In a couple of other posts I’ve asked about different schools etc. So I’ve narrowed it down to a school that teaches direct lineage JKD Concepts from Inosanto and also has bjj from Machado with CSW from Paulson. I need to get some cardio because my diabetes is out of wack but I also want to do something that will give me real world skills to protect self/family if need be. So my question is which would you recommend?
JKD VS BJJ choices choices
- Thread starter OldManJim
- Start date
skribs
Grandmaster
Which instructor do you like better?
Is one of the classes at a better time or price point for you?
Have you asked the instructors at the club for their opinion?
Do you have a preference for stand-up vs ground (some folks naturally prefer one or the other) for go to range. One way of many ways of testing this is to stand in a neutral position with your eyes closed and have a friend give you a solid shove to your chest. Listening to your own body - do you reach out for a grab or do you form fists? You can also look at your prior history of fights, more fisticuffs or wrestling.
Each art has its benefits and compromises. Do they have the same instructor or multiple instructors? Which instructor do you get along with better? Talk to the students that are training on the same time and day that you are thinking about. Do you like them? Either art can form a good base and provide years of study and both can provide some self defense and exercise.
All else being equal - Rolling around on the ground is very difficult to beat for health benefits in my opinion and is easy for beginners and people out of shape to make great improvements. JKD is a good base for martial skills and technique honing.
Regards
Brian King
Do you have a preference for stand-up vs ground (some folks naturally prefer one or the other) for go to range. One way of many ways of testing this is to stand in a neutral position with your eyes closed and have a friend give you a solid shove to your chest. Listening to your own body - do you reach out for a grab or do you form fists? You can also look at your prior history of fights, more fisticuffs or wrestling.
Each art has its benefits and compromises. Do they have the same instructor or multiple instructors? Which instructor do you get along with better? Talk to the students that are training on the same time and day that you are thinking about. Do you like them? Either art can form a good base and provide years of study and both can provide some self defense and exercise.
All else being equal - Rolling around on the ground is very difficult to beat for health benefits in my opinion and is easy for beginners and people out of shape to make great improvements. JKD is a good base for martial skills and technique honing.
Regards
Brian King
So basically the school is taught by two different individuals. They have classes 4 days a week starting at 530 ending at 9. It’s basically kids bjj, JKD, JTB which is a class that is Muay Thai blended with JKD, bjj, and Kali. One instructor basically teaches JKD and Kali while the other does the bjj and MT. I’ve actually tried a bjj class there one time. It was pretty cool class. I’m just curious if JKD is legit in it’s self defense capability. I know some folks think Bruce Lee was the grandfather of mma and others say he was overhyped. The problem with taking all the classes is the price for all and my time constraints. Just looking for best bang for my buck.
@OldManJim
Bruce Lee won't be teaching at the school so do not worry what others opinions of him are. I might suggest that you seriously explore exactly what self defense situations you might be facing. Will you have family members with you or do you hang out where alcohol and drugs proliferate? Are there weapons often involved in your preferred community. Do you consider self defense incorporating things such as your health and stress levels? Is it mostly criminal actions or face to face mutually agreed on combat? Do you work in an action/violence profession? Once you have a handle on what self defense scenarios you are most worried about - compare them to the arts you are considering and see if they those arts will meet those needs.
Want to know if the instructor and what they teach is legit, test it verse your experience and common sense. Talk to the instructors about your concerns and listen carefully to how they address those concerns.
One thing to maybe consider - is that many people who enter martial arts do not stay for the same reason that they entered.
Best bet by far is to find an instructor and classmates that will allow you to explore violence in a safe, supportive, and fun environment.
Good luck
Regards
Brian King
Bruce Lee won't be teaching at the school so do not worry what others opinions of him are. I might suggest that you seriously explore exactly what self defense situations you might be facing. Will you have family members with you or do you hang out where alcohol and drugs proliferate? Are there weapons often involved in your preferred community. Do you consider self defense incorporating things such as your health and stress levels? Is it mostly criminal actions or face to face mutually agreed on combat? Do you work in an action/violence profession? Once you have a handle on what self defense scenarios you are most worried about - compare them to the arts you are considering and see if they those arts will meet those needs.
Want to know if the instructor and what they teach is legit, test it verse your experience and common sense. Talk to the instructors about your concerns and listen carefully to how they address those concerns.
