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Help me choose a knife, machete and training manuals for self defense.

Not Supplied — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:31:29 -0800

Help me choose a knife, machete and training manuals for self defense. I'm going abroad on short notice to a knife carrying country on short notice and want to pick up some additional tools and skills for self defense. I will have time to train over there, but not much time beforehand! I haven't done any knife work before, but have trained in hand to hand combatives for about 6 months and I'm reasonably ok for self defense purposes.

I thought that a tactical folder would be the easiest knife to get into for a newby. Would you agree with this or do you recommend a sheath knife? Which models are good?

I thought of something like the spyderco delica with or without the wave opener.

Then I was thinking of a machete for more outdoors situations. Possibly going for one of . I know they're probably not the greatest but they're cheap and cheerful..I would spend a bit more for something better but not hundreds.

Which pattern of machete is best if it's main purpose is self defense? I was thinking of the kukri as it's got that weight on the front, but never tried any of them.

I also need training materials. Someone recommended this manual by hock hockheim. What do you think about this? I'm not sure about some aspects of his system as I've seen them demonstrated but dunno really. Any other thoughts?

If there's any links to knife and machete basics on the web it would be appreciated.

I didn't find a good forum on search and the one I used to go to closed down so if anyone can post/pm links to good info on forums it would be great.

Sorry it's all vague, but don't have long before I fly off :)

Cheers!

Styles of martial arts

elisynn — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:38:42 -0800

Looking for advice on different martial arts styles (specifically: aikido, ninjutsu, pekiti tirsia kali, bagua, or wing chun). I'm looking to take up martial arts for exercise and self-defense. I've never done martial arts before. I've been trying to narrow down my selections to schools that are convenient to get to, that fit into my schedule, and teach a style of martial arts that seems interesting to learn. So far I have aikido, ninjutsu, pekiti tirsia kali, bagua, and wing chun.

I know that some of them are pretty far apart in terms of philosophy and methods. What I'm primarily looking for is something fun, but that will also teach me self-awareness and self-defense skills. I'm not looking for anything that's too aggressive. I'm trying to visit each dojo to get a more practical sense of how each style is practiced, and to see how comfortable I feel there, but I'd still love to hear about experiences that people have had (good or bad). What are they like? Thanks!

I (want to) know kung fu (movies)!

oinopaponton — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:44:38 -0800

What are the best, can't-miss-em, #1 funtime classic wuxia movies? I've been really enjoying some more or less recent martial arts blockbusters. I'd like to build up a list of must-see martial arts films, but don't know where to start.

For reference, I enjoyed Hero, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Curse of the Golden Flower, and (to an extent) Fearless. I'd prefer to stick to Chinese-produced wuxia films (I really, really hated the American The Forbidden Kingdom).

Who Punches The President?

artof.mulata — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:38:54 -0800

does the president of the u.s. receive any self defense training? and, if so, what sort and from whom? and are there any good articles or books on that subject?

Challenging Martial Arts Studio in DC area

Football Bat — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:23:48 -0800

My brother's looking for a challenging martial arts studio in the DC, Northern Virginia area. He's really good at jiu-jitsu, but he's most interested in any studio, no matter what the style, where the difficulty level is extremely high. He doesn't care about getting belts or competing, just about learning through through losing, essentially. Any recommendations?

What is a good martial arts school in Chicago?

burnfirewalls — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:07:57 -0800

What is a good (criteria inside) martial arts school in Chicago? Background: I was involved in a park district karate class for five years as a kid, and my skills have fallen into disuse. Lately, I've been wanting to get back into martial arts. I'm extremely wary of bad schools, however, as when I was involved in my karate training, the 80s and its slew of martial arts movies had just made everyone and their grandmother's cousin's neighbor's dog open a studio.

Having taken a glance at the different types of martial arts available, my number one goal is to learn how to fight effectively (my park district class was heavy on forms and light on sparring). I know that no amount of instruction can prepare someone for a fight, nor am I looking to get into one (I'm far from a tough guy), but I'd like sparring to be at least a significant component of the class. I'm not allergic to forms, kata or non-sparring aspects of the style, just not at the expense of sparring practice.

From what I can tell, a Mixed Martial Arts class would be ideal (specifically, the variant emphasizing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing) but I'd be curious about other options.

Bonus points if it is on the south side (easier to get to after work) or has weekend classes.

.....BOING!!!!!!

Not Supplied — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:14:48 -0800

What is the highest ever jump done from standing? And how do people train to jump extremely high in martial arts and other jumping disciplines?

