Bark'n

I don't do any type of martial arts. I use SCARS training.

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-Bark'n
Semper Fi

"The gun is the great equalizer... For it is the gun, that allows the meek to repel the monsters; Whom are bigger, stronger and without conscience, will prey on those of us who without one, would surely perish."

surefire7

Sorry you haven't experienced real TKD. Olympic-style TKD won't help you on the street. The TKD masters I know can handle themselves on the street. TKD isn't "flashy". One punch-one kick kill is ITF-USTF motto.

BuckeyeEric

I dont believe in MA....Im this guy:
YouTube - Raiders of the Lost Ark - Why Guns Are Better Than Swords

Phoebe

I just started Krav Maga. I took some karate as a young teen, but barely remember anything other than thinking it was worthless.

KM has no rules. So for those who mentioned not training dirty moves because you can't use them in competition, you might want to look at KM instead. It's not competition oriented. It's purely defense oriented.

My school teaches armed and empty hand skills. It is also an over-the-top intense workout.

My mom was interested in it, but she's in her late 60's. I'm afraid 30 seconds of KM warmup would kill her, let alone a full class.

I have wondered whether KM becomes useless with age.

That said, I'm female, with poor upper body strength, a crappy shoulder, and I still feel confident that KM will get me some good skills in armed and empty hand fighting, within 6 months.

In one class, I'd say my fight skills already improved 1000%, but that's not saying much.

I have signed up for a year contract. I plan to do fof fighting within 3 months of 3x/week training. We'll see if I attain that goal (and see whether I go back a 2nd time after a real fight.)

I picked KM because
- it is purely focused on SD with no focus on competition
- no rules - groin, eye gouging, and many other dirty fight techniques are trained and encouraged
- no philosophy other than NEVER QUIT
- training includes defending against weapons and also focuses on things like improving SA
- women are trained in it in Israel

Random

I assume that's directed at me. I don't doubt what you're saying, but I certainly haven't seen it. Wouldn't mind, though!

Paco

There is a difference between *** (Olympic style) and ITF (hard style sport). TKD is still a sport more than a defensive martial art, depending on the instructor.

My instructors are both former Army, Infantry and a Nurse, so they compliment each other well. This helps as they are also married to each other. They learned from an instructor who mixed TKD and Kenpo, which they also teach. They are now Krav students and will begin to incorporate that when they reach a certain level and are proficient enough to teach it.

I have been told by the Sr. instructor that he has made it a point to not go to ATA since that is only a certification fee regulated and not so much skill related. Our instructors also tell us which moves, forms, etc are for the sport and which can be used for self defense. For example he has flat out said the palm press block has no real life application but done right looks cool in a form.

As others have said, a school that teaches more than one discipline is better, I also like to add if they have any real fighting experience (where life was on the line like LEO or Military) it will only add to the lessons.

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"Don't hit at all if you can help it; don't hit a man if you can possibly avoid it; but if you do hit him, put him to sleep." - Theodore Roosevelt

If you are not willing to stand behind our Troops, feel free to stand in front of them!

-Paco

mercop

Since this is primarily a firearms forum I would like to know what other martial artists do to blend their pistol skills into their overall skill set?- George

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2010 MCS Calander
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgb7wjh3_299f8tncbcz

psychophipps

I'm pretty much the opposite as I have pretty limited firearms training. I'm slowly blending my firearm into the other stuff that I have learned over the years.

fwellers

I took a year of private lessons Jeet Kune Do. It's really an excellent fighting system that combines elements of many other styles. My instructor was trained by a person who was trained by Bruce Lee. He is really quite good.
Me on the other hand am not so good. Very slow learner when it comes to fighting.
I did improve my confidence a lot during that year, and I think I have the basics of a fight down.
Most fights can be won in this style using a simple technique of deflection,forward pressure, the finish !
Deflection can be anything from an eye gouge, to a kick in the shin, to a feign movement.
Forward pressure is mostly just what it says. Punch straight and continuously leaving no time for recovery between strikes.
The End, is when you have the head/neck area in your hands and the opponent is yours at that point, as long as you continue to inflict damage without letting up.

It's a very direct and efficient fighting style, but like all of them, you only get out what you put in. If you don't continually practice and keep the skillset up, you lose it.
At least I learned the basics, like how to breathe while sparring, how to stay loose, how to block with my elbows and knees, and as I said, confidence.

I took 3 months of defensive Tai Chi last year before I stopped going. Now that' s a cool fighting style/art. It takes a lot of patience, dedication and a lifetime to master, but I believe if mastered it is one of the best. I am much more taken with the internal martial arts for long term study/practice.

Peace,
Floyd

Hopyard

Great question and interesting. To my mind the big issue in blending martial arts and pistol skills is that the former requires closing with the opponent and the latter requires making space--blending I suppose would also include somehow pulling off a belly shot while closely engaged.

I don't think the instruction I have had so far is geared toward blending the two as the MA world seems like it is populated by folks with a very different viewpoint from us pistoleros, and lots of the MA instructors are not gun people at all.

Anyway, you are correct that we should be thinking about and learning about blending the two in a seamless fashion which allows for deliberate deescalation or escalation of the violence as the situation unfolds.