Which martial art would you recommend...

[Cat]

I need to study something that will help me not feel so vulnerable on this madhouse of a planet we live on. I took 2 months of Aikido a very long time ago and I loved it--mostly becuase it focused on defense and the movement was so fluid and powerful at the same time. Now, I am of a different mind having more experience in life and believe something a bit more balanced in defense and offense is necessary. I have a problem, however--I have a bone disease that keeps me in a great deal of pain, so I can't fall or roll any more. I'm looking for something that will help me learn about my chi energy and how to contol/direct it as well as remove the feeling of total helplessness I often feel when confronted by bullies. So I guess I'm looking for mostly the psychological and spiritual side of an Art. I met a Kung Fu teacher here in the town I live in not long ago who was willing to train me in spite of my disability, but he moved and I haven't been able to find anyone since. (He had also trained a man with muscular distrophy--he simply took him as far as he was able to go with the Art of Kung Fu.) At the moment, all I have is David Carradine's Tai Chi tape, so I'm going to start with that until I can get an idea of what I need to train in. If anyone has any suggestions for me, please post them. I'll take links, book ideas, tape ideas, school ideas, etc. Thanks ahead of time for any help you can give me. -"Cat"

[atari]

Cat,

I think you have to be realistic here. You cannot handle bullies by just focussing on the spiritual side of things. I believe the spirit side of things come only after much hard physical work and sweat. I think Taiji is a good art for health as well as for fighting. However for the fighting part, you will have to sweat a lot and get physical. Afterall even Yang Lu Chan's (founder of Yang style taiji) sons got beaten up by him till they ran away before they were good in taiji fighting.

[Shaolin-Do]

Well...
A little more personal background would help...
How big are you?
How old?
What area do you live in? (cant give school suggestions without)

Are you looking for something that is more "immediately" effective?
As far as spiritual and martial arts go, Taiji, Hsing I, or Pa Kua would probably be your best bet... Its also hard to find legit taiji teachers that dont teach watered down crap.

[Yung Apprentice]

Any of the internal's would be good to work with. I would especially look into Hsing-Yi, or Bagua. Especially Hsing-Yi. Very strong, yet soft.

[EuropeanBoxer]

To hell with aikido. Wrist locks do not work. Try them against a guy that is resiting onehudred percent and it cant be done. So go with boxing. Boxing is teh way to go plus it is american!

[atari]

Can't disagree with European boxer. Boxing is one of the most effective thing to do when it comes to effective techniques and it will get you there fast. Because they actually fight from the word go.

Wrist locks are usually hard to perform without softening up striking techniques first. But for simplicity, in many cases, there is no need for wrist locks in the street. Not to say that they are totally ineffective in all cases.

Although given Cat's physical condition, consideration might be given to an activity which is not as physically demanding. Most taiji is like that but not fighting taiji. That is why Cat has to be realistic on what he wants to achieve. Nothing wrong in building up the health first and then involve in more physical and conatct oriented activity.

[Kristoffer]

Muay Thai

u need to know what pain feels like to be able to ignore it.

[HuangKaiVun]

Where do you live, Cat?

If you could give us an idea of your geographic location, we might be able to recommend a specific school to you.

[tedward]

If you liked aikido and want something more offensive - try jujitsu. Its the father of Aikido and is more offensive.

Re your disability I would just go around all the dojos (reguardless of stlye)talk to them about it and see whos atitude you like best.

Originally posted by Europeanboxer
To hell with aikido. Wrist locks do not work. Try them against a guy that is resiting onehudred percent and it cant be done.

Well your technique sucks then doesnt it - wrist locks work.

[wiz cool c]

Judo is great.

[JusticeZero]

Ugh. "Spirituality".
I go to my teacher not because he's a great spiritual leader but because he's a good teacher of martial arts.
All those supposed benefits of martial training on the spirituality? Don't go looking for them or you'll never find them. They come from the confidence of having been tested hard and pushed beyond what you thought possible, NOT from staring into your navel and chanting slogans.
Go to a school which focuses solely on the first - a boxing gym, for instance - and you will find people who have developed that confidence and inner strength.
Go to a studio that focuses on the latter - a new-agey, 'peaceful' fluffy cloud aikido temple of some sort, perhaps - and you will find passive-agressive lunatics who will backstab you to salvage their egoes or for fun while simultaneously whining about how your aura was disturbing theirs, or how they were doing it to protect some girl in the class, or whatever - anything to distance themself from the fact that they just acted like an immature, insecure !!!! and were solely responsible for some totally egotistical petty violence.

[Samurai Jack]

I'm sensing some past Aikido related emotional baggage emenating from your aura Justicezero. Perhaps my guru can re-align your heart chakra? Would you like to connect about it over hummus sandwiches and decaf?

May the force be with you!

[Yung Apprentice]

I'm not a chi hippy, but hummus is yummy.


As with any style, the style is only as good as it's instruction. Highly respected Hsing-Yi, has there MCkwoons, just as any other style. Akido is no different. There are good instructors out there, and bad ones, but don't be a fool thinking all will be the same way.

[tedward]

I agree with what you sai there JusticeZero

[TzuChan]

I wouldn't recommend a grappling sport, cause if you get in a street fight where you are grappling, you might as well shoot yourself, cause there's always multiple guys that will attack you. Judo is great in 1vs1 though.

I would recommend Taiji, since well .. I've tried an awfull load of martial arts, and this one has given me what I needed. I have to note though, there's a majority of BAD TJ instructors out there, they only teach the health part, which is NOt the art in it's fullest form. If you're lucky like me, you'll get to learn San Shou too. TJ is great, san shou is the coolest sport ever for me =) It's like Muah Tai without the fuss of beaten up shins after practice, since we wear protection =) I got kicked around a couple of times already, but I don't feel like pain is something you should practice every three days like they do with muah tai, that can only be bad news for your older self.