# Martial Arts



## mathmaster12 (Apr 29, 2013)

Anyone else out their into martial arts? Right now I'm a green belt, but I should be getting my blue belt soon.


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## FleshEater (May 12, 2013)

I was for a little bit when I was about 24 years old--I did it for about a year and a half. It was Taekwondo. I never tested, and actually quit wearing the belt altogether. Before I even started I told the guy teaching I wanted to fight in the ring and didn't care about belt color (we worked in the same facility, so I knew him outside of the dojang). He drug his feet, made excuses that it's better to walk into the ring with a black belt, blah, blah, blah. I quit. 

I was standing toe to toe with red belts and first degree black belts holding my own as a white belt...it was a crock.

If I lived closer to a city I would have taken Muay Thai in a heart beat. However, all I have near me is Taekwondo and Karate; most are the official ATA's. 

That's my martial arts story.


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## vangoghsear (May 13, 2013)

I achieved a white belt a long time ago in a martial art that begins as a no belt then goes up to white.  I can't remember the name of it, but I remember that it was a soft block style, which I thought was pretty cool.  I enjoyed the flowing Katas used to practice the blocks.  I would do them for hours.  The teacher told me that I could do the white belt katas as well as a black belt.


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## DPVP (May 13, 2013)

did some western boxing and Krav Maga. i still hit a bag occasionally but it more seems to get pulled out when things go south.


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## Apple Ice (May 13, 2013)

I have being doing boxing for coming on 10 years. We do occasionally get cage fighters (I believe they use a mix of martial arts?) and it always amazes me how terrible they are at boxing. They are trained to have a wide stance for kicking and all that jazz and try to implement this in boxing. Jack of all trades, masters of non is what my trainer describes them as. They are never humble though so I have no sympathy for them when they get knocked out.  

Another type of person boxing seems to attract is big, burly body builders, mostly bouncers. Again, as cocksure as anyone I have ever seen. These people don't tend to last a day. I'm sure it's with martial arts as well, they think because they are big and strong they must have the ability to fight  

I digressed a bit there. Martial Arts-wise Muay Thai has interested me the most and I hope to try it one day. When I do I will remember to be humble though.


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## FleshEater (May 13, 2013)

The wide stance is to stop take downs. Also popularized by Bruce Lee with his Jeet Kune-do.

You might be humble, but you'd probably be manhandled in a cage, much like those mixed martial artists get knocked out boxing. It's what happens when you step up against someone who's a professional in any sport. With boxing you only have to worry about an attack coming from two fists, so you train for that and master it. Good boxers are hard to come by, and when they're good, look out. 

In a cage you have Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Judo, Ju Jitsu, Romanian wrestling, fists, knees, shins, feet, submissions, etc. etc. etc. The only master that ever lived in mixed martial arts was Fedor Emelianenko. And, even he fell.


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## Apple Ice (May 14, 2013)

Yes, I'm sure you're right about that. Although I doubt I would do cage fighting, it doesn't particularly interest me and I don't think I have the right attributes for it. Muay Thai on its own would be interesting for me. They key is when starting a new combat sport is not to get ahead of yourself. Too many people want to spar in the first week against experts and then it puts a majority of them off. 

I do appreciate how dicsiplined and how trained a cage fighter has to be, as with all the martial arts, it'certainly not something for the casual man. I haven't heard of him, I will look him up


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## FleshEater (May 14, 2013)

Yeah, but that's the way of the modern world. We all know everything and everyone is a pro, ha-ha!

I could watch Fedor all day.


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## Kevin (May 14, 2013)

I've yet to see a decent boxer train to fight mma, not a one side-step and throw a 'bowler' at the shoot; throw a proper upper-cut during the clinch. And the one's that I know have gone in there while completely ignoring the grappling aspects. The ignorance....
Overall,  it's(cage/mma) frustrating to watch. I have to turn off my boxing brain and just appreciate it for what it is.


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## Ninja (Jun 9, 2013)

I took kung fu for four years, but I don't anymore.


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## Mae. (Jun 9, 2013)

During High School I did Shidokan Karate for two years, was going for my brown belt before I quit. The majority of the people who practiced were in their late 30
s/early 40's, with a few people my age there. The majority of them were black belts, just one up from brown. It was also a full contact group as well, I got my fair share of bruises from them.

I enjoyed doing it, but the drive to get there and back everyday was draining, more so than the workout. Even though the Senseis were warm, genuine people - I felt at odds with the rest of the group.


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## Guy Faukes (Jun 10, 2013)

Brazilian jiu jitsu for a bit, which I thoroughly enjoyed it since it can be fairly low impact


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## siliconpoetry (Dec 3, 2013)

I met BJ penn at his gym in the states. Only for a second as I walked out. The people training there were crazy happy with their training. A girl was really laughing at being tossed around...or tossing someone around for all I could tell.


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## escorial (Dec 3, 2013)

Its not how big the dog is but the fight in the dog...always stuck with me since boxing in the gym as a kid...happy days


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## Tettsuo (Dec 4, 2013)

I've practiced Muay Thai for over 7 years.  As much as I love Muay Thai, I know that in a ground fight, I'd be in trouble.


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## The Tourist (Dec 4, 2013)

A touch of JKD.

The sensei then awarded me a "pink belt" and told me to carry an axe...


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## John_O (Dec 4, 2013)

There was a time I was pretty good with 2 pairs of nunchucks (self taught) But nowadays I'm scared of the damage I would do to myself if I tried swinging them around LOL. Probably as much as when I first started I'm sure!


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## vangoghsear (Dec 5, 2013)

The Tourist said:


> A touch of JKD.
> 
> The sensei then awarded me a "pink belt" and told me to carry an axe...



That's funny.


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## Tyler Danann (Dec 7, 2013)

mathmaster12 said:


> Anyone else out their into martial arts? Right now I'm a green belt, but I should be getting my blue belt soon.



Have you considered MMA / UFC fighting?


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## Guy Faukes (Dec 14, 2013)

mathmaster12 said:


> Anyone else out their into martial arts? Right now I'm a green belt, but I should be getting my blue belt soon.



Practiced Braz Jiu Jitsu for awhile, and probably well onto my way to get my first blue belt. Although I recently switched to Judo which has _many _more belts and some of the guys saw my white belt and were like "FRESH MEAT!" Needless to say, I gave some of their browns and greens an education, haha.


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## Greedy Coddar Desmort (Jan 16, 2014)

Tae-kwon Do worked out pretty great for me , especially when I was younger . It's great for self discipline and also you learn a lot .


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## caseface99 (Jan 31, 2014)

I've been wanting to join a Dojo again for a while now, haven't practiced at all since I was in middle school years ago.


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## Gofa (May 30, 2014)

My interest has been Tai Chi. Qi Gong and lately Wing Chung.   Tai Chi is an excellent integration tool for your body and I've now been doing it 13 years and taught it for a few years which really is just a platform to learn more. It's a soft martial art until you sped it up and good for balance keeping your body supple. My feeling is it lengthens the quality of your life


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