Mtal

Could anyone tell me about Dachengdao? I hear it is an internal marital art, good for health. Is it very martial? How would it compare to the other internal martial arts? Interms of training, style, techniques, fighting?

Could anyone tell me about Dachengdao? What are the applications like? Is it a martial art or just something like chi gung, improves your internal power, etc....? What would be done in a Dachengdao class? I found out someone is teaching, and might check out a class. I really do want something that could protect myself, at the same time I did hear there are a lot of health benefits to this style, but is it just like tai chi (no offence, I take it and like it, and probably go back to it one day, but I also need a style that will help me in the street)? Any info would be great. Thank you.

Does anyone have any experience with Systema? What is the style like? Punching, kicking, joint locks????? Is it a good street self defence? Does it take a long time to get good at it? I know they do stuff like multiple attackers, and other different things, not typical of other martial arts (I read something about mind control too, dont know about that one). Also it is done very slowly. I know I saw a little bit of it once, and it looked like a soft style. Any info would be great. I am looking for a school, like to take something that is good on the street. I was considering this. Thanks

One of my goals in life is to become a black belt. Ok, I want to earn it first of all. I am in my 30's and kind of dont want to take a style that would take me 20 years to get to be a master. I mean I hope to study for a long time. Ok what I am getting at is I know some styles have so much material it take years and years to master, while others are still good more to the point, maybe the process is longs. Maybe someone could point out some arts like this? I kind of was thinking of the Japanese arts inparticular. Thanks. Any thoughts would be great.

Thanks guys. So if I take my drink within 15mins of my workout, when should I eat a meal? An this meal should be a high carb meal also? Oh I was wondering, do you guys feel this actually helps taking the drink?

What have you felt it has done for you? How much should you take a day?

I was in the gym this saturday, and some dude was saying that he has some kind of carbo drink after a work out. He also mentioned, that some people work out, wait an hour after, then eat a meal, and that is too late for the musles to get what they need. So, right after a workout, what should you do? Protien Shake, Then I heard you should have a drink with a 3 to 1 ratio of carbs to Protein or maybe a meal replacement drink. Then if you have some sort of drink after your workout, how long after should you wait till you have a meal? Ok that was directed to weight lifting, but I was also wondering, if you do martial arts, should you do the same? Now if there is a type of drink I should have, any specific brands?

I just heard about this Liquid Creatine. Is it any good? From what I hear you just have to take a few drops before you lift weights, only on days you work out, and that is it. What does everyone think? Now what about lifting weights, studing martial arts and taking Creatine? Any thoughts on that?

I asked because I was hoping you wouldn't say that, even though I figured you would. If you look at a diagram of the pectoral muscle, the "upper", "lower" and "inner" pec are all within a close proximity - so close that you can't work one without working them all. The pectoral muscle is one muslce, not three, and any of the bench variations will hit all three, so only one variation is necessary. The abs are the same way - the abs are one sheet of muscle - there are no upper and lower abs, technically. The "lower ab burn" that people feel when doing leg raises isn't the lower abs, but actually the hip ab/adductors. Lol, those dam workout books. So in your opion, is my routine, overtraining the chest? So 3 sets of flat, once a week, done intensely, is what you would reconmend? Or what else would you add?

You know, I was going to study at one school once, they did a lot of joint locking, I like that kind of stuff, but at the same time, they had like so many ways to put on various locks. So I have a questions, is there any style that keeps it pretty simple, just gives you want you need to know, and really works on it so you master those skills?

Actually, that is great advice. I was thinking of that, it is so hard to find time to train, etc......, Ok for me lets say, I go to JKD once a week, and Go Ju another time, but I am feeling that is not enough time to really get good. I see how my JKD teacher moves, and I dont think I can get close. I am probably going to start looking around at schools, and try to pick a system that is well rounded and the school has a good schedual. It is just to find one. Thanks.

I was thinking of seeing a doc too, but just so I know, what would a doc do? Ok I know my shins hurt, he take an xray, give me something to take, pysical therapy? Well I just want an idear. Thanks.

2 to 4 hours is WAY too long for a weight training session. split your body into groups, for example, pulling muscles one day and pushing muscles the next. If someone is going the pushing musles in one work out, and the pulling in another, how many times should they do that work out a week? Can they get away with doing it just twice a week (just seems like too little)? Or should it be some thing like monday push, thuesday pull, wednesday rest, thursday push, friday pull, rest saturday and sunday, start all over. I guess what I am looking for, well #1 strenght (I dont care to be a monster, but at the same time like to push myself, but anyway in shape to handle what life puts in front of me, and do my MA's and other activities), and #2, ok I admit, I like to look in shape, I dont need to be a body builder, but I just want to stay toned, fit in my clothes, etc.......

I think the issue here is what you define as proper and what type of lifting you are referring to. In regards to mass and endurance training, yes, you need rest. three days a week is still sufficient, however. For strength training, you can get away with lifting daily. You CAN train your body parts once per week, but you won't see the greatest results. your body will begin to "untrain", or atrophy in as little as 96 hours. By lifting once per week, you may be working against yourself, because you are giving yourself TOO MUCH rest. So, then when people talk about working out one body part a week, is that really the best way to approach working out (ex. doing chest every 7 days)?

A ridiculous comparison. Training MA doesn't ware down the muscles to the point that they need to rest for any more than a day or two. Lifting, when done properly, requires a great deal more rest. For the record, I never said workout once a week. I said work out each body part once a week. To get maximum instensity in that workout, you will need to split to some degree. And a minimalist approach does not mean minimal results. Neither does it mean minimal intensity. The workouts you do are hard and that combined with greater rest periods and decent nutrition is where the gains come from. Don't knock it till you've tried it. Could you give me an idear of what body parts you work on what days? How long are your work outs?

