battousai16

well, to that end, if you can confidently end a conflict by restraining somebody until the whole thing blows over, isn't that how you should end every conflict?

visit whatever schools are in your area and decide which fits you best. a good instructor in a good environment can make all of the difference in a world. you're best off with quality of instruction, even if the style isn't hypothetically tailored to you. oh, and i feel like i should add: weight and asthma aren't really that big an issue. as my old capoeira instructor used to say, "if you want a capoeira body, play capoeira!". or rather, don't worry about getting in shape to start training in a style. train in the style; it'll get you into shape. no sense putting it off:-)

The bottom line is, you ask the question: "How do you train someone in just a couple of workouts to be as good as they can possibly be as a martial artist when they might only refresh those skills you teach them on their own periodically?" The answer is: you don't. I don't care how good a teacher you are, or how good your style is; without a dedicated student willing to practice properly, one can't possibly be "as good as they can possibly be as a martial artist". Regardless of dubious unicorn or gorilla styles.

i think this really depends on the length of time you have. hour long classes have always made me uneasy, since it's difficult to get decent time stretching/warming up and spend any time on new material. when i was teaching classes, it was expected that students show up early, and more experienced students would lead stretches/warm ups in the back. anybody who couldn't make it early generally took time out of the beginning of class. it's probably unfair, but no one ever complained to me, and people were open to staying after to cover whatever they might have missed. i can see this as being a problem for anyone who doesn't have lots of space, though.

if i were a woman out to attack you and you restrained me, i would yell "rape" and "abuse" until someone intervened, and i assure you it wouldn't end very pretty for you.

i would say you are over reacting a little, actually. remember you're not just training for a belt. i would take the fact that he's not just passing you on as a compliment; that he's making sure you really get the techniques down, and absorb them. it's great that you're putting in so much time and effort. keep it up and you'll see the real rewards behind it.

i really never payed attention to the "don't hit girls" rule. maybe it's because i grew up bullied by my big sister. maybe i'm just "progressive". the bottom line is, if you feel threatened, you do what you need to do to feel safe. if a woman is out of control and causing a danger to me or anyone else, i'd treat her exactly the same as anyone else.

actually, i would say the first rule of any martial art is to think it through. you're tired. you're cutting through dark alleys with lots of bushes at night. you were in a well lit, public gymnasium, waiting for your mom who was coming to pick you up. if you're that worried about it, why not just wait it out?

i'm glad we're talking about this, just from the people who posted "i'd strike to the ribs and the solar plexus". it's important to keep in mind that if you're lying on your back, you're not going to have the same kind of power as you do on your feet. you don't have the kinetic energy that comes from pushing and pivoting off the ground; that's why you learn all of that foot work in the first place. if you don't know any grappling skills or small joint manipulation, and it's a life/death situation, your best bet is to "play dirty", something i imagine is especially handy against someone who's trained to grapple and doesn't have to worry about things like biting and eye gouging. i would say those are your best bets.

one thing i find helpful is to relax before i go to class. drink some water, read a book, listen to some music you enjoy. it puts me in a smiley mood when i go to train, which puts everyone else in a smiley mood, and it's much easier to stay smooth and relaxed. more than anything, it simply takes practice. it's easier for some people than it is for others.

i only played capoeira for a little over a year, but i found it to be one of the most valuable experiences during my time in the martial arts. the way they teach, at least here in madison, kind of throws you straight into the fire, so you get into good shape really fast, and you quickly get adjusted to getting in close. having to play in a small circle of people made sparring one on one seem like i had all of the room in the world to do whatever i wanted. you also have to think more in terms of set-up, instead of just throwing moves out until one connects. a lot of it isn't particularly practical, but if i got into a fight i certainly wouldn't mind having a capoeirista in my corner.

for what it's worth, i spent a few days in this system and i loved it. i can't speak for how old it is, but my teacher was very knowledgeable and down to earth, and stressed character development as much as anything. the style its self covered a wide range of fighting and it was probably the single cheapest school in the area. the only reason i stopped going is because it was really far away, and gas prices were creeping up. i don't know much about lineage, or even consistency from school to school, but if yours is anyone like mine i definitely suggest checking it out.

the two biggest strengths that capoeira gives you as far as practical self defense goes are a) it gets you in great shape pretty fast and gives you a lot of endurance. it's a good way to gain a lot of strength, balance, and agility really quickly. and b) when you jump into the roda, you're not in a bunch of pads and you're forced into very close quarters, and you have to keep moving. it dosen't have any of that "start, tag, stop" stuff that a lot of other styles tend to train with. therefor, you get used to being in really close to somebody, not really being able to escape since you're in a circle, and continuously moving. also, the fancy head spins and air kicks, although i suppose could be used in a real fight, are really more, as far as i can see, a way to taunt your sparring partner, and bring up energy. when you break it down it really is a lot of evasion and some basic kicks that, to the users advantage, haven't been seen as much as others before, so they seem to kind of come from nowhere.

i really hate chest protectors too, and only wear them when i have too. god do i hate them, except for one thing..... .....did you ever notice that everybody aims for the big, obvious dots on them? presenting such a luring target draws them in a bit more, and knowing exactly where they're going to strike helps in strategy building a great deal.

hm.... i feel a little foolish now reading everybody else, but i not only look straight down, i close my eyes, too. i don't bow to incredibly often, so when i do i like to show complete trust. unless, of course, i'm with someone i don't know and trust very well. then i look at their feet, which i think is a good enough indication of their intentions. i can't imagine anyone doing much with their feet stationary at shoulder width or narrower.