Some guidance for a beginner would be SUPER appreciated.

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Im definitely not dismissing kata/forms for those that have said that i am :O What i said was I dont think i would be interested in doing MA that is ONLY katas. Not to disrespect those art forms at all, of course. But i never said "useless" or anything of the sort

Some people in this forum are very defensive when anything bad is said about kata. It's understandable: a lot of people do bash it, when it's something that can be very useful. I think this was a case of some being oversensitive to it, since normally when it's mentioned negatively, the person doing so is implying it is useless. Don't worry too much about it.

I totally understand the naivety that I have towards the Art. Being new its impossible for me not to be. For example, i play classical piano. Im sure you can imagine the people that think they know how to play music but really have no idea, compared to the ppl who spend 8 hours a day practicing. Naivety is inevitable.

But to be fair, I dont think its a good idea to start something new doing something polar-opposite of what attracts you to that art in the first place. If someone starts piano because they like classical music, i wouldn't make them practice jazz scales all day. Maybe a section of their practice time would be, just to get the technique down. Otherwise the student will probably quit because they're spending nearly all their time doing something they dont like.

At the same time i want to be super open-minded, but i think its a smart idea to at least START with the art that interest me the most. What do you think?

I agree with you almost entirely. If there's something that attracts you to martial arts, you should definitely start with that. Just don't be surprised when you find out that you like something entirely different. I assumed for years that I would hate any grappling arts, then one day I tried it out and discovered that, despite my experience in MA, and despite my confidence that I wouldn't enjoy what looked like groping other men while both get sweatier, for some odd, unexplainable reason it is a lot of fun and I love it. At some point another this will likely happen to you.

It's different than piano in the sense that I can listen to both Jazz and Classical music and know that I like one and not the other before I ever start playing. I can watch two different training methods, or sparring styles, and have no clue which one I will actually like until I try both of them.

 

[iamstevengold]

Move on and some years later I began studying Hapkido. What?! no forms? This is a martial art, right? Well, it is a different style and requires a different paradigm. We learned techniques against specific attacks. So why do you need kata/forms? Do a search on that and look at the different answers. Generally in those styles that use them, they are a teaching method.

Nice man, how did you like Hapkido? You think its a good one to start with, or maybe something more traditional that focuses on katas & technique? (I dont know anything about Hapkido, so I could be completely wrong in my thinking sorry) But i like the style of Hapkido based on what ive seen

 

[iamstevengold]

Some people in this forum are very defensive when anything bad is said about kata. It's understandable: a lot of people do bash it, when it's something that can be very useful. I think this was a case of some being oversensitive to it, since normally when it's mentioned negatively, the person doing so is implying it is useless. Don't worry too much about it.





I agree with you almost entirely. If there's something that attracts you to martial arts, you should definitely start with that. Just don't be surprised when you find out that you like something entirely different. I assumed for years that I would hate any grappling arts, then one day I tried it out and discovered that, despite my experience in MA, and despite my confidence that I wouldn't enjoy what looked like groping other men while both get sweatier, for some odd, unexplainable reason it is a lot of fun and I love it. At some point another this will likely happen to you.

It's different than piano in the sense that I can listen to both Jazz and Classical music and know that I like one and not the other before I ever start playing. I can watch two different training methods, or sparring styles, and have no clue which one I will actually like until I try both of them.

Nicely put, and totally agree. My expectation is that I will start with one thing, say for example an aggressive style, only to find im also interested in softer techniques like grappling. Cant say with a Definite answer what you like until you try it out

 

[Tames D]

MY Kenpo karate instructor does FMA under Guro Dan Inosanto gonna choose FMA go to Dan Inosanto

Dan is in Los Angeles. The OP is in Nashville. I don't know if someone in his Org teaches in Tenn.

 

[chrispillertkd]

Hey everyone, just joined the forum. Looking forward to being a part of the community!

Welcome to MT.

Hours & hours later of digging through the rabbit hole of YouTube, the styles that interest me the most both happen to be FMA: Kali & Aikido.

Perhaps I'm misreading your statement here, but it appears as if you think both Kali and Aikido are Filipino Martial Arts (note the bolded statement). You're aware Aikido is a Japanese art, correct? No big deal, I just was a bit confused by your statement.

Pax,

Chris

 

[JR 137]

Welcome to MT.
Perhaps I'm misreading your statement here, but it appears as if you think both Kali and Aikido are Filipino Martial Arts (note the bolded statement). You're aware Aikido is a Japanese art, correct? No big deal, I just was a bit confused by your statement.
Pax,
Chris

Here I was thinking I was the crazy one. Glad it's not just me.

 

[JR 137]

Forget about which art to choose. Choose a school. Find out what's in your area, and eliminate the ones you can't afford and your schedule conflicts with. Visit the rest. The most important style is the teacher's teaching style. Look at how he/she treats the students, how they act, if they're proficient, if class follows a logical pattern, etc.

Who's teaching you and who you're training alongside are far more important than anything else IMO. Let's suspend reality and say aikido is the best art there is. What if the teacher isn't very knowledgeable? What if you're training alongside a bunch of kids who think they're power rangers? Do you think this ultimate art will be a good fit for you under those circumstances?

Let's also play along and say TKD is a sport for kids to make their soccer moms proud. What if your local school has teacher related the art in the exact way you think it should be, and the students are a bunch of tight knit adults working their butts off in a no nonsense manner that would welcome you as a valuable part of their group?

I've seen some great aikido schools, and a few horrible ones. I haven't seen enough Kali schools to make the same statement, but I'm sure they've got the full spectrum too, as every art I've seen does.

Choose a school, not an art. If it's a tie and you can't lose either way, then choose an art.

All IMO.

