What to look for in a martial arts gym: >Physically conditioned, fit participants >Trainer with certified professional record and a training history with at least one athlete who competes successfully >Sparring, "aliveness" in training >At least one participant competes at amateur or professional level >Clean facility with mats that are frequently sanitized
What to be wary of: >Fat, physically subpar students >Graduation fees (e.g. "pay $200 and advance to next belt extra quick!") >No proven athletes training there >No sparring, moves shown are choreographed (e.g. "the attacker does this, then I do this, then you do this...") >Cult-like atmosphere >long mandatory contracts with hefty fees for breaking
I have done some Krav Maga, Boxing, BJJ and now Muay Thai. Muay Thai and boxing are what I have enjoyed the most by far and it keeps me the most fit so I am sticking with them. I sucked at BJJ and it was expensive as fuck. Boxing is cheap and I am getting so much fucking fitter and tougher from the training.
Obviously, apart from Muay Thai, a lot of traditional martial arts have been shown to be less than practical in competition (UFC and all that). I still sort of like the movement of arts like Wing Chun - it looks cool against the dummy even if a good boxer/MT fighter would knock them out quickly.
Would like to try a little bit of a TMA that looked cool just for the experience.
What sort of exercise equipment would you have in your ideal martial arts home gym? Obvious ones like a heavy bag, pull up bar, bench, kettlebells. Any rarer interesting ones? Indian clubs. Wing Chun dummy. Iranian shield of zoorkhaneh
>know this boomer >when he was a kid, he did combat sport martial arts like boxing and judo for a little while >in his teens/early 20s, he started doing traditional arts >he seems to have swallowed a lot of their mystical shit and refuses to question it >even though he didn't do any of them for particularly long, and he hasn't practiced at any actual place of training in about 40 years or more, he still thinks he's a legend >is overly critical and disrespectful of anything other than the arts he did when he was younger (seems like a common trait among traditional martial artists) >thinks he's a deadly weapon - tells people he can kill them with his thumb, that type of shit >one time we were discussing martial arts (his wish, not mine, obviously) >the subject of kicking range and people kicking mid-air comes up >he had done one of these arts that includes that shit >if he had just told me that he's trained to do jumping kicks/mid-air kicks, it would have been fine >instead he tells me, "i can fly" >"i can fly" What gets me is that this isn't even that unique. I've met a few boomers over the years who got swallowed up by the mysticism of traditional martial arts that were more popular between the 60s and the 80s. It's like they keep bragging to try and stay relevant in a world that's quickly forgetting about them and they refuse to join in. I realise it wouldn't be easy for them to spend years on this stuff, only to be confronted with the notion that maybe a lot of it wasn't what they were originally sold. But why do they do this? Despite what they say, they obviously care what other people think. Or they wouldn't spend so much time and energy arguing their point and bragging. Like the guy I know clearly wants to teach me, but they job he's done of presenting it has completely talked me out of it, and he can't figure out why. Even after I've told him. Has anyone else encountered this?
00
Anonymous07/20/25(Sun)09:10:38
I found out where my sister's rapist lives so this is my plan:
1)Dress up as a delivery man then knock on the door.
2)When he answers throw the fake package in his face then superman punch to blast double.
3)Kneebar both legs until the toes are touching the hip. Straight ankle lock both feet until the sole of the foot is touching the calf. Calf slice both legs until the heel is touching the butt. Inside and outside heel hook both feet 360°. Lateral kneebar both legs until the foot is touching the hip.
4)Kimura and americana both arms 360°. Wrist lock both wrists in multiple directions until the hand is being held on just by skin. Armbar both arms until the pinky is touching the rear delt. Bicep slice both arms until the forearm is floppy.
5)Banana split and suloev stretch both legs until I hear a rip. Twister both directions until I hear a crack. Jumping knee on belly until all ribs are broken. Sprinting soccer kicks until the balls are ruptured.
>>228606(OP) >What to be wary of >moves shown are choreographed (e.g. "the attacker does this, then I do this, then you do this...") Is this regarding choreographed drills that are thought of as set-in-stone, like "attacker does a jab, you parry, they they cross, you parry again and then return a cross - this will always work."...? Or is it even regarding variables / what-ifs, like "attacker jabs, you can do a/b/c, or if they jab/cross, you can do x/y/z"? I know sparring is a pressure test and sometimes the things you've learned can go out the window in the heat of the moment, but how the hell are you gonna get muscle memory (especially lower ranks) if you don't practice something a lot like a choreographed drill? I agree that you can't be thinking that drills need to be set-in-stone, there is a counter for everything. But sometimes it's good to keep a static drill set if you want to build muscle memory.
