What is your Reason for Practising Self-Defense/Martial Arts

Runfree

Just a certain query that has been stuck in my head. Also what is the martial art you study if you practise one. This is just so I dont have to swop between threads to check what martial art you study.

I just want to know Reasons.

Well I'll start the thread so. First of I Practise Kenpo Ju Jitsu.

The reason I picked this up is because I wanted to know how to defend myself. At first I didn't think it was going to be that great but hey. Now after a year I can defend myself quite well. Mission Completed.

Man U babe

Well...............when i started doin kenpo at the age of 11 i did it just for the laugh. 5 years later i became a junior black belt, so much for doing it for a laugh! I changed to tae kwon do about a year ago cos I was gettin bored with kenpo and I wanted a change. TKD sounded like a natural option cos I like competing and kicking was always the strongest part of my sparring anyway.

paddyc

I took up thai boxing cos I was getting bored with amateur boxing and felt it lacked something, 8 years on I never looked back

nesthead

im doing Ninjutsu.

really wanted self-defence, something that Judo wasnt giving me very quickly, i also wanted to progress onto something further than throws and hold downs tbh

Repli

To be blunt - I started taekwondo because there was nothing else to do.. got bored playing football and needed something to do in the evenings/weekends.. I definetly not doing it for self defence.. there's not much of a self defence element in taekwondo imo, if I really wanted to be able to defend myself better I'd do jujitsu/ninjitsu or something similar but taekwondo is more fun (I'm referring to WTF style btw)

Dooom

i took up Jeet Kune Do mainly because my cousin was a master at it and it seemed like a good way to keep fit etc (sports in school just sucked). and the fact that its a type of street fighting fits in well to my persona and general everyday life. also i suppose there was an element of self defence in there (but im/was never bullied, attacked etc.). nearly 5 years on i havent looked back and i think its been one of the most excellent choices in my life so far....any fights ive gotten into ive won hands down. i strongly recommend anyone who can to take up JKD. as i said ive been doing it for nearly 5 years and im fairly high up in the ranks....also its a very cool because its so unpredictable - as bruce lee said "the JKD street fighter is the unknown" and its not put into a class like karate or judo etc. and i find finding a fight (only ever done this once purposly the other times i honestly had to go down there) eg. walking down an alleyway and winning (usually and often) is such a good way to relieve stress and anger...albeit a very evil and nasty way....either that or intensive sparring...meh

Unjaku

Originally posted by Spike
i find finding a fight (only ever done this once purposly the other times i honestly had to go down there) eg. walking down an alleyway and winning (usually and often) is such a good way to relieve stress and anger..

And it's a great way to get stabbed or beaten to a pulp by someone who takes fighting on the street seriously as opposed to as some form of casual recreation.
But I'd imagine a fortnight or so spent recovering in hospital is a great way to really lay back, relax and catch up on your reading.

I said I don't want any of this. I just want reasons

RunFree

Dooom

jeez man chill....some people worry way too much...:rolleyes:

passive

assuming you're not in any way exaggerating/bull****ting spike...
it's a pity we can't all fight like you

it'd be nice to wander around, waiting for some scumbag to attack you then beating them into hospitalisation..if enough people could do it it'd make the streets safe for everyone..

anyway, i do aikido, mostly for the exercise & fun. in the situations i get into i usually find it safer to run very fast in the opposite direction,

and since i can handle myself in a 1 on 1 fight against your average scumbag (of my age) I don't really go to martial arts classes to defend myself..

(that said, i'd still prefer to be doing something that used more punch/kick techniques. If for no reason other than how cool it would be to use a spinkick or flying kick or something impressive/pain causing like that in a real fight)

Unjaku

Runfree, (and Spike)

Frankly it's probably evident to most people that getting in fights to 'relieve stress' or feel better about yourself is deeply stupid in a number of ways, but I will elaborate on my earlier post:-

-you risk hospital and possibly long-term illness, maybe even being kicked to death, if you lose.
-if you win, you risk legal challenges based on your behaviour, and possibly come-back attacks from the other parties involved.

