martial artist sound-off!

[clovisc]

recent discussion of SD has brought up some comments regarding martial arts... i'm wondering -- who here is a martial artist? what discipline(s)? who all is an instructor?

i studied hung gar for a little while, as well as some chin na, tai chi, and a bit of yoga... but mostly hung gar.

then i went to live and work in an african village in zambia, for the peace corps -- just about the most remote and impoverished area the country had to offer. i was surprised to discover everyone in my community somehow knew what kung fu was (martial arts are HUGELY popular in africa, believe it or not! but very few instructors!). and not only that, they were dying for instruction!

so the times i wasn't teaching fish farming and agriculture, i felt like i was in some crazy 70s epic movie... teaching hordes of young men every day, combining the martial arts training with AIDS and nutrition information... and honing my own skills. probably had 200 different students over the course of the year+ i spent there... some came and went, some came every day. some travelled from 60km away to stay in my village and train. one week in their village, one week in mine... back and forth. the school gave young men something positive to do together and taught them how to live healthier. some of my "sihings" were also peer condom distributors/educators.

there was a lot of incredible raw talent out there... sparring was insane. nothing boosts your own skills and experience quite like a year of friendly matches with immigrant ex-guerillas from angola and the congo, not to mention huge zambian dudes totally ripped from farming... :cool: :D

(sorry to ramble on and on... i was kinda quiet about my experiences when i first got back from africa... so now every once and a while, a story leaks out...)

[Dr. Snubnose]

Guilty of being a Martial Artist and Instructor....still under construction but I have a site for those interested:
http://www.DragonTigerKungFuCenter.com
:D Doc

[bigcat]

Clovisc,

I don't know if this counts, but I do have a copy of "TAO of JEET KUNE DO" by Bruce Lee. Interesting piece of work.

Bigcat

[denn]

i got a blue belt in Judo :o

but my actual style in fights or combats when needed is plain old school basic dirty survival Neanderthal combat...... :)

denn

[JohnM]

I have done Kyokushinkai Karate and Judo for many years on a competitive level, but I'm taking it easy right now. :)

[Dr. Snubnose]

Oh Clovisc BTW: I'm Knot into Yoga :p Doc :D

[Gerard Breuker]

Training in karate, krav maga, eskrima and JKD. Not good enough to be an instructor in any art though. Not really interested in ever becoming one either, unless I can stop working for a living.

[Hannibal Lecter]

Dear Friends,

Chi Lin Kempo Kung Fu on and off most of my life - I began taking formal instruction again recently and am loving every minute of it.

http://www.chi-lin.net/

--------
Hannibal

[Michael Cook]

:spyder: 'Bout 10 years in Aikido and around 3 years training Mr. Janich's wonderful Martial Blade Concepts, also I've been augmenting my skills with wing chun and Steve Grody's take on Kali. Great stuff, martial arts, especialy if one's study isn't limited to the small path of hurting people. :spyder:

[bigkahunasix]

Tae Kwan Do: 4 yrs. (belt mill, it sucked)
Hapkido: 13 yrs. (TKD for the real hardcore) :)
Judo/Jujitsu 5 yrs. (mostly for trapping/joint destruction) :cool:
Marine Corps Combatives: various over 15 years / Instructor for 8 yrs. :)
Good old American down and dirty alley fighting: 30+ years :D (black belt in bricks, tire irons, bats, saps, blackjacks, 2x4's etc, etc...) Proven effective
around the world.

Jim

Remember- If you are not fighting Dirty, you do not really want to win.

[elt1]

Kung fu: 1 1/2 years (the forms are boring....)
Aikido: 1 year (excellent principles & wristlocks)
BJJ: 1 year (groundwork :D )
Muay Thai: 1 year (good conditioning)
Work-related control tactics: 4 years

Unfortunately I havent stuck with one thing for very long- mostly due to unforseen circumstances (moving, instructors leaving, finances, injury, etc) but the good thing is being able to take basic things from what you've learned and use them as your own.

I also put a lot of emphasis on good instruction and sometimes thats difficult to find closeby. Second is the atmosphere of the gym- lots of traditional places focus strict adherence to form & are not open to incorporating techniques from different martial arts. In this mma world I think that a serious weakness...

Loved muay thai- excellent for striking & kicking. Would highly recommend BJJ for groundwork. And- once I'm recovered from this knee injury- I'll be looking for something that will work my takedowns, locks and footwork.

[silverback]

Shotokan Karate for 5 years, playing Go for 8 years. :D
I am now sure that Go has taught me as much about mental attitude as Karate did. Which proves that following a "way" is the important thing as much as the fitness and technical aspects of martial arts.

[Jimd]

The first style I studied was a mixture of Okinawan Karate, Judo, GoJu-Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Pai Lum Kung Fu, and some other styles. I achieved a black belt in that style, and a brown belt in Judo.

Also studied Hapkido for a short time, and loved it. The instructor was so insane, I was actually a bit scared before each class because I had no idea what to expect; he was a former hand-to-hand instructor in the Army. Most of our classes involved being thrown at least four feet into the air, and landing on hardwood floors. The dude was "Out There".

I'm also an instructor for my state's Defensive Tactics course, and have taught it for a few years.

I also have dabbled in Filipino Kali and Jeet Kune Do Concepts.

These days, I don't really actively train, though I do occasionally try out new concepts that I might find interesting.

I have to say that being in the prison environment has been most instrumental in polishing my dojo techniques.

[Jordan]

I've dabbled in Judo and Aikido mainly, every now and again I find the time to head over to the dojo where I learn BJJ. When I was a kid I took TKD for years... I'd say it was great for my physical condition and flexibility, but not a whole lot else. I didn't learn to be "mentally tough" until a grizzled ex-marine started teaching me Aikido. :D

By teaching, I mean of course that he used me as a practice dummy until I started figuring out how to hit the mat with less frequency. :p

[i.v]

I have trained in Muay Thai (3 years), Karate(1 year), krav maga(1 year) and am currently practice Meijin Kai which incorprates all of the above with the addition of Jujitsu and ultimate fighting ground work, been doing that for about 18 months now.

[JaM]

This and that, bits and bops... but finally came back to the style I started: jiu jitsu. Hopefully this year I'm going for 1st kyu, and next year for black. Or the year after that...

It's the most complete "system" for me, hard AND soft, kicking/punching AND locks/throws, standing up AND groundwork. I like it. :)

[Mr Blonde]

Jiu Jitsu for a good 8 years, Aikido & Iaido/Iaijutsu for about three years. During that entire period, I've consistently used to the empty dojo on saturday/sunday mornings to practice techniques/ideas or concepts with a partner. I've never been a certified instructor, but I regularly filled in when necessary. And I've always worked with a small group of different people; I help them with exams and in return I get to spar with them. Due to back injuries I've recently had to stop formal training. I still work out (once hooked you never want to drop it), but I'm not sure how my 'path' will look like, or what my back can bear.

Wouter

[Agent Starling]

Been studying yoga and doing meditation on and off since my teens, and started learning tai chi and chi gong after my masseuse, who is from china and trained in tai chi, recommended it to me. :)

Starling

[clovisc]

Oh Clovisc BTW: I'm Knot into Yoga :p Doc :D

hmmm... but chinese martial arts more-or-less evolved from yoga...!

[rwheet]

Inosanto blend kali/silat, JKD, Jun Fan Gung Fu, Mandea muda silat, muay thai, dog brothers martial arts.