00
Anonymous09/18/25(Thu)05:42:24
>>242828 there's no such thing as muscle memory in an unstable system it's not like they keys of a piano that will always be in the same place and make the same sound each time, every moment in fighting is novel and dynamic with little predictability
the skill is in developing the ability to quickly attune to affordances and act upon them decisively
>>242829 Okay so how are the skills developed if the OP is saying to be wary of choreographed moves? Maybe it just needs to be worded better because it almost looks like that encompasses drill sets, or even kata. Maybe it needs to say "No sparring / choreographed sparring (e.g. "the attacker does this, then I do this, then you do this...")".
Regarding muscle memory, I understand what you mean for fine motor skill movements. For gross motor skill movements, muscle memory is basically another word for a knee-jerk reaction. The skill can be developed the same way as you said, but sometimes it's also about breaking bad habits.
00
Anonymous09/19/25(Fri)04:34:10
>>242852 Everything that can be done live needs to be done live as much as possible There's some required work around like hitting pads because you can't wallop a real person all the time, But tools like that should be used as sparingly as you can get away with
Get in there and just practice touching someone without getting touched or grabbing someone and knocking them over without getting knocked over The only way to get good at a thing is to do the thing
00
Anonymous09/19/25(Fri)05:20:12
>>242854 The only way? So are you saying you don't find value in drill sets? Genuinely interested.
00
Anonymous09/19/25(Fri)07:21:14
>>242855 You can practice specific skills but the result it what matters not how you get there So you create the scenario, start with someone hugging around your waist and the goal is break the grips and turn to face them Or start laying on the ground with someone standing over you, get back to your feet and don't let them touch your face or pin you
Just do it live, run the scenarios for real every time. There's no benefit in scripting it and practicing cooperatively because that's just one hypothetical reaction out of infinite things that could happen Your best use of time is getting used to all the chaotic variables so you can quickly adapt to the changing environment
00
Anonymous09/19/25(Fri)08:50:25
>>242858 >There's no benefit in scripting it and practicing cooperatively because that's just one hypothetical reaction out of infinite things that could happen I agree it's non-beneficial if that's all you do, and there is no progression to higher intensity, but not everyone can learn something new by constantly being thrown in the deep end. You can also fine tune the techniques if you slow it down, you can hammer it in by drilling it, and then definately test it live as you say. Hell, even test it with multiple attackers with plastic knives while protecting someone. Besides, the whole conversation is regarding what to be wary of when looking for a gym. If I was a beginner with zero experience or confidence and I joined a muay thai club, and they showed me all the techniques and then said to only practice during full on sparring, what do you think is going to happen? I get your point that you need to do real meaningful training, but it's a skill that needs to be developed safely over time and adjusted through experience.
00
Anonymous09/20/25(Sat)10:02:22
It's funny how after enjoying aikido for the large part of my adult life, brainlets and "MA-bros" everywhere tell me im a cult and that i am being "brainwashed" into thinking about how effective it would be in a "real fight" etc.
When all i wanna do is practice, get better, have fun, stay fit, become spiritually fulfilled and so much more. I've traveled in Japan training in various dojo's, I always meet the nicest people and i love my life. And i have a lot to thank aikido for. What are your thoughts on this? I share this with so many other aikidoka. The reason i write this is i wanna convey that people's reasons for training are varied. I hope i don't come across as condescending either, i respect other arts and i realize im not really "useful in a fight" which is how most people i practice with see it too. But why should we look down on ourselves? Aikido is a mirror sometimes. It detect your intent and if your intent is becoming a "fighting machine" you're gonna think it's stupid. I hope some of you understand what im trying to get at.
00
Anonymous10/06/25(Mon)20:10:14
>>242919 >When all i wanna do is practice, get better, have fun, stay fit You can do all of that better by doing crossfit or other group activities at some gym. Martial art, as in MARS (god of war) is about winning some fights. You love your life? Good. Carpenters does also. Now what if some thug wants to end the said life? That's what martial arts are for. The problem isn't you enjoying aikido but not understand what MA are for.
