i'm into Tae kwon do, Song Am form. there's a million different forms of TKD. i'm still only a white belt until i test on thursday.

also, i'm well versed in marital arts, which include: word sparring, cleaning, and dodging

Whoa, deja vu. Haven't I seen this thread before somewhere?

I took basic self-defense training because my dad insisted, but never any martial arts. My dad always wanted me to take karate with him, but I got bored with it quickly when I tried it out.

Martial arts? Well, I thought about learning fencing. Did a bit of target shooting with a rifle, did archery training in high school, no boxing, and quite a lot of riding lessons.

As for the Eastern style martial arts… only some lessons in Ju-Jitsu.

When I was a kid I always wanted to take martial arts but my Dad wouldn't let me… He said I would get indoctrinated into an eastern religion :/ Umm needless to say my Dad is insane. Now that I'm an adult I did take a little Ju Jitsu and I spar regularly with kendo sticks, although I have no real training or protective gear.

Anything that has full contact. Thats good.

I took Shotokan karate for four years. It was alright, though my sensei liked going to LOTS of competitions, I mean a contest every other week. Yeah sure, some people like that and I didn't mind sparring…but I was more interested in it for the self-defense and the art part about it. Not for the trophies…but I hate sports in general so…

I changed classes to a teacher who didn't care so much about contests, but she kind of tricked me, made it sound like a mellow higher belt class…it was KIDDIE HELL! Plus it was at a YMCA so we couldn't ban anyone or be very strict (in terms of yelling mainly).

We had kids who cried at the drop of a hat and rolled on the ground if we told them they didn't do a move right. They didn't really want to be there at all, they were just dropped off by parents there to get rid of them, it was AWFUL. So after taking my first degree black belt test I ended up dropping it all together. I wasn't learning anything I wanted to anymore and it was nothing more than a full-time babysitting job of ten kids for no pay at all. -_-

So basically: Shotokan good, people bad.

ozoneocean
Martial arts? Well, I thought about learning fencing.

I took fencing lessons. It's not as fun as it looks. You have to learn and practise a whole bunch of stuff before you can actually do anything, and it makes your hand hurt very quickly.

I am currently taking two Japanese martial arts: Shinkendo and Aikido.

Shinkendo is a reflection on the ancient sword martial arts of Japan. Unlike kendo, shinkendo is not deemed a sport, but a killing art and for that reason, it is not used competitively and deviates conceptually from kendo.

Aikido is a defensive martial art that utilizes the opponent's force to subdue them. There are a lot of throws and a lot of pins in aikido, and the martial art stresses circular motion and efficiency.

They're both incredibly fun and I hold them with really high esteem. The group I'm with is extremely small, consisting of about four students. Because of this (and due to the fact that I'm the youngest and the only one without a job that interferes with classes), I get a lot of one-on-one training with my sempai (my instructor, but not my sensei/teacher).


The man in this video, Nathan Scott, is actually my sensei.




Ignore the Linkin Park in the background. This is just one of our little exercises and it's neat to see it synchronized like this.

I'm self-taught in many forms of martial arts. And by that, I mean I sat in front of a TV and then hurt myself trying to copy Keanu Reeves in the Matrix when I was a kid.

But nah, I did learn a little swordplay and archery in scouts. There was this one kid who was so skilled with a bow he actually managed to shoot the bikini top off of this big chested girl playing volleyball without hurting her. But, she had smacked his little brother across the face before, so none of us felt obligated to tell the leaders

Cringe-jitsu works well for me…
I am also adept in my studies of The Path Of The Flying Feet, a discipline that requires complete Mastery over Direction.

cartoonprofessor
Cringe-jitsu works well for me…
I am also adept in my studies of The Path Of The Flying Feet, a discipline that requires complete Mastery over Direction.

Haha :)

I took about a year of judo in college, but I never got past a white belt because I never went to the competitions or anything. It was just something I did for fun and exercise. I liked it though, how it was more about leverage and force than striking and battle.

I still remember once, we were practicing in pairs and one of the teaching assistants threw me, but we were too close to the wall and my head knocked the bricks. Something inside me was shocked and I started crying as a sort of reaction to the surprise of it? I wasn't upset and it didn't hurt, I was acting normally, but I couldn't manage to shut off the tears. It was really embarrassing, and it made her feel really terrible. I went and sat out in the locker room for 5 minutes until my brain got over it.

Aussie_kid
There was this one kid who was so skilled with a bow he actually managed to shoot the bikini top off of this big chested girl playing volleyball without hurting her.

I don't believe you.

skoolmunkee
I still remember once, we were practicing in pairs and one of the teaching assistants threw me, but we were too close to the wall and my head knocked the bricks. Something inside me was shocked and I started crying as a sort of reaction to the surprise of it? I wasn't upset and it didn't hurt, I was acting normally, but I couldn't manage to shut off the tears. It was really embarrassing, and it made her feel really terrible. I went and sat out in the locker room for 5 minutes until my brain got over it.

Oooo o_O
Reminds me of when I was doing Ju-Jitsu in high school and I was paired up with my phys-ed teacher. During a hold my hand slipped and I grabbed onto her bra, pulled it right out and let go with a fearful snap when I realised what I was doing.

It was very funny, but quite embarrassing. She was very good looking though and that made the holds fun, but quite awkward too.

When you're that age… -_-

I teach AKA karate, and hold advance ranks in Nei-san ryu, and Shotokan. From growing up on military bases I picked up firearms training. An associate taught me knife fighting (carny, and some Philippine).

