I want joint locks and punching... I am not too flexible, but I have alot of strength. Plus I need a deit and workout routine. Can anyone help me out!? I don't want lots of kicks...!

sounds like kempo to me.

My advice is to look around your area and see what you can find. Drop by some schools and ask if you can watch a class.

As for a diet and routine....those are gonna have to come from yourself more than the outside world...

Hmmm... Joint locks and punching with less kicking techniques? I think of Jujitsu or Hapkido for joint locks, not sure how many hand techs. each of these have. Aikido is out if you want hand techniques. Kempo/Kenpo sounds like a good match, some have more kicks than others.

You could always cross-train like, Hapkido and Boxing, or Jujitsu and Wing Chun etc. Kempo is the closest to what you asked for though...

Cheers!

Locks, punching...not so much kicking...strong, but not flexible...

What's available near you? What you describe sounds like Hapkido (one of the versions with fewer kicks) or Jujutsu (one of the versions with more atemi, or striking techniques) or possibly a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school that also does some type of MMA/Vale Tudo. But, other styles might be appropriate too.

Doubling-up something like Judo and Boxing could work too!

I have to agree, sounds like Hapkido

Why no kicking? Also, flexibility will come with time....

I'll pose a question here: Why do you want to learn martial arts?

Traditional Hapkido or Combat Hapkido..Look in the Yellow Pages for a local school..

You might look into Wing Tsun or Kenpo. Kenpo has some kicks Usually Low Bur Wing Tsun is great for Locks and Punching

If available you might check out Aikijujutsu, Small-circle ju-jutsu, or a Southern Chinese martial art(like Hung Gar, Choy Li Fut, etc.).

The diet and workout can be determined by a personal trainer or if you have a Borders books near you. Borders has a very good selection of boks on both diet and exercise. I would recommend either Body For Life by Bill Philips or Abs Diet by David Zcinzenko. Both of them are very good and can help get you started.

If you have a natural lack of flexibility don't let that deter you from a particular martial art. If you start stretching daily and work at it you can become flexible. Look into taking some yoga.

I want joint locks and punching... I am not too flexible, but I have alot of strength. Plus I need a deit and workout routine. Can anyone help me out!? I don't want lots of kicks...!
well... I think just about everyone will tell you to take what they do as it is perfect for you...

A better solution is to find out what classes are available close to you and go do a trial class or two. Style isn't that important, the instructor and the people you train with are. Plus two schools of the same style may have completely different focuses in what they do.

Even tho I am not in Hapkido or Akido - I would recommend either one of those. Or else a softer style like Wing Chun. If you are only interested in hand techniques like it was mentioned - why not just get into boxing?

Biased as I may be taijutsu sounds like a good match.

Join a boxing club, then find a ju jitsu school. Boxing on mon, jj on tues, box on wed, ju jitsu on thurs, then cross train them together on fri, take the weekend off.

One of my biggest problems is that I use strenght instead of proper technique, its not a problem at the moment but as I get older it will be. What is going to happen is eventually strenght will begin to fade but if you learn the proper technique the technique will be there forever. A small man might not beat me today but in 20 years if the technique is muscle memory in him and not so much in me I might have to bet against myself.
No matter what you chose try not to rely on your strenght to get you through, it will only take you so far.

I want joint locks and punching... I am not too flexible, but I have alot of strength. Plus I need a deit and workout routine. Can anyone help me out!? I don't want lots of kicks...!
how about brazilian jujitsu?

no matter what you do it probaby won be perfectly suited to you. Look around and do something that interests you the most. You should take something that will give you a challenge. if your not flexible perhaps you could aim to become flexible. Just choose something that you wont get bored in. I used to be really unflexible and then ive studied taekwondo for 6 years and i can kick way above my head. its all about the challenge.

Hello, Try reading some of "marc" the animal books? This may guide you on what type of arts you may want to train in. It seems you want to be able to use what you will learn in the real world of real self-defense

Read any and all books related to Verbal Judo! Martial arts is about building confidence and awareness. Better to avoid and be alive the next day, than in jail or at the morgue. Ego's gets us into too many troubles. Just my thoughts.....Aloha

I recommend Hapkido!! is a very interest art and have many joints locks.

Look around in your area, do not rely on the Yellow Pages alone. Most schools work by word of mouth. Look at Aikido (for those who think they know it will tell you there are no hand strikes, they are just not prominatley displayed), Hapkido, Jujitsu (sounds like you want the stand up old style not the submission style), Kenpo (low kicks only a few above the waist).

Try Hakko-ryu. It has lots of hand strikes and joint locks, almost no kicks. This should be a good website to start searching if you are in the US or UK. www.dentokanhombu.com (http://www.dentokanhombu.com)

I recommend you to seek a school of Hapkido.

How about Chin Na...marc.

There are a lot of good ideas posted here for you, even some more exotic arts it seems. I think a good first choice is to try out for a BIG martial sport. Since they have a lot of clubs around the world, you will be able to train everywhere. That said I think I would recommend Jiu Jitsu, if available, OR Judo with boxing crosstraining. Jiu Jitsu doesnt have a lot of kicks and strikes though, but a lot of joint locks and takedowns. The reason I would usually recommend Jiu Jitsu instead of Judo is because Judo is more sportorientated meaning a lot of practical self defense techniques are left out because they dont belong in a competition. On the other hand, Judo does teach you to fight against an opponent who knows martial arts...well Judo, so fighting a nontrained is easier, though something unexpected is more likely to happen.

Strength is of course a mojor advantage in either of the systems, and it makes it easier to force a technique through. And since I believe boxing is a lot about strength I think its a good choice for you. If you chose to ignore kicks you will miss an entire range of fighting, but for some people thats okay I guess.

sounds like kenpo .

look around find somthing with friendly people if you dont get along with the people a the school you wont train like you should good luck

Find a kenpo school with a good grappling program. Ju Jitsu won't punch enough for you, hapkido may fit but has more than it's fair share of kicks that you said you don't want and pure kenpo probably won't joint lock enough for you but will definitely punch enough. Other than that cross train Boxing with any grappling system that you see and like. I always believe in cross training whenever possible that way you actually learn the BASICS of what it is you're interested in. Check my Arts for what I mean. Kenpo = scientific principles and concepts, TKD = kicking and footwork, Kung Fu = relaxation and flow, Ju Jitsu = Joint locks and grappling. My two cents, train as much as you have time for in as much/many as you can/want to afford.


James Hawkins III, HI
Hawkins Kenpo Karate
Baltimore, MD