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Following on from a couple of posts in the UFC thread, I wondered what people had done themselves as children, or what their children do.
I wish I'd done something when I was young, and my son (not far off 8) has been doing JuJitsu for around a year now, which he loves. I might get him to do something else when he is a bit older, but wanted to see what others do, and why.
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 08:36 - Oct 13 by Hooparoo
I find this whole thread disturbing. Violence is sport?
According to the Ministry of Justice 1 in 5 women aged 16 - 59 has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16 and the NSPCC says 31% of young women aged 18-24 report having experienced sexual abuse in childhood ..
For us it's just about training the little'un in self defense to give her as good a chance as any of not being a statistic.
Re above posts, take on board what you say Dylan and you clearly know your stuff. There is a BJJ club around the corner that takes kids from 5 so reckon going to hold off at least till then.
[Post edited 13 Oct 2018 9:01]
If not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled. PG Wodehouse
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 21:38 - Oct 12 by DylanP
I was the head instructor of a tae kwon do studio for about 10 years. I have a fourth degree black belt and both of my children got their black belts there and both were junior instructors. Martial arts (doesn't matter which one) are a fantastic way to teach children discipline and (self) motivation and to build their confidence and self control. They are also wonderful leadership development training.
In general, I would say that your experience with a martial arts school will have much more to do with the character of the Grand Master and the culture of the school than the specific brand of martial arts, as such. Remember, martial arts studios are very much based around the character and interests of the Grand Master and no two are alike. My suggestion would be to talk with the Grand Master before committing to a studio and try and get a feel for his/her character and whether that is what you are looking for. Ask the Grand Master about their interests (in terms of martial arts -- who cares about their hobbies, right?). Are they interested in competition and the sports side or are they interesting in the spiritual development and discipline side? Think about what your interests are and then find a Grand Master who matches those interests.
When it comes to martial arts, you have "hard" disciplines (like tae kwon do and krav maga), which are all about strikes and kicks, you have "soft" ones (like tae chi) which are about movement and precision, and you have grappling disciplines (like jujitsu and judo).
Having said that, my studio was much more about the journey than the destination -- that is, we were training students in self discipline and personal growth and not particularly interested in tournament trophies. You would not have known that if you hadn't spoken to the Grand Master. My closest friend in the tae kwo do world runs two studios that spend most of their time training students for tournaments. His studios are brilliant, but that is not what interests me personally (although tournaments are very fun occasionally). Our students generally didn't do very well at tournaments, but lots of our students have gone on to do amazing things in the community.
[Post edited 12 Oct 2018 21:47]
I remember a Grand Master explaining about how life was like a jungle sometimes. It made us wonder how he kept from going under.
'What do we want? We don't know! When do we want it? Now!'
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What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 10:25 - Oct 13 with 1686 views
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 07:47 - Oct 13 by OakR
No idea if it is classed as a martial art but 100% fine for inclusion here - I probably should have titled the thread which fighting art or something similar.
Boxing does always seem to pop up.
I wonder what the best most effective martial art/fighting art is? Boxing is a good form of self defence I think but of course it's somewhat limited.
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What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 20:57 - Oct 18 with 1485 views
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 16:02 - Oct 18 by JAPRANGERS
I wonder what the best most effective martial art/fighting art is? Boxing is a good form of self defence I think but of course it's somewhat limited.
I suspect there is no right answer to this, but plenty of people who would be adamant on which is best!
The best way to look at it is probably what you want out of it.
If you just want a bit more confidence, or your child does, almost any will do. For fitness some are better than others. Same if you want to enter competitions if that motivates you.
In terms of actual defence, it also probably depends how far you would go, and what type of situation, and if aimed at kids or adults.
I've not studied most of these but something lie Krav Maga is supposed to be great, though a lot of the moves are pretty hard core and can cause real damage.
Best for 1 on 1 fighting vs against multiple attackers? I don't know the answer - I suspect grappling more ideal for 1 attacker but not as good against multiple, but I don't really know .As my old instructor used to say, best way not to get injured is not to fight, if you can run, do it! These are some martial arts mentioned i the thread I'd never heard of, and more I know of not mentioned.
The only other thing I'd add is the club will be hugely important. I remember going to seeing some people at various gradings, at black belt level and looking at them thinking what a joke - in my club you were not allowed to go to gradings if they didn't think you were ready, and everyone trained hard, but in a nice atmosphere. It really is one of those you get out of it what you put in.