I'm currently undertaking studies of traditional European fighting styles.
(weapons such as Irish Shillelagh, Halberding, Broadswords, and unarmed like Savate, Picth'n'Toe, and classical grappling, boxing and wrestling).

i fence saber. does that count?

I've been doing shotokan karate for a year at university and am a red belt (previously had a few lessons with a club near where I actually live but, as Arashi-san said, kiddie hell). I quite enjoy it and need some exercise, being a nerdly student and all, but most of what I've learnt is that I am not very good at karate. =P

Ah well, something else to go on the Big List of Things I Am Not Very Good At. XD

i just made my next belt. but they let me test early, cause i missed the first test while i was in vegas, and i'll be overseas for the next test….

I'm a brown belt in Judo, and I also have dabbled in the caperioa style (which is sorta like a freestyle martal arts type. Can vary from being used in real street fights to just for sport).

Aurora Moon
I'm a brown belt in Judo, and I also have dabbled in the caperioa style (which is sorta like a freestyle martal arts type. Can vary from being used in real street fights to just for sport).

I always thought Capoeira looked interesting, but tiring. XD Swinging your legs, handstands, flipping around…phew!

I also think “Pigua quan” looks cool -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDNZazb3nWE&feature=related

…just play hockey.

Hockey players are tough as nails. You see them fight all the time. :)

SarahN

Aurora Moon
I'm a brown belt in Judo, and I also have dabbled in the caperioa style (which is sorta like a freestyle martal arts type. Can vary from being used in real street fights to just for sport).

I always thought Capoeira looked interesting, but tiring. XD Swinging your legs, handstands, flipping around…phew!

I also think “Pigua quan” looks cool -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDNZazb3nWE&feature=related

good ol' axe hitch style. Its great if you ever have to fight while putting on antique Chinese armor. Otherwise its mostly a kunf fu variation.

SarahN

Aurora Moon
I'm a brown belt in Judo, and I also have dabbled in the caperioa style (which is sorta like a freestyle martal arts type. Can vary from being used in real street fights to just for sport).

I always thought Capoeira looked interesting, but tiring. XD Swinging your legs, handstands, flipping around…phew!

I also think “Pigua quan” looks cool -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDNZazb3nWE;

Aurora Moon
Heh, yeah. it really does give me an real workout, alright. I usually end up sweating a lot afterwards after all that movement. ^^;;

Sounds kinky :)

I know how to fire a 30-calibur rifle. I have little need for martial arts.

Learning Aikido would be nice though.

SarahN

Aurora Moon
I'm a brown belt in Judo, and I also have dabbled in the caperioa style (which is sorta like a freestyle martal arts type. Can vary from being used in real street fights to just for sport).

I always thought Capoeira looked interesting, but tiring. XD Swinging your legs, handstands, flipping around…phew!

I also think “Pigua quan” looks cool -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDNZazb3nWE&feature=related

Ooh! Pigua Quan looks pretty! It seems like a dance/fighting style. It's not something I would apply to fighting, but it looks like a lot of fun, pretty, and useful as far as the movement, exercise, and efficiency and flexibility go.

A friend of mine recently introduced me to Capoeira (via youtube videos) and I thought the same thing as Sarah about it looking tiring. But wow, I bet it could get you in incredible shape.

There are various schools of Capoeira. Some are more dancey, in some you just show off more (headstands or whatever), and some it's more aggressive and REALLY about fighting.

Some people used to do that at my university. Stupid hippy dance students… and they did it crap. Watching them do it was dulllll… So Capoeira isn't all the same thing.

Pigua… the problem with wushu styles is that they're really complicated in application, so you need to put serious effort into learning it as a fighting art. Just the katas alone are complicated enough to learn… it takes a master to apply it in real fighting.

Anyways, I'm officially green belt in taikwondo. I should be higher but (1)I don't like to spar, (2)I don't like to spend the money to upgrade belts, (3)I don't like the added responsibility and discipline that comes with being a high belt in a group environment. I'd still wear a white belt if I could help it… but it got too obvious so I was peer-pressured into leveling up.

The times in taikwondo class I most enjoy is just me, sandbag, music, and no one else around.

ozoneocean
There are various schools of Capoeira. Some are more dancey, in some you just show off more (headstands or whatever), and some it's more aggressive and REALLY about fighting.

Some people used to do that at my university. Stupid hippy dance students… and they did it crap. Watching them do it was dulllll… So Capoeira isn't all the same thing.

Yep, that's right. :)

I went to a MMA gym (they taught mostly striking since their head sensei is a kempo blackbelt and did muai thai) for about 6 months. Trust me… either you get your ass kicked or you come home with every single muscle sore in your body.

For those who wanna learn martial arts, I'd recommend Brazilian Jujitsu or Muai Thai since their classes have at least 50% of the time devoted to continuous sparring. Not the point sparring in where you separate after landing a hit on the opponent. Continuous sparring is as real as it can get compared to a real street fight.


On the other hand, I wanna learn how to use weapons. I've been advised to take FMA (Filipino martial arts).

I'm an expert with my umbrella :)

I specially bought a strong steel one with a hard, pointy ferrule. I can spin it around fast in either had or both, from side to side and above my head. And throw it like a spear, making it stab into a target, the ground, whatever…

Well, it's fun to play with like that when I board waiting for the train. :P