00
Anonymous10/06/25(Mon)21:12:58
>>228606(OP) The only gym that is cheap and easy to get to + has showers and lockers... Doesn't clean the mats. It offers judo and wrestling as well as bjj
I've spoken to a bjj black belt who said most places don't clean the mats
It's putting me off going again
00
Anonymous10/06/25(Mon)21:20:40
>>242919 I know an aikido guy and he is very agile, strong for his size and packs a good kick, he would destroy most people unless you're a genuine amatuer/ semi pro fighter. Your average hobbyist of the MMA approved arts he would make them earn the win. I've held the bag whilst hes kicked it and he will break your ribs one hit
>>242836 Went to a seminar with Leo Fong who said he was there to see it. Wong Jack Man started by trying to lay down ground rules. Bruce Lee says fuck the rules and starts wing chun chain punching down the middle. Wong Jack Man turns and runs while Bruce Lee is chasing him around the room in a circle, still chain punching in pursuit.
00
Anonymous10/09/25(Thu)21:44:10
>>242919 If all Aikido guys would talk like you nobody would complain. The problem is that most Aikido Guys are very vocal about how Aikido is the best and most effective martial Art and tend to sneer at most other arts while getting blown out of the water by most of them.
>>242836 >>244485 I've spent a lot of time looking into it on all sides of the story. Leo Fong was actually active on Facebook before passing away and posted a little about it. Here's a video of him talking about it, and then Fong himself posts in the video comments on Facebook (can't share the Facebook link here, for some reason): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Suxd-EWw4g8
So Leo Fong wasn't there to see it, he lived in Stockton at the time and couldn't come. James Lee and Bruce Lee just called him on the phone after. David Chin though, the guy with Wong's side who instigated the whole thing, basically confirms what Fong said. According to the book Striking Distance, David Chin said this: >"From there," explains Chin, "he said he gives up and we stopped the fight. The whole thing lasted... not more than seven minutes. >David Chin, very frank about the matter decades later, concedes, “I’ve always felt bad for Wong Jack Man, so I would tell people it was a draw.”
As you said, it was mostly just Wong running and Bruce chasing after him. At some point Wong fell backwards, Bruce gets on top of him (while tired out from chasing) and punches until Wong gives up and his people break it up. It was a sloppy affair all around, not much of a fight, but if you had to name a winner it'd be Bruce.
>>244609 There's a lot of BS around it, like stories about Wong demanding a rematch and Bruce refusing, but if you look into it that's not what happened. Wong had a story published in a newspaper called the Chinese Pacific Weekly giving his side and ended it with this: >"He says that in the future he will not argue his case again in the newspaper, and if he is made to fight again, he will instead hold a public exhibition so that everyone can see with their own eyes." Maybe that's an insinuation of being open to a rematch, but that's all. Bruce didn't respond, but if you look at the timeline Brandon Lee was born literally days after that article and shortly after that Bruce was moving forward with Hollywood and getting the Green Hornet role. There's no reason he would bother responding to Wong hinting (at most) at a rematch at that point in his life.
Honestly I don't care about Bruce Lee fight stories that much, he was a martial arts teacher and an actor, not someone with a fighting career. So they're fun trivia, but what he was doing as a teacher and actor is more interesting to me. Like his work with Joe Lewis is cooler to read about. They had a close relationship that became complicated and ended poorly (for personal reasons), but Bruce had a big impact on him and seems to have helped inspire him to start kickboxing as a sport in America.
Good interview that talks about their training together: https://www.backkicks.com/joe-lewis-candid-interview-1974/ The image comes from a separate interview found in Masters Magazine.
00
Anonymous10/13/25(Mon)22:38:39
>>244306 Offer to clean the matts. Obviously it depends on things like if you are still around when they finish for the day so they can close after a clean, and how big the floor and how much time you have after a session. But if it works out then it might only take 30 minutes to an hour max to do a simple vacuum and mop, and they might appreciate it enough that they offer a discount or free membership, or they help you a bit more than usual with certain things you're trying to learn. Just don't ask for anything in return. Doing things like this is how you get in the good books while solving your main problem. >inb4 its not muh job
what are your thoughts on the bujinkan? i know their schools usually just teach taijutsu and not ninjutsu, despite their marketing, but i thought it'd be nice to try out sometime, though i don't have any dojos nearby :/
00
Garrote11/03/25(Mon)01:54:44
Does kung fu ever have sparring?
