Which martial art should I try?

Bri in Chi

Bri in Chi

Joined
May 28, 2003
Messages
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At the ripe old age of 64, I think it's about time that I should investigate an oriental martial art. Seems to go along with owning fine khukuris, dontcha think?.
I work out regularly with resistance machines, am somewhat strong and fit, don't smoke, and I feel the need to learn some new "moves." My health club offers tai chi classes, and perhaps others that I'm not aware of. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated and considered.
Muchas gracias cantinistas.
 
Take a look around and see what appeals to you. Find something that catches your imagination and makes you want to keep going back for more. Good people will let you have a try before committing to anything, (you dont find contracts in the UK, but I understand they are not uncommon in the US).

Do something you enjoy, not what someone else enjoys, or the latest 'uber' art being pushed by the hacks in the martial arts 'press'. Much that is written in such magazines is self serving and biased. The 'ultimate' martial art is the one that does it for you.

Last but not least, find an instructor and a group of people you enjoy being around.
 
Tai Chi is a Wonderful art if it's with a good teacher. It's part of a "family" of three internal arts of China, with Hsing-I and Ba-gua. These art's did not all come from the same parent system, but there are enough similarities in principles that they are grouped together. Any of the three give additional benefits on top of having martial applications: health and longevity benefits are associated with all three. They are easy on the joints, easy on the body, and effective. Hsing-I is the combat military art of the three, designed to take territory. Ba-Gua is an old bodyguard art, with some of it done while walking in a circle- it's savvy and I consider it a sly man's art. Tai Chi is Tai Chi, it's sometimes hard to make work if you don't have a background in other art's applications, from personal experience anyway. If it's done right, it's a great workout.

At 64, you don't need to go through what is designed in a lot of hard arts to wear the ego down in order to learn something, or put up with the physical abuse that can occur in others as a right of passage. I could be more politically correct, but that's just kind of the gist of a summary.

Some of these forumites, like Danny, may know of a Bujinkan school in your area that would probably also work well. I'm friends with some of their early day veterans, and get along well with them. If you can get someone from the 70's or very early 80's era, you'll probably get a really good version of what their art, closer to how it was originally designed.

You always have to go by your instinct and guts about a school and an instructor. There's good and bad eggs in ALL the styles. Visit a few and go with what you feel right with.

One very bad sign, if you ask an instructor about other arts, and they put down other schools and styles. It's been my experience over around 30 years or so, that they will probably not know a whole lot, and you will probably get other fun issues out of them if you stay and train long enough.

Hope this helps.

David
 
Taijiquan is great.

If you can find a qualified instructor.

Tai Chi as usually taught is a pale imitation of the martial art.

Taijiquan starts with empty-hand training,
but also includes saber & straight-sword training,
among others.

Taiji would be relatively easy to find.
And if properly taught is gentler on the body than
more common martial arts.

Here are two sites I know have proper info.
And they are a good place to start reading to get a feel for
what you should expect from a good teacher.

Master Chen Zhonghua
http://www.chenzhonghua.com/

Master Yaron Seidman
http://www.taijichinesemedicine.com/home.htm

And this is my school:
http://www.thomasacademy.com/index.html

Chen Style Xinyi Hunyuan Taijiquan :
http://www.chenzhonghua.com/Hunyuan/hunyuan_system.htm
 
Taichi (and various other spellings) translates to Grand Ultimate Fist. As an art, it was designed with combat in mind. Most of the forms are designed to teach one to focus chi and master concentration that will be necessary in combat.

It is an internal art meaning it does not require the "hard" physical strength that many other external arts do.

In the old days, practitioners of Taichi were the ones that took a beating early on, and when the masters were very old, they were feared and revered. The power of the art lies in the ability to summon chi, manipulate it on will, and use an opponent's energy against him.

Of the 3 internal arts (also Hsing-I--very linear, and Bagua--very circular), it is the most difficult to master, and is often believed to be the most powerful. Not to mention, all that mediation and concentration is good for your health--nice side effect.

Don't let the form fool you. Think about the practical applications of the movements. Many students do not spend enough time thinking of and working through the applications. You can spend a lifetime and more working through it.

There are also many different forms of Taichi, based on what family created it (Sun, Yang, Wu, etc.). They vary in how each form is approached. Odds are, the form you will study is often referred to as "The People's Form", which will probably be a derivative of the Yang system reduced to 24 movements. There is still plenty there to work with, but your instructor may not emphasize the "martial" side of the art in favor of the "health" side. In any event, it will be enough to work with and determine if it's for you or not.

--Rip
 
Although I do see some fighters in their late 40's on the lists every now and then. It's pretty bruising and abusive. I'll probably hafta bow out of the physical aspects of it soon, before I screw up a knee or something. I'll just go back to the E MAs I guess,,,that Bujinkan stuff got me interested...

Danny mentioned in another thread an older sensei in the Buj. that put out a vid.

64? Jeez Bri, I would a thought you were in your 50's when I met ye at the khon. You are quite fit and aging well!

Keith
 
some of the best teachers in the bujinkan, including the grandmaster, are much older than you at 64!
Give them a try.
I have to get to bed, but ill try to find a school for you this week if i can.
 
Brian in Chi said:
At the ripe old age of 64, I think it's about time that I should investigate an oriental martial art. Seems to go along with owning fine khukuris, dontcha think?.
I work out regularly with resistance machines, am somewhat strong and fit, don't smoke, and I feel the need to learn some new "moves." My health club offers tai chi classes, and perhaps others that I'm not aware of. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated and considered.
Muchas gracias cantinistas.
Click to expand...

Hard to beat Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (sometimes called Gracie Jiu Jitsu).

Don
 
My advice is Tai Chi - amazing martial art and good for a more mature person !!


:)
 
Like Ferrous, I'm surprised at your being 64...I was going to suggest that you simply sign up for a few of the local "Tough Man" contests Bri...

FWIW, Bri is the sort to fill the Monty Python character who gets an arm, then a leg, then all four limbs off and then dares you to come close enough so he can bite you to death...He's one of those quiet "little" guys that you just *know* would be a bulldog and that you'd have to kill in a fight...the guy simply wouldn't ever give up. Small in stature, a giant in constitution...
 
Don Nelson said:
Hard to beat Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (sometimes called Gracie Jiu Jitsu).

Don
Click to expand...

Unless you're dealing with multiple attackers ;) You don't want to go to the ground in a multi-person situation if you can avoid it.

--Rip
 
Wow, great minds think alike... and sometimes even I pick up the same wavelength. :) My wife and I have been thinking seriously about broadening our martial arts exposure. She's been teaching a small, relatively informal bujinkan group at a local university (that's how we met, actually... :) ). Unfortunately, with no high ranking students/assistan-instructors she's been getting somewhat burnt-out. I started training in Aikido in college, and so have an abiding interest in "soft-style" martial arts.

Taijiquan has been right at the top of our list of potential arts to investigate.

ddean: It sounds like you're quite experienced in that art. What specific things should we be looking for in a potential instructor to identify someone intimately familiar with the martial aspects of the art. Most of the people we've visited with strongly emphasize the healing/health aspects, and one woman actually became indignant when I asked about the martial side of tai chi. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
MK9
 
DannyinJapan,

Atlanta, while we finish grad school. Nice city and good friends, though we're looking toward the West coast or Mid-Atlantic to really settle down.
 
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