help a newbie !!

[Mr_Slaughter]

hey guys im new here and im just starting to get interested in martial arts but i was just wondering what a good martial art would be to start in.

i'm 16, 5'10 about 150 pounds and i work out regularly. Basically i have absolutelly NO experience whatsoever but i am willing to learn



also, ive noticed that this board revolves totally around bjj and whatnot but i was just wondering how this compares to regular jiu-jitsu since there is a really good traditional jiu-jitsu school about 15 min away from me.

[FUH-Q]

depends on what ur looking for. traditional jiu-jitsu offers more spiritual or mental expieriance, whereas BJJ is a more effective in a fight.

if your looking for the best arts as far as what works, train either BJJ or muay thai (both if possible) and you should be good to go.

if your more interested in traditional martial arts you can find tons of different karate dojos in your area; however dont expect much self defense value from these, they offer a different expierance.

[Mr_Slaughter]

ok thats cool so basically karate and stuff like that wont really help you in a real self-defence situation right?

does traditional jiu-jitsu fall into the non-effective category aswell and is it completelly different from bjj?

thanks a lot for answering my questions, u guys have no idea how much i respect your oppinions

[Mr_Slaughter]

oh yeah, i forgot to ask you guys what you think of senshido, any comments would be very apreciated

[ryanhall]

Senshido--awesome. Some of the best at what they do. Can't recommend highly enough.

[Gom]

Please don't assume because it's 'Traditional' Jujitsu that it's wrapped up in msyticism and everyone trains 90% of the time to culitivate chi and mystical energies.

Mr Slaughter you say the Jujitsu school near you is good. What are you basing it on?

Try it out for a while. Go for a few months if you think it's worth your while. Only be prepared to go for 3 months and be critical of things like the way it's taught, what you learn, how you can apply what you learn to other situations. If you like what you've learnt then you can stay longer, if you aren't enjoying it then you can leave and you'll leave with a few skills. Likewise if you don't feel what you are learning is in line with your goals.

[Mr_Slaughter]

im basing the fact that its a "good" jiu-jitsu school because my cousin attended it for over a year and he had nothing but good things to say, outside of that though i dont really know much else,
i'm now considering going into senshido since its been brought to my attention that there is a kick-ass school really near to me


thanks to everyone who replied your oppinions are invaluable to me.

[greyfox13]

if your more interested in traditional martial arts you can find tons of different karate dojos in your area; however dont expect much self defense value from these, they offer a different expierance.

ya?

[Thai Bri]

Thank you for the well structured argument.

[Great Sage]

Originally posted by FUH-Q
depends on what ur looking for. traditional jiu-jitsu offers more spiritual or mental expieriance, whereas BJJ is a more effective in a fight.

I don't agree with this statement for obvious reasons... TJJ, although a more spiritual MA focuses on more ranges of theoritical combat. Whereas, BJJ is primarily a "combat sport." One can argue for both cases, but if you were to actually engage in a fight, the best bet would be to understand different ranges of fighting, while staying on your feet.

It's true that BJJ is a highly effective MA once you drag someone down, but coming from a self-defense point of view, that's not advisable for many reasons that I've mentioned too many times. Rather, most BJJ gyms train for the sporting aspect of MA because the idea of BJJ fits nicely into the idea of one-against-one.

Originally posted by FUH-Q
if your looking for the best arts as far as what works, train either BJJ or muay thai (both if possible) and you should be good to go.

Correction... If you want to really get fit, join BJJ and Muay Thai. They both stress strength and conditioning. Not to mention, they're not too bad in the "kicking ass" department.

Originally posted by FUH-Q
if your more interested in traditional martial arts you can find tons of different karate dojos in your area; however dont expect much self defense value from these, they offer a different expierance.

Finally, an idea we can both agree on... Kudos to FUH-Q!

[BadgerFu57]

Traditional Jiu-Jitsu can be awesome. Brazilian is a good sport, but it's mostly a sport these days.

I watched Rorion Gracie on TV last night and he said (paraphrase) "the first thing is to close distance, then take him to the ground." That works in sport competition. In self-defense, it makes more sense to throw him to the ground using a judo/TJJ throw then run away. BJJ does have throws but most schools don't really teach them.

Try Traditional out for a while, then you can always switch. Be on the lookout for lengthy contracts!

[Mr_Slaughter]

hey guys thanks a lot for all your replies, i think i have a preety clear sense of where to go from here

the only thing that could pottentially change my mind from going into jj is going into senshido (i live in montreal and have easy access to the "senshido HQ") anyways, for those of you who are informed on senshido. i was just wondering if this MA is suitable for a begginner such as myself because i dont really feel like going in there and getting my ass kicked. and it seems to me like the major focus of this MA is to place you in dangerous situations and see if you come out alive

although i think all that is a great preparation for a streetfight im just not really to exited about not having any experience and i dont want to dive head first into something like this especially not knowing really what to expect.

[gregimotis]

Originally posted by Mr_Slaughter
it seems to me like the major focus of this MA is to place you in dangerous situations and see if you come out alive

I don't know about senshido, or the gym in question, but in general, my advice is to not worry about getting thrown into a shark tank.

A lot of things in martial arts look more dangerous than they actually are. In the context of training, this only makes sense - if students are continually getting injured, then no one can train.

In Muay Thai, for instance, we spend a lot of time sparring, but very little time (like 0.1%) sparring full power. Which is not to say we don't spar fast, we have just learned how to keep the power out of the techniques. I'm sure you will find this to be true in any reputable school and any style.

Actually, the problem in many schools is just the opposite one... they don't train hard enough for students to get comfortable with the stress of full contact fighting.

[Szczepankiewicz]

Aye laddie,

I'm sure YOU have no problem keeping power out of your strikes...

[gregimotis]

Harken, thou plaything of Beelzebub, for you will be thrown into a den of hyperactive lions (er...sheep)!



Do not force me to continue my powerful taunts!