DiveInArts222
White Belt
Does anyone know any?
Which is the best self defense schools on Long Island NY?
- Thread starter DiveInArts222
- Start date
DiveInArts222
White Belt
I'm from the South Shore area. Bellmore to be exact. Doesn't have to be too close but not too far. A reputable place that's been around for a while would help.
DiveInArts222
White Belt
Kung Fu or Karate?
D
Deleted member 39746
Guest
which ever one you like/applies the patterns a lot/spars a lot. Not a school which turns out pattern perfection and little understanding of why you do them and how to do them if you were to fight.
(also style of Karate and Kung fu would be good information here)
Edit: If its tai chi, dont do it for self defence, just dont. Maybe once in a blue moon you have a good combative tai chi school but they are rare and not worth looking for. To cover that base of kung fu, im pretty sure everyone can agree with me on that one.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
DiveInArts222
White Belt
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
It sounds like taiji would not be a good match for you, and there is nothing wrong with making that assessment.
Just don’t fall into the trap that mr. Rat apparently has, in believing that taiji is not an effective martial method. It most certainly can be.
However, it is true that teachers who are good at teaching taiji as a combat method are few and hard to find, and the approach to training it is often hard to grasp by Westerners. So for most people, taiji is a poor match. But that does not mean that it inherently has no value as a combat method.
D
Deleted member 39746
Guest
To be clear to avoid confusion, i was advising you away from it for self defence.
As for the second point any good self defence or martial arts school should do a fair amount of fitness training and by repetition of the movements keep you fit. dont get brought into labels like krav maga etc, keep a objective mind when you look at it, and from what i understand if they regularly do full contact drills where they stick you in armour, its usually a good sign. (at least for physical self defence) As for looking for styles, look for generic self defence labels and just keep a objective mind and see if they pressure test what they teach regularly and to re emphasis the point dont get brought into names.
If they have a legitimate overarching group which regulates the style they teach, do research into that as well.
Edit: @Flying Crane we will agree to disagree on the matter of tai chis direct combat applications.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
JR 137
Grandmaster
The same advice I have for everyone who asks where they should train, what is the best school, best style, etc...
Pick a school, not a style. Make a list of every school in your area. Eliminate the ones you can’t afford and the ones that conflict with your schedule. Visit the rest.
Who’s teaching, how it’s being taught, and who you’ll train alongside are far more important that the style, barring anything that’s just absolutely ridiculous. Go in and watch the teacher teach. Watch the students train. Even if there was a style that was inherently better than everything else, would you go there if it was a bunch of kids that thought they were ninja turtles and the teacher was a guy who catered to that exclusively?
Don’t discount the stuff people usually don’t think of as martial arts - boxing, wrestling, etc. Boxing and wrestling will give you a better workout that pretty much anything else, and they’re quite effective for self defense.
I could refer you to the organization I’m in, Seido karate, but I don’t know the teachers who run the Long Island branch dojo, or have I been to their school. I really like Seido karate, but there are some dojos in the organization I wouldn’t join because they focus on kids. Absolutely nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s just not what I want. I found my dojo by going out and visiting the various dojos in my area. Some places I visited were a great fit on paper, and weren’t worth my time when I saw what they did. A few places surprised me by being better than I thought they’d be, including where I ended up.
And forget about websites for the most part. If it were for websites, I wouldn’t have stepped foot into either dojo I’ve joined.
Visit as many places as you can and pick the best school. What any of us consider the best might not align up with what you’re looking for. If you’ve got someplace specific in mind, it won’t hurt to post a link and ask us what we think. But again, everyone’s idea of the best is going to be different.
Pick a school, not a style. Make a list of every school in your area. Eliminate the ones you can’t afford and the ones that conflict with your schedule. Visit the rest.
Who’s teaching, how it’s being taught, and who you’ll train alongside are far more important that the style, barring anything that’s just absolutely ridiculous. Go in and watch the teacher teach. Watch the students train. Even if there was a style that was inherently better than everything else, would you go there if it was a bunch of kids that thought they were ninja turtles and the teacher was a guy who catered to that exclusively?
