Martial Artists?

Any other Martial Artists out there? any form or style?

What belts are people graded at? how long have you been practising? and why did you start?

Nici:

I'm a fourth dan in Wado Ryu and run my own club in the wakefield area. Have been training for 30 years and started because of bullying issues - that doesn't happen now, though, as you might have guessed.

What kyu (grade or dan) are you?

No. But I have a friend who has been doing Karate and Capoeira for most of life. He's pretty good but I don't know what rank he's in.
Umm, well I think in Capoeira he got to be some sort of judge. So that's probably a very high level, I would imagine.

I am interested, though, in learning some self defense.

//Truest Lies//

I'm a jr.black belt at my dojo..
And I'm also starting Kendo....

^_^ It's fun, I would definately recomend it to anyone.

im only a green belt and i stopped because i got too busy. our style was arjuken and we learned alittle bit of arnis... and i really wish i had kept it going, but it's too late now.

it's really worth going for it if your interested. you stay in shape and you learn how to kick the bad guys' bum :)

I am in judo kai kan ju jutsu. I am an orange belt, and have been practising fro two years.

Mel:

I study both Judo and Taekwondo.

In Judo I have chosen not to grade at all, as I am using it as a sport for fitness rather than Martial Art. I have been studying Judo for 3 years and just enjoy the workout.

Whereas in Taekwondo I am graded at 1st kup (Red Belt, Black Tags) and have been studying since I was 15 and entered competitions etc.

I am getting a bit bored with my Taekwondo at present and am thinking about trying a new style of Martial Arts. I'm hoping that if I cross train it will improve my Taekwondo and hep me get back into enjoying it again.

Any body got any suggestions of a good style to try?

Nici

I've been doing Tai Chi Chuan for years, but there are no gradings as such that i have partaken in. About to start Shoalin Kung Fu..which should be ace.

I also have a black belt in Mortal Combat 3.

im a yellow belt in kickboxing but I've only taken it for about a year

Nici:

ideas: Wado-ryu is a quick style; shotokan a little slower aiming for power. Why not try jujitsu! its a brilliant mixture of kicks/punches and grappling - excellent self efence.

I so wish smith and wesson were allowed in my home. Hey, thieves, come on in!!

My dad said I may have to learn freestyle wrestling.
He says it's about the only type of self-defense that doesn't have rules, like giving your oponent a chance, and standing in certain karate-type positions, it's just the sort of self-defense where if someone barrels you down you know where to grab, how to hold them, how to knock them unconcious, etcetera.

But I do think that taekwondo would be interesting.
My only problem is that I have severe vertigo, so I can't tumble, or do cartwheels or handstands.
I've always tried to, but I freak out and freeze, I don't know why.

Well, good luck, those of you who do have the ability and the perseverance!

//Truest Lies//

I want to be..

My Best Friend Has a Black Belt....

back in elementary i took a martial arts class for about 2 years. i'd trained with my grandfather previously so i excelled at it. i got to purple belt, which would have left me brown and black, unfortunately i did not finish. i was in a class with the advanced adults and teenagers, at an age of roughly 10-11, but our dojo had a spike in members and Mr. Davenport had to put new white belts (beginners) into our class and i wasn't learning anything. i regret quitting, and wish i had the time to go back. the style i studied was go ju ru, a style that originated in Okinawa when the Okinawans were being ruled by Japan and weren't allowed to have weapons. they would train fighting with their bodies, and sometimes sticks, daily. one of their exercises was punching trees, which would have been painful. i would love go back and get all the way to black belt, and i'd also like to study other forms of martial arts. perhaps taekwondo, jujitsu, or akido. anyways, if i ever do it won't be for quite some time. it was a good way to discipline my body and keep in shape though.

All yee interested in martial arts as a form of self defence, checkout the works/books/dvds of geoff thompson a martial artist from coventry who went to work as a doorman in some of the roughest clubs in coventry where he had to adapt the martial arts to work in live situations. 'Watch my Back', by thompson, is a compelling read for anyone........check him out!!

wow, where do I start... been doing taekwondo since I was 4 (learned under my father who is 2nd dan black belt), for some reason shokotan karate (which is just like taekwondo without the elegant kicking). Did Jeet kun do for awhile, dabbled in shorin ryu for a good close combat tech and def. The two that I just utterly enjoy and practice the most is muay thai and this very unique form of close quarter grappeling.

"I also have a black belt in mortal combat 3" - kevin murray. Best. Quote. Ever.

I'm a third dan brown belt assitant instructor. I'm one dan away from my black belt. I've been doing martial arts for about 8 years. I practiced, Aikido, Judo, Tae-Kwondo, Kick-boxing, boxing, and many other forms. My style is Shindu-Ru-Karatedo. Well yeah, I also street fight. Peace.

A good thing about martial arts is that any town in any country in the world you can wark into a dojo with your gi and start training. plus you'll be rerspected and have no language barrier!

about 8 years ago I was in kempo-karate. I was a brown-belt with 2 black strips, I had been doing Karate for about 4 years, then all of a sudden the place closed, so ever since it closed I never went back, I want to find another place, cause it was alot of fun and kept me in shape.

~Joe~

I have studied a little bit in a lot. I studied Bagua zhang for two years, and still study, and learn about it, I just dont practice, well, I just started to again last night. I have learned some tai chi, and I studied wushu for about a year. But everything I have done intermingles with each other because their is no point excluding something.

lol

Well, I know taiwkando, jujitsu, karate, and 5 other Japinese words!

My names Chris and im a second dan (Nidan) in Shotokan Karate at my local club. My friend John (whos new to this site) is also a second dan. I believe Shotokan to be the most physically intense style of Karate, and apparantly it has been proven.
I take the class 2-3 times per week accompanied by John and once every fortnight I take a kids street defence class. The cheif instructors at my club are Sensei John 4th Dan and Sensei Callum 3rd Dan.....Then me and John 2nd Dans

The first five Heian Kata have to be the easiest set of movements in the world and they are definatley training Kata, all of them (in my opinion at least). I have lost count of all the times i've went back to Kihon Kata at competitions, not only because its the easiest but also the most defined if you know what I mean.

My little brother Luke was a green belt and my little brother Declen is an Orange Belt and is going for Red in March.

RIP Funakoshi (for those who know who he was)

Karate is for everyone, young and old. Forever.

I started kickboxing around 2 years ago. But in that time had to stop for awhile due to other commitments and I was ill for awhile. So I haven't done any grading and its done every year I think at the place I'm at. My instrutor said I have the ability to skip belts if I do get round to grading.

I just love it, it helps take out aggression, teaches me to defend myself, helps my fitness levels.