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Newbie- Which Art to Choose?

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Garrett Terlaak

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Feb 9, 2001, 11:08:15 AM2/9/01
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I'm sure this has been done many, many times in this newsgroup, so forgive
me. I am completely ignorant about the martial arts, but am looking to
start learning one, and someday, include my kids.

I have heard and read that arts such as karate, TKD, judo, etc. are too
specialized and ineffective for self-defense. Someone suggested silat?,
jeet kun do, or Brazilian ju-jitsu (forgive the spelling errors) as "better"
for self defense. My goals are 1) exercise, and 2) self-defense capability.

Thank you in advance for your time and suggestions.
--
Garrett


Charles

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Feb 9, 2001, 11:29:35 AM2/9/01
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Garrett Terlaak <gter...@ocmi.com> wrote in message
news:ZHUg6.1796$QtQ.93...@news.randori.com...

I think you might just have opened the biggest can of worms you'll ever see.
Not going to touch this with a bargepole.


dpc...@my-deja.com

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Feb 9, 2001, 1:24:47 PM2/9/01
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In article <ZHUg6.1796$QtQ.93...@news.randori.com>,

It's probably just easier if you go to deja.com and search for old
threads on the topic.

--
-Gray


Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/

Mike

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Feb 9, 2001, 3:01:14 PM2/9/01
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On Fri, 09 Feb 2001 18:24:47 GMT, dpc...@my-deja.com wrote:


>It's probably just easier if you go to deja.com and search for old
>threads on the topic.

Yep, power search on deja.com will help you find what you're looking
for.

Steve Gombosi

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Feb 9, 2001, 4:51:50 PM2/9/01
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In article <ZHUg6.1796$QtQ.93...@news.randori.com>,
Garrett Terlaak <gter...@ocmi.com> wrote:
>I'm sure this has been done many, many times in this newsgroup, so forgive
>me. I am completely ignorant about the martial arts, but am looking to
>start learning one, and someday, include my kids.

Read the FAQs - particularly the Newbie Guide and the Groaner FAQ.

>I have heard and read that arts such as karate, TKD, judo, etc. are too
>specialized and ineffective for self-defense. Someone suggested silat?,

That's directly counter to the personal experience of many in this
group. Read the FAQs, think about them, and then you'll have a reasonable
knowledge base from which to start asking questions.

Steve

Robert Dueck

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Feb 9, 2001, 10:56:13 PM2/9/01
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You can probably save some money by going to a Judo school seeing as how
Brazillian Ju Jitsu is so fashionable these days.
You will get the same or a better workout seeing as how BJJ was derived from
a guy being taught Judo in Brazil.


Garrett Terlaak wrote in message ...

mike d

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Feb 9, 2001, 11:06:12 PM2/9/01
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Hey Garrett

If I could offer some advice that I needed when I was in your position:
Don't get caught up with too much over-analysis.

Find out local schools and ask to observe them. This is a big first step
that I almost never took.

Martial arts is fascinating, but there comes a point when you must take the
plunge and just get involved. If you find yourself in a school that you do
not enjoy, you can always leave. A good Sensei will always respect that
decision.

"Garrett Terlaak" <gter...@ocmi.com> wrote in message
news:ZHUg6.1796$QtQ.93...@news.randori.com...

makin...@my-deja.com

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Feb 10, 2001, 12:24:52 AM2/10/01
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In article <ZHUg6.1796$QtQ.93...@news.randori.com>,
"Garrett Terlaak" <gter...@ocmi.com> wrote:

Okay; let me take a crack at this. You are going to be putting an
immense amount of time and effort into this regardless of which martial
art you select. It is vital that you select the style that you enjoy
rather than the style that someone else convinces you to take. There
is no one best art for self defense, although there are martial art
systems that specialize in self defense to the near exclusion of all
else. JKD fits that bill; but then so do many others. Go to the
library and look at a couple of years worth of back issues of martial
arts magazines from Black Belt Illustrated and Inside Kung Fu. Or you
could go to a book store and purchase the book "Martial Arts for
Idiots." I kid you not. It is a book that nicely gives you the
lowdown of most of the available martial art styles in the United
States.

