Hoping to learn self defense near NYS' Capital District

[Steppenwolf]

Hi,

I'm looking into martial arts schools, and am particularly interested in something that is predominantly self-defense focused. Not looking for concussions or movements without practical use. I should add that I really enjoy doing kata, particularly outdoors, so any style with something like forms would be cool, too. Any ideas?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Zaine]

There's a Shoshin Karate school in Albany that looks pretty good.

[bushido_man96]

Your best bet will be to go check out schools on an individual basis, speak with instructors, and see which one offers you the closest thing that you're looking for.

[Steppenwolf]

Thank you both for the advice! After a good bit of searching around, I found a Uechi Ryu school a bit of a distance from here. Gonna check it out in early September.

[Zaine]

That's awesome! Uechi-Ryu is a lot of fun! (In all fairness, I should warn you that I would probably say this about most, if not all, styles).

I have a buddy who does Uechi-Ryu and he loves it. Make sure to update us after you start! We would love to hear about your experiences.

[bushido_man96]

That's awesome! Uechi-Ryu is a lot of fun! (In all fairness, I should warn you that I would probably say this about most, if not all, styles).

I have a buddy who does Uechi-Ryu and he loves it. Make sure to update us after you start! We would love to hear about your experiences.

I second this! We look forward to hearing from you!

[Steppenwolf]

As it happens, I did check out that local dojo, Shoshin. Went to class this evening, and really enjoyed it!

[bushido_man96]

That's great! Can you tell us more about your experience?

[Zaine]

That's great! We would love to hear more!

[aurik]

Thank you both for the advice! After a good bit of searching around, I found a Uechi Ryu school a bit of a distance from here. Gonna check it out in early September.

I'm a Uechi Ryu stylist myself. It's somewhat different from most other forms of karate, but it's a lot of fun and quite effective. If you decide to go that route, keep in mind that it will take about 2-3 months before the basics start to "click" and feel natural. Give it some time and I don't think you'll regret it.

Good luck with your journey!