them to the floor. Whether you decide to leave them there or stick around to inflict some pain is up to you. The former being the better choice.

I think they are the best options. They will make you more confident in general, which is one of the most important things in a fight. If you are not confident when entering a confrontation you are not going win (9 times out of 10).

It's not pathetic at all to want to learn some self defence arts. It's a great way to build character. You'll meet some cool people doing, and it you enjoy it you'll have a new hobby to throw yourself into.

If you're not having fun then don't do it.

Best of luck bud!

lubo_moravcik

If it's self defence you're looking for then sign up for Krav Maga classes. I know personally one lad who is still at school doing this and he loves it. I'd love to have done this back at that age.

The guy in the video is Patrick Cumiskey and he delivers the course himself. They are hard work but great fun

arybvtcw0eolkf

MadMardegan wrote: »

It's not pathetic at all to want to learn some self defence arts. It's a great way to build character. You'll meet some cool people doing, and it you enjoy it you'll have a new hobby to throw yourself into.

If you're not having fun then don't do it.

Probably the most important aspect of learning any martial art is this ^^

Have fun, have the craic.. Meet some new friends, and be careful who you give your money to

Denis322

lubo_moravcik wrote: »

If it's self defence you're looking for then sign up for Krav Maga classes. I know personally one lad who is still at school doing this and he loves it. I'd love to have done this back at that age.

The guy in the video is Patrick Cumiskey and he delivers the course himself. They are hard work but great fun

I was thinking of taking up Krav Maga, I've looked it up online and seen a class on in Rathcoole. Google maps is a great way of helping to decide, I typed in 'Martial Arts' and it showed me every martial arts class in my area. I think I'll try out Krav Maga anyway cause you're suppose to be able to master it at a reasonable level in less than a year

lubo_moravcik

if you're going to go for it then check out Patrick on www.KravMagaIreland.com

Don't just take a course if it's called Krav Maga, make sure you go to the best. You'll be guaranteed to have fun and will learn some kick ass moves too