help me figure out where to start?

[mcompton1973]

here is my situation.

I am 32 years old. 5'10 and 200 pounds....not all muscle. I spent 6 years in the US Marines, where I was 165 and fit. I then tore up my knees, got a little fat....and worse...got lazy. I lost my discipline, etc. I am married, have the good career, kids etc. MA has always been a facination of mine...every since I was very young, and there was a Karate instructor who would come to my apartment complex (i lived in a very BAD neighborhood) and tried to get us to come to church because he was a cool Karate guy. He would teach us a little and then start to preach. The preach never got anywhere, but that started somethign with me and MA...but nothing that I ever really pursued.

Now I am at a place in my life where I have been really intersted in eastern thought (to the point where I am starting to learn Manderin etc) , and part of that is MA. I have read the Martial Way recently, and that really lit a fire in me to get back to where I used to be. My knees are good, and I can train...I need help figuring out WHAT to train in.

I went to a Wing Chung Kung Fu place. I was not impressed with that. They had this "family style" of training...which I did not like. The Sense was not even there for more than 1/2 the class...and had almost no interaction with the students...it was just not a fit for me.

I am not interested in "Sport" MA... I am not afraid of somethign with alot of Eastern influences. In fact would probably prefer that. Most of what I see around here (Omaha NE) is ATA or karate places that talk about how good it is in thier 7 year ols class...etc.

There is a Nick Cercio's Kempo which I thought might be interesting, but the whole Kenpo/Kempo stuff seems a little confusing, and after reading all this stuff abotu Chow and his not knowing Kung Fu/or being the greates Artist ever....etc etc.

Any advice...Hints...tips? Anything would be apreciated. Thank you so much.

 

[tsdclaflin]

You are on the right track, just keep going.

Try out all the schools nearby until you find the right fit. Martial Arts are personal. It is certainly not "one size fits all." You need to find the right fit for you.

A lot of schools are in business because their kids programs pay the bills. That is not necessarily bad, you just have to find a school that takes it adult students seriously.

With Martial Arts, you definitely want to "try before you buy", so shop around and have fun doing it.

 

[FuriousGeorge]

I agree with that...but let me add...I would strongly base my decision on my feelings about the teacher as opposed to the system, especially depending on where I lived. A good teacher who teaches a system that you may not choose otherwise can teach you a lot. And a bad teacher is a bad teacher no matter how good the system. I say this because in some places there may be only a few schools, and fewer truely decent teachers. If you have lots of good teachers to choose from, then lucky you

 

[Brandon Fisher]

Have you thought of what type of things you would like to learn. Do you want a Japanese/Okinawan, Korean or Chinese system. Or would you rather have something from Indonesia or the Phillipines?

 

[MJS]

here is my situation.

I am 32 years old. 5'10 and 200 pounds....not all muscle. I spent 6 years in the US Marines, where I was 165 and fit. I then tore up my knees, got a little fat....and worse...got lazy. I lost my discipline, etc. I am married, have the good career, kids etc. MA has always been a facination of mine...every since I was very young, and there was a Karate instructor who would come to my apartment complex (i lived in a very BAD neighborhood) and tried to get us to come to church because he was a cool Karate guy. He would teach us a little and then start to preach. The preach never got anywhere, but that started somethign with me and MA...but nothing that I ever really pursued.

Now I am at a place in my life where I have been really intersted in eastern thought (to the point where I am starting to learn Manderin etc) , and part of that is MA. I have read the Martial Way recently, and that really lit a fire in me to get back to where I used to be. My knees are good, and I can train...I need help figuring out WHAT to train in.

I went to a Wing Chung Kung Fu place. I was not impressed with that. They had this "family style" of training...which I did not like. The Sense was not even there for more than 1/2 the class...and had almost no interaction with the students...it was just not a fit for me.

I am not interested in "Sport" MA... I am not afraid of somethign with alot of Eastern influences. In fact would probably prefer that. Most of what I see around here (Omaha NE) is ATA or karate places that talk about how good it is in thier 7 year ols class...etc.

There is a Nick Cercio's Kempo which I thought might be interesting, but the whole Kenpo/Kempo stuff seems a little confusing, and after reading all this stuff abotu Chow and his not knowing Kung Fu/or being the greates Artist ever....etc etc.

Any advice...Hints...tips? Anything would be apreciated. Thank you so much.

