I was just wondering about the martial arts.

Does any body out there take them?

What form?

What form do you think is the best?

I train in Go ju ryu which is a traditional form of Okinawan Karate. We are lucky here in our backwoods town to have one of the highest ranking senseis of this art in the world. I am blending this with some things I learned in the army and some of the things I learned as a street fighter back in my Biker days.

I am also trying to add more mental disciplnes through medatation and such, as in trying to develop my mind and mental powers to the same degree as my body.

I would like to here from any others out there on any of these subjects and would like to here any sugestions

Hmm..nice nice. I kickbox, and have been for awhile. It first started as a way to vent my anger a long time ago, worked, and now it is my self-trained/trained defense. I like it because it integrates all parts of the body capable of defense. I try to meditate on my own, and am focusing, right now, on the mental discipline.



-wD

I hate to admit that I started because I missed the thrill of combat but the futher I progress the more that it has taken on almost a life of its own. I find the mental part to be the most challanging (and the most rewarding)

I have a personal trainer who teaches me several forms. The focus is on a kind of karate which I have no idea how to spell, but he also focuses a lot on wing chung. Interspersed with this is kung fu, tai kickboxing, some boxing, and then there's the reason I started going to him in the first place:

Weapon training

I'm learning Kendo/kenjitsu styles, sais, staff, chucks, and knifes.

I actually don't do it for the mental attitude, but just as a form of physical exercise and to know self defense. Plus, I love swinging a sword/staff around, it just seems...fun!

The whole meditation/zen thing of it I don't want or need, I'm happy with my own religion, and that's what it starts to turn into, from what I've read. My trainer actually knows a little (15 years of training) Dim Mok, but I really have no interest in gaining super powers...

Weapon training

What I am talking about is just developing the body and mind the best weapons training I got was in the army if you are gonna use a weapon I suggest a gun

My trainer actually knows a little (15 years of training) Dim Mok, but I really have no interest in gaining super powers...

I dont know if super powers is the right word for it. Maybe becoming as much of a human as you can ?

I've spent 9 years learning Isshinryu Karate, 5 years with Kung Fu, 3 years with Tae Kwan Do, and have spent a few months now with Jeet Kun Do.

I've spent 9 years learning Isshinryu Karate, 5 years with Kung Fu, 3 years with Tae Kwan Do, and have spent a few months now with Jeet Kun Do.

Which form did you prefer? or you tried to blend them?

iv tried taikwando and karate but if u wanna know martial arts go 2 the swiss army or china

Mind powers can be realy strong weapon. I heard Stalin had some agents that could kimm you in few seconds without even touching you

I have never been able to train myself to use any kind of mental powers unless you include stuberness as a mental power

Although I have had flashes of esp, like most people, I have never been able to develop it to any degree, although I would like too.

That is part of what I am striving for though, for lack of a better word, an almost Jedi like state. The joining of mind and body into a single weapon. Thats not really it either but my words cannot discribe the state but I can feel it.

I took Temple Boxing when I was young at a Chinese community center in a major eastern Canadian city. I was lucky enough to go to school with the sifu's grandson. This was long before it was popular. I continued till my early 20's when the master retired and it became commercial.

This being said I will now say that the styles that I am impressed with the most are not my core learning and only one of which is of Chinese origin.

1. Tai Chi- most think of the form when this style is mentioned but at the higher level one learns to "push hands". This is the defensive aspect of the form. It is very soft most of the time, relying on rooting, uprooting and avoidence with strikes and blows almost as an after thought (Chinese)

2. Aikido- this stuff is just beautiful to watch and in my opinion it is the style that has the most economy of both movement and energy, using the opponents to great effect. Steven Segal has popularized it in his movies. (Japanese)

3. Hwrang-Do- (I may have spelled this one wrong..it's been a while since I have even thought of this stuff) This is a high end Korean form that starts where Tae Knon Do leaves off. While I have a personal bias against high kicks, this is the exception. Remember Billy Jack? This is the style the actor and his wife studied for years.

Of course this is just my personal opinion and this argument/discussion has been going on for centuries I am sure.

Good luck with your training and remember the mind as well as the body.

does Tae-Bo count? sorry just joking, couldn't resist.

I do practice Tai-Chi and Yoga

I took Shotokan(karate) in my mid-teens. In high school I also began Greco-Roman wrestling and boxing. I always thought that training the body started with the mind.

3. Hwrang-Do- (I may have spelled this one wrong..it's been a while since I have even thought of this stuff) This is a high end Korean form that starts where Tae Knon Do leaves off. While I have a personal bias against high kicks, this is the exception. Remember Billy Jack? This is the style the actor and his wife studied for years.

I am not much of a one for high kicks either, my son fights in tournaments and I discourage kicks much above the waist. They might look good in the movies but if you try try to kick some one that knows what they are doing in the face you will probably get crippled. I also am not much for Tae kwan do but that might just be because of the schools around here, most seem more interested in giving belts than teaching the art. There might be good TKD schools out there but I have not seen one.

Akido is good but they do not have any schools around here but I have thought of getting some books on it and trying to incorporte some of it into our training

do practice Tai-Chi and Yoga

I have seen it in some of our tournaments but is it a combat form? I have never seen it used in combat although I think the movements are very fluid and beautiful

Thinks for the links I am still kinda new here

I am new to the site as well.

Most Tai Chi classes are now just built around the exercise form and are taught as such. These were at one time just the exercise and meditation before "pushing hands" amongst the senior students. Even in it's martial form it was still soft and flowing and concentrated on avoidence and frustrating attacks rather than overtly offensive action.

I noticed my typo on spelling Tae Kwon Do...no offense was meant to any students of the art. I agree about the high kicks and always practiced that myself. Hwrang Do seems to have emphasised control while in the air and it is rather amazing the stability they maintain in what i consider precarious positions. It is a "Masters" art of the Korean school and there are few practitioners and fewer of them teach.

There are so many styles now being taught and it's very much "buyer beware" as it all depends on the teacher. A good teacher of any style is better than a bad teacher of the best style. Search one out and it will reward you.

There are so many styles now being taught and it's very much "buyer beware" as it all depends on the teacher. A good teacher of any style is better than a bad teacher of the best style. Search one out and it will reward you.

That is very true.

We are VERY lucky here we have one of the highest ranking GO GYU senseis in the WORLD in our little backwoods hick town. Our school stresses learning the art not worring about what belt you are, you wont get one here till you earned it. To many schools are belt mills, I have even seen some that gaurantee a black belt in one year. To many people do not understand that the belt means NOTHING its the skill of the person wearing it.