Does Brazilian jiu jitsu give as good a workout as muay thai

helios410 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:31:21 -0800

Martial arts filter: Over the course of eight months, muay thai, along with eating right made a phenomenal change for my body. In your experience has Brazilian jiu jitsu, or any grappling-based martial arts done the same? I ask bc I want to learn to grapple. My only hang up is if I have to get a gym membership to stay in shape, it's not worth it for me. BJJ looks physically taxing, but I wonder whether it builds muscle, and induces a cardio workout like muay thai does. Any thoughts? please share.

Good Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Schools in Austin?

pakoothefakoo — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:22:36 -0800

I just moved to Austin from New York, and I have been training at Renzo's fabled school for two years. I would like to continue training here and I've done a cursory google search for schools here, but I wanted to see if any Mefis here train in Austin, and if so, what was/is your experience?

Also are there any good Jiu Jitsu clubs here?

Limber me up, Scotty!

losvedir — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:55:26 -0800

Yoga, martial arts, gymnastics, parkour, something else?! I'm looking to get more flexible, strong, healthy, and to have fun. What are the long term consequences of any of these activities (studies, anecdotes, etc)? Which should I do? (Bonus points if in Boston, but not necessary) I'm especially interested in any peer-reviewed studies people have. Does, say, gymnastics make you more flexible and therefore less likely to get injured, or does it put stress on your joints and make you more likely to get injured? Sure, intuitively it may seem like being flexible is healthy, but is this born out in study?

Anecdotes work, too. Tell me about your preferred activity, what its benefits are, how it has improved your life, etc.

I live in Boston, so if anyone can point to a bus/T accessible place, that'd be super cool, too.

Martial Arts for Outsiders

stonepharisee — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:02:31 -0800

I'd like to watch some classy martial arts bouts. Recommendations? I've looked through past posts on martial arts. Didn't find any that could yield the right video links or technical jargon that would allow me, an outsider, to look at a variety of martial arts. Ideally, I'd like to sample the best of many, visually, so I can start to see what they have in common, how that is all continuous with yoga, and such. But plenty of punching and slapping is fine too. So share your insider knowledge, please!

Energy Follows Attention?

jimmyjimjim — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:29:19 -0800

Is there anything in western psychology shedding light on the martial arts truism that energy follows attention? Martial artists (and also eastern doctors) say that "energy follows attention". That is, by focusing your attention, you are also focusing your energy. The more focused you are, the more vital energy is applied via that focus. Concentration, in a sense, IS energy.

My question is: Is this just a trippy Eastern thing, or is there anything similar in western psychology? I'd imagine, for instance, that it may have been verified that obsessive thinking mis-applies energy that would otherwise be used in day-to-day living. It takes energy, after all, to maintain very tightly focused behavior. Delusions are surely exhausting!

Sorry this is a little murky...it's fuzzy trying to translate between eastern and western paradigms. I'm hoping that someone with a background in western psych might cough up a few leads I could follow which resonate somehow with the eastern way of understanding focus and energy.

Q: What's a pig's favorite Karate move?

onhazier — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:23:47 -0800

Can you recommend a great martial arts instructor for my 7yr old in the Northern Virginia area? My 7yr old really wants to start learning martial arts. He has ADHD and his therapist recommends this as well. We're in Northern Virginia and I'd love to find an instructor who is great with elementary age kids. I'm interested in an instructor who will allow participation in weekend only classes because our schedules prevent after school activities.

Thanks for your help.

A: The Pork Chop.

Tai Chi in zero-g?

nímwunnan — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:42:04 -0800

Would Tai Chi work in outer space? Not that I really expect anyone to have any experience doing Tai Chi in zero-g (but if any forum had that person, it'd be MeFi), but I'm really curious. Tai Chi uses gravity or weight as a motive force so much that I'm really hard-pressed to imagine how it would work without gravity. I can imagine Tai Chi principles while fighting in zero-g, but not the form by itself. I do Chen Man Ching style, btw.

Madison martial arts? Bikes? Other recs?

Vibrissa — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:10:32 -0800

Madison folks: I'm moving to Madison soonish, and I'm looking for recommendations. Specifically, I'm interested in finding out about good martial arts schools and beginner-friendly bike shops, though any other recs would certainly be welcome (I know there was a similar thread before, but it's three years old and doesn't address martial arts or bikes much).