Anyone who has been in a few serious fights or really needed to defend themselves knows that it's not galmorous / relaxing / fun. It's messy, stressful and you should only willingly get involved when you've exhausted your other options of escape or de-escalating the situation. This is basic common sense and also self defence 101.

I replied to Spike's post the way I did because (assuming he isn't just full of **** in any case) it was the kind of nonsense trash-talking that is best left to professional wrestlers. In fact, as moderator it's probably your job, Runfree, to weed out the Walter Mitty types. I'd rather hear about people's real experiences and opinions rather than have to wade through a bunch of idiots clamouring to tell us how hard they think they are.

You might also consider changing the name of this forum to 'Martial Arts forum', if this is going to be the direction you're taking. Because it's got zero to do with basic self defence.

Thank you for your opinion. The reason it is called self defense is because you don't need to post about Martial arts.
It is also for people asking for self defense equipment eg. you can get pepper spray and small mechanisms that make a loud noise when a button is pressed.

I also understand your point of view. I suppose when someone goes out to fight on purpose to see if it works it is just plain stupidity and also illegal.

Anyway thank you for your opinion once again.

RunFree

GuanYin

Originally posted by Unjaku
Runfree, (and Spike)

Frankly it's probably evident to most people that getting in fights to 'relieve stress' or feel better about yourself is deeply stupid in a number of ways, but I will elaborate on my earlier post:-

-you risk hospital and possibly long-term illness, maybe even being kicked to death, if you lose.
-if you win, you risk legal challenges based on your behaviour, and possibly come-back attacks from the other parties involved.

Its also a great way of discrediting hundreds of years of tradition.
I'm sure your instructors would be proud of you :rolleyes:

At the moment the media is busy worrying about George Bush, the Evil Internet and GM foods.... but if we get enough people like spike around (who I think is spouting macho nonsensical garbage, beside the point) it won't take long before we get a high profile lawsuit and all martial arts practitioners and schools are branded the new evil...

I can see the reports now... "At your local community hall dozens of unregulated thugs are being trained how to kill you with their bare hands..." etc etc

Anyway....

runfree: my family teach, it was the done thing when I was a kid. I kept it up out of habit/nostagia when i left home.

Tellox

Im doing Kickboxing for a number of reasons

1; To keep somewhat fit
2; To learn self defence (although it didnt really effin help when there was 5 or 6 lads there!)
3; Its something to do.

Ivan

Well I started out with Karate because my cousin taught a class at our local community centre. Basically got dragged, she was a slave driving bitch tbh so that didnt really stick & sorta put me off Martial Arts.

When I went to college I saw some guys doing a Tai Kwon Do exercise & thought it was pretty cool and was about to join up till I noticed their training/practice sessions were on about the same time as basketball so I decided against it. On my way out of the gym I saw a table for Tai Chi and decided it was for me.

Its great for my breathing (asthma) and helps me keep cool {I have a really bad temper :-( }

Its very relaxing and teaches you about fluid movements etc. I'm not sure if it really counts as self defence but the katra's are kinda...

UbahOne

My brothers friend is the European tai Chi champion. I have videos of him fighting against some guy who does kickboxing and the kickboxer is jumping around on his legs as they do, and this guy kept hitting singular rock hard kicks to the left leg...by about the 10'th kick, the kickboxer couldnt stand on his legs anymore then got mashed.

xx

I do Judo at college, but at the end of each class, we did training in ju-jitsu and sambo (and a little ninjutsu) with some of the dan's. My reasons for doing it are that I love grappling fighting and groundwork in general. There's a certain poetry to it that I like. Judo is great for fitness to.
As for self-defense, its questionable, although I did get a massive shoulder throw on some geezer about a month ago after he gave my sis some $hit. It was gas TBH, there he was with all his mates around him shouting stuff at me, threats and the like, and the nimrod could hardly stand. Its not something I'd do unless seriously provoked.
By the way, spike, I think you've watched Fight Club too many times, bro :-) What you're doing (if you're even doing it at all) is crazy. In ireland these days, you don't really need to go looking for fights - they tend to come and look for you. Dodgy behaviour man!!!

blondie83

I started to learn martial arts for self defence mainly. It was about the time I started going to pubs and clubs, and the idea of being a girl walking around Dublin streets at 3 am could be scary at times. After I'd done Kenpo for a while it made me much more confident that I could handle myself, although as my instructor always said, the best defence is a good pair of runners! Now I do martial arts mainly to keep fit and get some exercise:ninja:

Wulf

I took up Tae kwon do originally, I gave it up as I hated the patterns, then took up training with a friend who is a shoto kahn(sp?) blak belt, concentrating on weapons.