Why do you do inclines, flyes AND flats? Well from what I read, Flats for overall chest development, Inclines for upper chest, flyes (well I dont do them all the time, maybe 1 out of every 3 workouts, but I was thinking of doing them more often), just to get a good pump. Why did you ask?

Thanks for everyone replies. I guess what was probably getting to me is that certain schools (well ones I been going to), only teach you what to do against certain fighters. Ok for instance, in Karate, we were doing blocking and punching drills, well it was against a karate punch. So I am not really learning what to do against a grappler or boxer (oh in defence of the school, I just started and I am at the bottom). Well I have taken Karate before and it always seemed like your learning how to fight another karate person. Now in JKD, I am learning a lot of good street self defence, but have not really got into if some throws a real good kick, etc...... Now my skills are also rusty, so I really cannot test anyone in either school. So I guess cross training is the deal, but with limited time, that becomes an issue. I might look into some Ju Jitsu. There is a guy who teaches that but also incorporates boxing, might be a nice mix. Thanks everyone again, and please any more thoughts are welcomed.

I was wondering. Ok a lot of us take martial arts for self defence. Well I am learning to always kind of disguise that I know something. Don't want the attacker to know anything, then bam, let him have it. Well, what I was wondering, what happens if one day, I come across someone who knows martial arts, and is confronting me one on one. Right now I am taking JKD and also Go Ju Ryu (my gym offers it, mind as well take advantage of it, great work out). I see guys from a lot of styles, looking very strong and powerful, it might be some dude taking karate, do some ju jitus guy who you dont want to get a hold of you, to boxers, etc......... So is there a style that works well against other styles. Maybe a better question is are there styles with a lot of self defence that would not work well against someone who has been studying a style for a while, well conditioned, etc....... Well this might be more of a fun type of question, I know we should not be looking for this, etc.....

Well when I was running more often, yes, but if I remember right, I think it was nagging me a little bit. I do remember back then, I ran on a hard floor, and my shins were killing me for days. Now recently, when I ran about a month ago, it was pretty silly, I was coming home and I just said, let me run home. and since then, I still feel them being sore.

Thanks for the info guys. Well right now I am going with three times a week. Chest and Ties, Back and bys, and legs and shoulders. I guess I picked this workout since time is an issue, I can only really make it to the gym like 3 times a week. I might switch back to the pushing and pulling workouts and just alternate. It just does not seem right waiting so long (like 7 days with me right now) between working a body part (for instance I do chest every Saturday). Any thoughts on that? I did have one question. It was mentioned that the routines in the musle magazines are for steriod users. So for us normal people, who just want to get in shape, work out to help are martial arts and any other activites we do, and also try to look decent, lol, how many sets or reps (well for instance I hear Arnold Swartenager likes to do 20 set of various exercises for chest, now we know he does not use steriods, lol) should I shoot for. I mean right now for example, chest I do 4 sets of flat, 3 incline, 3 dips, 3 machine flys. Is that too much, to little, just right? I probably do about the same amout of exercises for my back, legs and shoulders, arms a little less. Thanks.

Hi, I been trying to figure out my new workout plan. Trying to get back in the gym again. Now this is the thing, I dont know how many times a week to work a body part. Now I know a lot of people say work on part a week. So lets say I go into the gym on Saturday and do pushing, like chest, tris, and shoulders, and Sunday do pulling, back, bi's, and say legs, is that it for the week. It just does not seem right in a way. Now I also been reading (oh a different source), to do say pushing on monday, pull on tuesday, rest a day, then push again on Thursday, pull on Friday, rest two days, start again on Monday. Now that sounds like a little too much. Oh and what about abs, do you just train them once a week? Oh and do you have to do like 1000 cruches a workout, or is it more like 3 sets of 10, etc?????? Could someone please shead some light on this for me. I am not sure what I want from my workouts, I like to get a little bigger and stronger, and cut too, I just want to be healthy #, but for one year, and I always say this, I like to look in nice shape when it comes to beach time.

Hi, I been trying to figure out my new workout plan. Trying to get back in the gym again. Now this is the thing, I dont know how many times a week to work a body part. Now I know a lot of people say work on part a week. So lets say I go into the gym on Saturday and do pushing, like chest, tris, and shoulders, and Sunday do pulling, back, bi's, and say legs, is that it for the week. It just does not seem right in a way. Now I also been reading (oh a different source), to do say pushing on monday, pull on tuesday, rest a day, then push again on Thursday, pull on Friday, rest two days, start again on Monday. Now that sounds like a little too much. Oh and what about abs, do you just train them once a week? Oh and do you have to do like 1000 cruches a workout, or is it more like 3 sets of 10, etc?????? Could someone please shead some light on this for me. I am not sure what I want from my workouts, I like to get a little bigger and stronger, and cut too, I just want to be healthy #, but for one year, and I always say this, I like to look in nice shape when it comes to beach time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well it does not really effecting my martial arts training, but I keep getting shine spints every time I run. Well I run ever so often. I really have not tried it in like 2 years. My cardio is from martial arts or bike, etc..... but like 2 months ago, I ran a couple of blocks, and my shins started hurting again. I still feel them (maybe since I started up with my martial arts training again). Like I said, day to day, they really dont interfer with anything, but they are sore. Is there anything I can do for this? I would like to start to run again. In fact, I have a chance at a law enforcement job coming up (going thru the process), and I know I would probably have to do some running in training, so I am a little worried. Any advice would be great.

I was wondering, is there a certain style of Jiu-Jitsu that is more street/self defence oriented that others? I know some do some striking and kicking, some don't. Any thoughts on the matter? Maybe I am wrong but aren't there many styles of Jiu-Jitsu (like karate has shoto kan, go-ju, etc.....). Thank you.