Hey everyone. This is my first post here, but I have been lurking for a while, and I have found that so many of you are very helpful and knowledgeable. Back in April of 2010, I started on a journey to take back my body. I was obese, inactive, and experiencing weird illnesses caused by the things I ate. At this point, I have lost 60 pounds and am feeling great. I have mostly been focused on strength training, as I have never been fond of aerobic exercise. I find typical aerobic exercise to be extremely dull and repetitive. Who really likes tread mills and exercise bikes? Living where I do, outdoor running and biking is only an option half the year. Anyway, I have been at a weight plateau for 4 months now, and feel that exploring martial arts may be exactly what I need. Unfortunately, I have no idea where to start. I recognize that the journey into martial arts is a long one, with no quick results. I am under no illusion that I will shine after little effort. The physical transformation method I chose was strengthening, which also has really slow results. I am very familiar with this. Anyway, I though I'd lay out what I'm looking for, and maybe you all could point me in the right direction. First, a brief bio. I hail from Michigan, and work full time as a computer technician. I work a M-F 9-5 job that leaves me on my rump all day long. I have two daughters and a wife at home, and love having them involved in all I do. Watching my 4 year old daughter pull on large pencils as I'm pulling on my dumb bells is frikken cute. So an path that can include them would be wonderful. I have 4 days a week that I can give 2 or more hours to whatever path I explore. I have another 10 hours that I can devote to practice on my own. I'm looking for something that is physically challenging and that might utilize the strength that I have been building. I'm also interested in both unarmed and weapon fighting. Lastly, I'm drawn to tradition, and would love to explore something that is soaked in tradition. At this point, the two arts that are drawing my eyes are Tae Kwon Do and Pencak Silat PCK. Tae Kwon Do because I took a semester of that 15 years ago in college and found it enjoyable. Pencak Silat PCK because my cousin is Guru Besar Jerry Jacobs, and he has been pestering me to give it a try for a long time now. (HAnds down, I'd study with my cousin, but the 110 mile distance between me and him make that hard) Would either of these offer a combination of tradition and physical exertion that may push me over my physical transformations plateau? Is there another art that may be what I'm looking for? And finally, what is the best way to research an art before trying it out? Thanks ahead of time for reading through my long-winded ramblings, and I appreciate all comments. -Stabinoff
