Any Martial Artists in here? [what? You all fat and lazy?]

[WildWop]

Thread Topic Part I: "My Martial Arts History"

I've trained in various "fast food" Taekwondo schools off-and-on for the last 13 years, the bulk of the time from age 9 to 16. I supersized my value meal with a 2nd Dan, acheived when I was 14 or 15, I can't really remember when exactly since I don't hold it in high esteem at this point.

In college I decided to give it another go, after about 4 years off (a hiatus caused by playing football and working throughout the latter stages of HS). I joined a club practicing a style called Jung Sim Do, which is an amalgam of Taekwondo, Hapkido, Yudo (Korean Judo), and a smattering of weapons. What drew me to JSD was the fact that their instructors, by rule, cannot be paid. The federation foots the bills, and the instructors are there because they truly want to teach rather then make money. Coming from a "fast food" martial arts background, this looked great and did not disappoint. It was the kind of hard-nosed training I had been looking for.

[on a side note, there is nothing more exhilarating then shattering a stack of masonry bricks (concrete). My instructor did not let us practice before doing the break itself, so the adrenaline rush was something I grin about now, 3 years later. Looking down at where 5 bricks once were and seeing the cloud of smoke rising up from their remains was something I'll never forget]

Sadly, all things come to an end, and I graduated. Since then I've found a similar type of solace in weightlifting, but can't shake the need to get back into martial arts.

Into MA? Post your history here!

Thread Topic Part II: "Active MA message boards?"

I've poked around a bit, and the only good MA board I've found was at budoseek.net, but that one isn't terribly active. Anyone know of a good one that I can try out?

[Xevious]

I never taken a martial arts class before but I have beaten up a brown belt before.

[snotknocker]

I do not know any martial arts. However I have slain many evil ninjas

[killswitch64]

My buddy is opening a Kuk Sool Won school, I plan on joining once finally opens.

[WildWop]

I never taken a martial arts class before but I have beaten up a brown belt before.

Probably a McDojo Brown Belt. Far too many schools are out just for profit and push kids through ranks like a fat man through pork rinds.

[Rig]

I am interested in joining/practicing some type of martial art, but I've never taken any before. I am in college now. Could I join one of the martial arts groups here if I've never had any experience. And going to your "fast food" classes, did you ever see any 19-22 year olds beginning there?

[1SwtDeception]

Took karate before but it was a small class. I don't take it anymore. But in California since two years ago, I would take a Shaolin class with my uncle and aunt and it had a more variety of people you can say. I just do it for some fun and it keeps me in shape a bit.

[killswitch64]

I am interested in joining/practicing some type of martial art, but I've never taken any before. I am in college now. Could I join one of the martial arts groups here if I've never had any experience. And going to your "fast food" classes, did you ever see any 19-22 year olds beginning there?

I'm 25 and just starting out! You are never too old to try something new.

[Michaellvortega]

I took Taekwondo when I was little, and went to a school for pai lum tao kung fu from 2000 to 2003. I quit because the people there were so bent up on getting to the next color sash.

[WildWop]

I am interested in joining/practicing some type of martial art, but I've never taken any before. I am in college now. Could I join one of the martial arts groups here if I've never had any experience. And going to your "fast food" classes, did you ever see any 19-22 year olds beginning there?

All the time. That's a pretty popular age group, really. My JungSim club in college was 90% newbie, with two senior instructors and two junior-level assistants. If you're interested, most clubs have demos at the start of every semester (that's where I got to break bricks), and usually back-to-back so you can walk from one to the next in one or two nights.

Pay attention to how they run their demo, and also if the instructor gives a little speech. The speech generally outlines their approach to teaching and the values they bring to the table, so don't doze off at that point. Don't be afraid to try a few if you don't strike gold the first time. Finding the right teacher to start your training with is pretty important so take your time and make the right decision.

[Rig]

I am interested in joining/practicing some type of martial art, but I've never taken any before. I am in college now. Could I join one of the martial arts groups here if I've never had any experience. And going to your "fast food" classes, did you ever see any 19-22 year olds beginning there?

All the time. That's a pretty popular age group, really. My JungSim club in college was 90% newbie, with two senior instructors and two junior-level assistants. If you're interested, most clubs have demos at the start of every semester (that's where I got to break bricks), and usually back-to-back so you can walk from one to the next in one or two nights.

Pay attention to how they run their demo, and also if the instructor gives a little speech. The speech generally outlines their approach to teaching and the values they bring to the table, so don't doze off at that point. Don't be afraid to try a few if you don't strike gold the first time. Finding the right teacher to start your training with is pretty important so take your time and make the right decision.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to look into this...

[WildWop]

And be sure to approach it with patience and dedication. It's pretty difficult starting out, especially at this point in life, since your body mechanics won't be used to that type of motion. Take your time and try not to get frustrated with it; the harder you work at it the better you will get, so giving up or coming up with "I just can't do it" type of excuses will get you nowhere fast.

[Duo_Maxwell]

I took about 13 months of judo at the start of college. Yet I dropped it thanks to adding a third major cut out like 90% of my free time. I've since turned that major into minor, but don't ask me why I didn't start judo back up. I guess I just decided it's just not my thing.

[opportunity777]

I spent 3 years in Thai Kick Boxing.

[EggViper]

i studied karate for about 3 years when i was really young (probally started at 4-5). had to quit for a while because my family had to move so i couldnt go to the same dojo anymore. started taekwondo after a year or so, for only about a year and a half, had to quit again because of a family move. then started karate again when i was 12 for about 3 years, and had to quit yet again because of a family move. and since then i havent done any martial arts (17 now).

[TheRaven]

I've spent 2 years in Taekwondo when I was growing up..don't remember why I stopped. It was McTraining anyways. In college, I did some Kumdo, which I really enjoyed thanks to an excellent instructor. I am considering finding a local group now to join in.