Boot to the head . . . in Spanish

Joleta — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:41:37 -0800

Looking for an English-Spanish martial arts glossary. I can't seem to find an online English-Spanish martial arts glossary or dictionary. Mr. Joleta has several Spanish-speaking students in his taekwondo class and would like to communicate better with them. Does anyone know of an online list (or a book he could buy) that will help specifically with common terms used in the martial arts? He'd like to be able to say things like "Move your left foot forward" as well as have translations for kick, punch, front, side, roll, various parts of the body, etc. He doesn't need to say things like "front snap kick" in Spanish, though, as there are already a perfectly good Korean terms that everyone learns regardless of their native language.

I ain't puttin no wax on and I sure as hell ain't takin' no wax off.

longbaugh — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:49:44 -0800

Experienced in Martial Arts? I am looking to begin training Krav Maga/KAPAP (with some BJJ thrown in) and some Kali/Escrima (with some JKD thrown in) in the very near future and was wondering if our resident Mefite Artists had any positive/negative experiences with any of them. I've done some looking into the instructors themselves and checked the paper trails to ensure it's no mcdojo and in turn I have checked their teacher's credentials. The JKD/Kali/Escrima/FMA goes via Inosanto so no problems there - the KAPAP is via Major (Res) Avi Nardia and David Arama. The BJJ is via Royce Gracie and there is also some generic Muay Thai & boxing et al in the mix.

I've trained some in the past but not such a diverse bunch of styles. This is primarily for fitness and not for self-defence (I try not to hang out in places where I'd need to use skills such as these). I am not interested in competition fighting either. I am looking for effectiveness however. Even if I've no intention of using anything I think it's important that if you're going to train you do it right, otherwise I'd just do some Tae Bo...

If you've any experience with any of the above in any circumstance then please throw in your tuppence (that's 2c to you colonials) and let me know.

TIA

Can martial arts really teach me to fall safely?

Kat Allison — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:59:15 -0800

Can martial arts practice really help one overcome the instinct to break a fall by putting out one's hand? And if so, what form of martial arts teaches this most effectively? A year ago I slipped on ice, put out my hand to break my fall, and broke my wrist. Last week I tripped and fell, did the same damn thing, but this time was on soft turf instead of pavement, and thus I only sprained my wrist. In each case, I knew perfectly well that one ought not to break a fall by landing on one's hand, but that awareness was not enough to override instinct.

Several people have told me I should practice some form of martial arts to learn to fall safely, so that it becomes second nature. I am interested in pursuing this, but am wondering if it is really possible to get safe-falling habits so deeply ingrained that they would kick in wholly out of the context of martial-arts practice (e.g., while strolling down the sidewalk, preoccupied, listening to headphones, and WHAMMO hitting a patch of ice).

If I were to pursue this, any recommendations as to which type would be most effective? (Judo, jiu-jitsu, aikido have been most frequently mentioned.) Note: I am very aware that there are many other things to be gained from martial arts practice, and many pros/cons to each form, but right now I'm curious about this specific aspect.

Can't remember a movie!

Ikazuchi — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 16:57:42 -0800

Gah... I was just asked. There's a martial arts movie where one of the characters blocks a punch from an attacker and then walks his hands up the opponent's arm and body locking him in place (using pressure points). I can vaguely see the scenes (I'm pretty sure it happens more than once), but neither I nor my friends can remember the movie. Help me hive mind, you're my only help.

Most respected martial arts masters in the US/Canada today?

It ain't over yet — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:55:14 -0800

Most respected martial arts masters in the US/Canada today? I'm particularly interested in 1st generation masters who brought their knowledge with them from China, Japan, Taiwan, etc. Ie, I'm more interested in pre-eminent masters with strong links to and commitment to the propagation of tradition/culture/knowledge than just a list of the most effective fighters. All suggestions most welcome.

Fun places/ways to get a workout in NYC?

toomuchkatherine — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:25:27 -0800

I'm a young woman in New York City, looking for a way to get in shape. (I'm not grossly out of shape now, but a year at a sedentary office job has taken a toll.) Running got boring. I've done the gym thing before and it's fine, but I'd like to find something new to get into: yoga, a martial art, a form of dance, kick-boxing. I'm open. I'd like to find a good place (a really homey yoga or martial arts studio, for example), in lower Manhattan (within the ambit of Union Square would be great) or possibly Williamsburg. Any suggestions on activities and/or places?

Seeking information about self defense course(s) and related activites/classes.

iamkimiam — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:03:32 -0800

I am interested in self-defense classes. There are lots of methods and places to do this. The options are a little overwhelming and I know very little about the topic. Can somebody break it down and make some suggestions and/or recommendations that might be best suited for me? Based on the following (below), what would be a well-rounded type of self defense that might be most effective for confidence-building, safety, and exercise?

