KarateGeorge

Merry Christmas!

Welcome!

Congrats!!!

Congratulations!!!!

Welcome to the forums!

Congrats!

Congrats!

Welcome back!

Hehe.

Welcome!

Yes, a classical style of karate can teach one how to fight and defend themselves, and no, a classical style won't teach someone how to fight and defend themselves. Any style of martial arts can provide someone with a basis of self-defense. Some will teach it quicker than others, and some instructor's are better at teaching than others, so its not the style that ultimately determines its effectiveness, its the quality of the instruction and the effort put in by the student. If you have a good instructor and you put forth the effort to practice and learn, karate, wing chun, aikido, judo, MMA, etc. can all provide solid self-defense training. If you have a poor instructor and/or you don't put forth enough effort in your training, you won't develop the skills you're looking for. Since you're a career musician as a drummer, let me use this analogy. If someone is looking to learn to play the drums, what's more important, the drum set they're buying or finding a solid instructor and putting in a lot of practice time? Yes, one drum set vs. another can make learning to play more enjoyable, but ultimately, it comes down to having an instructor who knows what they're doing and for the student to continue to practice what they're being taught. Many of the same types of qualities you'd look for in a quality drum instructor can be applied to a martial arts instructor. Though they may be different skill sets, the same principals of teaching apply. Even as someone unfamiliar with a style, you can observe a teacher and their students and know if they're a good teacher.

Congratulations to everybody for your well deserved awards!

Welcome to the forums!

Congrats on finding a school! I would however, suggest waiting to add a second art until you've had time to get grounded in the first art. Nothing wrong with learning a second style, but take your time and don't let your enthusiasm to learn become a pitfall rather than springboard to learning.

Nice to meet you. Welcome back!

Very interesting and informative article. I loved reading it. Thanks for sharing!

If your goal is to compliment your karate and fill some gaps in areas where your style doesn't emphasize, then really, either Judo or Fencing could accomplish those goals. They would both compliment your karate in different way, but they could both make you a more well-rounded martial artists in their own rights. However, if your goal is purely to improve your karate, as you had mentioned, then to get better at karate, do more karate. Just keep practicing what you're being taught, internalize the material so that it becomes instinctual, and commit to general exercises to improve overall fitness levels as well as specific exercises targeted towards the needs of a martial artist. While studying another style can do wonders in making you a better overall martial artist, studying another style isn't going be as effective in improving your karate as just putting more effort into your karate would be.

Welcome to the forums and good luck in your search for a place to begin your martial arts journey.

Thanks! Same to you Patrick! *gobble, gobble*

Welcome to the forums!

Welcome to the forums!

The technique(s) that bring the opponent down are important to extracting yourself safely from an encounter, but the one(s) that happen immediately after you've felled an opponent are what really determines your own character.

Most anybody can learn the mechanical movements to any number of techniques with a little practice. The experiences of the martial arts journey is what really matters the most to me.

Happy half-birthday KF! Thank you to Patrick for all the work you've done and continue do to in building this community to be the place that it is.

Welcome to KF, Adamo!