Is there an effective beginner friendly martial art that fits my mentality?

[Mallic]

JRE Greatest Hits
Apr 7, 2023

UFC Bantamweight Mixed Martial Artist, Cory Sandhagen, teaches Joe Rogan the approach to MMA Striking, Stance, managing distance and controlling range that helped in his recent fight against Chito Vera.

"I think that there's things that are happening in striking matches that are not very digestible. There's space, there's position and then there's your advantages. I hear people talk about rhythm all the time. Rhythm is just closing space, going away from space, closing space going away from space. Space is key. Because, striking happens with your eyes. Striking is like we're playing this game, like “hey hit my hand” and I'm moving it around. That's why switching stances work so well. We can get into that in a little bit. But, space is your reaction time. Because, striking happens with your eyes. Instead of grappling if someone's leaning into me, I have the proprioception to feel they're leaning into me, let me move like this. It doesn't happen with your eyes. In striking, it happens with your eyes. I see your punches come in I know to block. So, the more space I have and the better I can maintain and control space or manipulate space by closing it quickly or using it at the same time, you close I close where I could be twice as fast, the more success I'm going to have. So, for example, I just don't think that people are understanding space in a way where it's your reaction time…"

The more space you have between you and your opponent the more time you have to react to their movements. This is why some people prefer to just rush in and make it so they don't have time to react to anything and will go so far as to consider it cowardly to play the spacing game.

 

[Hot Lunch]

That's because you haven't learned them yet.

Gotta disagree here. I have at least a dozen reasons why I left my last dojo and moved to the current one, and the kobudo requirement at my last dojo was one of them. At my last dojo, a brown belt in kobudo was a requirement to test for black belt in karate. IMO, if kobudo is going to be a requirement (I don't think it should be), then at least do it the way Isshin-ryu does, and make it part of the karate curriculum instead of separating it.

Getting back to the point: kobudo class was held once a week, after the adult karate that you're already completely exhausted from. The only reason most students even showed up for kobudo is because of the requirement. I don't remember anyone having an intrinsic desire to be there.

Why do we train kobudo, when we're never going to carry any of those weapons on our person? I'm not buying the argument that being proficient in kobudo translates to being able to use "anything" as weapon. There are no nunchaku, sai, tonfa, or kama-like objects laying on the ground (no, a chain is not "nunchaku-like").

There might be bo-like objects laying on the ground, but they're not likely to be heavy or hard enough to be of much use (I personally received my last spanking at around 13 or 14, when my mother realized that a whacking with a broomstick wasn't doing much to me).

I don't want this to turn into an argument about the merits of kobudo training, so I'll just say this: learning kobudo doesn't necessarily make you a believer.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Gotta disagree here. I have at least a dozen reasons why I left my last dojo and moved to the current one, and the kobudo requirement at my last dojo was one of them. At my last dojo, a brown belt in kobudo was a requirement to test for black belt in karate. IMO, if kobudo is going to be a requirement (I don't think it should be), then at least do it the way Isshin-ryu does, and make it part of the karate curriculum instead of separating it.

Getting back to the point: kobudo class was held once a week, after the adult karate that you're already completely exhausted from. The only reason most students even showed up for kobudo is because of the requirement. I don't remember anyone having an intrinsic desire to be there.

Why do we train kobudo, when we're never going to carry any of those weapons on our person? I'm not buying the argument that being proficient in kobudo translates to being able to use "anything" as weapon. There are no nunchaku, sai, tonfa, or kama-like objects laying on the ground (no, a chain is not "nunchaku-like").

There might be bo-like objects laying on the ground, but they're not likely to be heavy or hard enough to be of much use (I personally received my last spanking at around 13 or 14, when my mother realized that a whacking with a broomstick wasn't doing much to me).

I don't want this to turn into an argument about the merits of kobudo training, so I'll just say this: learning kobudo doesn't necessarily make you a believer.

I'm not saying that every weapon besides a staff and a knife are useful. Only that those are not the only two useful weapons. Most of my kobudo training does not translate all that well to implements you find lying around, but my fencing and stick training do. There's also training with a cane in bataireacht that, while I haven't trained it, seems pretty useful.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Most of my kobudo training does not translate all that well to implements

Mostly true, but some does. Also, kobudo training is useful for emphasizing some biomechanics. But overall, kobudo is like a koryu in that it carries on historical tradition.

Why did it become a part of some Okinawan karate systems? I think because of two reasons: 1) Some of the old 19th century masters who were employed as security agents by the king were also trained in some weapons. 2) Some 20th century masters saw that adopting some limited kobudo was a way to preserve and pass on the art.

Kobudo as a distinct art does exist, primarily in the Matayoshi and Ryuuku (Taira Shinken) systems and have a full curriculum of kata and belt system. They go well beyond the scope of basic bo, sai, tonfa, kama and nunchaku commonly found in karate systems, going into more depth, and also get into more esoteric weapons such as shield & spear, eku (oar), weighted chain and several others.

(

 

[marvin8]

However, my studies have made it clear what styles of fighting click with me. Styles like Outboxing, Counterstriking, Hapkido, Destreza, Bartitsu, Fighters like Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather...

A recent JKD demonstration by Hiro Watanabe, Ted Wong lineage. Click CC for English.

“He focused on fencing and boxing to develop martial arts which is practical in street fights. He considered those two to be the most practical. He studied two of them further.”

kuro-obi world
Apr 18, 2024

 

[KenpoMaster805]

choose what ever martial arts you want and go for it

 

[bluepanther2]

The more space you have between you and your opponent the more time you have to react to their movements

I don't know about this. If you lock up with someone such as wrestling or BJJ, it becomes a chess match, you have time to strategize. When at striking distance, punches and kicks could be flying very fast leaving very little room for reaction time. Of course if you are like 12 feet away from opponent, you have some time to think things through.

 

[marvin8]

I don't know about this. If you lock up with someone such as wrestling or BJJ, it becomes a chess match, you have time to strategize. When at striking distance, punches and kicks could be flying very fast leaving very little room for reaction time. Of course if you are like 12 feet away from opponent, you have some time to think things through.

Yes. One has to learn how to create that time. A process of skills to help that...

1. Lure: give the opponent false impressions, making him feel like he can get you, and leading him to go where you want him to go,
2. Listen: feel or detect what the opponent wants to do,
3. Control: get the opponent under your control (usually means keep him off-balanced),
4. Dissolve: neutralize the attacking force, [change when the opponent is double weighted] and
5. Attack: release a throwing force

 

[HighKick]

I don't know about this. If you lock up with someone such as wrestling or BJJ, it becomes a chess match, you have time to strategize. When at striking distance, punches and kicks could be flying very fast leaving very little room for reaction time. Of course if you are like 12 feet away from opponent, you have some time to think things through.

True, but if you have ever rolled, you know that when you are 'locked up' you are in a physical and mental strain the whole time. This can easily affect your reaction time, and things happen very quick on the ground.
Conversely, in an out-fighting style there may be more strikes thrown at you, but usually you have more time to react.
Unless you are an elite level kicker which I would say is .0001% of the people out there.