krunchyfrogg

I don't know if this is the right forum or not, but I'd think that it would. Martial Arts places a lot of importance on concentration, and this focus should help someone with Attention Defecit Disorder. Can anybody add to this either from a written source or experience?

When checking out a new school, what are the right questions to ask before joining?

Also, although the charges are weird, are they fair?

I have not gone there in person yet. What questions should I be asking?

http://www.isshin-ryu.com/ I know this is a style I'm interested in persuing. I've been out of the game much longer than I would have liked, and really want to get back into this. I don't know much about how much I should be paying, so I'd like to have some of you experts check this out and let me know if this is too much or if it's a good deal: Monthly Fee Schedule One Class / Week - $45.00 Two Classes / Week - $65.00 Three Classes / Week - $80.00 What I really do like is that there are no contracts and no promotion fees. I've never been much into tournaments, but it looks like the ones hosted here are for charity. There is a IWKA tournament coming up in a few weeks. Would it be a good idea to attend this tournament to get a feel of whether or not I'd like it?

Wow, thanks.

I'll be moving to a place called Cottonwood, Arizona in a few months (yay!), and it's nearest city is Sedona. I am having trouble locating a martial arts place out there. I don't really care what style (at least not yet), and the more choices the better. TIA

Wow, great article. Thank you so much!

Thanks you two... two great responses! So, we should attend a class before signing up, see how we feel about the teacher(s), and talk to them. Look out for McDojo's (I know, it's reading a bit into Bushidoman's Black Belt kids comment).

What should a beginner or someone returning to the Martial Arts after a long hiatus look for in a school? I want my above statement to be the focus of this thread, but I also want to interject a little personal stuff: I've only been in one school, and I really liked it a lot. I got hurt, put on weight, moved away, ect., and am working on getting back into shape and starting to take some kind of martial arts again. Personally, it doesn't really matter to me what style, but I'm kind of turned off by tournaments/trophies, ect. (that's not what I'm looking for in a MA). Again, what should a beginner or someone returning to the Martial Arts after a long hiatus look for in a school? What are some red flags to look for, and good things? I'll gladly accept both vague and specific things here. TIA

"Living the Martial Way" is pretty good.

I'm really glad I asked. Thanks a lot for the info everybody!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8J4lACWl-4M Since the original movies are being released on DVD soon, I thought this would be really funny. What do you think?

This show just scratches the surface of what kind of research could actually be done with the fighting arts. I agree. If a real "fight science" were ever done, I'd just love to see it!

I was watching this movie about a week ago (it was on some cable network late at night) and it had some pretty cool martial arts fights in it. But what really took me by surprise was that it said, "Based on a true story" and had some facts about the martial artist portrayed by Van Damme in the movie. I know Hollywood has a history of bending "facts" a whole lot in these "true stories," so I was wondering how much of this story really is true.

It's unfair to say that Boxing has the hardest punches, when the boxer himself is much physically stronger than the Kung-Fu practicioner, for instance (This applies for the other styles/attacks as well). You don't know if the measurements are calculated correctly because the equipment might be damaged by an earlier participant, giving untrue results. There are others, I'm sure, but I haven't watched it since it first aired. When it's on again, I'm sure I'll think of others.

It wasa fun program, but there were many holes in the "scientific analysis" of a lot of it. The Ninjitsu balancing act was kinda neat though!

Exactly. I gained the weight from stopping the MA after an injury.Thanks for all the help everybody.

Wouldn't this be a question for your religious leaders, not some martial artists?

Hmmm, not sure. Here is a link to the dojo's website:http://wcma.cmasdirect.com/

I've been out of MA for a while now, and put on a decent amount of unwanted weight. When I get back into the dojo, I expect to start losing, but I know the beginning will be difficult. There is a reputable Tae Kwon Do school near me, and I can get a significant discount on the classes through an ad in my church bulletin. What's TKD like? I've got experience in Shorin-Ryu, Goju, and Shotokan. Tell me some of the differences and similarities I can expect. TIA

The one (minor, hopefully) drawback I see to this style is the way a fist is made. I saw a picture online, and it's different from what I'm used to. I tried holding a fist that way a lot today, and I thought it was uncomfortable, but I could be doing it wrong.

Well, the style I came from was a combination of Shorin Ryu, Goju, and Shoto-Kan (although we used horizontal punches). I'm searching for a new school, and I think this might really be a great fit for me.

Looks like I may have found a dojo in a new style. What is Isshyn-Ryu like? TIA

http://www.eastmorriskarate.com/services/emka_home_files/consumertips.htm Sounds good to me... what do you think?