martial arts and confidence

[jipped genes]

My Son and I have been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for almost 4 years now and Muay Thai Boxing for a year and a half.

my Son told me yesterday as he was describing his day at school about a boy who picks on lots of smaller kids everyday in gym. I asked him if he ever picked on him. My Son said he left him alone (my Son is tall and skinny like me)

All i can say is perhaps it is the confidence my Boy has gained from the knowledge that even if a guy is bigger, he has the ability to put a guy down with a leg kick, or at worst break a guys arm or choke them unconscious.

the kid is a great student, rarely gets in trouble (he has gotten slips for talking in class a couple times, big deal) and is very respectful to his peers and adults

as for myself, i know i walk with confidence. a real fighter would bust me up but an average joe at the bar i feel i could eliminate most threats quickly and easily.

in summation i must highly recommend martial arts for your kids and yourselves for both self confidence, respect and they are a damn good workout. (and its fun too!)

Can you tell I am proud of my Son?

[tn94z]

Re: martial arts and confidence

That's great man! I agree with you on martial arts as well.

[mtnmedic]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Im with you on martial and children jipped, we have some of the most humble and mature kids in our dojo. at least when I see how they are in class. ya know when I think about it or bring it up it's hard for me to hold back as my eyes well up,..that martial arts are the greatest thing I have gotten involved in. I've been in kempo way longer then what I spent in bulls#it high school for cryin' out loud. I mean I could go broke and be homeless,..but I'll still have my kempo. I dont shy away from anything much anymore because I know in my heart that I will come out on top,...one way or another im gonna snap something, leave a scar, or take an eye, even if I slipped up and you wind up kickin my a$$. but with that aside I feel good about myself, im not afraid to jus go up and talk to someone I feel good knowing that I can do things most guys my age cant. martial arts ? geez, where do ya start ? but hey, great job jipped ! you have one hell of a son to be proud of,..and probally less worries. lol

[tn94z]

Re: martial arts and confidence

What age did you start, if you don't mind me asking Jipped? Mtnmedic also?

[ketsugo]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Im not in agreement that its so simple. Sometimes its false confidence or arrogance that seems more prominent. Im 45 and have practiced daily since the age of five. I teach undergroubnd schools, Ive gained ranking in several different schools. Many of the mainstream schools are built upon false confidence and myth. Too many people dont understand anything due to the hysteria displayed by whats been popular on TV. I consider the sport martial arts which pretty much sums up everything most people know ie tae kwon do, Brazilian jujitsu , judo , karate - develop fasle confidence and promote many falshoods that I have spent a lifetime trying to resolve, but popular opinion and pop culture is just too powerful. The whole idea of the dan ranking system ie: colored belts is the worst thing I have ever seen. To call a sport of MMA self defense or thinking that That martial art that was taught to the brazilians in the school of judo referred to as jujutsu- goes up my you know what sideways. I think initially karate and judo actually were developed for children- to develop the power of mental focus, self discipline, balance and many physical attributes to later use inlife is good. I have spent hours and hours of my daily life in study and teaching so I never have had time for a family or children- I guess if I did- personally I would never have him join karate or kenpo or tae kwon do- too many bad habits I see. Now as far as fighting and self defense- If I had a kid Id go to a boxing school or if they had a Muy Thai place in my neighborhood Id send them there. To learn how to hit hard, be hit how to move your body. Too much emphasis is spent on crap inthe other schools. I guess even though I do have rank in BJJ - because I belive there is a place in a fighting mans repitiore contrary to ignorant opinion - BJJ is judo it is a sport not for self defense and not fighting- I could write a novel of how many bad habits you develop- However in sport fighting BJJ is the best- the most skilled fighters come out of a BJJ school. I think for a brief period even the armed forces fell into the trap that BJJ wuold suffice on the battlefield until too many got killed by terrorists becuase - of how stupid going to the ground is during life or death. I teach combat soldiers and civilians and police officers. BJJ will definately teach you how the body works- but really I guess it depends why you train. Im also an avid bodybuilder so I have no need to do calistenics or stretch in class- thats a waste of my money and time. I do not care about rules of a sport or winning trophy so I dont practice all the popular things anymore. Just remember NOTHING on TV works in real life EVER- the ring is not the street or the battlefield. Gangsta punks do not fight fair or use rules. On the battlefield or street you could have a number of lethal sharp debris to fall on get thrwon at you and you die if you stay on the ground. Most useful schools for combat are dead even in Asia they are hard to find- kids over there want to be american and americans here love trashy useless martial arts. Honestly it just annoys and upsets me to discuss it because so many people even 20 year karate men have no idea what combat is. Just find out why you train - reserach the history of the country it stems from. For sport - Muy Thai, judo BJJ and boxing. To learn how to move and hit Boxing , Muy Thai, to get flexible get in shape tae kwon do , karate etc EVERYTHING in the yellow pages. If you just want to become more flexible and exersice take wushu. You want to learn a practical form of chinese boxing take a southern style of kung fu such as wing chun. You want to learn to save your life in any situation - look for an underground kali or silat school. If you can find a REAL jujutsu school like one steeped in the koryu bujutsu means of thinking look hard- To me jujutsu is a method to cripple and kill the enemy- there are no holds in jujutsu - they only occur in the dojo- Holds are judo. Chokes are holds , self defense is snapping the neck. Those of you who think thats too harsh- pray that you never face life or death. Ya know I read wiepedia for all the bullshit fallacies as well. All my teachers and I we laugh at all the ignorance. If anyone really and truly wants to ever learn how to really protect themself- let me know I have connections around the globe and will help you find a place near you.

