Martial Arts Options

Okay, this is deliberately placed in this section even though it doesn't fit entirely.

So I've decided to take up a martial art. #1 on my list is capoeira, #2 is krav maga, #3 is kung fu. However, it struck me that since many martial arts involve psionics, some of the people on this forum might practice a martial art and have some suggestions. So my question for those of you who take martial arts; what martial art would you recommend and why?

Okay, this is deliberately placed in this section even though it doesn't fit entirely.

So I've decided to take up a martial art. #1 on my list is capoeira, #2 is krav maga, #3 is kung fu. However, it struck me that since many martial arts involve psionics, some of the people on this forum might practice a martial art and have some suggestions. So my question for those of you who take martial arts; what martial art would you recommend and why?

I don't personally take martial arts, but I would say that the most 'psionically' based martial art that I've heard of is probably 'ba gua', but I've heard it takes a lot of training to be master effectively, and slow to learn, unlike some other more combat oriented martial arts.

"Kung fu" is a very broad term. Look up 'external' or 'internal' Chinese martial art to tell the difference.

This post has been edited by termsof: Jun 13 2010, 06:00 PM

I don't personally take martial arts, but I would say that the most 'psionically' based martial art that I've heard of is probably 'ba gua'

Ba gua is a taoist philosophy based on the elements... I'm confused.

Bagua is a soft martial art, akin to Taiji chuan. It is very effective, but hard to find. I do Taiji and Wing Chun Kungfu, but that is in part because I managed to find good teachers in these arts. Neither of the martial arts you were interested in are popular. Finding a good teacher is actually more important than the particular style.

If you are interested in the energy work aspects (Qigong, Kiko, etc) then the soft martial arts would be your best bet. Qigong, Kiko, energy work, whatever you want to call it is the 'psionic' aspect that you are referring to. It is part of most martial arts, but in soft martial arts such as Xing Yi, Ba Gua, Taiji, and Aikido it is much more emphasized. In the hard martial arts it is taught near the end of the training if at all, while in the soft styles it is taught from the very beginning.

Bagua perhaps takes a bit longer to be combat ready than in Tae Kwon Do, for instance, but not that much longer. It is also generally more effective and comprehensive. But the effectiveness of the martial artist depends less on the particular style than on the individual's athletic ability, the amount of work they put into learning to perform the skills, conditioning and courage. As one of my teachers used to say there are only so many ways to throw a punch or block a kick. I would suggest that you ask for recommendations, talk to potential teachers (no matter the style), and ask them such things as how long they have been practicing, how long have they been teaching, do they include internal work (Qigong, Kiko), and try to get a feel for the potential teacher. Do you think they would be inspiring to you? Do they seem knowledgeable, ethical, hard working, easy to get along with? What do you want out of it? Does the teacher seem to be training the students to become competitors, MMA fighters, street fighters? How does this fit into what you want? Schools often are focused on turning out competitive MAs (martial arts as a sport), street fighters (self defense), or hobbyists (exercise, a way of getting an evening away from the wife).

What aspects of Kung Fu are you looking into? What do you want from it?

The more 'badass' or 'awesome' or 'cool' the art usually, is the far more rigid, brutal, cold, the teachers will be. From personal experience, they will treat you like crap (with good reason), scream at you, and continue to berate you until you get something right. This is all in their nature, given the art their teaching sets perfection as the baseline, but be prepared for the fact they think that 'the nail that sticks up must be pounded down.'

hehe, reminds me of a karate teacher I had as a child, he'd whack you with a stick on whatever body part you were not moving correctly. he was kinda like Mr Miyagi's grouchy humorless twin.

I've heard some people express feeling appalled that he'd actually hit students with a stick like some crazy old nun with a ruler. But it was actually a very effective training method IMO.

Anyway, the "internal" martial arts from china (those dealing extensively with energy and spirituality as a foundation) are collectively known as 'neijia'. Well sort of... neijia is a bit 'china-centric' and tends to exclude 'internal' martial arts which are foreign in origin. Still, it's a useful search term for tracking down some of the many 'internal' martial art forms.

Myself, I like the internal arts in general, and kung fu in general (I prefer a style based on fluidly conserving and redirecting momentum, as apposed to a striking style, I find this tends to blend very seamlessly into the internal and energy arts as well).

Actor Yang Sze/Bolo Yeung (The buff guy from Enter the Dragon) took on his own training routine of Tai-chi and weightlifting. Supposedly, the weight training gives him the hard-training, while Tai-chi gives him the energy and spirit from the soft training for balance.

I am thinking of starting that same routine.

The idea of having the spiritual and energetic advantage of Tai-Chi in a built, trained body is a little... hyperbolic, but still nothing short of a "Superman" effect.

Okay, this is deliberately placed in this section even though it doesn't fit entirely.

So I've decided to take up a martial art. #1 on my list is capoeira, #2 is krav maga, #3 is kung fu. However, it struck me that since many martial arts involve psionics, some of the people on this forum might practice a martial art and have some suggestions. So my question for those of you who take martial arts; what martial art would you recommend and why?

So I settled on Karate and thought I would threadnap this for an alternate purpose - recycle this post instead of starting another.

Anybody have any tips????

MOVE YOUR HIPS. MOVE THAT TRUNK.

The quicker you pivot the hips, the quicker you kick and recover.

LIFT THOSE KNEES! Don't limit your kick height!!

PROTIP: In the pivot of a fist from tucked to extended, wait until the final fourth of the punch's trajectory before twisting the fist to palm-over position. The speed of the pivot adds kinetic energy to the impact, therefore increasing force. Maximum effect from the twist at the last moment, because all the force is concentrated in a smaller increment in time, therefore increasing power following the principle Power=work/time (P=▲W/▲T).

This post has been edited by Xenomancer: Aug 24 2010, 09:58 PM

If you look at Goibniu's post again it's a great contemplation. Only advice is to practice correctly, if you've found a teacher you can relate to well and the art seems suited to you, then invest in some private lessons, or if broke ask as many questions as possible, the point being, get as much technique as you can as quickly as you can so you're practice time becomes as worthwhile as possible.

Remember, all martial arts should, if properly trained in 'occult' manner will return to soft, even if it's up to you to finish that aspect of your training. Don't let that thought stop you from learning the 'hard' way, hmmm... lol.

This post has been edited by Bb3: Sep 4 2010, 03:45 AM