which style...

hey im new here and im trying to find a style of martial arts which suits me. i want a style which gives fitness,is not too comercialised like karate or taekwondo, has a sport element like tournaments and teaches practical self-defence. i live in australia so i was also wondering if someone could give me some links for auzzie dojos for the suggested martial art. thank you so much for your suggestions.

 

Hey snoopy, Welcome to MAP.

You're first step in finding a decent club is to research whats in your area. Google, get the local paper/phone book and make a list of all the styles in your town.

From there you can give us an idea of what you have available for advice and also start checking them out yourself, obviously you don't have to divulge your location if you don't want too, but there are a few aussie mappers here, who might be able to advise a good club local to you.

<mod hat on> You will probably notice I've closed a few of your threads as you have posted the same thing in multiple forums, please don't cross post as it clutters up the forum with the same threads when one is plenty. <mod hat off>

Good luck!!!

 

thank you Sam n yeh sorry bout the cross-posting didnt know that wasnt allowed. i was hoping for people to suggest some MA's so i could check em out. i did my research around my area and i know whats available but i wanted diffrent opinions on it.

 

Don't worry about it

So what is available in your area out of interest?

 

kung fu, karate, TKD, HKD, ninjutsu, jiu-jutsu, judo, aikdo as far as i know and thats the dilemma coz theres too many to choose from and not enough info on most of them. the problem with MA is that everyone makes their style sound the best and you dont know which to choose or who to believe and there are many fakes out there which i found out the hard way.

 

Hello Snoopy7,

You are the only one who can decide which style is going to be good for you. It's just like a big buffet with a large selections of food. Maybe like Baskin Robbins ice cream with broad varieties of flavor. Do your homework, research and give it a deep thought then decide. Martial Arts training is a way of life and you should set up a goal what you really want to accomplish with it.

If you are looking for authenticity of a dojo then you have to ask for the instructor's certificate or the certificate of affiliation/lineage to any world/international/national organization. You can check and verify these certificates if they are FAKE or REAL fast online nowadays. It's going to be your money and time that you will be investing and just aim for the best training that you can get. But on the other hand, some good teachers/senseis went independent because of the not-so-good politics involves in some organization.

Be Humble and be Patient in MA training.

Good Luck and Focus.

 

Hi Snoopy, in regard to your post in the Hapkido forum, I would probably say that you wouldn't be interested in it. You said that you wanted something that improved fitness, self-defence and had sports competitions at the same time. Hapkido might improve fitness and self-defence, but it doesn't have tournaments like they have in Taekwondo.

I'm not sure whereabouts you are, so I don't know any specific dojangs you could have a look at, but the major hapkido organisations in Australia that I know of are the Australian Hapkido Association, the Hapkido International Association, the International Hapkido Alliance and the International Hapkido Federation. I think the AHA is at least respectable, and the HIA I know to be good as well; I'm with the latter. I'm not sure about the others.

 

thank you very much everyone youv been great i apreciate all the help and i think im going to study kung fu because it appeals to me. it seems very felxible and energetic.

 

The school is key... best advice on that i heard from my Sihing- "Look for a place where people work hard, no matter how long they have been doing it, that is disciplined and consistent, and then put your muscle to the plow and don't look up until you are dead."

Cool to hear on the kung fu though Which style will you be studying?

 

all depends on your build ,your age and what you call fun!!!
as Martial Dad will say"judo is the answer,what do I win?"

 

Is Hapkido Right for Me? Cont...

It depends, more than the style, on the teacher.

Unfortunately, TKD, as you have said has become more and more like the debarcle that was shown at the olympics.

When I trained in TKD it was more "Traditional".

Don't discount it's worth just because it's a commercial product.
Just look in your refrigerator...

I would personally, having trained in several Arts, recommend Hapkido.

It contains elements of Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai, JiuJitsu, Aikido and the limits of it's techniques are only that of your knowledge of the Art.

The longer you train, the more you will know, the better you will be, the more applications you can find for the very first throw you ever learned.
Maybe stick in that very first elbow you learned as you (and they have no say in this, they fly...) spin them to the floor and then apply a painful lock with your little fingers.

I tried that the other day - the first lock you learn can be done with your little fingers.

