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Martial Arts for a Barbelithinian

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11:48 / 14.05.04

That's rotation, not working the joint sideways.

14:38 / 14.05.04

Yes, I was only pointing out that there is more to the knees movement than flexion and extension (two-way joint). I don't see where I or anyone else was referring to strict lateral movement.
Hey, along the lines of excersises that could help bad knees, and have good martial skills transfer, what do you think of pistols?

20:48 / 17.05.04

Jesus, that looks brutal.

23:10 / 17.05.04

Some of the more recommended teachers in my area are for Taijiquan, Baji (which looks fascinating), and Wing Tsun style kung fu.

Of the above I'd say Taijiquan, but only if it's Chen style. Chen Taiji features slow graceful movements, fast explosive movements, jumps, kicks, and bitchin' poses all around. Highly visually impressive, at least when done well. The system also contains a larger than average number of different weapon forms (straight sword, broadsword, staff, spear, kuan dao, etc.). Other styles of taiji (such as Yang, Wu, Hao or Sun) are fine on their own terms, but tend to focus more strictly on the slow graceful stuff and rarely teach weapons other than straight sword, and so might not be quite what you're looking for based on the criteria you specified.

That said, if anyone in your area is teaching Northern Shaolin or some variant thereof, I'd recommend checking that out. Acrobatic forms, lots of fun weapon work, pretty much everything you listed in your initial post, while still also being reasonably applicable in terms of actual fighting.

23:31 / 17.05.04

Oh, yes, this reminds me. I was wondering about martial arts the other day - can anyone reccomend any that are completely non-spiritual. The way I see it: learning to fight and all the spiritual stuff are completely seperate. If I was to learn some kind of martial art, it would be for the skills and not the associated spirituality or religious elements.

The predominance (or lack thereof) of the spiritual angle depends entirely on the teacher. Aikido is the only style I know of that pretty much invariably contains an overt spiritual teaching along with the art itself, but that's kind of a unique case, as the founder of the style was in fact a spiritual teacher. Otherwise, schools tend to run the gamut, whatever the reputation of any particular style. For instance, I'm presently a member of a taiji school in which spiritual material isn't part of the curriculum at all, despite taiji having a reputation as a "spiritual" art. OTOH, years ago I was briefly a member of a Taekwondo school (TKD generally having a more macho, sport-oriented rep), the teacher of which was quite overbearing in his attempts to get his students onto his particular spiritual trip.

So I'd say, find a style you want to learn, then find a teacher of that style who teaches it in a way (non-spiritual) you're comfortable with.

Ex

19:25 / 08.09.04

Reviving this thread to ask about a class available at the cheap student gym I may join: Kali Stick.
I'm feckless, sedentary and will only be inspired to regular excercise if I can pretend to be Buffy using an umbrella. I care little for the spiritual aspects but buns of steel would not be unpleasant.
Anyone know anything about the relative merits of the Stick?

22:34 / 08.09.04

Baugua will give you 'buns o steel'. Mine are aching as I type, lol!

07:57 / 09.09.04

I know painfully little about it, I'm afraid, but you should defintely talk to Gypsy Lantern as I had an email from him this very morning, discussing the same thing. He's got someone who's going to run him through the basics in his quest to be a stickfighting ninja.

From what I know of it, it's Filipino, and there's a knife fighting art that's often taught alongside it. I'm not clear on the difference between Kali and Escrima, another Filipino art. It's rated as a very practical art, unlike a lot of the more showy stuff in MA - which kind of means it defintely works, because if it didn't it's original practioners would be dead, but this depends on the teacher. I doubt yours is going to attempt to teach you 15 ways to kill a man with your chopsticks but if he does, it's a bonus.

Bob Breen, who teaches in Hoxton Square, is nationally rated. If your teacher is affilated with his gym, you're onto a winner. Even better if he's a little Flipino guy who's been practising since he was two.

This is an extract from Bob Breen's website

What is Kali?

