red dawn

that sounds interesting. I wish I had more of a selection were I lived.

greco-roman? I've never heard of that. But it sounds like you have a good plan! I hope everything works out for you! Have fun with bjj!

well, as far as my knowledge goes. Judo is how you take them to ground. Jujitsu is what you do afterwards. But it also all depends on the school too. Some judo school might have some jujitsu techniques and visa versa. When I was taking jujitsu we also had some judo techniques in there. So if you are just interested in taking people down I would say you would want Judo.

I am right there with you. I am pretty good with the bo as far as flashy moves go. But i'm not combat effective with it. I guess the best advice would be (which is what I do with the sword and I'm better with it), is don't worry about spinning the bo get your self think like you were sparring and shadow spar with bo. Imagine different attacks coming at you. Pretend to block and counter. It's also really helpful if you have a bag (standing up or hanging) it helps give you an idea of your spacing and how far through you can actually carry a strike. Even if you don't really hit the bag. Also, if you have someone you can work with you can do one-step-drills and so on. Even some light or no contact sparring. IMO, the hardest part (to learn and practice) about a wepeaon is being able to use it combat effectively. Good luck! I hope I helped.

yes, i agree. If i'm going to an event were I know there could be trouble I alway bring my flame thrower with me. Or a grenade and some tear gas.

hey there! And welcome!

i have done a few different styles. But at the moment my main style is aikido. It would be hard to just classify aikido as either an art or science. First off, you would probably think of aikido as an art because it's graceful and relaxed. But if you look closely at it, many techniques can be explained through physics. And i think that's the case with many arts. You make a very good point, I think science is not something alot of people relate to the MA!

stop sitting around and kick up your training! A lot depends on natural skill, as well as a lot of training. If might a few years behind some of these fighters but your not getting any closer by doing nothing. So get going and catch up!

right now i'm learning the bokken at my aikido school. Though some schools do get around to using a katana. But becareful, not all aikido schools spend a lot of time teaching the katana. So, if you look into that make sure they really teach it.

first off, it sounds like he's just joshing you so you'll feel bad about deleting whatever it was from his phone. Though I don't think there is a huge chance of getting it from just touching his phone or hand. But I'm not 100% sure about that. I'm sure there are good online organizations which could answer your question. Or if your still worried, you could go visit your doctor.

I'm no MA expert, but I think the butterfly twists are originally from wushu, but that doesn't mean other arts haven't developed their own version of the butterfly.

very interesting.

that is also a regret of mine. I started when i was 13. Though I liked training, I didn't dedicate myself to my practice as much as I should have. If I could go back I would probably stick with the same dojo (as it was a good school when I started. It's gone downhill now), but practice harder.

They go really well together. I wish had more training in Judo than I do.

I like any style that works, gets me pumping, or allows me to come intouch with myself and others in a peaceful way.

That was horrible. Not the way I would want to learn.

Protagonist, I hope everything works out for you! Let us know how your doing!

IMO, as the world changes so does the MA. People are always coming up with new wasy to attack and defend. You are always going to have to keep up. If you don't like a technique or it isn't working for you (and this is just if your interested in defense) move on to something that does.

no, I would say they pretty much go hand in hand. A lot of the punches and kicks used in krav are like the ones in kickboxing except you are using them in defense. (though some will vary) My old dojo teaches both.

great article! I enjoyed reading it!

i like ball-bearing chained wooden ones.

hey there Protagonist! Welcome! First off, you are not to old to be starting karate! I started when I was 13. Second off, don't worry that everyone else has had other training. That doesn't matter. What you have to remember is White Belt means novice. At white belt you should know little or nothing. That's okay. Also, one thing that is important to remember about karate, is that though it's strong on team work, it is an individual sport. You have to move at your own pace. I tell my students this all the time. If you want to get good, you have to practice. And not just in the dojo. I understand your problem of finding space, I think all martial artist have had that problem at one time or another. You can practice outside when the weather is good. You just may not be able to plan is. When it rains where I live, the back yard is wet for a long time..so I just have to do something else. If you have just a small section in the house you can practice punches or blocks without stepping forward. You can also work on your karate movements without moving. (Just the hand movements) Is this the best way of practicing? No, but if it's all you can do, it's better than doing nothing. Then when you go to train you will start seeing that you are getting better and the techniques flow more naturally. Also, if it's just a small matter of moving some boxes and being cold. Put on an extra layer of cloths and get some mat shoes (or buy a mini heater) and start training! Even if you only pactice for 10 mins a day. A little bit of practice is way better than no practice. Working-out is a great way to help your MA. Push-ups, sit-ups are very good. Running will help indurance, and shadow boxing (which helps technique too). Jumprope is great too, and it is also a big help for footwork. There are also a lot of other things you can do too. I would recommend looking at our health section here. It's loads of help. and congrats on getting your yellow belt! Don't worry if you don't feel like you know everything 100%. At this stage it just getting used to the techniques and knowing them, not mastering them. (but it doesn't hurt to start trying) Remember, getting good at the martial arts takes years. So in just a couple of months your sensi's gonna know your not a master yet. Every time you practice you will get better and more comfortable with the technique.

I believe that there is a new school aikido dojo around there, but I'm not 100% sure.

I go to formal classes 2 days a week for about an hour and I also teach at the dojo 3 days a week for anywhere between 2 and half to 3 hours a day on that alone. For unformal alone training, I don't have a set time period. Just whenever I have the time...20 mins here, 15 there. Just working basic stuff. I also add in a quota for the month too. So I will say this month I want 1,000 good sickkicks off each leg. I keep track of my progress and how many I do and I notice I usually get really good results from doing that. I do that to keep up my basic kicks and do that for more advanced techniques I'm having a hard time with.

awsome! Good luck with that!