One thing to maybe consider - is that many people who enter martial arts do not stay for the same reason that they entered.
Best bet by far is to find an instructor and classmates that will allow you to explore violence in a safe, supportive, and fun environment.
Good luck
Regards
Brian King
Martial D
Senior Master
JKD can be pretty spotty. Some schools are more modern, but a lot of them are stuck in the 'for the streetz/too deadly to spar' mindset that all but guarantee you are learning crap. BJJ you are at least guaranteed something effective.
jobo
Grandmaster
your putting a good deal of emphasis on linage which far from guarantees, usable skills
if you need cardio get some running shoes and go running, if be surprised if either art gave you a cardio work at like knocking a couple of miles off at a good pace will.
as I said in another of your posts, even " real world skills" are heavily dependent on your physicality to use them in the real world, if you are seriously worried about physical safety of you and your loved ones, then you need tie what ever art you choose to a fitness program
Headhunter
Senior Master
I guess what I’m trying to say about Bruce Lee is that he invented JKD so is his art, which I know has been changed a lot as it was intended really a legit style? I don’t go looking for trouble, don’t frequent bars or bad areas. I just wanna know between the two styles which would be better IF I was put in a situation where I had to defend myself or my family. I’m also interested in the health and social aspects of it as well.
Thats a tough question to answer. First because IMO they both could help, so its difficult to say how much one would help over the other. The other is that, as far as i know, there aren't any studies comparing the efficacy of each art in self defense, so any answers you get would be either people trying to logic it out, or based on their own experiences; two things that will vary from person to person and aren't always accurate.
We know.
mrt2
Brown Belt
I agree with pretty much all your points.
For OP. If your diabetes is causing you trouble, you might need to consult with your doctor about changing up your medication, changing your diet, or both. As far as MA and cardio goes, I find the degree of cardio in my MA practice depends on the instructor, the mix of students, and what they are after on a given day. When I attend advanced classes, the instructor tends to do drills that are a great aerobic workout without any breaks. After 20 or 30 minutes of such a class, I am at my limit and by the end of the hour, pretty much gassed. On the other hand, if there are a lot of beginners in the class, sometimes the focus is on going slowly, and teaching basic techniques to the beginners. After a class like that, sometimes I feel like I could do another one hour class.
Jobo is right though. If you have time and you want to improve your cardio, take a cardio class or take up running, or swimming.
mrt2
Brown Belt
This is another tough question to answer as a lot of us wonder how all this MA training will translate when applied to a real world situation. As far as I can tell, there are 3 types of MA training, and every school represents some mix of the three. The problem is, no one type is a guarantee that it will turn the weak, the infirm, or the overweight into great street fighters, though every MA has something to offer..
There are the traditional MA, such as Kung Fu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Aikido. A lot of time is spent learning techniques through forms, or kata, or poomsae, depending on the art. Or, self defense techniques are done against compliant partners through one step, or 3 step movements. And when sparring is done, it is with a rule set that limits what you may do to your opponent in class. The idea is, if you can learn to practice techniques with control and light contact, when the time comes, you will be able to unleash the same techniques with full power when you need them. The risk is, you train yourself over a period of years to pull your punches and kicks, and in general, when under stress, you will fight as you practice.
Then there is sport MA such as Boxing, BJJ, Muy Thai and to a lesser extend Kyokoshukin Karate and World Tae Kwon Do. The emphasis is on competition within a set of rules. The advantage of these arts is, you practice a lot against a resisting opponent. But the risk is, on the street, your opponent doesn't fight within a rule set and so you might not be prepared for an opponent who "cheats."
Then there are the arts that supposedly focus on "real world" self defense scenarios such as Krav Maga. This addresses the problem of dealing with people who "cheat", but the challenge is to practice and train realistically, without physically breaking the people who attend the classes.
Hanzou
Grandmaster
Actually BJJ rolling is excellent cardio. I dont know if it is as good as running, but rolming for a length of time will definitely up your endurance and stamina.
jobo
Grandmaster
if rolling is " excellent cardio" your not fit enough, some one who is fit enough wont find it 3xausting by defintion
Hanzou
Grandmaster
Having done both, I respectfully disagree.
That depends almost entirely on who you're rolling with, relative levels of skill, and the intensity you put into it. Rolling can be very intense cardio work.
jobo
Grandmaster
only if your not fit enough for rolling with whoever's your rolling with