Ultimately the best thing I suspect is a mix of a couple of different ones, ie a grappling one and then something like boxing or Muay Thai so you can stand up fight and grapple.
As a kid i did Aikido and Wu Shu. Both pretty tame really. I boxed for a few years in my early 20's and then took up Krav Maga for a few years in my late 30's Both are great for taking care of yourself. Krav Maga is basically fighting hard and dirty. Great fun. I lost a toof tho sparring in Krav Maga.
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 08:18 - Oct 11 by Gloucs_R
Let's not confuse sports combat and martial arts though. MT is great but it doesn't teach you what to do if the fight does go to the ground nor what to do if someone gets you in a head / neck lock. That's where Sanshou and Krav Maga are superior.
Even in TKD you learn self defence skills. Don't be too quick to dismiss other martial arts bud. Each has its place and that's not always in the ring or a stand up scenario.
I'm not dismissing the ground sports at all. I don't like them personally, but they are legitimate. However, if you are in a street fight you never, ever want to be on the ground. While your bending some bloke's arm back on the floor, his mate is stamping on your head. Any time you're in a scrap, try and stay on your feet at all costs. Rule number 1.
What is not particularly useful in an actual fight are karate, kung fu, tae kwon do etc. and i think they can actually be extremely counter productive in encouraging people to think they can fight when they've been taking glorified dance lessons. Girls in particular; i've know a couple of short, slim black belt girls who genuinely seemed to believe they were tough because of it. Hmmm.
This stuff would have been speculation until recently, but i don't think there's much to argue with now. I live in a place that probably has the most fight gyms in one small area of anywhere on the planet and now most of them are branching out into MMA and every one does may thai,boxing, wrestling, jiu jitsu. Not one teaches a single solitary piece of Karate or Tae Kwon Do etc. Not one of them. Because they're practically useless. Muay Thai isn't supposed to look pretty, it's about inflicting damage.
Not wishing to belittle anybody who has done these. Was it Dylan who's the fourth dan black belt? Worthy of a tonne of respect obviously. There's a lot of work gone into it. And who knows, maybe Dylan is the world's toughest man. You can learn Karate and be hard, you can learn Muay Thai and not be hard. But if there was an identical twin who had spent that time learning Muay Thai instead of TKD, i know one which would win in a fight.
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What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 03:28 - Oct 19 with 1449 views
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 12:41 - Oct 11 by SimonJames
That's a very sweeping statement about other martial arts. And quite frankly if someone wants to raise their foot above waist height to try kick me, they are going to get dumped on their head very hard. The biggest benefit of any self defence system is that it gets you to think about potential outcomes and helps you understand what you are and aren't physically capable of. I grew up in an area where most agg involved stanley knives or pint glasses. In such situations, and most others, the best defence is the brain power that enables you to anticipate and avoid the situation in the first place.
The good thing about karate for kids is the gamification of an initial relatively quick progression through belts which allows the kids to see tangible progress, gain confidence and learn respect. (In my kung fu you were doing well if you moved up a belt every two years). When they are older they can then explore more effective systems such as Krav Maga or Keysi.
Sweeping statement because i'm too lazy to think and type for hours. Apologies as ever.
But to your post, this is why a Muay Thai fighter wouldn't try to kick you above the waist. They know how to fight for real. Rare to see head kicks in Thai Boxing. That's precisely my point; it's genuine fight training. The only kicks would be to your legs so you can't move. Your not even allowed to target the legs in some of these other disciplines. Then it's elbows and knees, which, again, aren't even permitted in other martial arts.
But your post is good. You need to avoid dangerous situations; no amount of boxing is going to save you from a gang with knives. And karate and kung fu etc obviously still great for kids to learn.
Just not as good or as useful, though, as Muay Thai or boxing. As Frank Lampard would say, fact. I'd say if you are going to learn a new one, might as well be one which actually does what you want it to do.
Ps There are some absolute con men and schiesters running martial arts gyms. Karate Kid has a lot to answer for. Try to make sure the gym isn't run by a fcuking idiot.
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What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 05:15 - Oct 19 with 1442 views
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 22:42 - Oct 10 by SimonJames
From age six I learned a Canadian martial art that involved very high speeds, curved sticks, slamming people into walls, and blades attached to the bottoms of your boots.
Then when I was eleven I moved back from Canada and practiced unarmed wrestling for an egg shaped ball for over 30 years. I also did many years of Feng Shou Kung Fu.