[jipped genes]

Re: martial arts and confidence

What age did you start, if you don't mind me asking Jipped? Mtnmedic also?

i was 38 when i started jujutsu, 39 she i started BJJ and 40 for Thai boxing. i am almost 42 now. i did some kick boxing with a club for a few years but there was no formal teaching. also did karate for a year when i was a kid.

i threw it all out the window when i started Muay Thai.

ketsugo i agree with many of your points. for pure self defense i would recommend krav maga or KFM. (i did 6 months in KFM, its pretty fun and real world as it gets)

[tn94z]

Re: martial arts and confidence

i was 38 when i started jujutsu, 39 she i started BJJ and 40 for Thai boxing. i am almost 42 now. i did some kick boxing with a club for a few years but there was no formal teaching. also did karate for a year when i was a kid.

i threw it all out the window when i started Muay Thai.

ketsugo i agree with many of your points. for pure self defense i would recommend krav maga or KFM. (i did 6 months in KFM, its pretty fun and real world as it gets)

Thanks. I am about to be 33 and I am ready to get back into some form of martial arts within the next year. I would like to at least continue on with my BJJ training, but I am not sure if those guys are still around. We will see...

[ketsugo]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Krav Magda would be a good choice if self defense is what you are looking for- TN- see if you have any of those near you. Again- where you go depends on what you want out of it. jipped did some karate and kick boxing now even though I would say go there- you CAN develop a good foundation and get in shape, just remember that all the movements are geared toward the rules in the sporting arena and if they teach kids - belive me they dont teach real survival. CHildren should focus on skill and attributes- thats where Muy Thai in my opinion is a great choice as long as they are supervised they can practice safely. All the crap about character development - that is just a bunch of hog wash. The parents and homelife and church do that. Karate will make some waek people strong develop discipline to exercise and improve fitness and flexiblilty.Yes many try to say they do it for self defense- but even the founders of various karate do dojos wanted to develop a way to practice and emulate the arts of war and removed many concepts and principles that are dangerous to practice. I mean I dont teach childern because they dont understand that when I show them how quickly and easily you can snap a human neck- it takes a few minutes its so stupid- but a child can not understand the responsibilty that comes with that. Hey even some adults dont LOL. Holds, chokes people think that is self defense NO WAY- what is different in reality and in the sport- is # rules, # time. A choke or a hold takes time. SOmething you dont have when your life is in danger. Quick kills, using momentum leverage , blades - perfecting your ability to perfom them without thought yet measure if its needed in a second - through two man drills to develop coordination, timing distancing. Powe and streghtn or even endurance are not the focus. LIVING to see the next day