I would start off by making a list of your goals. Knowing what you want to get out of your training, your limitations, etc. will be a good start. From there, come up with a list of schools in your area. Research schools within a certain driving distance. Once you've done this, go check out the schools. Talk to the instructor, watch or participate in a few classes, ask questions, and get as much information as you can. Once you've done this, pick the ones that interest you the most. Visit a second time if you need to.

I know that it seems like its going to be a long drawn out process, but IMO, in the end, its going to be you that is doing the training, not us. If you're going to be spending the money and putting in the training time, you need to be sure that you're going to be happy.

Good luck on your search and let us know what you decide on.

Mike

 

[Kacey]

You've been given some very good advice, so I'm not going to repeat it... but I am going to add to it.

Some warning signs:
- you are not allowed to watch a class unless you sign up
- the price is outside the normal range for your area (this will show up as you look at more classes; the range varies)
- the same person is teaching multiple arts (not that this isn't possible... but if the instructor is personally teaching 3 or more arts, I'd be cautious)
- there's a lot of flash, but not much meat (lots of pretty trim on the uniforms, but little action)
- contracts with sign-up fees (contracts aren't necessarily bad, but watch the ones that have high sign-up fees and no cancellation clause in case of change of circumstances)

Some good signs:
- students are happy to talk to you about the class
- the instructor takes the time to talk to you about the class
- there are few up-front costs - you may need to buy a uniform, possibly sparring gear, but not much else
- you are allowed to try a class free (or for a nominal cost) and see if you like it
- the cost is proportional to the amount of training time available
- the instructor is interested in your interests, abilities, and physical needs, willing and able to accommodate physical problems (such as your knees)

It sounds like, even if you don't know what art you want to try, you have some idea of what you're looking for - keep looking until you find something that fits for you; that's the important part, not the name of the style.

 

[terryl965]

The best thing to do is go watch and talk to the instructor and his student body, see if the way they are training is to your liking also see what added training is advise by said instructor. Maybe do some kind of cross training to get what you are looking for right now. You must first try and decide.
terry

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

All good advice. Get started! Get looking! I was 40 when I started back in tkd. MA is a good, good thing. Do not delay!

 

[Carol]

here is my situation.

I am 32 years old. 5'10 and 200 pounds....not all muscle. I spent 6 years in the US Marines, where I was 165 and fit. I then tore up my knees, got a little fat....and worse...got lazy. I lost my discipline, etc. I am married, have the good career, kids etc. MA has always been a facination of mine...every since I was very young, and there was a Karate instructor who would come to my apartment complex (i lived in a very BAD neighborhood) and tried to get us to come to church because he was a cool Karate guy. He would teach us a little and then start to preach. The preach never got anywhere, but that started somethign with me and MA...but nothing that I ever really pursued.

Now I am at a place in my life where I have been really intersted in eastern thought (to the point where I am starting to learn Manderin etc) , and part of that is MA. I have read the Martial Way recently, and that really lit a fire in me to get back to where I used to be. My knees are good, and I can train...I need help figuring out WHAT to train in.

I went to a Wing Chung Kung Fu place. I was not impressed with that. They had this "family style" of training...which I did not like. The Sense was not even there for more than 1/2 the class...and had almost no interaction with the students...it was just not a fit for me.

I am not interested in "Sport" MA... I am not afraid of somethign with alot of Eastern influences. In fact would probably prefer that. Most of what I see around here (Omaha NE) is ATA or karate places that talk about how good it is in thier 7 year ols class...etc.

There is a Nick Cercio's Kempo which I thought might be interesting, but the whole Kenpo/Kempo stuff seems a little confusing, and after reading all this stuff abotu Chow and his not knowing Kung Fu/or being the greates Artist ever....etc etc.

Any advice...Hints...tips? Anything would be apreciated. Thank you so much.

Personally I think you have a good idea of what you want to see in a school, even if you don't have it verbalized. You've already seen something that doesn't work for you...and no one can identify that better than you can. Don't be totally turned off by schools that brag about how great MA is for 7 year olds...classes for children are often a bigger growth area than adults, and many adults are attracted to MA by having kids in the program...which can make for some very dedicated and very serious classmates.

My recommendation would be to focus more on how good the instructor is rather than arguments over lineage...all arts have these kinds controversies if you dig deeply enough. Your personal experience will be more tied to your relationship with your instructor and your classmates rather than what someone else thinks about Professor Chow. You may walk in to a school that teaches GM Cerio's Kempo and be blown away by the teaching and the environment.

If you are confused by Kenpo-Kempo...please feel free to ask questions here. No one here can tell you what art is right for you. At the same time, no one is going to be personally upset that you didn't choose their own art.