Kali is the ancient martial arts of the Philippines, dating to before the Majaphait empire which dominated South East Asia during the 5th and 6th centuries. Kali has many similarities with other Malay martial arts: notably Silat and Kuntao. Kali development in the Philippines was influenced by the conquest of the Spanish who prohibited the carrying of weapons. This in turn led to the development of the stick fighting element where the bladed arts were trained in secret, using the stick and where possible the blade.

Though known as a stick fighting art, Kali has a very highly developed empty hand system which is one of the eight subsystems taught at the Bob Breen Academy. This empty hand system (often called Pangamut) has a unique boxing/kickboxing system. This is like boxing, with all the dirty tricks still in. It includes limb immobilisation and body manipulation and unique hand skills, making it a highly effective combat art.

I totally think you should go for it. Buns of steel will be yours!

08:33 / 09.09.04

Yeah, I think Escrima, Kali and Arnis are all very closely related, if not different names for the same art. They involve stick fighting, double sticks, knife fighting, stick and knife, and open hand. (I believe "Arnis" is the indigenous martial arts of Arnos Grove). As Illmatic says, I plan on picking up a couple of Escrima sticks this weekend as I have a freind staying who says he can run me through the basic forms, strikes and blocks. I'll probably see how I go with it, and if it suits me check out Bob Breen's classes.

I think the Filipino arts are loosely related to Silat, the indigenous matial arts of Indonesia and Malaysia, which I used to train in a few years back. I can't really do a lot of that these days because of my hip problem. Have been doing a bit of Tai Chi for the last year or so, mostly for the health benefits, but I'm looking for something that will provide effective realistic self-defence without aggravating my condition.

I asked the opinion of my visiting friend, who does mixed martial arts and has just returned from training with the top Brazilian Jui-Jitsu guys in LA, and his perspective was quite interesting. He reckons that if my hips are a problem, I'm at a serious disadvantage, so my best option for self-defence might be to learn Escrima and carry a walking stick. Which is absolutely ridiculous and would have me wandering about London like a cross between John Steed and a droog. But honestly, who in their right mind doesnt want that?

Ex

09:29 / 09.09.04

Ta, Illmatic. It sounds interesting, and I think I will give it a bash. I hope sticks are provided - I only really have a kohl stick, some cocktail sticks, and a french stick.
And Gypsy Lantern - get the stick. Sticks look so splendid that it is pretentious for anyone that doesn't need one to use one - so everyone who has the slightest excuse should splash out on a silver-top malacca.

09:35 / 09.09.04

Agreed about the stick, you need to get one Gypsy - I can see you travelling your London Zatoichi style sorting out evil doers..

Stick fighting sounds mighty interesting actually, I think it fits in with my sword obsession and ever since Ill showed me some moves with a cane from a bin I've been interested.

09:38 / 09.09.04

I don't know if it really counts as a martial art but I start a fencing course today which I am looking forward to immensely. This of course opens up the carrying of a sword stick, which is obviously the coolest way to get arrested for carrying a concealed weapon.

10:09 / 09.09.04

I hope sticks are provided

The class will probably supply the sticks, but apparently you can get Escrima sticks from martial arts supply shops for about £8 each, and its worth having them so you can practice your forms outside class.

This of course opens up the carrying of a sword stick, which is obviously the coolest way to get arrested for carrying a concealed weapon.

Don't think I havent been considering the possibilities of having a walking stick with a sword in it, or a secret button that makes a blade come out of one end. My friend was enthusiastically telling me about an advert he saw in a martial arts magazine for a video about applying Escrima stick fighting (usually done with a smaller 32" inch stick) to a walking stick. Tecniques for using the handle to hook people, trip them up, pull them onto a punch, and various Charlie Chaplin/Jackie Chan style walking stick maneouvres.

This has to be done, doesnt it...

11:09 / 09.09.04

Bonus points for warbling "Singing in the Rain" while tolchocking some grazhny bratchny in the gulliver, my starry droogs...

10:22 / 10.09.04

Good article on Escrima/Kali here:

http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Modules/Modules/escrima/eskrima.htm

22:32 / 10.09.04

IIRC Bob Breen has had a double hip replacement - ergo sypmatico no problemo. Arnis + Escrima according to rumour (only ever done kali m'self) are more weapony only, Kali, mor silat'y empty hany. y.

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