Question from a Newbie who doesn't take martial arts and is wondering...........

[twinxsta]

Hello All,
I'm a newbie to the site and well I have a couple questions....First of all let me just let everyone know before you get to into this post that I do not practice Martial Arts however i have had an interest in it for quite some time and i'm seriously contemplating starting to study in the summer when i'm done with school....right now i'm a full time student working part time with some other hobbies that i'm into so time unfortunately isn't a luxury of mine........but so for some of my questions.....

1.) I know that there are many forms of Martial Arts but i'm wondering if anyone has any experience in a Martial Art that isn't an actual martial art but something that was developed by someone and is taught as a martial art. I know this is a weird question but i'm from the East Coast of the United States and the best example of this that I can come up with is "Nick Cerio's Kenpo" I don't know much about this but from what I've read and researched this was a self developed system by Nick Cerio that he developed after studying with numerous masters and numerous styles.

2.) I am quite out of shape but i am able to see my toes (hahaha) just wondering what to expect being a newbie in a school.......any advice or information would be greatly appreciated..........if you use AOL instant messenger you could IM me my screename is Twinxsta or if you would like to email me you could do that @ [email protected] or if you want to just reply here maybe someone else out there has the same concerns or question.......thanks to all who read and reply!

 

[newGuy12]

Welcome to the board, twinxsta!

The one thing I can say is this: If you practice a martial art, you will enjoy better health, and have good times with the other students. I am not familiar with the Cerio system, so I cannot advise you about that.

I'm confident that whatever questions you may have, you will be able to get answers from this community.




Regards,

Robert

 

[twinxsta]

thanx for the reply.....not to make my post more confusing but i'm actually not really interested in the "cerio" system persay i was just using that as an example of what i was talking about...basically i would rather pay money and make a commitment to martial arts because it will actually keep me interested and i will be motivated to go where as joining a gym and just working out probably won't keep my interest and it'll be a waste of money......

 

[newGuy12]

That's been my experience. I have never been able to maintain any exercise regimen over an extended period of time except for martial arts. Its my feeling that practicing martial arts is exercise for the thinking person. Its definitely never boring.

 

[Hawke]

Greetings Twinxsta!

Welcome to Martial Talk.

Any reason why you're interested in a exercise program based on the martial art instead of the actual martial art itself?

Also what's your reason for taking up the martial art? Exercise, self defense, build up self confidence, or meet new people? Have you checked out the different styles? Empty hands, weapons, kicking, grappling? How do you feel about sparring?

You might want to visit a few martial art schools around your area and see how well you fit in. You might be able to get a free lesson to see how well you like the art.

Pay close attention to the instructor. A good instructor imo is more important than the art itself.

There's a Beginner's Corner where you can post questions. People here are friendly and helpful.

Here's the link to the Beginner's Corner

 

[terryl965]

Welcome and enjoy

 

[Topeng]

Hawke has some great points you should consider.

You may want to also check out http://www.ehow.com/how_5710_choose-martial-art.html for tips on choosing an art. Its really up to you.
I chose Filipino Martial Arts because of my heritage and learning weapons from the beginning interested me.

As for a system being developed by someone, I'd say that applies to all. Though the lineage of our school originates from the late "Tatang" Ilustrisimo (founder of Kalis Ilustrisimo), his student and our current grandmaster "Yuli" Romo (founder of BaHad Zubu) added his flavor to it, as does our instructor. Each instructor is going to teach his/her interpretation of a system as well as make changes if they see fit. We see it in our brother/sister schools (and even partners within the same school) as we all hold the same fundamentals yet all move and fight differently.

Don't be afriad to try different styles until you find one that works for you. Before sticking with FMA, I had done some Hung Gar Kung Fu, Judo, and boxed a bit. You'll know when you find it.

 

[Sukerkin]

Welcome aboard twinkxsta

Some valid points made above. It is certainly worth 'shopping around' your locality to see what is available and what you think of the instructors. Of course you wont be able to judge their technical ability but that's not what you're looking at during such an excercise.

That person will be teaching you for years to come and you can get a feeling quite quickly as to whether you and they will 'mesh' well. Being taught by an instructor you do not like is not a pleasant time.

So, altho' it might seem a little childish to make your selection because of such a 'minor' thing, it is quite important because of it's impact on your ability to sustain committment.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Check out several schools in your area and sit in or take a free class and see if they work for you.

 

[stone_dragone]

Ditto to all of the above and welcome to MT!

 

[IcemanSK]

Welcome to MT. I'm sure there are Kenpo folks who can give you some help.

 

[14 Kempo]

Hello and welcome to MartialTalk ... enjoy.

As for Nick Cerio's Kempo, as with most Kem/npo systems in the US, they originated from Hawaiian Kempo, directly, or through Kajukenpo which in itself came from Hawaii. The lineage is generally from James Mitose on down.

Here's a link to Nick Cerio's tree, trace it back ... Family Tree ... whichever way you trace it back, you end up with James Mitose.

 

[MBuzzy]

Welcome to MT - not a whole lot else to say, just be sure that you shop around!

 

[arnisador]

Welcome! Visit a few schools, and follow your instincts.

 

[theletch1]

First and foremost, Twinxsta, welcome to the board. Looks like you've already gotten a ton of great responses to your question here in the thread. A word of caution, though, regarding requests for folks to e-mail you directly...it kind of defeats the purpose of a discussion board and violates one of our terms of service. I've always found that keeping discussions out here in the open brings in alot more info than talking via e-mail as what one person says will spark something from someone else and so on. Good luck in your search.

 

[CuongNhuka]

Cuong Nhu might be worth looking at, depending on what part of the East Coast you're on.

www.cuongnhu.com