The Martial Arts Thread

Hey folks,

This thread is to share experiences around martial arts.

I have started well over 2 decades ago and hold 2nd degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. I love it, despite all the critics from the "you'll never be able to apply it for self defense"-guys. The only reason I did not go further with grading is a lack of training due to living abroad and sometimes remotely. But the same circumstances had me venture into Goju Ryu, Shito Ryu, Taekwondo, Judo, Kickboxing - and one of the best experiences yet, American Kenpo Karate, which is full contact. I remember walking out of a class being afraid of my own roundhouse kick, which I never had thought would be so strong. At the moment I practice irregularly in a club, and irregularly in parks mainly advanced Kata. Yes people stare, but that's live if you don't want to loose it.

Who has Makiwaras on their homestead?
Who has punching balls, wooden dummies, gripping jars?
Who trains in the woods?
Anybody with a Dojo in the backyard?

Would love to hear your experiences.

We signed our son up for taekwondo when he started kindergarten. He did it for two years and ended with a brown belt. He is stupidly good at almost everything and puts almost no effort in. He just remembers what he sees almost exactly so he'd watch the master do the moves and get it pretty much perfect. He never liked it though. We were all doing jui jitsu as a family for awhile. Son didn't like it either and the fight got to be too much for me so we just stopped going.

We did buy some gym mats we use at home to practice on occasion.

Part of the reason we signed him up is that he's a brown kid in an ultra white area. We wanted him to be able to protect himself if he needs to. He's 10 now, growing with him from kinder has seemed to blind the other kids to his skin color. Has made him super memorable though. People yell his name constantly and he claims to not know most of them. It's just easy to remember the only brown kids name I guess. lol  

You should see him in archery, which he wanted to do and also doesn't like. Drives the teachers nuts. They go to instruct him because he's putting no effort in, he does everything perfect and gets a bullseye and they just walk away. He's frustrating.

I would like to get back into it. Gotta be able to take care of yourself. The thing is I am hurting all over and suddenly very injury prone. Also busy, haha. However, I am very interested in following this thread. Inspire me!

Dan Fish wrote:I would like to get back into it. Gotta be able to take care of yourself. The thing is I am hurting all over and suddenly very injury prone. Also busy, haha. However, I am very interested in following this thread. Inspire me!

Hi Dan, you might find the following information useful. Both pain and injury can occur due to a lack of strength. Injury happens simply when the forces exerted upon your body exceed the forces of your body, and the antidote to this is strength, logically.
One of the best reads: Body by Science, by Doug McGuff. Search his talks on Youtube, e.g. during the 21Conventions.
Specific scientific advice: baye.com

Thanks! Yes, that is definitely the case. I have been getting hurt over and over for a few years and the resulting downtime has made me weak and therefor more injury prone. It's a vicious cycle, as they say. Knock on wood, it seems to be turning a corner for the better...