[mtnmedic]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Wow thats alot said my friend. Im fourty-four years old now and for awhile I've been looking into the different styles of martial arts, and I'll agree with you,..on some. back when I was a kid we didn't have the plethera of schools to chose from, karate, taekwondo and judo was pretty much it. when I got sick and tired of getting my a$$ kicked most everyday my dad got me in a karate class at the Y, we were poor okay ? anyway in those short coupla months I learned some things,..good things that worked for me on the street that I didn't know I had. we moved alot so after that I was done. yes I wanted something better, not just some "oriental ballet". I liked american kenpo karate because it was,..how should I say, to the point and leathal. I used to drive by this school everyday and think hey that could be cool, but then I thought do I wanna spend all this time learning flying kicks and acrobatics ? now cause thats not what I would even think about doing on the street! I have been involved in American Shao-lin Kempo for allmost six years, I will be testing for my green with stripe on the fifth. our system involves the five animal styles, tiger, leopard, snake, crane and dragon. Power under control,.and it's by no means soft, we have people in my class from all walks of life and different abilities that DRAMATICLY improved themselves with the warm ups and stretching and confidence they drew from themselves. belt system? it's just for holding up your pants and shows where you are, by no means to blow sunshine up you a$$. We work hard and earn them; not like in some schools where you're a black belt in two years, nor do we have black belt children, I mean c'mon. I learn how to snap limbs and break necks in a zillion different ways on my feet or on my back plus knife and club defence, some weapons but in a combat way, no fancy flying around stuff and forms. now hey it's kung fu so yes some of it does have some style and finesse, and yes I do ask myself would I use this or that on the street? Most of it yes and some of it no, only because I haven't mastered the move. and we are taught that, thats why we dont go thinking we're all that and that if it works on tv it will work for me? I believe we have a complete no bulls#it system that works,..thats why im still and will forever be apart of it. I believe it's what you get/make out of it that makes it work for you the individual, like for instance Royce Gracie,..you had all these guys....karate, boxing, greco roman whatever,..he smoked'em all like a cheap cigar! Those guys where blown away with that s#it because he had a style he belived in and was damn good at it! I dont know what else to say, I just dont think there is a superior style, that would be kinda shallow. do you think a twenty somethin year old kid who's been doing MMA or Muy Thai for a coupla years is gonna just smoke some "old judo or Karate guy" ? thats the kind of thinking thats gonna put you up in a hospital or dead. Now hey, I used to think is some fancy flyin' taekwondo guy gonna save his a$$ on the street with that kinda stuff ? I dunno cause I have seen some guys that can kick your head off like a flash of lightning before you can pull a shoot for a take down.... and thats bad. Just like everyone on here isn't a bodybuilder but we all are individuals that get something out of this web site that make us better than who we were before and damn good at it no matter what path we're on. Im not in no way trying to bring up an arguement my friend, I just kinda wanted to make a point by speaking for all of us who might have the difference of opinion.

[mtnmedic]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Sounds silly but all that is really bugging me now. I mean you have way more experience in this than I do and I cant believe,...you say it doesn't develop character and that karate and kung fu is just a martial art ? Taekwondo was taught to dismount soldiers on horseback, Kung Fu was taught to weak a$$ed peasants to take on armor clad invaders of their temples. Bruce Lee started Judo then Wing Chun,..put together all the best from what he learned and came up with Jeet-Kune Do, a mixed martial art. "How am I supposed to protect myself by washing and waxing cars and all this other "lame s#it" Mr. Miyagi ? ok it's just tv but thats what its about, the individual. Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Boxing,..it's all good. Bro, and I am damn proud to tell everybody, I learned WAY more from my teachers and classmates than I ever did from some highschool or church, and besides that my parents were working all the time. so maby what works in your opinion and belief ain't the same for Jipped and his son or tn94z. again bro, im really not trying to be a pri(k im just having a hard time understanding a man like you with so many years experience and a teacher has that kind of opinion.

