hard on the body

[drummingman]

what style of MA or self defense is practical and not hard on the body? i know that muay thai is good for real fighting but very hard on the body.so what styles would be great for real fighting and not destroy your body over the years?

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

what style of MA or self defense is practical and not hard on the body? i know that muay thai is good for real fighting but very hard on the body.so what styles would be great for real fighting and not destroy your body over the years?

Wow, that is tough to answer. Injuries happen in all of the martial styles that I know and the body gets bruised/damaged quite a bit. BJJ, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, BJJ (very punishing), Hapkido, Jeet Kune Do, IRT, Krav Maga, Arnis, etc. All have the potential for the practitioner to receive injuries. (they are athletic activities) Every body is different and some things effect some people where it would not effect others. Now as for destroying your body if you are careful then possibly none of the above will destroy your body but you may receive quite a few bumps and bruises and injuries along the way.

I even know someone who had to quite Tai Chi because of the strain on their knees.

Bottom line is that any athletic activity is going to push your body and what is important is taking as many safety precautions as you can and listening to your body and stopping when it is tired, too sore, sick, etc.
Good luck.

 

[Grenadier]

what style of MA or self defense is practical and not hard on the body? i know that muay thai is good for real fighting but very hard on the body.so what styles would be great for real fighting and not destroy your body over the years?

As Brian stated, that's a very difficult question to answer.

Not only can it vary from style to style, but also between different schools in the same style. For example, some Karate schools that I have seen in the same system, try to focus more on keeping the body in a more sound condition, while others might only pay lip service to such things.

Any system can be taxing, but in my opinion, a good teacher will make sure that his students' health is a priority. After all, even the best student isn't going to be much of a floor influence, if he's out of commission with an injury.

If you visit a school, pay close attention to the students. Are they just suffering from a few bumps and bruises (normal), or are they hobbling around because of certain practices?

 

[Xue Sheng]

I even know someone who had to quite Tai Chi because of the strain on their knees.

Tai chi done correctly does not, particularly a style such as Yang and believe it or not Zhaobao which is considerably lower in stance than Yang.

But it is a difficult question to answer but I would say based on my experience Tai Chi is probably least likely to do a lot of damage to the body. However you will pay the price in time. It will take a lot longer to become truly effective with tai chi as tai chi is meant to be used than say Sanda/Sanshou or Wing Chun.

My training in Xingyi was not to rough on the body either, by itself, but the training of applications can be. But I believe the difference in time between Xingyi and Tai chi is only slightly different as it applies to being able to truly use it as an MA.

The time needed has become a bit confused in translation but it is about 3 years for Tai Chi and about 2.5 for Xingyi but this is based on the old way of training in China where you saw your Sifu every single day.

But I am going off post and getting an idea for another one in the process.

Back to post. Least damaging to the body is likely Tai Chi but it will take time to become effective.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Tai chi done correctly does not, particularly a style such as Yang and believe it or not Zhaobao which is considerably lower in stance than Yang.

But it is a difficult question to answer but I would say based on my experience Tai Chi is probably least likely to do a lot of damage to the body. However you will pay the price in time. It will take a lot longer to become truly effective with tai chi as tai chi is meant to be used than say Sanda/Sanshou or Wing Chun.

My training in Xingyi was not to rough on the body either, by itself, but the training of applications can be. But I believe the difference in time between Xingyi and Tai chi is only slightly different as it applies to being able to truly use it as an MA.

The time needed has become a bit confused in translation but it is about 3 years for Tai Chi and about 2.5 for Xingyi but this is based on the old way of training in China where you saw your Sifu every single day.

But I am going off post and getting an idea for another one in the process.

Back to post. Least damaging to the body is likely Tai Chi but it will take time to become effective.

Hey Xue,

No doubt Tai Chi is probably one of the martial arts with the least possibility of injury or damage. My friend's knees just could not take what his instructor was asking him to do. However based upon what little knowledge I have of Tai Chi I would think that in general it would not bother your knees if done correct.

 

[FearlessFreep]

what style of MA or self defense is practical and not hard on the body?

For self-defense? Probably a handgun

 

[Xue Sheng]

Hey Xue,

No doubt Tai Chi is probably one of the martial arts with the least possibility of injury or damage. My friend's knees just could not take what his instructor was asking him to do. However based upon what little knowledge I have of Tai Chi I would think that in general it would not bother your knees if done correct.