• I am a 5' tall, physically active, late 20s female
• I have lots of free time (could attend one class, or a series, but don't know what the difference is between a single session or an intensive course)
• I live in Oakland and can travel
• Would be interested to martial arts (there's so many kinds!) and/or other forms of activity
• Classes that allow me the opportunity to meet other women and/or men in the area would be great too

Any other info and ideas welcome. Thanks!

Looking for martial arts school in New Orleans

lawhound — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:16:22 -0800

Looking for martial arts school in the New Orleans area Can anyone recommend a martial arts school in the metro New Orleans area? Jefferson Parish is preferable, but Orleans is OK.

I am looking to start learning a martial art to get some exercise, while having fun and learning something new. I used to be quite active, but have gotten way too sedentary and out of shape and the thought of going back to a gym workout or running is just not appealing.

I am leaning toward either taekwando or karate, but have not definitely limited myself to those, and would welcome recommendations on other forms. I'm looking for a good school, not a McDojo-type place, that would welcome a 40 year old adult beginner.

Any suggestions?

I need a new martial art!

FritoKAL — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 22:14:03 -0800

I need a new martial art. Help? Not a new place to go, but a new art to take. Only, I'm a wee bit picky, so there's more to it then just trying out any old thing. A little over three years ago I started taking Tae Kwon Do at a dojang in Burke, VA. It closed, and while I did a month at another place, I never really went back.

Now I've moved to San Diego, CA, and I and my fiance are poking around trying to find a new place to train.

Finding a place is not really the problem. The problem is finding a martial art that meets the following requirements.

1. NOT KRAV MAGA. I put this in allcaps because the last three times I've asked a question like this, people have suggeted Krav at me. Krav is not a martial art, it's a fighting and self-defense style, and it has a brutality to it that I am not interested in. I have seen classes, I have talked to several people who've taken it, it's incompatible with me.

2. No jumping about. No jump kicks, no handstands, no wacky aerial anything. I am a ground based mammal, and both of my feet do not leave the ground at the same time if I can help it. Jumping jacks and suchlike to warm up are fine, but jump kicks are just not gonna happen.

3. It -must- have a sparring component. There are personal and emotional reasons that I need to make myself face that sort of thing once in a while and -not- having sparring is a total deal breaker. By sparring I mean 'punching and kicking." with rules for safety. Sports scoring and points are not really imporant.

4. It should have a kata/form/routine based component. Please don't try to tell me that they don't teach you anything or are useless. If I wanted totally practical, I'd go take Krav Maga. I like forms/kata because they are fun and semi-decent cardio.

--

Other then these four things, I am open to suggestions. I'm also utterly clueless about what's out there -really-. Wikipedia doesn't help much, and most of my friends are either taking Krav, or judo or TKD, all three of which are eliminated above. Item #4 has some flexibility to it - I won't die without forms, but I'd rather do them then not.

I'm not looking for a martial art to be able to fight/be Bruce-ette Lee, defend myself against any and all circumstances. I'm looking for exercise in a group setting in a goal-oriented structure that lets me face some very personal and ugly demons in a way that I already know works.

How can I be a silent (and compact) ninja?

ajp — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:31:10 -0800

Having recently moved to a small flat with little outside space, my free-standing kick-boxing bag is of no use. Even if I had room to hurl myself at it, I'd annoy the neighbours. What sort of equipment can I use to practice Thai boxing and grappling at home? I'm surrounded by neighbours on 5 of 6 sides, and the 5th wall has precious little space for mounted equipment because there are windows in the walls. Anything I get will either need to be relatively unobtrusive, or easily stowed away. So far I'm thinking of investing in:

1. Grapple dummy.
2. One of those flat, wall-mounted sandbags for punching.
3. Elastic-mounted speed-ball for speed punching.

Does anyone have any experience of purchasing or using these things? Are those wall-mounted sandbags really bad for joints?

One real problem is how can I practice kicks? I'd prefer something that can take a good solid impact.

Any other suggestions? I have plenty of other kit (skipping rope, gloves, weights, Thai pads etc) and I do get to train in a gym, but I'm specifically interested in training I can do by myself, in my own lounge. I can mount things on one wall, possibly, but I really need to insulate whatever I'm using so the sound won't travel. I think a grapple man on a thick wrestling mat might be the best I can hope for. Shame I can't punch it without the lights falling out of the ceiling in the flat below.

Any creative suggestions most welcome :-)