He has left the country so I am now sensailess, but I still practice with staff, sword and nunchuku.

I would like to do more weapons traning, perhaps take up Ninjutsu, but there is no where in my area where it is thaught.

Basicly, I took up Martial arts to defend myself, never looked back since and it has been quite helpful since I took it up

Sarky

I started karate because I was young and foolish and thought it would be just like Karate Kid. I grew to respect martial arts deeply when I really learned what was involved. I liked the people, the mutual respect between everyone, the exercise, and the way it looked (never knew why it was called an art up till then!)

I stuck with it because I enjoyed it immensely and because it was different from the sports everyone else did. I felt proud for keeping with it after everyone I knew dropped out because nobody had taught them to break a piece of wood in a whole fortnight.

12 years later and here I am.

nadir

I did kung fu, although i havent been training in nearly 3 years. I started it when I was a kid, I guess because I thought it was cool. But after a few years I really started to get into it., then it became more of a part of my life rather than something I just did at weekends. I never did grading though, and just trained at my own leisure. My teacher told me kung fu was something one should train at for themselves and never pushed me twords gading. I did another 2 years at college then, but as 3rd year came along, i lost the time for practice that I used to have and stopped training. Now im 3 years out of practice, but will definately resume again sometime. Im considering doing akido for a little while before I go back to Kung-Fu

ColinM

Originally posted by Runfree
First of I Practise Kenpo Ju Jitsu.

The reason I picked this up is because I wanted to know how to defend myself. At first I didn't think it was going to be that great but hey. Now after a year I can defend myself quite well. Mission Completed.

I got the impression that a student of martial arts never really finished learning because there is always something else to learn. Wasn't it Mr Miyagi who said that there is always someone better than you, no matter how good you get?
Surely you can never say that your mission is completed, Runfree? I'd say the best you could ever say is that your mission is accomplished.

I never learned any martial art, because frankly, all the martial art in the world isn't going to change the fact that I'm a puny weakling coward. I generally try to reason my way out of a beating, but that's only as a last resort. Usually I just run really fast, or hide behind a girl.

Having said that though, I often chant the "wax-on, wax-off" mantra when cleaning my car in the vague hope that it may one day turn me into a Daniel-san.

I've also tried putting my wrists together with the palms of my hands facing towards my agressors, shouting "aroooooogan", in the hopes that a blue ball of electricity will shoot out and knock them down like that Ryu does in StreetFighter II, but it hasn't worked yet. Normally I end up looking like I'm just either mentally deficient or severely constipated, or both.

BoB_BoT

ColinM you say that you've never bothered learning a martial art/defence becuase you're a puny weakling git, well you've no idea what you're missing. You honestly don't have to be strong to learn a martial art. If you do you're bit of training keep up with your classes you'll get more skilled in defending yourself incase you get into that situation where you can't run. such things as learning how to get out of a choak hold from behind or free yourself from someonebody that's grabbed you around the stomach in a bear hug style grip, it's really quite simple and you might not think about using the methods unless you're shown or pratice it.

oh and btw, i started to get fit and learn some discipline hehe

Lemming

First off, I'm absolutely horrified at what Spike is doing/by-proxy-advocating.

Secondly, RunFree, if you're going to moderate. Moderate. Do not post your replies to Unjaku or whomwever INSIDE their posts. If you have something to say, outside of a genuine need to moderate, then make your own post.

I also stand completely 100% behind what he (Unjaku) has said.

Thirdly, I started martial arts for two reasons, namely keeping fit and the ability to defend myself if need be (or at least in some manner). I stopped doing my original art for a few years when I was in 3rd year in college. Lack of time, etc which my course was inflicting on me. In the two/three years in between I found myself getting angrier and angrier about things. I'd hear or see something that'd just make my blood boil and I wanted to just rip people apart for it. When I started my current art, I realised that there was a third reason why I was doing martial arts, and that was that it gave me a sense of equilibrium. A zen of sorts. An inner peace which I rather like having.

