Which style to choose?

Hey guys.

I'm very new to the whole fighting scene, and could use some help.

I don't want to kick anyone's ass, but I'd like to stop someone if they tried to hurt me or someone close.

A main reason why I want to train a style is because my stamina is very weak and I'd like to hold my own if something were to come up.

I want to increase my reaction rate to be able to block effectively (defensive).

I don't have the money or much time to go to an actual school as I'm a college student with much going on, but I'd like to start to build a foundation for this.

I know I'm being pretty vague as I am new, so any help would be effective.

Thanks in advance.

Hello and welcome.

Most colleges have some sort of MA classes or club. It may be worth asking around. Additionally, as these are groups for students, they tend to be pretty cheap or free.

Regarding increasing stamina, it would probably be better to go with a more sports orientated system, as this would give you a better work out. That said, even traditional systems that don't spar/compete can still give a person a solid workout.

Also try looking out for fitness classes based around MA, such as Boxercise or Tae Bo.

Failing all that, try contacting people in your college (via a forum or notice board) asking for people with MA experience who might want to train together.

FAILING ALL OF THAT, you can improve your overall health and fitness by running (or cycling, or swimming etc....), work on strength conditioning (by using weights or body weight exercises etc....) and stretching (look up sports stretching, or Pilates, or Yoga etc...).

In short, there is plenty you can do. Even if you can't find an MA class, increasing your physical capabilites (fitness, endurance, strength, flexibility et al) will help you tremendously in so many different ways. Not least of these is if you do ever go to MA class, you will have a solid foundation to work from.

I get the impression you are worried about being attacked. Physical fighting, which is what MA teach IMO, is only a very small part of the puzzle (again, IMO). Educate yourself on violent behaviour should be the main focus of anyone concerned with their own safety (once more, IMO!). Here is a great (and free!) website to start with:

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/

I would recommend jogging at the begining, six times a week, for about 10 - 15 minutes. Than basic excercises for stomach muscles, shins and neck.

Jun Fan Gung Fu/ JKD level one and two are very good for newcomers.(check www.inosanto.com or www.ronbalicki.com)

start with low work out .. with warm up and cool down properly....

Stepping and breathing is not only a way to strengthen your physical body but also the way of developing inner power/energy. There is a martial art called Pagar Ruyung that is only 10 stepping and breathing exercises but will achieve what you want and much much more.

Yes, there are some MA clubs in universities/college and they offer it for free or at least not as expensive.

Re: stamina. Doing yoga and then running or taking a good hike then later doing stretching can be very helpful.

To build stamina and some minor conditioning you could start with buying a jumpingrope. Try skipping every other day for 5 to 10 minutes. Getting good at is, you might want to try skipping 5 to 10 minutes every day or 10 to 20 minutes every other day.

Ask around on campus about possible MA-programmes offered. Self-defense is hardly trained in sport-oriented-programmes. (At least in my experience.)

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

I don't like the term "self-defence". It's a martial arts marketing term that is oft used and abused. It's also an incredibly subjective term.

Fundamentally, martial arts teach you people how to fight. Although they can be trained for other reasons (e.g. for health reasons or as a form of meditation) the starting point with most martial arts is that they are teaching you some sort of fighting system. Whether or not that fighting system will be "effective" outside of class is a topic of much debate.

I agree that combat sports classes like boxing or judo are taught almost exclusively in a sport context. Although I would agree that certain habits can be picked up from combat sports that can be of little use in a real life fight, the same thing could be said of martial arts that teach so called "self-defense".

Here is an example of a "self defense" lesson that is being taught. Please note folks there is a bit of swearing in the below clip. You have been warned!




A question I would ask is would a person doing judo, boxing or any other combat sport, be better prepared for a real life attack compared to a person who studied the above "self defence" system? I'm not saying combat sports are the be all and end all, but just because a class doesn't explictly claim to teach "self defence" doesn't mean it wouldn't serve you well in a physical confrontation.

Whereas I agree that the term self defense can be a marketing term for martial arts, local law enforcement offer these courses for civilains per upon a community service.

That video was bad. The example of that tactic wasn't accurate. In the real world, many times you don't have time to grab the hands (in that fashion)of an attacker. Also, if the attacker has longer arms, you can't get in for that rib-body shot.

There can be other observations of the vid, however the guy must think he is a expert by adding vulgarity to show

In that video, is that a Chinese guy with broken English, British guy, or Chinese guy with a British accent? In any case, it's just swearing, just words. Can't bother you unless you let it.

Not sure where the guy is from. Swearing doesn't bother me a bit, if anything I find the use of it in the above clip to be unintentionally funny.

That said, I've met people before who don't like to hear swearing, or who might be watching a clip like the above in work. Or at home when kids are around. Only fair to warn them the guy swears in the clip.