I don't really recommend cross-training in another Art while practicing Hapkido.
Ask the Teacher - they will advise you best.

Don't be afraid to try out several different Hapkido clubs until you find one that you are comfortable with.

As I say to all students - wait until you're a yellow/green belt, or have trained a year (whichever comes first, a year is usually the sign-up fee and the insurance term, so it makes sense...) before you decide to quit as you cannot expect to become Bruce Lee overnight.

Nor can you expect to learn the true potential in one or two lessons or by asking "opinions".

You must experience things first hand in order to form your own opinion.

I am saying, having trained in many styles and arts, that Wol Ge Kwan Hapkido is providing me with all I need (apart from circuit training, but I go to the gym and exercise outside of Hapkido. I fence and box too) Martially and Spiritually.

It is a very good art and is, from the looks of it, hard to master because it is easy...

If that makes sense.


The first time I threw someone I thought they were playing along, because I'm used to hip-throws and CQC styles.
I asked them to throw me and I resisted.

Before I knew it, my arm was being wrenched and twisted in ways it didn't want to go - I couldn't escape because they'd totally trapped me.

I was helpless.
I didn't even know it had happened.

Now that I'm more aware, I can see each stage and how it works - it is a very good art.

Just don't warm your knees up by going in circles - it's not good for you.
That's the only bad thing I have to say.

Try a few lessons at different clubs, talk to the teachers and students and you'll find out whether it's for you or not.

Sorry your thread got locked - they get like that around here sometimes.
Hope this helps.

Pete

 

Based on your criteria and the list of styles available I'd say Judo seems to fit the bill.

 

Hapkido sounds good but there arnt any tournament or competitions that i know of here, so u cant really gauge your skill and technique, unless they spar. as for Fujo's question i might try that eight trigram palm styl ( i dont know the japanese name). though i dont know much about it, any info would b great.

 

When I studied TKD many years ago and regularly competed in tournaments, there were always several Hapkido schools participating at the events in kumite. While it might not be as common for Hapkido schools to host their own tournaments, unless things have changed drastically over the years, there are many open tournaments available for various martial artists to compete.

 

oh ok i didnt know that so thank you for that info. how many styles of hapkido are there? thank you

 

Hmm... don't know too much about that. It's called Bagua (Baguazeng i think). I have a friend who studies it and has enjoyed it... Lots of circular movements, good discipline/stance training in a circle walking exercise he's done a lot of (at least under his instructor.) More of an internal/softer style I get the impression (which is not to imply that those guys can't tear it up... just a lot of fluid movements and redirection.) Also, it's Chinese Sounds pretty sweet though!

 

Oh and also, if you watch Naruto, it's the style of the Hyuga clan. (Ha sorry, had to geek out there for a second.)

 

lol thanx for the info Fujow i watched naruto and i know what it is now. neji style which totally looks awesome.

 

The style of Hapkido I practice - Wol Ge Kwan ("The Victor's Laurel") has sparring, teasing and there is always the opportunity to test your skills in a live environment.

I don't recommend that until you are fully confident that you can do so.

Shootfighting and the various other "fight clubs", rules or no rules (the only rules I have are NO disfigurements / torn off ears; no gential tearing off and no eye gouging or biting of face - unless it's a REAL fight, in which case there are no rules... In fact, the rules are usually the best way to end the fight - IF it's serious enough...)

The mindset of Martial Art is that of "I can do it - I know I can - so therefore I have no need"...

Why bother going around cutting off 1000 people's heads when you know you can cut off an head?

Hapkido will help train your mind as well as your body - your movements will be Mushin and your mind will follow.

You will learn love and compassion.

And Responsibility.

The type that comes with knowing you possess something that has the potential to kill, maim, disfigure and destroy the largest and most fearsome of foes.

There is no rush...

Except the Bum's Rush - but that usually ends up with the aggressor flying and having their arm broken...

 

And if you liked Naruto - I think you'll like Ghost in the Shell. The film and the series (Gigs) along with Cowboy Bebop and Higurashi No Koro Kame (something like that) Ni.

Go to http://www.animebreaker.com and have a browse - you'll find plenty of good stuff there.

Spike from Cowboy Bebop is good Hapkido exponent - Good Kicks and Punches, Perfect takedowns and throws.