Is anyone into any kind of martial art?

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I just got my first retractable baton a few weeks ago; not sure how wild about it I am - ie. its nice I suppose, 16", ASP make, but its just too light.

I'm learning that if I'm going to have self-defense anything I prefer blunt weapons just because they're easier to argue self-defense in court and when it comes to blades dexterity means a lot, if its baton or stick vs. knife it gets easier because you can smash their hand, ie. while it's not nearly as lethal on contact it has stopping power (particularly an ironwood or bahi) that the knife just won't unless it contacts.

A lot of the guys in my class are into folding knives, supposedly if the blade is no longer than the width of four fingers and it folds in on itself you can practically take it anywhere because its classed as utility (I'm not taking this on assumptions - we have local police, federal, and aviation law enforcement people in my class who've offered a lot of insight on the legal side). I'm still not sure how I'd feel getting patted down walking into a bar or club and having to explain something like that. Might be nice to have something perhaps but, it'd likely stay in my car or my room.

I got put into judo by my parents when I was 9, did it for 5 years and fought competitively until I was 14 when I had a serious shoulder injury that put me out for 4 months and I lost all my confidence, I had awful form, got sick of it and ended up quitting just before I was 15 when my motorsport career was kicking off.

5 years on I decided to get back into it at uni at the start of this year and despite being rusty, I'm doing alright, been asked to fight in competitions this year but I'm not confident enough to fight yet but I will be fighting next year. I got into kickboxing at the same time I went back to judo just to have a nice change and really enjoying it, I'm not very good at it but I'm improving. I'm really tempted to go and join a proper MMA gym in London over the summer when I'm off uni to learn more stuff and to be more prepared for competition when I'm back at uni. I'm getting really fascinated with martial arts atm and its great training for motorsport!

My Girl friend is a 2nd Dan Blackbelt in ITF Taekwondo and was even the Scottish National champion once when she was in her early teens. There were no girls in her weight class then so she fought and beat the boys for the gold.

She's been introducing me to it and I've had a few classes under my belt and I honestly don't see why people think it's impractical, WTF Is the one that's mostly kicking for points, Ift lets us use our fists ect and we learn a lot more Self Defense and practical strikes. Even the arm blocks and counters are practical as I've used a few of them instinctively in a fight before with out knowing it was in a martial art. We also spar one class a week, where we don't track points it'll be 1v1, 1v2, 1v3 and the goal is simply to drill your strikes and blocks into muscle memory in a stressful position. The 3v1 one is particularly difficult because you've to keep moving around so your facing the least amount of people as possible at a time while continuing to spar.

I've also been reading the Encyclopedia the Taekwondo founder wrote and nothing is for show, everything right down to the angle of your shoulders is aimed to maximize force for the minimum amount of power.

Another bit of good news, this Sunday we have one of Dan Inosanto's students coming in to do a seminar. He's been working with my instructor to get him certified into the Inosanto lineage, my instructor already has the Kali/Panantukan, Wing Chun, and other southern style Gung Fu (kinda Silat-ish looking stuff) so its mostly just picking up more Balintiwak, Pekiti, and Illustrisimo in addition to proper Jun Fan/JKD creds.

The thing I like a lot about the guy who's coming in for the seminar, he came through last year and he does a great job of making sure we're getting enough time to drill and remember what he covers. With the Inosanto seminars its super-rapid fire, new drill every 2 minutes, sometimes only one person gets to go, with this guy on the other hand you get something closer to 5 or 10 minutes per drill and he'll come around and fine-tune it with everyone.

Yep, judo and taekwondo.

You have no clue what you're talking about at all. Self defense is mostly held to the standard of two things:

1. Proportionate use of force
2. Immediate threat

Pulling a gun on someone over a scrap is disproportionate use of force and shooting them after they were no longer an immediate threat is where it goes from self-defense to aggravated assault/manslaughter/murder. Immediate threat means he is physically capable of harming you right this moment. So that means even if he's waving a knife at you from 5 feet away and raving at you like a loony, he isn't deemed an immediate threat until he starts charging at you. Even then, you can't do something like shoot him while he's running away or helplessly laying on the ground because the moment he's in either predicament he is no longer an immediate threat. And on top of that, he completely disregarded what the dispatcher told him to do.

And here's another thing worth mentioning:

3. The role you played in escalating the conflict
Not only did he instigate, he also played the biggest role in it with his wannabe cop gung ho crap.

If by "Self defense largely doesn't matter in American courts" you mean claims of self defense are arbitrarily dismissed without being held to any standard whatsoever, you're dead wrong. While there is somewhat of a grey area, it isn't the slippery slope you make it out to be. By the way, I'd really like to see some examples of people being prosecuted by the use of hollowpoints and/or handloads alone. Hollowpoints are designed to expand which prevents overpenetration so this actually poses less of a risk to innocent bystanders. The only thing I could think of is if the jury is influenced by Hollywood myths.