[daphatty]

I trained at Ernie Reyes' West Coast Tae Kwon Do when I was a Jr. in High School. Might as well have been McDonalds. They had several franchise locations, all run by Ernie Reyes Sr. or some of the Black Belts he trained. I enjoyed my time there until I realized that they were only interested in money. Damn shame too because I was so eager to learn.

I did manage to get in on some contact sparring when I hit yellow. I remember that day well. I had my ass handed to me. I sparred against a brown belt, a high school aquaintance who'd been studying for over 2 years and the only other person tall enough to spar against me. I surprised him early on with a "distracting" jump front kick that placed the ball of my foot about an inch from his nose. I didn't hit him since the rules prevented facial contact but I still managed to get the crowd going. I think the embarrasment hurt him more than the kick actually would have. Needless to say, he retaliated with a roundhouse that I never saw coming. He planted his size twelve foot right across my face and dropped me to the mat hard.

Fun times man. Fun times.

[evilpenguin9000]

I am fat and lazy.

[neocisco]

I am a master in the style of Fuk Yu Long.

[Xevious]

I never taken a martial arts class before but I have beaten up a brown belt before.

Probably a McDojo Brown Belt. Far too many schools are out just for profit and push kids through ranks like a fat man through pork rinds.

I got in a fight with this guy over a girl years ago. He did hit me pretty hard but I busted his nose and ultimately prevailed. Afterwards, some people told me he was brown belt. I was actually a little shocked but hey...it happened.

[flowery]

I have been taking Akido for 4 years but now college baseball is taking up to much time. I started taking it with my uncle and Japanese aunt and it was helping my agility in baseball and is very relaxing and fluid. Like I said in D1 baseball there is no time for anything but team stuff and school, I am actually lucky to have mondays off to catch up on Tiger Woods 05.

[moiety]

I hold a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Always wanted to learn another form, but honestly haven't had the time.

[pooroldluser]

There's this one gang that keeps trying to get me to join them because I'm pretty good with a bo staff.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[evilpenguin9000]

There's this one gang that keeps trying to get me to join them because I'm pretty good with a bo staff.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.
High quality stuff there.

[Zenithian Legend]

studied jeet kune do off and on for the past 3 and a half years now

[Zenithian Legend]

er make that horse-kune-do :)

[DesertEagleXIX]

When I was a kid, a friends dad ran a Kempo (open fist) Karate School. I studied there for about 5 years, but found the forms too rigid.

I read up on JKD in high school, and got some videos, but no trainer. Finally, I grew to 6'5" and happened upon Muay Thai. Since I have long limbs, this seems like the ideal art for me. I found a school while in college and studied for 5 years.

While getting my Masters Degree, I took a 'martial arts' class, that was 'chop suey' - a little of everything. I really got into meditation, there and got to spar with the black belts. The teacher there trained hand to hand for the millitary, but I never got a chance to spar with him ;(

[Theenternal]

took kung fu courses at a local gym, that houses a B-Movie martial artist...he is actually pretty good. Kung fu was a great work out, but then after watching a lot of UFC etc... i of course was edged towards grapping etc... now i just try to keep myself in shape and compete in sports..etc.

[Ikohn4ever]

took budo for a semester(its a mut martial arts class) got to use weapons and stuff, took a semester of Tai Chi.

Ohh yeah when I was younger I was a kung fu master, that damn Mr. X took my gf and I had to kick the crap out of a ton of people and dragons to get her back.

[Peacec]

No mention of "Wang Fu" ?

How unexpected.

[Larsin]

i'm not a martial artist but i know a bit of muay tai and aikido.

[darksieg@web.de]

I know SHAQ FU !!!!

lol. I've been practicing tkd for three years from 11 to 14 and i recently took a year of karate. I stopped cause we did mostly katas and almost no sparring and kihon and it was not very practical. I'm interested in ninjitsu that would be sooo cool.
maybe some mixed stuff with punches and kicks and grapplin. There are just a few schools where I live. as of ritgh now i'm just lifting weights a lot.

[KrazyKefka]

I took two quarters of a Tae Kwon Do class at OU. I really enjoyed it, but man was I sore like a mofo. I've been meaning to get back into it, but with everything else going on I've been too busy. One of these days I'll get back into it.

[WildWop]

Ohh yeah when I was younger I was a kung fu master, that damn Mr. X took my gf and I had to kick the crap out of a ton of people and dragons to get her back.

Don't forget the hordes of midgets and snakes, and the hunchback with boomerangs.

lol. I've been practicing tkd for three years from 11 to 14 and i recently took a year of karate. I stopped cause we did mostly katas and almost no sparring and kihon and it was not very practical. I'm interested in ninjitsu that would be sooo cool.
maybe some mixed stuff with punches and kicks and grapplin. There are just a few schools where I live. as of ritgh now i'm just lifting weights a lot.

I know what you mean. A lot of TKD schools are very against contact. I took TKD for about 6 years straight, and somehow managed to avoid learning how to spar properly. It just wasn't a focus of the training. When we did spar, it was sissified BS that was hard to really learn from. Roundhouse - block - roundhouse - block - frontkick - block ... where's the fists? Oh right, we don't know how to use our fists. Damn. You'd have been lucky to see a backfist every now and then, but by and large once you got within full leg range, matches degraded to a clusterf*ck.

It was part of the reason that I moved on when I did.

[donssword]

13 year student of Kendo -- the only art I have stayed with.

Studied Taekwondo for about 3 years at the behest of my Kendo instructor (same dojo), but I was never very good at it, and hardly ever tested. My hips are not made for kicking.

In high school and college I had short stints (less than 1 year) in Wu Shu Kung Fu and a semester of Judo.