Isshinryu, was it a waste of my time?

[SLK.fidget]

hi all i am new here this is my first post but i have been lurking around for about a week now checkin out the threads and what not.

so just to get straight into, i know a lot of you hate karate and thinks is worthless, but plz try to put that aside to help answer my question.

i studied Isshinryu karate for about 4 and a half years, got my black belt in it, and enjoyed it for a while, but just didnt think that it was my style, i beleive everybody has a style that works for them best or that really calls out to them, and Isshinryu wasnt it. So i was wondering did i waste my time studing Isshinryu, is it viable in any sense, and yes i know a lot of people say karate sucks compared to muay thai or mma, or bjj, and even if that is the case does Isshinryu rank high or low in the karate ranks, is it the worst or best or somewhere in the middle, what are everybody's views on it, and what styles would i be easily able to pick up do to my training in Isshinryu, besides the obvious Goju ryu and Shorin ryu, sense Isshin ryu is a combination of those two.

thanks in advance and plz no replies like there is no good karate, or it all sucks.

[Thai Bri]

You have a Black Belt in a Martial Art. That SHOULD mean that you could take on just about any untrained guy. Do you feel that you can? Deep down?

Experienced Thai Boxers do, same with experienced BJJers etc. Follow your instincts, not the teaching of those who make money.

[m.artist]

im training in kenpo karate so i can relate with u...there is no "superior" style...and anyone can beat anybody on anygiven day...so it just all depends on the skills u have and the confidence u have in those skills. and besides. now that u have a black belt, u can pretty much handle just about any training in a new martial art so go out and give it a try...try something new...that's good that u got ur belt....but nowadays one belt doesn't mean a whole lot...it doesn't mean u wasted ur time though...ur ages ahead of other people so ur on the path...just keep walking and u will get to where u need to be eventually

[Sasami2000]

I don't think you wasted your time. Every martial art has it's strengths and weaknesses. You just feel this art isn't right for you anymore, and that's normal. I have personally never done the style so I can't say my feelings towards it, but unless it never sparred and handed out black belts to 6 year olds it was probably a decent art. Most karate schools give you a good enough foundation to pursue any other martial art, so whatever you are interested in now, go do it. But in no way do I think you wasted your time.

As far as your comment on people who bash Karate; they're idiots. Ignore them. There are a lot of people on this forum and others who love to bash anything that isn't BJJ or MT, but I have this feeling that they are "keyboard warriors". A lot of these idiots claim Karate doesn't "work in the street" (and I doubt most of them have ever been in a real fight) but i've seen it work. I defended myself with Tae Kwon Do multiple times, and that's probably the weaker of all styles out there! I've also been in fights using Karate and Wing Chun, as well as waching fights where the stand up martial artist (Karate) won. There are a lot of bad schools out there (in every style) but that doesn't make the art bad. So don't mind the Karate bashers. (I do, however, believe grappling is something all martial artists should learn.)

Just take the goods from your style of Karate and find the style you'd feel more comfortable in, whether it is another traditional martial art, mixed martial art, grappling art, boxing, etc.

[m.artist]

I don't think you wasted your time. Every martial art has it's strengths and weaknesses. You just feel this art isn't right for you anymore, and that's normal. I have personally never done the style so I can't say my feelings towards it, but unless it never sparred and handed out black belts to 6 year olds it was probably a decent art. Most karate schools give you a good enough foundation to pursue any other martial art, so whatever you are interested in now, go do it. But in no way do I think you wasted your time.

As far as your comment on people who bash Karate; they're idiots. Ignore them. There are a lot of people on this forum and others who love to bash anything that isn't BJJ or MT, but I have this feeling that they are "keyboard warriors". A lot of these idiots claim Karate doesn't "work in the street" (and I doubt most of them have ever been in a real fight) but i've seen it work. I defended myself with Tae Kwon Do multiple times, and that's probably the weaker of all styles out there! I've also been in fights using Karate and Wing Chun, as well as waching fights where the stand up martial artist (Karate) won. There are a lot of bad schools out there (in every style) but that doesn't make the art bad. So don't mind the Karate bashers. (I do, however, believe grappling is something all martial artists should learn.)