My former art was Bu-Jutsu, and my current is Bujinkan Budo Taijitsu ('ninjitsu' for any layman - it's easier to call it that then explain what the components of ithe art are)

echomadman

Thank you for your opinion. The reason it is called self defense is because you don't need to post about Martial arts.
It is also for people asking for self defense equipment eg. you can get pepper spray and small mechanisms that make a loud noise when a button is pressed.

afaik Runfree pepper spray is a no-no in the eyes of the boys in blue aswell..

But as Mod of the self defense forum I'm sure you're more au-fait with these things

avocating/explaining how people can break laws can get you/boards.ie in trouble

Repli

I know pepper-spray is illegal in Ireland but in some countries it's not.. personal alarms on the other hand are perfectly legal..
I'd agree with RunFree that these forms of self-defence should be discussed, their advantages/disadvantages exposed, - but I wouldn't agree with telling people where to get them.. which he hasn't done.

Spike: I think the replies from Unjaku, sykeirl and passive pretty much sum up what I'd say to you. Your post and your attitude towards martial arts are immature.

GuanYin

I got the impression that a student of martial arts never really finished learning because there is always something else to learn

Spot on, "The pursuit of excellence is a lifelong endeavour." This is the dictum by which hattori clan of the iga province viewed the training of ninjitsu.

However, I've found in classes I've taught and trained in, that many younger students get bored when they reach the higher ranks as the pace of learning new things slows down considerably and may try another art to recapture this. I admit that I did try other styles myself (while maintaining my own training).

But those who train to be "the best of the best" are really missing the point. This is the reason why so many martial arts (ninjitsu especially) were not taught outside the east for so long.

Runfree

Hey all,

Just some quick points I would like to make.

1st: To ColinM

Indeed not mission completed but mission accomplished. Bad use of grammar. A MA student never stops learning not even if you are a grandmaster. Thank you for correcting me.

2nd: To Lemming

Thats done, no more posting in other peoples post. Devore got onto me about this. One reason I have done this is that I saw another Mod do this. Once again thank you for pointing this out to me.

3rd: To echomadman

Yes indeed I am aware that pepper spray is a no no to the boys in blue. Just saying this to clarify the matter. But I would like to discuss these different types of self defense aswell.

4th: To Everyone

Sorry for the mistakes, unfortunalty as I am only human I did make one or two but that is life.

Spike,
Why??? This is absolutly terrible. And if you want to relieve stress take a pillow to your head and shout as loud as you can or just buy a punching bag.

and lastley please get back on topic.

Thank you very much,

RunFree

Senor_Fudge

to crush my enemies
see them driven before me
and hear the lamentation of the women
^_^

sorry couldnt resist

*bows out*

(someguy)

sad
"spike" just took the life of a fictional anime character and tried to make it his own. Notice that he didn't mention the name of his rank, i'll bet because he doesn't know any ( if there even are any in JKD) or the name of this so called master


even with his "jeez man chill....some people worry way too much"
remark - trying to copy his attitude too...

(someguy)

so yeah he is full of ****

Runfree

Please get back on topic guys.

(some guy) tell us what your grade is. If you don't have any you shouldn't be posting here.

RunFree

logic1

Originally posted by Runfree
Please get back on topic guys.

(some guy) tell us what your grade is. If you don't have any you shouldn't be posting here.

RunFree

Bit extreme isn't it? So boxers shouldn't be posting here? People with a passing interest in MA shouldn't be posting here? grapplers, greco roman wrestlers etc etc....

I think if he's simply a troll then he shouldn't be posting at all but to say you need a grade to post here is a bit strong.

.logic.

Trojan

Excuse me?

I don't have a grade, and I will damn well post here if I like.

--

Back on-topic, I've given up on the TKD after only a couple of months, thinking about looking into Aikido for the craic. My main sport should be rugby (cos I haven't gone trainly in a year or 3), and anything I do should help improve that.

Al.