Best of luck to you. -- Cicero

god...@my-deja.com

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Feb 10, 2001, 2:50:12 AM2/10/01
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In article <ZHUg6.1796$QtQ.93...@news.randori.com>,
"Garrett Terlaak" <gter...@ocmi.com> wrote:
> I have heard and read that arts such as karate, TKD, judo, etc. are
too
> specialized and ineffective for self-defense. Someone suggested
silat?,
> jeet kun do, or Brazilian ju-jitsu (forgive the spelling errors) as
"better"
> for self defense.

It can easily be said that Brazilian ju-jutsu is as specialized as
Karate and Judo(in fact nearly identical to Judo).

> My goals are 1) exercise,

Tae Kwon Do, or Karate Do,

> and 2) self-defense capability.

Silat, Kenpo, Ninpo, Aikido, Hapkido, (none of these are sports!)

> Thank you in advance for your time and suggestions.
> --
> Garrett

You can also do what people too serious about MA do and who have extra
cash(read rich kids) and that is train in a variety of styles
simultaneously, this makes an effective dueler. Most arts including
the ones I recommend for self defense don't focus enough on the reality
of self defense or tactics like escapes and retreating that are
probably considered too emasculating to be taught in sports dojo's.

makin...@my-deja.com

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Feb 10, 2001, 8:10:24 AM2/10/01
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In article <962rrk$iq3$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,


The writer did not indicate that he was interested in turning into some
sort of street monster capable -- indeed eager -- to take on twelve
professional fighters at one time and wiping them out with the ease of
a Jackie Chan on an excellent day.

Okay, okay, I know that's not what you were implying; but this nonsense
that you don't learn good self-defense if you take taekwondo to judo or
BJJ is just nonsense; and it becomes even more nonsensical when you
lump karate in with that mix. Karate was designed to cripple,
mutilate, destroy, and kill first; with the sport aspects being a
afterthought consideration of Funakoshi and his disciples. All of the
brutal, indeed gruesome, effectiveness remains in karate.

What the original poster needs to do is a little preliminary study and
determine just what blend of self-defense realisim and training
emphasis he wants as compared to all around technical versatility,
physical coordination development, and so forth offered by less pure
street orientated programs. -- Cicero

Justin Hamlin

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Feb 17, 2001, 6:42:32 AM2/17/01
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> I think you might just have opened the biggest can of worms you'll ever see.
> Not going to touch this with a bargepole.

Bigger than the "Effectiveness of Firearms" can of worms? :)

Justin K. Hamlin

Justin Hamlin

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Feb 17, 2001, 6:44:15 AM2/17/01
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There is already a recent thread on this with some good posts. Try there
first.

Justin K. Hamlin

Justin Hamlin

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Feb 17, 2001, 6:47:34 AM2/17/01
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PS: You'll get the exercise, focus on the self defense.

Justin K. Hamlin

Djehuti Sundaka

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Feb 26, 2001, 10:11:25 PM2/26/01
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For striking and realism, a Wing Chun derived art. You will definately
exercise.
For standup grappling and realism, Aiki-Jujitsu.
For ground grappling and realism, Brazilian Jujitsu or Judo.
For a convenient combination of striking and grappling, Hapkido or Jeet Kune Do.

For weapons, Kali/Arnis/Escrima.

Personally, I think a combination of a Wing Chun based art with Aiki-jujitsu
could be rewarding.

Chas

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Feb 26, 2001, 11:03:18 PM2/26/01
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Djehuti Sundaka wrote:
> For striking and realism, a Wing Chun derived art. You will definately
> exercise.

Chinese silat.

> For standup grappling and realism, Aiki-Jujitsu.

Japanese silat

> For ground grappling and realism, Brazilian Jujitsu or Judo.

South American silat.

> For a convenient combination of striking and grappling, Hapkido or Jeet Kune Do.

Homebrewed silat.

> For weapons, Kali/Arnis/Escrima.

Northern silat.

> Personally, I think a combination of a Wing Chun based art with Aiki-jujitsu
> could be rewarding.

syncretic silat.
--
Chas
"It's Fighting, not Folkdancing!"
http://members.nbci.com/kilap/Keepsafe.htm (Keepsafe & Pocket Pal)
http://www.kuntaosilat.com/ (Kuntao Silat Association, International)
http://members.nbci.com/kilap/cuecase.htm (Fine Cases and Accessories)
http://members.nbci.com/kilap/cane.html (Combat Cane for Cripples)

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