Just take the goods from your style of Karate and find the style you'd feel more comfortable in, whether it is another traditional martial art, mixed martial art, grappling art, boxing, etc.

...that was....beautifully said

[brokenelbow]

Going with TB on this one. If you took something for 4 1/2 years got ranked in it you should know if you walked away with something. If not either the school sucked or you just went through the motions to get promoted.

[Sasami2000]

...that was....beautifully said

lol...umm thanks?

[m.artist]

all i was saying was that i agreed 100% of what u said...that's all lol

[SLK.fidget]

thanks a lot i really appreciate all the responses and the encouragement, and yes i do beleive i could probably take most untrained people, and at the very least if they did win, they would regret the night they decided to attack me and not the other guy, cuz i would put a hurtin on em, and they would probably make a pit stop the the hospital, and Sasami great words of wisdom.

[Uber_Tap]

I got my blackbelt in an Isshinryu derived style about 2 years ago, but stopped training in that style. I only train bjj now, but not because I've turned into one of the afore mentioned Karate haters that seem to frequent this site.

I train bjj because it fits my natural abilities better, but I don't think that I wasted my time by training in Karate. I've been in real street fights before(but to be honest, none since training in the martial arts) and I'm postive that at the very least the sense of timing you gain from karate training will make you a more effective fighter. Couple that with the fact that you've learned how to throw kicks and punches correctly, and you definitely have an advantage over the regular joe.

[Thai Bri]

As far as your comment on people who bash Karate; they're idiots. Ignore them. There are a lot of people on this forum and others who love to bash anything that isn't BJJ or MT, but I have this feeling that they are "keyboard warriors". A lot of these idiots claim Karate doesn't "work in the street" (and I doubt most of them have ever been in a real fight) but i've seen it work. I defended myself with Tae Kwon Do multiple times, and that's probably the weaker of all styles out there! I've also been in fights using Karate and Wing Chun, as well as waching fights where the stand up martial artist (Karate) won. There are a lot of bad schools out there (in every style) but that doesn't make the art bad. So don't mind the Karate bashers. (I do, however, believe grappling is something all martial artists should learn.)

You're lying. And I have been in a great many street fights, as well as being a student of Shukokai Karate for five years. I like to back my arguments up with the truth.

I won't bother repeating all the myriad of weaknesses in 99.9% of Karate practriced out there. You won't be experienced, clever or honest enough to appreciate it!

[Sasami2000]

[QUOTE=Thai Bri]You're lying. [QUOTE]


I'm lying? Umm, what are you talking about? What did I lie about? My opinion that karate bashers are idiots? My opinion that most forum geeks are "keyboard warriors"? That I've been in fights and seen fights? That there are a lot of bad schools out there? That grappling is something every martial artist should learn?

Personally, I don't know what you think I lied about, but if you're that dumb to assume that I'm lying simple because you don't believe something I said, then you are too stupid to even talk with. Please tell me, what did I "lie" about?

[Thai Bri]

This bit comes to mind - "I defended myself with Tae Kwon Do multiple times, and that's probably the weaker of all styles out there! I've also been in fights using Karate and Wing Chun".

Its just so implausible. What happens? You get attacked and say to yourself "I'm going to use just TKD now", and the next time "Lets make this interesting.... I'll mix my Karate and Wing Chun".

It has the ring of bullshit. Espousing TMAs to be good for real fighting was the thing that got my suspicions up of course!

[Sasami2000]

This bit comes to mind - "I defended myself with Tae Kwon Do multiple times, and that's probably the weaker of all styles out there! I've also been in fights using Karate and Wing Chun".

Its just so implausible. What happens? You get attacked and say to yourself "I'm going to use just TKD now", and the next time "Lets make this interesting.... I'll mix my Karate and Wing Chun".

It has the ring of bullshit. Espousing TMAs to be good for real fighting was the thing that got my suspicions up of course!

Ah, you just misunderstood me. In my youth I took Tae Kwon Do and had to use it to defend myself a couple times. I later quit Taekwondo and joined a Wing Chun class for awhile. I also started taking Karate, and essentially in my sparring just mixed some of the hand trapping with everything else. So the latter fights I was involved in were a mix of Wing Chun concepts with Karate, not that I just mentally picked with art I was going to use.

[Thai Bri]

Youre still a idiot.