Runfree

Originally posted by logic1
Bit extreme isn't it? So boxers shouldn't be posting here? People with a passing interest in MA shouldn't be posting here? grapplers, greco roman wrestlers etc etc....

I think if he's simply a troll then he shouldn't be posting at all but to say you need a grade to post here is a bit strong.

.logic.

My apoligies, I mean he shouldn't post on this thread.

Cake Fiend

The thread is called "What is your Reason for Practising Self-Defense/Martial Arts" - not all self-defence/MA systems have grades.

You seem to think you own this board. You don't, you merely moderate it.

Repli

Originally posted by Trojan
Back on-topic, I've given up on the TKD after only a couple of months, thinking about looking into Aikido for the craic.

Why did you quit taekwondo - were you doing ITF or WTF? And I don't think you should do any martial art for 'the craic' at least take it seriously

Repli

Originally posted by logic1
Bit extreme isn't it? So boxers shouldn't be posting here? People with a passing interest in MA shouldn't be posting here? grapplers, greco roman wrestlers etc etc....

I think if he's simply a troll then he shouldn't be posting at all but to say you need a grade to post here is a bit strong.

.logic.

He clearly was trolling.. what RunFree meant was if you're not doing a MA or similar (boxing, wrestling, etc) then you shouldn't be posting here which I agree with. Read his post again in context to what was posted in the previous 3 posts.

Cake Fiend

A quick update on my position regarding MA: I was attacked by a couple of yobbos on Saturday night (on my way to DeVore's house after the boards beers in fact) as I walked alone through Baggot St of all places. I'm convinced my karate training and general interest in MA and self-defence had me better prepared to deal with the situation than I would have been otherwise. I recognized straight away what was going on (usual 'spare smoke buuud' or 'any change' line, I don't even remember what was asked, I was busy readying myself mentally to defend from an attack) purely by the way I was approached by these two scumbags, very close and indimidating, closing me off from two sides. If I had been sober I possibly would have run (no sense in taking risks) but as I had a few drinks in me I stupidly decided to get aggro and it turned physical. Luckily (for me) I gave far worse than I got, I'm positive that my confidence in my fighting ability (leading to swifty defence) gave me one up on this pair of toerags who were obviously expecting a pushover from some skinny drunk kid walking around on his own.

Unfortunately I've pretty much accepted that I will from time to time be assaulted on the street (often for no reason), but I sure as fu<k am not going to take it lying down. That was the first physical conflict I've been involved in in a long time, and it's doubled my resolve to learn to effectively defend myself from that kind of scum.

xx

Originally posted by Sico
A quick update on my position regarding MA: I was attacked by a couple of yobbos on Saturday night (on my way to DeVore's house after the boards beers in fact) as I walked alone through Baggot St of all places. I'm convinced my karate training and general interest in MA and self-defence had me better prepared to deal with the situation than I would have been otherwise. I recognized straight away what was going on (usual 'spare smoke buuud' or 'any change' line, I don't even remember what was asked, I was busy readying myself mentally to defend from an attack) purely by the way I was approached by these two scumbags, very close and indimidating, closing me off from two sides. If I had been sober I possibly would have run (no sense in taking risks) but as I had a few drinks in me I stupidly decided to get aggro and it turned physical. Luckily (for me) I gave far worse than I got, I'm positive that my confidence in my fighting ability (leading to swifty defence) gave me one up on this pair of toerags who were obviously expecting a pushover from some skinny drunk kid walking around on his own.

Unfortunately I've pretty much accepted that I will from time to time be assaulted on the street (often for no reason), but I sure as fu<k am not going to take it lying down. That was the first physical conflict I've been involved in in a long time, and it's doubled my resolve to learn to effectively defend myself from that kind of scum.

More power to ya, dude. Well done.