I'm looking to do JKD/Kali fused together - if I can afford it

Does the school you're looking at have any videos on their site?

I just ask because Kali/Eskrima schools can be a very mixed bag, particularly with the recent uptick in popularity. If you're up for PM'img me I'd be glad to e a look and let you know if that particular instructor or set of instructors is worth the money.

I just did my first day of Krav Maga.

I have nothing against competitions when it comes to martial arts but I think martial arts can be used in a different way as well.
There are several important and positive aspects one can learn from practising martial arts that don't have anything to do with violence. Stuff like anger- and self control, self discipline, flexibility, respect, motoric skill and so on. A good teacher will emphasize these particular aspects because that is what martial arts are all about in the end.

If you think that you can use martial arts to inflict pain and damage on others or because you think that martial arts will give you the skills for effective self defence in everyday life you are (partially) wrong. There is not much you can do when your opponent has a weapon, unless you're a shaolin monk or something.

You're right that anyone can murder anyone - that's not particularly difficult to fathom. Suffice to say the bigger problem is what people will do short of risking their freedom such as assaulting people, bullying people, etc.. If you know how to fight well enough to where its down to a science - sure, if someone wants to risk their freedom they can take your life, but there won't be room for much of anything short of that (at least in terms of physical intimidation).

Part of what I also love about Filipino martial arts as well is how much gearing there is on being able to improvise a weapon of pretty much anything you have in your vicinity. That probably won't stop a bullet but it can be incredibly helpful if someone has a knife and you don't.

It's a damn shame martial arts is so commercialized. Not only does the non-violent personal stuff get thrown out of the window, the non-violent aspects of self-defense are also ignored when they're actually just as important as the physical. Hell, most martial arts instructors seem to know jack s**t about what even constitutes self-defense. I've been taught so much crap that crosses the line from self-defense to assault (and even borderline manslaughter) that it isn't even funny.

Yeah you're pretty much screwed against a weapon. On top of that, chances are your attacker has experience using that weapon so the average person would be overwhelmed with shock let alone the physical barrage. I love when some dojo nerd thinks he can just go killer commando kung fu on everyone's ass.

That's because almost all dojo outside of Asia are McDojo that just hand out belts. You probably already know how difficult it is to get a black belt in any Japanese martial art actually taught in Japan.

Also, if one is learning Japanese or Chinese martial art without the "spiritual side" then they are only learning half the art. The physical and spiritual are both integral parts.

That is not to say everyone should just quit their dojo. No, keep learning! I just wish the ranks held more meaning here in the USA. It's to the point where so many people have black belts and it's not really as much of an accomplishment as it should be.

I'm definitely a purist. That's just my point of view.

Kouzoku, could you tell us your background? What you are describing may be more true for a pure koryu art, since few Americans are willing to submit to a true koryu system, but even with that I think that there are some good koryu teachers here in the US.
Black belts at my dojo (aikido, a somewhat koryu-esque gendai budo) generally take 1-3 years longer to obtain than at the aikikai main dojo in Japan, and our students are perfectly able to train at the appropriate level when we go to Japan, so I do not see what you are describing played out in real life.

That's really great that your dojo is more "traditional" as far as making sure you really have the necessary skills to advance. I hardly have heard of such a thing, at least not in suburban America. Dojos like yours are the special case, rather than the norm.

I studied at a dojo, which supposedly had a good reputation, but was able to get a "purple belt" in four months! This was a karate dojo. Yes, I was dedicated and practiced almost all day, every day, but regardless, it should take a LOT longer than four months. So I left the dojo, and went out to find a better one, and I couldn't. So I started asking around in our Asian community why this is happening. Two Koreans who teach taekwondo told me the same thing: the reason why dojo are easier in the US is because people get upset when they pay the tuition and don't "get results." They give up and leave. It's a totally different mentality. I've witnessed it myself when I've gone to friends' sparring matches, testing days, etc. I've seen so many people wearing a black belt who honestly should still be in a beginner's rank. I've heard moms whispering back and forth about their 8 year olds, "My son is a black belt!" which isn't IMpossible, but unlikely that he honestly earned that black belt.

I have all the respect in the world for dojo like yours. Those types of schools are where the competitors come from. I wish there was a place like that in my area.

I'm not sure if my mom was joking or not, but she is interested in taking MMA classes, though my sister & I won't allow it because our mother turned 60 two weeks ago on April 8th. {I know...stupid reason!}

My sister, once she recovers, intends on enrolling in either MMA or Judo classes, if not Aikido or Fencing classes.

As for me, I might enroll in either Judo, Ju-Jitsu, or Taekwondo once I have enough money to do so.