[ketsugo]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Sounds silly but all that is really bugging me now. I mean you have way more experience in this than I do and I cant believe,...you say it doesn't develop character and that karate and kung fu is just a martial art ? Taekwondo was taught to dismount soldiers on horseback, Kung Fu was taught to weak a$$ed peasants to take on armor clad invaders of their temples. Bruce Lee started Judo then Wing Chun,..put together all the best from what he learned and came up with Jeet-Kune Do, a mixed martial art. "How am I supposed to protect myself by washing and waxing cars and all this other "lame s#it" Mr. Miyagi ? ok it's just tv but thats what its about, the individual. Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Boxing,..it's all good. Bro, and I am damn proud to tell everybody, I learned WAY more from my teachers and classmates than I ever did from some highschool or church, and besides that my parents were working all the time. so maby what works in your opinion and belief ain't the same for Jipped and his son or tn94z. again bro, im really not trying to be a pri(k im just having a hard time understanding a man like you with so many years experience and a teacher has that kind of opinion.

LOL you are not a prick, just have been told too many myths. Every single story you just detailed is absolutely not true- In my 40 years of practice your story of tae kwon do , kung fu and Bruce lee with respect gave me a chuckle cuz I NEVER ever heard those LOL. Bruce Lee had no influence whatsoever on the development of judo or wing chun. He studied wing chun but never finished his training- Yip man ended up hating him and never taught him the whole system. You need to read history, military history, biography - stayaway from holywood LOL. Im only interested in fact- Ive studied deeply for 40 years. Taught civilians, soldiers, police- my experience is inthe interactions of 1000s of people . Im only interested in facts. Not myths or theory. Its not my opinions but ther laws of physics and science- Also my whole speil here was not to put down what anyone does, but they need to understand what they are looking for. I have no wife no kids- I have spent my entire life in study. i KNOW WHAT IS MYTH. If others want my advice to help them decide- I only open their eyes to facts which one member you mentioned has allowed me to do so. Im here to help you as well. Whats right for one person isnt right for all. Do you have any idea how many so called experts and masters I know personally and have met over 20 years. Or that I do know what its like to be in a war (desert storm). Im happy to answer any questions you have so just ask, please dont try to assume you understand what I know when you really can not. The martial arts are shrouded in myths. The commercialization of it has ruined the integrity of them. People lie and are greedy. Not sure where you got your facts but they are not even close to being true- even simple research could verify that. Even a source like wikepedia can be inaccurate because any of us can add info. Any way I like this discussion please tell me what you are asking or separate the questions as Id love to add this to our forum.

[ketsugo]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Again my opinion is based on facts and science, not myth. Where did yo hear that Bruce lee created judo?? LOL Jigoro kano created judo 100 years ago by a sythesis of several staryles of jujustu. Jutsu is a suffix that connotates war. His intention and dream was to create a safe way of expressing the concepts and principles of jujutsu but he purposely removed all the lethal methods of joint and bone breaking etc. He wanted this to become a curriculum in elementary schools. He also because he wanted kids to engage in a sport and be evenly matched by skill level- he invented the Dan ranking system- ie"white belt through BLACK" lol Maybe 50 years later Bruce may have played judo cuz he enjoyed learning different martial arts. His dojo was the famous kodokan- the birthplace of judo and his now famous student who has schools all over brazil- the gracies. So yes they play judo but call it jujitsu

