[Grimm_Wolfe]

Heyo, denizens of HomeTown.  This will be a re-make of a thread from our old forums before they were purged by hackers.

I got into two separate conversations about martial arts on the server recently, so I wanted to see who all has a martial arts background or combative training.  Basically, if you can fight–please–tell us about it.  Be thorough, too.  This includes empty-handed or armed training.  Even if you haven't done any kind of training yet but you have the desire to start, talk about why it interests you.  Also–of course–keep it civil and free from politics, please.

Martial Arts:
I took Tae Kwon Do as a child, which is a Korean martial art focused on kicks.  I got to a green belt before my instructors had to move shop.  I still recall some of it, not much.

I picked up fencing in my preteens for a year, then I picked it back up in college a two-year period.  I even helped re-found the fencing club and became the president of it for a brief time.  It got dissolved due to a lacking interest and its members graduating.

I have been studying Judo since autumn 2014.  Judo is a Japanese martial art focused on grappling.  To sum it up in one sentence: you throw people to the ground, hold them there, and break their joints or choke them out; strikes are prohibited.  I help teach the class now as an assistant to my instructor, which means I'm the designated ragdoll to be demonstrated on.

Formal Combative Training:
I participated in the Krav Maga community for a 6-month period to learn strikes back in 2015.  It's pretty much just mixed martial arts without the rules with roots from Israel.  I figured it would be useful to know strikes in conjunction with Judo if I had to fight someone.

Informal Combative Training:
I've learned to shoot pistols, shotguns, and rifles since I was 12.  I did learn to use bows as a kid but I'm not good with them.  I would like to take a few shooting classes, such as long-range marksmanship or force-on-force training for shits and giggles.

Future Interests:
I would not mind picking up Kali, which is both an unarmed and armed Filipino martial art.  My dad is an immigrant from the Philippines, so it would be cool to learn to fight with knives, batons, and improvised weapons.

[_Minigunner_]

I know my way around guns, cause, y'know, I'm from Kentucky and all.
Just gonna throw that out there...

[Nether_Ruler]

I took Tae Kwon Do in my younger years, went to a small shop in New York nearly every day. I also got up to green belt before I moved away from the area. I know my way around a pistol, but not much else.

I'd like to work with guns a bit more, learn shotguns and rifles. I guess the reason I want to start it is because my Great grandfather, grandfather, and father all (used to) hunt.

Judo also sounds quite interesting, being able to choke and break people, just might be helpful later on...

[Patty]

i took shooting lessons for pistols & shotguns for a while a few years ago. also been super interested in archery since I was v small, still really into that.

[miumiaou]

I took Aikido for a year some years ago, I'd like to start again but I can't right now (my level of practice were 5 kyu at the time) for people who don't know it, aikido is a martial art focused on defending yourself, you basically use the opponent strenght to disable his capacity to hurt you
I also took savate at school.
I already tried archery once but I'm not good at it
I am also helping some friend to train with sword sometimes (for trollball)
In the future, I'd like to try gouren

[frost]

I've been a long time fan of MMA and the UFC and I keep up with the scene. I also took brazilian jiu jitsu classes for a couple months before my arm broke

[Grimm_Wolfe]

(04-21-2017, 09:49 AM)Nether_Ruler Wrote: Judo also sounds quite interesting, being able to choke and break people, just might be helpful later on...

It's pretty useful, especially in conjunction with a strike-based martial art or fighting system to round our your technique-arsenal.  A bit of warning though.  If you do pick up Judo, there are some risks involved with it.  It is a full-contact combat sport, which means risks for sprains, dislocations, broken bones, and concussions.  That being said, any instructor worth their salt will thoroughly train you on safety practices, how to safely be thrown before you spar anyone at full-speed, and instill you and your partners with a healthy respect for the safety of one another.

One benefit from Judo sparring though is that you'll get first-hand experience in actively trying to fight someone.  You'll learn what works for you and what doesn't work, as well as how to fight people of varying heights and weights.  It's also one hell of a workout.

I do have a good testament to Judo's effectiveness, too.  Last year–during spring-break–an unarmed man tried to sexually assault one of the female students my instructor and I taught.  She kicked his ass and he had to run away.  The police caught him later.  Even though she was only about 5'6" (167.6cm) and weighed ~150lb (68kg), she was mean as fuck when we sparred.

[_Poke__]

Martial Arts - I practiced Okinawan Karate, (Seidokan) for about 4 years, but I had to move as soon as I got my 1st Degree Black Belt (Shodan). This a Japanese Martial art focused mainly on Middle Distance fighting. It is an traditional martial art out of the Okinawan prefecture. If you wish to, here is a Wiki page on it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_Seidokan

I am currently practicing Tae Kwon Do. This Korean martial art is mainly focused on precision of skill and kicking. I am at my purple belt and I'm on track to achieve black belt by my junior year of High school. This style is very similar to Karate with slight differences in hand position and stance for distribution of weight.

Weapons Experience - I have been shooting all sorts of guns since I was about 10. ie. Shot gun, short distance rifle, Long distance rifle, pistol, bb gun (if this even counts).
I also practiced with the Bo staff, sais, tonfas, and katana from my karate experience.

Non Martial Arts - I'm on my school's Varsity Wrestling team and this has made me interested in Jiu jitsu and judo as possible martial arts to pursue.

[RetroSteveUK]

I had one Kung Fu lesson when I was ten (about 30 years ago) and quit after badly pulling a muscle; they tried to force my leg in a direction it wouldn't naturally go. Years later (about 15 years ago), a friend who studied mixed martial arts traded some basic lessons in Hsing-i Chuan in exchange for guitar lessons. He taught me one or two basic techniques, and threw in some Nunchaku lessons as a bonus.

Hsing-i Chuan YouTube Demo

Today, I only remember the Hsing-i Chuan moves in theory, and I still own a set of rubber training Nunchucks which I can twirl around  nicely, but only really for show (I'd need much more precision & training to actively use a set in a battle).


ps. I said 'battle' instead of 'fight' to sound cool.

[ak_orange_peel]

I have been shooting since i was 7 or 8 and am i good shot but small so the knock back limits me to the things i shoot. I have not had lessons on a "art" of some kind but can hold my own. ( but as previously mentioned i am not large )
i have had practice with a knife and can use it if needed. although i prefer not to.