 

[mcompton1973]

Have you thought of what type of things you would like to learn. Do you want a Japanese/Okinawan, Korean or Chinese system. Or would you rather have something from Indonesia or the Phillipines?

I dont think that I know enough to really be able to answer that.

I would say that I would want a more pratical fighting skill, although I have not even been close to being in a fight in probable 20 years. OK, once when I took a drunk female friend home, and her Boyfriend tried to grab her arm and throw her in the house....but even that was 10 years ago. I am just not a very "showy" person...so the sport type MA's with high flying around kicks and such dont appeal.

Is there a good basic breakdown of the regional differences?

My first impresson would be to say something CMA...but that is because I am learnign Manderin, and that is all. No other real reason...and I realise that for a decision like this, that is a very petty reason. Ti Chi is not interesting to me, and there is not very much in the way of Kung Fu around here. So I dunno.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

You sound like you may fit well in a Okinawan Karate system. In particular Shorin Ryu, Shorei Ryu and Goju Ryu

 

[stone_dragone]

Traditional Okinawan karate would be good, possibly Judo.

You might want to look into some of the exercises from Matt Furey (you'll find plenty online about him) and his Combat Conditioning. They can get you set up for most arts you decide to try and ultimately stick to.

'

 

[bluemtn]

Most Hapkido (which is Korean) schools have a tendency to not be flashy. Same as Tae Kwon Do, but you have to look around to find what you're looking for. Sport TKD is becoming more popular, and often they also have SD involved, but still the basics are somewhat flashy- like flying kicks... Tang Soo Do is another Korean art, and has some of the things you might be interested.

 

[monkey]

I say Kali were it has low line kicks like sicaron & panajock men,It also deploys how to use over 4000 wepons from long range or lagro to serada or close range & has projectile wepons.Like the bow-spears & even the blow gun.It will provide the well round art you may require from 1 solder to another,Also If you want a more challangeing out lay -the mother art of kali is Silat.You can also explore some Tai chi-hsing i & Paqua.These give the internal arts.As well as Lama-Hop gar- & Tai kick.

 

[Grenadier]

I would say that I would want a more pratical fighting skill, although I have not even been close to being in a fight in probable 20 years.

OK, this is a good start.

Do you want to work on grappling / throwing, or striking? Or possibly a blend of both? One way or the other, you can certainly find styles that teach practical fighting skills; it's just a matter of tailoring what you want.

Something like Jiu-Jitsu would be great if you want to grapple and throw, but if you want to be more of a striker, then Japanese or Okinawan Karate might be a better choice.

Regardless of what the recommendations are, though, always check out a class. Some Jiu-Jitsu classes teach a good bit of striking, for example, while some Karate schools also incorporate a good bit of grappling.

If you don't mind my asking, in what area of the country are you located?

 

[Explorer]

Rather than try to choose a style right out of the box ... I'd visit as many schools as possible, observe the intstructors (more than once is ideal) and look for someone who is a good fit for your personality, training style, philosophy, etc. Train with that person ... then look for complimentary arts to fill in the gaps in your system.

After all these years I don't think style is very important ... except in cases of historical, practical, qualitative or quantitative argumentation ... which is a ridiculous waste of time.

 

[mcompton1973]

OK, this is a good start.

Do you want to work on grappling / throwing, or striking? Or possibly a blend of both?

I would say that without really experiencing much so far, I like the striking. Not so much the throwing etc. I would also say I am not a huge fan of triple, double flying roundhouse, house of flying dagger kicks.

Right now, these are the two places that I plan to look into next.

http://www.kempokarate.com/home.cfm

Things that worry me about this guy is how young he is in the arts, and how flashy and fancy everything is. To me, a little over the top...but I will be looking into things because who knows.

http://www.nickcerioskenpo.com/locations/Omaha/omaha,_nebraska.htm

This is the other one, but I dont know much about the actual sensei or anything, so who knows what it will actually be like.


Something like Jiu-Jitsu would be great if you want to grapple and throw, but if you want to be more of a striker, then Japanese or Okinawan Karate might be a better choice.

How would I know an Okinawan Karate? do they typically say?


If you don't mind my asking, in what area of the country are you located?


I am in Omaha, NE...there seems to be quite a bit here...but I dont know how much is good. I read the dont look in the yellow pages post, and so will start doing some additional research. I would almost love to find someone that gave lessons in thier basement or back yard if they were good. I dont need all the fancy offices or what not. Somethign Like Rocky training in the woods as opposed to the Russian in the state of the art training complex...hahaha. OK...that was bad corny...but I think you are getting where I am comming from.