00
Anonymous11/03/25(Mon)19:33:24
Recently started looking into martial arts. Around me there's a few options, listed here with the number of times I could make class: JKA Karate, twice a week, an hour each class BJJ Renzo Gracie lineage, Gi and Nogi two/three times a week, 45 minutes gi 45 minutes nogi offered each day for a total of 1.5 hours per day total Yoshinkan Aikido, three times a week, one hour each class What do y'all think I should opt for? I can only pick one.
>>246956 if they offer a free test class, then take it and see how it is; the hygiene, students, instructors. you know, the overall quality. and, of course, if you like it.
personally, i'd go with karate, but that's since i don't really like bjj and aikido is sort of a hit or miss with the quality of the dojo. but, as i said, try them out!
>>246965 I'm torn desu. I like the practicality of BJJ, how genuinely useful it seems, and I've done a few classes and had a good time. I've always wanted to do karate since I was a kid, but I'm put off by how inflexible I am. That being said, I have always been drawn to striking. Aikido looks cool as hell, looks like a blast to do, but everyone says it's functionally useless. So yeah, I'm torn.
Im extremely undecided on what martial art i want to begin with. Im most interested in wrestling but also open to judo, kickboxing, muay thai, and karate. When i look up schools and gyms that teach anything, i can never find anything that looks promising. I live near LAX practically. Ive spent the last 4 hours just looking around and I honestly dont know if what ive been looking at is even worth trying out.
Anyone around Socal that can give me some recommendations?
00
Anonymous11/04/25(Tue)15:00:28
>>246956 I think bjj is bad as a first martial art because you should learn first to fight standing and aikido is good only as complentary to grappling. So Karate if they do decent sparring.
00
Anonymous11/04/25(Tue)20:34:54
>>247011 Isn't grappling widely considered one of the more useful arts?
00
Anonymous11/04/25(Tue)21:49:51
>>247046 it's considered a good base because 9/10 you will get into a grappling situation if you did wrestling in high school or college though you're wasting your time taking bjj and most other grappling arts for that matter.
00
Anonymous11/04/25(Tue)23:01:57
As a 24 y/o with zero martial arts experience. Should I get into kickboxing or just boxing? Ive always wanted to get into boxing tbf.
00
Anonymous11/04/25(Tue)23:17:45
>Ive always wanted to get into boxing tbf Then do it. The most important thing too get good is not quitting and no one sane would say that boxing is a bad MA.
>>247067 >>247070 Alright im convinced. I found a gym that is near me, $24 per class or $125 a month. Out of all the martial arts schools/gyms ive looked at (BJJ, muay thai, and karate) this is the cheapest so far. my only concern with this place is the classes seem generalized since no reservations are required and theyre for all boxing and fitness levels, or maybe im just overthinking idk.
They say sparring is offered but you need a amateur license with USABoxing. Is this a meme?
00
Anonymous11/05/25(Wed)01:20:12
>>247071 Not a meme, they take amateur boxing very seriously.
00
Anonymous11/05/25(Wed)11:38:13
>>247046 Yes it is if it's wrestling or judo, bjj often neglects takedowns, which are more important to learn first.
00
Anonymous11/05/25(Wed)18:29:21
What's the least "martial" martial art while still possessing a lot of physicality and demanding a lot of athleticism? I don't care about fighting at all. But I'd like something more mindful and less of a grind than the gym or crossfit or something
>>247153 Kung fu and point karate/tkd. Any art that focuses on kata.
00
Anonymous11/08/25(Sat)04:20:09
When did punching bags skyrocket in price? I bought an 80lbs Everlast bag a decade ago for $40 on Amazon. Now they're minimum $100 for 60lbs.
00
Anonymous11/08/25(Sat)04:21:56
>>247472 Same way everything skyrocketed in price over the past few years. Inflation blows.
00
Anonymous11/09/25(Sun)00:02:06
I'm debating starting kendo. Looks like a good time, but also a few friends are giving me shit for it being unrealistic for fighting innastreetz. Do people think it's worth it? I just wanna whack people with bamboo swords and be a weeb.