Don’t discount the stuff people usually don’t think of as martial arts - boxing, wrestling, etc. Boxing and wrestling will give you a better workout that pretty much anything else, and they’re quite effective for self defense.
I could refer you to the organization I’m in, Seido karate, but I don’t know the teachers who run the Long Island branch dojo, or have I been to their school. I really like Seido karate, but there are some dojos in the organization I wouldn’t join because they focus on kids. Absolutely nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s just not what I want. I found my dojo by going out and visiting the various dojos in my area. Some places I visited were a great fit on paper, and weren’t worth my time when I saw what they did. A few places surprised me by being better than I thought they’d be, including where I ended up.
And forget about websites for the most part. If it were for websites, I wouldn’t have stepped foot into either dojo I’ve joined.
Visit as many places as you can and pick the best school. What any of us consider the best might not align up with what you’re looking for. If you’ve got someplace specific in mind, it won’t hurt to post a link and ask us what we think. But again, everyone’s idea of the best is going to be different.
DiveInArts222
White Belt
@Rat and @Flying Crane thanks guys I'll use that advice. I haven't found any tail chi schools near me yet I can't say if it suits my style or not but if I found a good one I would probably give it a try but I'm probably looking for something more than that.
DiveInArts222
White Belt
Oh I agree with you completely. I'm more concerned about finding a good school than just worrying about the style. But as long as they give a good training and self-defense and is taken seriously. I'd much rather avoid schools that ate full of a room of kids training to be like Ninja Turtles. But this karate school you mentioned sounds very interesting. Do you know if they have a good location that's closer to me? it's very hard to find a good school here on Long Island.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
No worries, and I’m not trying to steer you toward one. I’m simply providing an education, because a lot of people make an erroneous assumption that taiji is inherently worthless as a combat method. I’m offering some information on that.
What method you decide to pursue is your own choice. Enjoy!
DiveInArts222
White Belt
Oh I know that! and I know you're not trying to steer me in the wrong direction. I would actually love to try and Tai Chi school but there's no one really around that teaches of here. It would be great to find a school that teaches Tai Chi mixed with other martial arts and that way I get a little bit of everything.
Thanks for the help!
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Just as a note: Kung Fu is a label of a series of Chinese marital arts styles. There is no one Chinese martial art "Kung Fu"
And because of that you get a plethora of different approaches to Self Defense within the label Kung Fu
All of these fall under the label Kung Fu
List of Chinese Martial Arts
What schools are within the area you are willing to travel to get to training regularly?
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Speaking as a guy who has been thrown on the floor more than once by his taiji shifu....... I believe we agree.
But speaking as a long time Taijiquan guy...many taijiquan classes today are all about health with little of no ,martial arts involved.
D
Deleted member 39746
Guest
My only experience was a indie branch of tai chi not a main stream one. It wasnt Chen, Yang etc. (doesnt help that i think it was tailored to the more elderly of persons) I didnt actually do it though.
Edit: Also posting places is most helpful, if you are worried about personal security you could cite us overarching federations etc.
Edit: Also posting places is most helpful, if you are worried about personal security you could cite us overarching federations etc.
mrt2
Brown Belt
I did a quick google search and there are 139 Martial Arts schools in Nassau County, including a number right in your home town. I wouldn't be so dismissive of kids' martial arts. At my school, there are a lot of kids, but some of those kids transition to the adult classes as teenagers, and some of them are pretty good. Honestly, you have the tools to find local schools, and it makes no sense to ask internet strangers from around the world for this kind of advice. Take some time, watch a few classes, even take a few classes. Pay attention to the students who have been there awhile, because that is you in 6 months, a year, or 2 years from now.
You need to decide how hard you want to train. I am happy with my choice of Tae Kwon Do, but if I were younger, I might go with a grappling style like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