 

[Carol]

OK, this is a good start.

Do you want to work on grappling / throwing, or striking? Or possibly a blend of both?

I would say that without really experiencing much so far, I like the striking. Not so much the throwing etc. I would also say I am not a huge fan of triple, double flying roundhouse, house of flying dagger kicks.

Right now, these are the two places that I plan to look into next.

http://www.kempokarate.com/home.cfm

Things that worry me about this guy is how young he is in the arts, and how flashy and fancy everything is. To me, a little over the top...but I will be looking into things because who knows.

I would strongly recommend searching on this board or on KenpoTalk for Christopher Geary. There are a few posts about him. He can be a bit...polarizing.

http://www.nickcerioskenpo.com/locations/Omaha/omaha,_nebraska.htm

This is the other one, but I dont know much about the actual sensei or anything, so who knows what it will actually be like.

One way to find out The guy spills his guts in his bio...if his Kenpo is that detailed, you may have one heckuva teacher.

How would I know an Okinawan Karate? do they typically say?

They may. The arts that Brandon Fisher sensei offered: Shorin Ryu Karate, Shorei Ryu Karate and Goju Ryu Karate are the most common Okinawan lineages.

Maybe. Shorin-Ryu Karate and Shorei-Ryu Karate are the most common lineages.

If you don't mind my asking, in what area of the country are you located?

I dont need all the fancy offices or what not. Somethign Like Rocky training in the woods as opposed to the Russian in the state of the art training complex...hahaha. OK...that was bad corny...but I think you are getting where I am comming from.

:roflmao:

You don't get the benefit of the fancy office except when you are writing your checks. My school was above a gas station with disasterous parking, low ceilings, and posts in the way. Yet, my school earned an award for having the best student retention in our consortium (over 1000 schools).

It really is the quality of the instructor that makes the biggest difference, and whether overall vibe of the school is something you are in to. If you aren't psyched to go there...you probably won't.

 

[Grenadier]

I would say that without really experiencing much so far, I like the striking. Not so much the throwing etc. I would also say I am not a huge fan of triple, double flying roundhouse, house of flying dagger kicks.

In that case, Japanese or Okinawan Karate might very well be a good choice. You'll find that excessive kicking, as well as "stunt" kicking isn't encouraged at all in a decent traditional system.

When it comes to "Karate," though, you'll find that there are many, many different systems out there, and some are dramatically different from each other. Some will emphasize less contact sparring, while others, such as Kyokushin, will strongly emphasize full contact sparring (but still well controlled). Even within schools of the same style, you may find that they emphasize different points.

There are many established, well-known styles of Karate, such as Shotokan, Wado Ryu, Goju Ryu, Shi-to Ryu, and there are some which aren't quite as prevalent as "the big four" that I just referred. The best bet is to simply check them out, and see if their programs suit you.

http://www.kempokarate.com/home.cfm

Things that worry me about this guy is how young he is in the arts, and how flashy and fancy everything is. To me, a little over the top...but I will be looking into things because who knows.

It never hurts to check it out in person. If there's ever any doubt, your eyes are going to be the best judge, and if something doesn't seem right, you can go elsewhere.

How would I know an Okinawan Karate? do they typically say?

Yes. They'll tell you whether they're Japanese, or Okinawan, in origin. As a rough guideline, Japanese Karate styles tend to be more linear, while Okinawan styles have a bit more circular emphasis.

I am in Omaha, NE...there seems to be quite a bit here...but I dont know how much is good. I read the dont look in the yellow pages post, and so will start doing some additional research.

Don't discount the value of the Yellow Pages, and at the same time, take what you see in there with several grains of salt. Sometimes, the best schools in the area might not even have a picture ad in there.

Remember, when in doubt, go watch a class, and maybe even try a free class. Most schools will allow you to try it out for free.

 

[matt.m]

Hey devil dog, I was a sgt. of Marines. I have torn up knees as well. I wear two leg braces, and will continue to do so until total knee replacement. You know you have gotten great advice. However here is my 2 cents.....

what do you want to get out of it? What do you want to learn? What is your goal? So, knowing you had been an active duty Marine, I would say to look at how different schools teach, watch a class or join in if they will let you.

I have participated in Judo. I am practicing hapkido and tae kwon do now. The best thing about it is the fact that my knees are feeling much better. Flexibility will help out a ton.