My eldest son (21) does Wing Chun Kung Fu My youngest (8) does Karate. And my middle son (19) runs very very fast.
My neighbour is a 4th Dan in Wing Chun. He's in his late 50's now and looks like he couldn't break an egg but I've decided not to pick any unnecessary rows with him!
Tried Karate as a kid (in my 40's now) but got a bit of a kicking from the instructor one evening so decided it wasn't for me!
Dont know why we bother. .... but we do!
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What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 09:42 - Oct 19 with 1425 views
I know I am usually flippant about these things but I have been considering this for quite a while. Mini Dorse and Tantor are very different characters: Mini Dorse tends to need a lot of reassurance and needs confidence; Tantor, frankly, could have a blast at an insurance conference. I really thought hard about Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Boxing etc but, in the end, went for Gymnastics.
I found that Mini Dorse really benefited from going to Gymnastics on a confidence level - plus the little sod is completely ripped. He is very proud of his six pack: Tantor, somewhat uncharitably*, says that 'Daddy has a one pack'. She, benefits from gym with body image: Tantor is absolutely massive. When she walks into Assembly with her class, it's like Godzilla towering over downtown Tokyo residents, running screaming from her mighty tread. Some of her friends have been pretty mean about her size - fat, she ain't but that doesn't stop people telling her she is. Gym has been great for her core strength, flexibility and her body confidence. She might be a monster, but she is now poised and, dare I say it, graceful.
As they get older, I'd like to see both of them get into something that will mean they can handle themselves with confidence and exercise decent judgement. I would like to see both try something like Boxing but the missus doesn't want them to go down that route. I can understand her point - Mini Dorse is a fairly gentle soul, he likes competition but doesn't like it when his mates lose! Tantor would thrive in any situation but she hasn't got a competitive bone in her body: she would have made friends with her opponent before they'd finished touching gloves.
So, I guess my point is that the confidence and physical aspects of combat and self-defence classes can also be gained in other pursuits. I think you are all correct when you explain that the character of the student and the teacher makes a huge difference. The best defence is good judgement and, as parents, we play a big part in that too.
Really interesting thoughts and comments from all concerned.
* Accurately but still hurtful
'What do we want? We don't know! When do we want it? Now!'
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What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 13:07 - Oct 19 with 1379 views
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 03:28 - Oct 19 by timcocking
Sweeping statement because i'm too lazy to think and type for hours. Apologies as ever.
But to your post, this is why a Muay Thai fighter wouldn't try to kick you above the waist. They know how to fight for real. Rare to see head kicks in Thai Boxing. That's precisely my point; it's genuine fight training. The only kicks would be to your legs so you can't move. Your not even allowed to target the legs in some of these other disciplines. Then it's elbows and knees, which, again, aren't even permitted in other martial arts.
But your post is good. You need to avoid dangerous situations; no amount of boxing is going to save you from a gang with knives. And karate and kung fu etc obviously still great for kids to learn.
Just not as good or as useful, though, as Muay Thai or boxing. As Frank Lampard would say, fact. I'd say if you are going to learn a new one, might as well be one which actually does what you want it to do.
Ps There are some absolute con men and schiesters running martial arts gyms. Karate Kid has a lot to answer for. Try to make sure the gym isn't run by a fcuking idiot.
My form of kung fu is all about counter attacking anything that bursts or breaks (eyes, ears, throat, solar plexus, inside of knee, joints, gonads, etc.) and ending fights immediately. Needless to say, we were not welcome at tournaments (and you had to be a responsible adult to join).
My son did his first karate tournament last weekend and I realised that everything they do to score points is the opposite of what I would do in a real fight. But for an 8 year old anything that teaches them discipline and gives then confidence is a good start. And at their age, a front snap kick to the goolies is probably enough to deter the school bully. Also, for the same reason they don't start full contact in rugby until U9, you don't want to put them off with the physical stuff too soon or they spend the whole lesson blubbing.
I know what you mean about all the con artists. Fortunately my son's sensei is an ex England International, 4 times National Champion and twice UK Champion. And she still trains with the England A team.
100% of people who drink water will die.
1
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 20:24 - Oct 29 with 1259 views
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 02:44 - Oct 13 by JAPRANGERS
I'm a relatively old git but I still do boxing as I have been doing for some 20 years now. Is Boxing a martial art or have I illegally hijacked this thread?