 

[iamstevengold]

Forget about which art to choose. Choose a school. Find out what's in your area, and eliminate the ones you can't afford and your schedule conflicts with. Visit the rest. The most important style is the teacher's teaching style. Look at how he/she treats the students, how they act, if they're proficient, if class follows a logical pattern, etc.

Who's teaching you and who you're training alongside are far more important than anything else IMO. Let's suspend reality and say aikido is the best art there is. What if the teacher isn't very knowledgeable? What if you're training alongside a bunch of kids who think they're power rangers? Do you think this ultimate art will be a good fit for you under those circumstances?

Let's also play along and say TKD is a sport for kids to make their soccer moms proud. What if your local school has teacher related the art in the exact way you think it should be, and the students are a bunch of tight knit adults working their butts off in a no nonsense manner that would welcome you as a valuable part of their group?

I've seen some great aikido schools, and a few horrible ones. I haven't seen enough Kali schools to make the same statement, but I'm sure they've got the full spectrum too, as every art I've seen does.

Choose a school, not an art. If it's a tie and you can't lose either way, then choose an art.

All IMO.

That totally make sense. I always tell people the piano techniques you practice aren't nearly as important as the teacher you choose. Thanks for the input

 

[iamstevengold]

Welcome to MT.



Perhaps I'm misreading your statement here, but it appears as if you think both Kali and Aikido are Filipino Martial Arts (note the bolded statement). You're aware Aikido is a Japanese art, correct? No big deal, I just was a bit confused by your statement.

Pax,

Chris

Woops! haha, thanks for the correction

 

[Brian King]

Welcome to MT iamstevengold!
And, welcome to the journey.
You said above thread that you play classical piano. At what level do you play? You may wish to speak to whichever instructor that you end up choosing if any injury to your fingers or wrists would be career damaging concern... Surgeons and musicians can of course train any art but care should be taken.

I agree with the thought that finding the teacher that you like, that you get along with, and whose students you seem to like is very important. You will be spending a lot of time and energy with them.

Regards
Brian King

 

[Tez3]

Both seem like a great choice! Here at Iron Wood Productions we specialize in modern, Olympic-style Taekwondo tutorials that all have unique techniques and tips that can be derived and applied in any martial arts. The best thing about it is that you get quality information taught by experienced, world-class instructors. We've got new uploads every week so check it out and maybe you'll find something super beneficial to use!
Iron Wood Productions

That's a crafty way to get free advertising here.

 

[Kickboxer101]

MY Kenpo karate instructor does FMA under Guro Dan Inosanto gonna choose FMA go to Dan Inosanto

Man do you have to promote your school or your teacher in every post I doubt that info is much use to the op

 

[donald1]

Hello!

Some advice... technically it never hurts to learn the self defence aspects anyway. A good thing to know is pay close attention to detail. The instructor might turn his/her foot before stepping or turn his/her hips before striking. It might not seem like much but the little things can make a difference

Good luck!

 

[oftheherd1]

Nice man, how did you like Hapkido? You think its a good one to start with, or maybe something more traditional that focuses on katas & technique? (I dont know anything about Hapkido, so I could be completely wrong in my thinking sorry) But i like the style of Hapkido based on what ive seen

I did and do like the Hapkido I studied very much! But I can't guarantee you or anyone else would. As I was taught, we used all parts of our body and we defended against attacks on all parts of our body. We often put people on the ground but stayed up ourselves, at least on one foot and one knee, if not on both feet. We learned ground techniques as a way to get off the ground, not to join an opponent there. We were a defensive art, but if we had to engage, whatever happened to the opponent was the opponent's responsibility, and it would be something painful, damaging, or both.

Do not misunderstand that as a declaration of Hapkido as the only good MA. I don't know of a bad or useless MA. All have good points and bad. You will need, as others have said, to look for yourself, or maybe even actually try different ones until you find one you like. I wish you good luck with that.

 

[oftheherd1]

Hello!

Some advice... technically it never hurts to learn the self defence aspects anyway. A good thing to know is pay close attention to detail. The instructor might turn his/her foot before stepping or turn his/her hips before striking. It might not seem like much but the little things can make a difference

Good luck!

Absolutely! I never felt so uncoordinated in my life as when I began studying Hapkido. Usually I found if I watched more closely, as donald1 said, I would see some seemingly little thing that made it work.

 

[WaterGal]

Nice man, how did you like Hapkido? You think its a good one to start with, or maybe something more traditional that focuses on katas & technique? (I dont know anything about Hapkido, so I could be completely wrong in my thinking sorry) But i like the style of Hapkido based on what ive seen

Hapkido doesn't typically use kata (poomsae in Korean) as such, but the techniques are commonly taught through a series of prearranged partnered drills.

 

[drop bear]

Nicely put, and totally agree. My expectation is that I will start with one thing, say for example an aggressive style, only to find im also interested in softer techniques like grappling. Cant say with a Definite answer what you like until you try it out

You can stop and do something else. Or do two martial arts at once.

I would continue to expose myself to other styles or classes just to add some perspective.

 

[JowGaWolf]

1st question is do you want to learn weapons beyond a staff. Not every martial arts has a wide selection of weapons to learn. You can narrow your options based on that. If you don't want to learn weapons then you can pick a school that has limited or no weapons training.

2nd do you want to learn martial arts for self defense or for sport. This matters because the training and focus aren't the same. Some people learn the sports side of martial arts and become disappointed when they discover that their skills don't help in a real fight.

From there you can see what schools fit these characteristics. Schools that train for self defense will have conditioning that may be more extreme than what is done for sporting purposes.

 

[drop bear]

From there you can see what schools fit these characteristics. Schools that train for self defense will have conditioning that may be more extreme than what is done for sporting purposes.

No. They really won't.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

No. They really won't.

*may* be more extreme. Most don't. Some might.