Musashi

Does anyone here walk with their heads up and their eyes open?
Situational awareness will stop most muggings before they start.See the guy s closing on you and get out of it,duck into a bar,club,mall, whatever!
More MA classes need to teach awareness and avoidance and less "death touch" as a real martial art!The best style is to fight without fighting according to Bruce Lee!
Really, seing trouble and ducking it ill serve u better than overpriced MA classes.Walk away from the bad guys! Verbal Judo if they stop you! A smak in the nose and a good run being better than a bad stand if it goes that far!
Stay safe and have a good Christmas!

vasch_ro

I originally took up Karate many moons ago with a vague reason in mind of being able to defend myself, but also there was certain attraction bred in me from watching kung fu movies and wanting to be able to replicate the moves
having moved on from student to teacher I became a little disillusioned with Karate and started taking bjj (brazilian jiu jitsu) about a year ago
this has led me to futher reflect on whether Karate is any good or not or is simply a cultural dance to which I developed an emotional attachment over time too
but they are my reasons....

BoB_BoT

Originally posted by Musashi
Does anyone here walk with their heads up and their eyes open?
Situational awareness will stop most muggings before they start.See the guy s closing on you and get out of it,duck into a bar,club,mall, whatever!
More MA classes need to teach awareness and avoidance and less "death touch" as a real martial art!The best style is to fight without fighting according to Bruce Lee!
Really, seing trouble and ducking it ill serve u better than overpriced MA classes.Walk away from the bad guys! Verbal Judo if they stop you! A smak in the nose and a good run being better than a bad stand if it goes that far!
Stay safe and have a good Christmas!

You're actually right on this issue, our instructor was talking to us about "Situational Awareness" a while back and it made perfect sense, for example, not to be walking around at night with headphones on, or having a mobile stuck to your head walking about with you head stearing at the ground or sky.

Martial Arts films do set a bad example to the extent that they show the "hero" standing his/her ground and defeating the 20 or so enemys .... lol, this does lead people to the thought that they too can do this and usually end up fooling themselves and getting them into trouble. It's being mentioned many times to just run away and most people with sense will do this, especially if you're being attacked by more than one person. But you have to remember, martial arts films are for entertainment! and in my opinion it's the person who pratices what they see in films are the ones at fault. If you can't tell reality from fiction you will be beaten to a pulp!

Rob

nogser

I used to practice Rugby . I started Tai Chi earlier this year.

I used to be put off Martial Arts because it seems to make some people very aggressive and competitive. This was precisely the opposite to what I was looking for.

I am very happy with the effect of practicing Tai Chi. A very good stress reducer and it has had a positive effect on a chronic neck problem in I developed when playing rugby.

I had a recent demonstration of the effectiveness of the Tai Chi approach. A friend of mine decided to give me a "friendly" dig in the side. Tai Chi relfexes kicked in and I blocked and shifted my weight and stopped at the very begining of the counter push I had been shown.

Nogser

frost

I took Ishinryu Karate in high school because I was bullied. The class I took was very focused on usable street defense techniques, but I only ever got close to using it once, and all I did was block a soft punch from someone who had been bullying me. I didn't even think - it happened before I realised, and I think the bully and I were equally surprised (he didn't bother me again).

I never used it again, but I found the exercise and confidence aspects much more fulfilling and was less focused on being able to use the actual techniques. I only got to the first level after white belt - "green tip".

In College I switched to Tai Chi Chuan (Ishinryu not available), because basically it looked really interesting. The form we studied didn't seem to have much practical use, but after about 3 months I was amazed to find it allowed me to "slow down" things I was seeing. My instructor also played basketball and he used to say he waited until the ball stopped in mid-air, then took it. Tai Chi also gave me a very good calmness/centredness.

After that I tried several other stints at different forms of Karate and Tai Chi, but never got back the strong positive feelings I had gotten earlier. Possibly down to different teachers, possibly my lack of commitment.

Currently I am taking Aikido (only the past couple of months) - I chose this softer art because I am getting old enough that retaining flexibility is important, and also the instructor really personifies the best of what Aikido teaches.

My opinion is that choosing your instructor is easily as important as choosing the style. DIfferent styles suit different people, and different instructors will interpret a style differently. I still retain a bit of worry from my bullying days, so a more combatitive form might have been suited my current psychology/outlook. But I decided to reach to the next level, ie, Aikido teaches you that martial arts are "love". You don't throw your partner, you stretch/help him / allow him to follow his own momentum.

My hope is that a little bit of this idealistic viewpoint will rub off on me, so I chose a sensei who had a good dose of this (not to mention that he is excellent at the physcial aspect of the art too)