Would you ever consider taking up martial arts?

I've been thinking about it for the past few months but the option is currently unavailable to me. Once it becomes accessible, I intend to take up some form of martial arts that would be an instrument of both self-discipline and self-defense.

I wonder what kind of martial arts is capable of both. I know Karate/Judo are solely concerned with self-discipline, which is noble but insufficient; every able male must be capable of holding his own in a fight. Boxing seems a good instrument of self-defense but it's too brute; it has no philosophy in it.

I wish I did when I was younger. Unfortunately, my injuries prevents me from doing anything too physical.

Thought about an internal art with Tai Chi?

Did some aikido for a bit, really enjoyed it and if I can find a suitable club near my new place I might start up again.

@transk53: funny that you say that, I have been looking into tai chi for the past couple days and thinking about taking classes in a nearby tai chi center.

Yeah I have been aware of it for years, but like all the Chinese arts, I pretty much dismissed them. Having been introduced to Chinese MA, Tai Chi is really broader than just old timers doing weird dance moves on a lawn. Going for it myself. Experimenting at the moment (been doing some Pilates and with Yoga next) but the classes that are near me, most of them are done on a eight week beginners program. As with most things, it meshing the training and stuff with work. Sometimes wish we had an eight day week where the eighth you can do what you want. Bit like the Sunday from years back I guess :D

@GazaAli: I don't know I've always respected Boxing for the simplicity of it all. No one jump in saying it's not as simple and all that, I know. What i mean is it's so raw, so brutal, it's what makes it scary and it's (decent) practitioners a force to reckon with. It wants to ruin your face, and once your on the receiving end of a boxer you aren't going to be pretty anymore.

Going into my personal training with TTA, I was always taught to turn our jab and kicks into as sharp an instrument as possible and aim for the throat and solar plexus, or side of the temple when you get seriously good with your feet. The idea was to go straight in for the lethal, not engaging in some sort of choreograph dance move in the hopes your drunken psychotic opponent is playing the same game as you.

I wasn't all that interested I suppose. All I wanted is a nice flat tummy and flexibility, wasn't interested in murdering people randomly on the street or 'living life on the edge' in some kind bare knuckle fist fight tournament, to save my family and become a champion of freedom and justice like some of you seem to of been.

Thanks for posting that. I was trying to think of a moderately polite response GazaAli's rediculous assertion. Perhaps he or she should pop down to the gym and find out what it is like to hit, and get hit. Boxing becomes even more fun when you learn to throw elbows, knees and kicks. Hence why I want to Panantuken in action. BTW, foot work is paramount. Watch Gennady Golovkin if you can. The master of shifting in the modern day game. Watch his postioning. Great technician :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga

It was specifically created by the IDF for the purpose of defending yourself against someone who wants you dead.

This is exactly what martial arts is good for, in my view. It assists quite a bit in those regards.

Yes. I've been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a little over a decade and I used to actively compete at the local and national level. Other stuff before that but BJJ is what I'll likely do for the rest of my life. Muay Thai also for standup, although I've spent a lot less time with that.

-Byshop

Krav is great. Simple but deadly effective, especially when adapted with other techniques. Seen someone use the chain punch.

Would love to have a ground game like that. I was facinated watching the guys on the mat while inbetween sets. Great stuff.

Agreed, BJJ is the ultimate ground arts(IMO) and Thai boxing is one of the most effective standup systems.

Very intriguing. This is the kind of martial arts I'd embrace: practical and aggressive with a forthright and unalloyed philosophy.

What's ridiculous about my assertion? My take on boxing agrees with Saluki's and yet you're in favor of his and at odds with mine. Maybe what you find ridiculous is that I'm not into it?

yes, I have been doing judo for over 10 years and have done 2 years of jujitsu.

I love it. Honestly, if you can find something near you that is affordable, I can't recommend this enough.

I'm actually bummed seeing all the responses here where no one is doing something like a martial art or sport.

there is nothing like mastering a physical art where mind and body comes together. it will keep you fit and give you confidence and you'll have workout friends and have something interesting to talk about.

@MarcRecon: @transk53: Yeah, I love it. I see a lot of people switch to it from other martial arts, too, but very rarely do I see someone switch away from it. We also get a lot of guys from wrestling or judo backgrounds who take to it -very- well. Wrestlers pretty much always have a good sense of position, how to use their weight, how to stay on top, etc. Judo players tend to be great from the clinch (wrestlers, too). I had trained Japanese Jiu-Jitsu for a couple years before and the difference between the two is significant. I never came away from Japanese Jiu-Jitsu with what I felt like was a great idea of what to do if I got into a fight even after a couple years, whereas the reverse was true of BJJ. Everything I learned felt very practical. Japanese Jiu-Jitsu was heavy on hip throws, reaping throws, wrist locks, and there wasn't much emphasis on sparring. It's also easier on the body in some ways than other martial arts.

-Byshop

Boxing is not simplistic, its beauty is. There is a lot more to it than just brutality, though you did allude to that. And no, I am not playing the odds of different posts and again I have no issue with you or whether you box or not. The thing I do not agree with is boxing have no philosophy. Pugilism exsists in many differnt arts and forms. And originally back in the day, the boxing we see now, used to employ more than just fists. In Kung Fu for example, they have Sanshou. Okay probably a weak example, but boxing is not devoid of philosophy. Sorry if I was OTT, but boxing across all formats is a great love of mine.

If I didn't have Scoliosis, BJJ would be the art I would have liked to study. Seen some of the stuff that the Gracies have done, especially around the early UFC. I do like grappling etc, but what I really wanted when younger was TKD. Alas the aforementioned left things a little unbalanced lets just say. I do agree though with MarcRecon, Muay Thai and all its elements can't be beat once ones learns the use of elbows and knees. Especially close in when the clinch is properly deployed, so many options to kick, sweep or throw. I have always lived by the fact that a really good ground game, is not to be taken to the ground. Not always possible of course.

@da_illest101: I very much know about this sort of thing. Sometimes at night I'll walk the back alleys our crew used to roam and just think about the past. One time a group of ruffians recognized me and simply gave me head nods as a sign of respect due to my physical injuries that are permanent unfortunately. The code of the streets and our fighting organization always made sure that veterans and wounded ex fighters were given idolization as the people they are. What were your injuries and how were the sustained? In action or during training?

@trustygamer: Nothing cool like a fight injury. I was in a bus accident where my bus got ram by another bus from the back. The impact made my head whiplash on the right side of my body. I didn't feel any pain from it so I continue working out and then my neck had issues. After some X-ray and MRI they told me I had two hernias in the neck.

@transk53: I heard that Muay Thai is effective, but the way the martial art works is that over time, as you practice it, you take a beating to the body. The parts of the body which can take contact include everything, head, chest, legs, lower legs, etc. (but i've never taken it, just something i heard)

Really it is the same across all of the arts. It is about the conditioning, but of course genetically there is always a slow down. So yeah, the older you get, that punishment manifests itself eventually. Really though, Muay Thai is no different. The Chinese arts have techniques like Iron Palm. Different, but not that different.

Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. It's the only thing that makes sense to me. You don't have to get hit as much as other martial arts and if you're good at jiu jitsu, you'd likely control whatever situation you're in once you have your hands on your opponent.

Yes, since shooting is a martial art.

Nope. I already spent decades of my life in the military. That's enough discipline (and brain-washing) for me. I'm happy as a simple civilian employee now.

I've toyed with the idea of taking up fencing or kendo but they both seem expensive if you're not 100% committed.