Yes, of course boxing is a martial art. "Martial art" just means a sport that has some form of fighting at its heart. In some ways boxing is probably one of the first martial arts. There is a tendency to think that SE Asian martial arts when we use the term -- Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. But there are martial arts in all countries and cultures. These days Krav Maga is getting really popular, which is the hand-to-hand fighting training of the Israeli military. Its very direct and effective. I have a book of martial arts from around the world on my bookshelf and in the section on Britain it talks about the Kirby Kisser being a distinct variation.
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 12:12 - Oct 19 by Dorse
I know I am usually flippant about these things but I have been considering this for quite a while. Mini Dorse and Tantor are very different characters: Mini Dorse tends to need a lot of reassurance and needs confidence; Tantor, frankly, could have a blast at an insurance conference. I really thought hard about Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Boxing etc but, in the end, went for Gymnastics.
I found that Mini Dorse really benefited from going to Gymnastics on a confidence level - plus the little sod is completely ripped. He is very proud of his six pack: Tantor, somewhat uncharitably*, says that 'Daddy has a one pack'. She, benefits from gym with body image: Tantor is absolutely massive. When she walks into Assembly with her class, it's like Godzilla towering over downtown Tokyo residents, running screaming from her mighty tread. Some of her friends have been pretty mean about her size - fat, she ain't but that doesn't stop people telling her she is. Gym has been great for her core strength, flexibility and her body confidence. She might be a monster, but she is now poised and, dare I say it, graceful.
As they get older, I'd like to see both of them get into something that will mean they can handle themselves with confidence and exercise decent judgement. I would like to see both try something like Boxing but the missus doesn't want them to go down that route. I can understand her point - Mini Dorse is a fairly gentle soul, he likes competition but doesn't like it when his mates lose! Tantor would thrive in any situation but she hasn't got a competitive bone in her body: she would have made friends with her opponent before they'd finished touching gloves.
So, I guess my point is that the confidence and physical aspects of combat and self-defence classes can also be gained in other pursuits. I think you are all correct when you explain that the character of the student and the teacher makes a huge difference. The best defence is good judgement and, as parents, we play a big part in that too.
Really interesting thoughts and comments from all concerned.
* Accurately but still hurtful
Gymnastics is great for children. It's a lot like learning a martial art. And it will help with spinning roundhouse kicks if you choose to do that later.
0
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 09:29 - Oct 30 with 1194 views
What martial arts do your kids do did you do as a child? on 03:12 - Oct 19 by timcocking
I'm not dismissing the ground sports at all. I don't like them personally, but they are legitimate. However, if you are in a street fight you never, ever want to be on the ground. While your bending some bloke's arm back on the floor, his mate is stamping on your head. Any time you're in a scrap, try and stay on your feet at all costs. Rule number 1.
What is not particularly useful in an actual fight are karate, kung fu, tae kwon do etc. and i think they can actually be extremely counter productive in encouraging people to think they can fight when they've been taking glorified dance lessons. Girls in particular; i've know a couple of short, slim black belt girls who genuinely seemed to believe they were tough because of it. Hmmm.
This stuff would have been speculation until recently, but i don't think there's much to argue with now. I live in a place that probably has the most fight gyms in one small area of anywhere on the planet and now most of them are branching out into MMA and every one does may thai,boxing, wrestling, jiu jitsu. Not one teaches a single solitary piece of Karate or Tae Kwon Do etc. Not one of them. Because they're practically useless. Muay Thai isn't supposed to look pretty, it's about inflicting damage.
Not wishing to belittle anybody who has done these. Was it Dylan who's the fourth dan black belt? Worthy of a tonne of respect obviously. There's a lot of work gone into it. And who knows, maybe Dylan is the world's toughest man. You can learn Karate and be hard, you can learn Muay Thai and not be hard. But if there was an identical twin who had spent that time learning Muay Thai instead of TKD, i know one which would win in a fight.
Anecdotally I've seen two karate black belts take up white collar boxing. Both times there was a wariness about how good they were going to be and both times they were hopeless and more or less walking punchbags.
Appreciate completely different discipline, but surprised they didn't bring range, head movement with them. That said I know nothing about karate so could well be that it is so different that it actually makes trying boxing harder. Also that if you were trying to punch them and they were allowed to do karate then they would become significantly more elusive - you'd hope so anyway!
If not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled. PG Wodehouse
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