[ketsugo]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Another point I just want to make- It is because of my vast experience that I make a point or opinion like you say. If I were to say introduce you to the 50 or so soke's and masters that im well aquainted with they would tell you the very same things. It is the downfall of integrity that has led to the false hysteria that even you have bought into. An artform or art is good, but I was talking of combat- many things have been created to conceal secrets, make money. Some people want to exercise or get colored belts to help themselves feel better. It all a bunch of notions created to keep students and make money. It never has in reality taken 20 years to master any type of fighting. The reasons you give of tae kwon do- it is called the national sport of korea- maybe some one found themselves to be more flexible, hence enabling them to mount a horse- but it is a sport. Those schools are notorioue for breeding false confidence, arrogence- and a negative competative spirit- which actually goes against everything karate supposedely stood for. You conquor yourself. Competition breeds obsession. Kung Fu /wushu is an art form- if you have done any reserach at all- and me, myresearch isnt just reading- it has been doing. Ive practices close to 100 styles for 40 years. My life has always been 5-12 hours of daily practice- thats a long story too if you need to hear it LOL. Most chinese schools emphasize forms. Only certain southern styles emphasize fighting or defense- wing chun you mentioned is one that does emphasize fighting- they depending on whether you follow the Yip man line with 3 forms only or the Ku lao village style of only one form- they use two man drills that utilize reaction, sensitivity to learn how to fight. You learn science. One thing you hear alot is people trying to say- I dont want to use others techniques"- now that makes no sense- all arts that use forms ,kata or technique you have to use the movements of other people. Thats unnatural. The laws of nature state you will always follow what you are naturally wanting to do- therefore you need to practice a method of cultivating skills using concepts and principles that hone your own natural way of moving. You may learn to use a tan sau or arm block in wing chun but through the movements of dynamic sensitivity drills you will learn how to use it in your own way without thinking. Pretty much all mainstream martial arts are taught in a way that goes against the laws of natural selection, thats why they dont work. Not my opinion, its just a fact that warriors have proven over and over again. The fairy tales and myths you speak of are just ways of drawing naive americans to pay them money to come here and spread the culture through their art. You read the military history books or some of the scrolls in japan at a library- its all there. So let me say to you that I offer my friendship to you in order to help you seek the truth yourself -email, pm Im here - so Im not trying to be a prick but I know my words are based in fact from my life long devotion- In real life Im actually sort of boring as this topic is all I know and love. You have been mislead , I say this respectfully- if you wish to allow me to guide you to find what you are looking for in your area - I would love the honor of helping you

[mtnmedic]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Ya know I really appreciate that, really. besides the thread topic, it's refreshing to have a good conversation with someone,..online at that. I like you. but hey, what I said was Bruce Lee "studied judo & wing chun" not developed it. you're right it's true about the corporate side of the martial arts community, good example,..my school. we used to be a part of a franchise one of six or so schools, our master an 8th degree who trained under Master Valari ? see, it seems impolite to ask all that so im not sure. but anyway I've seen myself how he marketed himself, like the money was important. the prices of belt tests, the prices to enter tournements, the clinics, and even DVD's of those. no cam corders allowed to these ! so my sensi has his own school now for that reason, we dont have any of that anymore. and you know that really bummed me out to see all that, I really wanted to be a part of something, something that not really a whole lotta peple have..not just another guy paying for paying for a vacation or whatever. I dont really see that with my teacher or I'd probally just quit,...I learned not to trust too many people as I grew older. hell everyone on here knows of all the BS i've been through with folks.lol but yeah, I trust him because he seems to be a for real guy. he makes damn sure we got it before we move on, and really gives a s#it about people. everything IS "just about the money" and it's sad to see all that. thats why my mother, kempo, the woods, my friends on here are very important to me,..and cold beer ! anyway I better get outta here I have to run errands while I can,..it's friday ! So hey, im glad to have met you and to have had the privilage of the conversation. also, thank you for serving our country,..I mean that..allways have met really cool folks on here. well I will for sure keep in touch my friend, I would really like to learn more.
Enjoy the weekend
Mike

[ketsugo]

Re: martial arts and confidence

Hey Bro- you are not alone- I may share how my current studies of aikijutsu, silat, kali arnis, koryu bujutsu and what not- Even many of the arts I critisize for certain reasons- I too studied them- so I may talk of Kenpo or Tae Kwon Do - I hold high rank in both, I have my black belt in BJJ- I may say I feel its a form of judo not out of disrespect, even though yes I may sound that way on the surface, I just know where it comes from and what it is. I think people spend alot of money , especially parents with their kids- I try to direct them to find what ever they want out of each school. I belong to many associations because of my past, I have friends that have moved to various states and open schools there. I think everyone has a different reason for training, but every school has its purpose- but theres no magic solution. Until Monday Bro.........