There are knee problems in Tai Chi, I did not mean to sound argumentative or sound like they do not exist. And I have heard this form some Chen Stylist more than other styles, although I had no problems when I did Chen. Also it is a big thing in Tai Chi not to let your knee go past your toes while in any posture, but I have seen some not follow this advice in an attempt to get a lower stance instead of working on posture first and then taking it lower properly which generally equals knee problems. And then there are a lot of unqualified Sifus out there in Tai Chi NOT telling there students what NOT to do which will can also lead to knee problems. And in my case when I did have trouble it was due to another preexisting injury. But I just take my posture higher again, work on it and regained the strength needed to go lower. Generally Tai Chi has helped my knees. This is what I mean when I say if it is done correctly there are generally few knee problems. But like all things Tai Chi it takes time and I am not always as patients as I should be just like everyone else and that is when problems occur.

There is going to be pain and injury in any true martial art, it just comes with the territory but I doubt you or any other martial artist need me to tell them that because they already know.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Hey Xue Sheng, I did not take your post in any other way in which you meant it. I always enjoy your posts. Your knowledge in the CMA field is quite extensive and it is always interesting to hear your opinoin on them.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

what style of MA or self defense is practical and not hard on the body?

For self-defense? Probably a handgun

That is true. Plus it is very, very effective.

 

[FearlessFreep]

There is going to be pain and injury in any true martial art, it just comes with the territory but I doubt you or any other martial artist need me to tell them that because they already know.

The thing is, different MA are going to have different kinds of pain and injury. I never bruised my shin doing BJJ but I never left a Taekwondo class with my neck sore. Different MAs are going to have inherent risk do to the motions used (Taekwondo will probably get your knees if you are not careful, for example) but also risk of injury in training the techniques with a partner Hapkido will stress your wrists and fingers when working SJM, BJJ will stress your elbows, shoulders, knees, necketc.. in practicing submissions, Taekwondo will get your shins, arms, and stomach (and head) when you are sparring someone. Not all are exclusive, but different arts have different motions and different attacks so injury will vary depending on the art or type of art.

Are you worried about 'internal damage' ie...damage done by yourself to yourself due to the motions? Or 'external damage' ie..damage done to you by your training partner?

 

[jdinca]

Good question. I agree with some of the other posts that most martial arts are going to take some kind of toll on the body over time and that it's different depending on what the art focuses on. On the flip side, the physical benefits received from ma can greatly outway the long term wear and tear. My knee hurts all the time but it is substantially better overall than it was when I started.

Tai Chi is out for me, the slow transition through stances is extremely painful in my right knee (chronic condition).

 

[CuongNhuka]

Aikido, Tai Chi, Xing Yi, Bau Gau, Cuong Nhu, Viet vo do Vovinam, Judo, Shotokan, Wing Chun, Hung Gar, Bokator Khmer, and the list can go on for ever.

 

[Carol]

But hard on the body can mean a lot of things. Muay Thai has rigorously hard conditioning regimens that, depending on how they are practiced, sometimes the rituals of conditioning too far...where most other arts do not go to that extreme.

Lack of fitness is also hard on the body. If a training regimen isn't enough to get and keep the body in shape, the body starts to have issues in other ways.

 

[drummingman]

what i ment whe i said hard on the body is when a style tears down the body through wear and tear.
i have tendenitis in both wrists and i have a bad left knee.so im trying to find a style that i can do that will work for me.i have always liked aikido and i have been looking into all kinds of styles over the months.so i still trying to see what is right for me.

 

[Robert Lee]

what i ment whe i said hard on the body is when a style tears down the body through wear and tear.
i have tendenitis in both wrists and i have a bad left knee.so im trying to find a style that i can do that will work for me.i have always liked aikido and i have been looking into all kinds of styles over the months.so i still trying to see what is right for me.

You have to work with your body so YOU do not over use it. Anything a person does be it M/A or there job will work on the body over the years. Aikido well it can hurt joints if not controled. Kicking air is bad for the knees if you kick the air hard. Flexing your wrist should help your problems Exersise helps the body. We all get older and will have issues with our body. What arts do you find interesting. Ask an instructor near you how you can do the art and maintain a certion safety net for your body. But agin No art or any thing will save the body more then yourself Trying to keep your self safe. But then M/A is about self defence And life. So a cewrtion amount of wear would be expected.

 

[Xue Sheng]

what i ment whe i said hard on the body is when a style tears down the body through wear and tear.
i have tendenitis in both wrists and i have a bad left knee.so im trying to find a style that i can do that will work for me.i have always liked aikido and i have been looking into all kinds of styles over the months.so i still trying to see what is right for me.

If Tai Chi with martial arts then I would suggest Cheng Manching style either with William CC Chen or one of the people he says can teach.

Higher stances, virtually no knee issues and it may even help the wrists plus martial arts.

 

[IcemanSK]

what style of MA or self defense is practical and not hard on the body?

For self-defense? Probably a handgun

:lfao:

 

[jdinca]

BTW, there are many systems that make allowances for injuries and disabilities. They pretty much have to for practical application. Kenpo is great for this.