italian_guy

I'm with Meguro on this one. Take a look at the school first, speack with the head instuctors look at the classes, take a test lesson each and then decide. I don't know hapkido but both JKD and Kyokushin karate are good arts. Enjoy.... and keep us posted

I also started after my marriage (10 years after) and like busling wife she likes the effects of having a fitter husband now also my son is involved in MA (Shotokan karate) and she enjoy watching some of his lessons.

Very good article from a very good reference book. I'm an over 40 MAist and I discover MA relatively recently. After doing no physical activity for more than 20 years I joined a gym. I exercized for a couple of years in weight lifting and aerobics. Then I saw a kickboxing class and one week later I joined... That was my beginning in martial art journey (March 2003 at the age of 41 almost 42). Now I really enjoy it and I experienced many of those benefits you are talking about in your article and follow the advices you give (that I also learnt from your reference book. Congratulation once again for the article.

Ah so it is a sort of pre-grading. Congratulation and good luck for the rest of your journey.

Maybe I'm not the most competent of the board to this matter but here we go... My knoledge of shotokan comes from watching a few classes attended by my son and some discussion in this board and with some people in my dojo. Things in common: strikes, punches, kicks and blocks are about the same; grappling techniques may be similar (but I don't know much about Shotokan grappling anyhow...) Differences: Stances, Shotokan has lower stances that enphatize power development, while Goju uses higher stances and give more enphasis on mobility. Goju gives great importance to breathing, two katas (Sanchin and Tensho) are mainly chi kung breathing exercises. The katas are all different. Any Shotokan or Goju collegues feel free to correct me if I'm wrong

Yes, this is also why kuntao and kali and silat are also in various JKD school programs. They share the same phylosophy.

I don't think so either. JKD is a set of principles (written in the TAO of JKD), you can add any skill from any art and modify it according to these principles. My school teaches a mix of boxing, muay thai, wing chun, chi-na, kali and Pentjak Silat (Dan Inosanto Method). I also saw a book that applied some of those principles to karate (Freestyle Karate: a guide to sparring by Anderson). So I think there are people that can apply those principles but like in any other art there are also frauds but this is common to all.

Good post grenadier! Since I joined JKD/kali this white belt feeling has come back again!

Can you write down those sites more explicitly? Thanks. I know this: http://www.mikemiles.com/sport/video/video.clips.cfm

I practiced Tai chi for about one year and my opinion is that martial Tai Chi teaches you how to fight but it takes quite a long time to be self-defence effective. In the my (previous) school you start practicing pushing hands after 2 years of form practice, kombat application after 2.5 years before you have sufficient skill to use it I think it may take 4-5 years, aside of this you have other benefit like general health and fitness (like flexibility isometric strenght etc.) improvements but if you look for self-defence Tai chi chuan is not the most immediate anwer.

Oh yes, we are a very fast-growing community, thanks to our staff. BTW I noticed that the previous month we had the record of most new topics and most posts ever.

welcome.

Welcome to KF apobiosis! Lots of Goju ryu Karatekas on this forum.

Welcome to KF

Welcome to KF. Osu!

Osu! You seem to have lots of experience to share! Welcome to KF

Thanks a lot! Very good site

These are the one I could see, maybe others are also present.... Goju ryu Karate: 1. Takes some time to be self-defence effective (not so much but... ) Tai chi chuan (Yang style) 1. Takes a LOT of time to be self defence effective. 2. No ground fighting. JKD/kali 1. No ground fighting (maybe some at advanced level) Kickboxing 1. No grappling at all.

Recently I join a school where I use to train before it was closed (now it has been re-opened). They make an interesting mix of JKD (which it is a mix itself of boxing, wing chun, muay thai and chi-na), Pentjak/Silat (only at advanced level) and Kali. I joined and now I use it to cross-train my karate... before I was cross-training with Tai chi chuan but now I left becase my working schedule was no longer compatible with that.

Does Tai chi really help you to get into shape? I know because I practiced it that Tai chi is energy quite consuming. But maybe to get into shape it may be better something more aerobic?

Way to go Mu ryuk. With the strong motivation you have good results will always come.

I wish I had that flexibility..... You can choose a mostly kicking MA like TKD, capoeira or Northern shaolin kung fu. BTW how bad is your arm?

Welcome to the forums.

Welcome to KF