Martial arts for Giants

[ktigre]

Let me tell a little about myself and then ask the question. I'm 6'9"and weigh 285 lbs. I do not want to get into any of the 'soft' martial arts due to personal(religious) beliefs against the idea of chi or anything dealing with the universal flow that is in all, etc. I have quite a bit of stress in my life and am looking for a way to relieve it, and get fit at the same time. I've seriously considered a martial art for quite a while now. self defense is important, but due to my size 99.9% of people wouldn't bother me anyways, they have a tendency to give me room anywhere I go, unless they are totally drunk.

 

I do like weapons, but ideally would like some sort of practical application for them(if that's even possible considering most are illegal to carry arround anyways). Though as I seem to be understanding weapon training comes down the road in any style that uses them.

 

I've thought of kickboxing, Krav Maga, Kenpo, and a couple others. So basically what I'm wondering is:

 

Are there any martial arts that would lend themselves easier, or better applications to a tall person? this includes the supplies, clothing needed, sparring against smaller people, etc. Any and all input/suggestions/comments are greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Kirves]

Most "hard" styles favor the one who's bigger. Technically that is. Getting equipment and clothing may be problematic in just about any art, except in those that have "free" clothing code (i.e. you can wear a t-shirt and whatever loose sweat pants you like). I'd go see if there was any legit Jeet Kune Do (JKD) schools available, as the whole point of JKD is to study methods and tactics that work for you personally. Many JKD schools also happen to be quite free about the clothing too (though some have their "uniforms", but I think they aren't that rigid about them).

 

Then of course, any art that uses the common standard karate gi:s (karate, Bujinkan Taijutsu, etc.) might be worth considering, as karate gi's are quite common and might be available in uncommon sizes too.

[iolair]

You have a high centre of gravity, so throwing arts like Judo will be very difficult for you. On the other hand, you probably have fantastic reach, and Karate, Kickboxing, TaeKwonDo or Western Boxing will all help you make the most of this.

[ktigre]

Yah, I do have quite a reach. I wear a 42 dress shirt. my legs are quite strong as well. When i used to work out (couple years ago) I used to work out with 500 lbs on the leg press as that's as much as the machine held that the club had.

 

I really would like to work on finess a bit, but I guess I'm not too informed on kickboxing. I need to look into it. Are there any styles that are a bit of finess, good mix of punches, kicks, and also do a little weapon training? I'd really like to take advantage to what I have, and make sure that if i did have to defend myself I wouldn't be just swinging my arms wildly, and be able to hold my own against someone that knew a few styles, or was just a pure streetbrawler. However a bit of fitness aspect is just as important. I want to loose this bit of a beer gut I have. It's genetic, I really am not a fan of beer.

 

The uniform is not that bad. I looked around a bit, and found a number of big and tall gi's so I could get one with no big problem.

 

Chris

[G95champ]

My brother is 6'8 300 he had not ever gotten into MA but he is really active and plays arround with me a lot as far as sparring goes. I will tell you one thing, I hope I never have to grapple with a person that big you can't hold them.

[delta1]

Ed Parker was a BIG man. The amazing thing is, his style (American Kenpo) works well for any size person. It is meant to be tailored to the individual and adapted to deal with the opponent. If you are looking for an art that suits big people, you could try American Kenpo. But I'll warn you, it can be hard on the big guys ego when some 5' 4" petite little bombshell hammers you down. Like I said, it works for all sizes. AK is also a ballanced art in that it has soft and hard, uses all natural weapons and trains at all ranges. We have a lot of kicks, but tend to keep 'em low. And it is geared to the Western mind. We remember our Chinese (primarily) roots, but it is an American art. We train in schools, and our instructors are usually called instructors (Go figure). Most AK folks don't get much into the 'spiritual' side of things, but some of us do a little. It interests me only in researching developement of the arts. Chi is nothing more than energy, and I also study Taiji, so I've been exposed to it there. But not much in AK. Our weapons training is geared more to what you'd see on the streets, and usually isn't introduced untill intermediate or advancedlevels.

 

Most arts can be adapted to larger people, and you don't have to get involved with the spiritual stuff with most schools. TKD works well for larger people, though some have trouble with the high kicks. Arnis is better suited for smaller people, but I've seen some good large frame Arnisidores. Arnis is a weapons based art as well, though everything transfers to empty hands also. Wing Chun and Jeet Kun Do are very adaptable. You shouldn't have much trouble finding a style and school that will work for you. But a lot will depend on the instructor if there needs to be a lot of modifications.

 

Well, this rambled a little. But I wish you luck in your search.

[Radok]

Karate has finess, depending on the school can have realistic application, and has weapons training, so you better go with Kenpo I geuss.