Martial arts and weightlifting

[Azoth]

I'm looking to get into learning a martial art. I have a question though. If you join a dojo and take lessons, how often usually are the lessons? I'm asking this because I weightlift 3 days a week at night only because I work during the day. Would I be able to manage lifting and learing a martial art or should martial arts be more of an everyday thing? I'm a pretty skinny kid...currently 19 6'0 and 130 pounds...and really want to get bigger through lifting and dieting. Or could martial arts replace my weightlifting as a way to get bigger and ripped? Then I could just put my entire focus on learning MA.

I definitely don't want to learn MA to go out and pick fights. I know that's not the purpose. I've always had self-esteem issues and bad confidence in myself (always thinking people are better than me because I'm skinny, afraid of looking stupid doing stuff)...and I believe martial arts could really, really boost my confidence in myself. It'd be so reassuring to go places and not be intimindated by guys. Plus it's something that I can pass on to my kids in the future(if I have any) and be assured that they'll have confidence in themselves from a young age.

[red dawn]

You have definatly choosen all the right reason to start MA. Now, to answer your question, on weightlifting, it all depends on which MA you choose to practice. If you choose an art that stresses speed and power then you will probably being doing strength exercises of some type there (but i don't know if it will replace your weights), but if you choose an art that doesn't stress power as much you probably wont. Now as for days, that also depends on the dojo you pick. I've trained in two different dojos and at both dojos I usually only went 2 to 3 days a week. Some dojos will have classes 5 to 6 days a week and let you pick which days you will to attened and some dojos might only have 2 classes for a certain rank. Your just going to have to see what's in your area and see if you can manage it.

I hope you find something!

[italian_guy]

I think that weight lifting will complement your MA training and as red dawn said how often are the classes depends on the dojo.

Shop around and see what is best for your schedule and tastes.

[mlucasone]

Since you are lifting to gain mass you should be using heavy weight and low reps. You won't find that in a MA class usually. It would be a good supplement if you wanted to do both, but it won't replace weight training. And also, as you get older you will start gaining more weight. Just keep eating many calories a day.

[man thing]

Yeah, you can train for 2 nights a week in most styles. I haven't found martial arts to be anything but beneficiary to weightlifting. As has been said already, most martial arts workouts are about stamina and speed, not muscle building. Depending on how rigorous the class is, you may even feel like working out afterwards. Sometimes.

[Azoth]

Ok, thanks for the info. I'm not too skinny and boney to take a martial arts class am I?

I'm also hoping to meet people through class. I just moved to the town I'm living in right now and hardly know anyone. Also, being shy and quiet doesn't help much and I find it hard to get out and meet people. People there will have the same interest, so I guess you never know.

[Menjo]

Ok, thanks for the info. I'm not too skinny and boney to take a martial arts class am I?

I'm also hoping to meet people through class. I just moved to the town I'm living in right now and hardly know anyone. Also, being shy and quiet doesn't help much and I find it hard to get out and meet people. People there will have the same interest, so I guess you never know.

Nah your fine in regards to body types, most martial arts accept a wide variety of physical differences so your compeltly safe there. As for being shy and quiet, my sister recently started taking a type of Korean Sword fighting( I dont know that real name), and she has become alot more confident in speech and presentation of herself.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

I'm looking to get into learning a martial art. I have a question though. If you join a dojo and take lessons, how often usually are the lessons? I'm asking this because I weightlift 3 days a week at night only because I work during the day. Would I be able to manage lifting and learing a martial art or should martial arts be more of an everyday thing? I'm a pretty skinny kid...currently 19 6'0 and 130 pounds...and really want to get bigger through lifting and dieting. Or could martial arts replace my weightlifting as a way to get bigger and ripped? Then I could just put my entire focus on learning MA.

I definitely don't want to learn MA to go out and pick fights. I know that's not the purpose. I've always had self-esteem issues and bad confidence in myself (always thinking people are better than me because I'm skinny, afraid of looking stupid doing stuff)...and I believe martial arts could really, really boost my confidence in myself. It'd be so reassuring to go places and not be intimindated by guys. Plus it's something that I can pass on to my kids in the future(if I have any) and be assured that they'll have confidence in themselves from a young age.

Sheldon Dunn is a Uechi-Ryu 6th degree black belt and a competitive body builder. He's also in his 50's. So it can be done. You have to decide what you want, and then map out a plan. How about telling us where you live, and maybe someone can get you some information of someone local to you.

FYI, Sheldon is in Baltimore, MD.