Posts by Gerald Smith76

It’s really just all of that 😲

Jerry Thompson said:I'm not asking for myself, but for a buddy. He was stationed on a ship, learned from a Filipino instructor, and used to pick up some books. Just wanted to ask the experts here. Thanks.

Yeah, he was on a ship and spent time in the Philippines—he was actually the first Balintawak Arnis instructor in the country.
Have him try calling JJC at 01/4920383 to get the details...
They have some new setups there now; I believe the guy in question is even the new director and head instructor of the center.🙏
You can also check www.dojo.com

Fair enough. Zdunic teaches him through Urban, though he isn't quite pure. If you're genuinely interested in trying his methods, go see Mr. Kukulja in Chicago (the one who originally brought him to the States). As for the others he's trained, I don't think anyone is working with public figures or civilians just yet.

Jacob Anderson6, just make sure the sleeves aren't too long on the kimono. Everything else can be loose...
You can find them at Kwong, Turbo Sport, wherever—around $117 I think they’re actually pretty decent. Just don't get carried away and buy one meant for karate, because you'll shred it on day one.
You don't need the expensive ones since you're not a pro; they usually run from $600 to $700 and up...

www.ultimate-fight.com covers boxing and Muay Thai 🙂

Send Robin Palmer3 a private message!

mistypanther said:What exactly are you training for? How’s it going? I’m feeling pretty burnt out from all the constant movement and nonsense, plus there are other motivations at play. I’ve even got a solid bike now, but this rain and snow is a total pain in the ass. On top of that, I started playing music again, and honestly, it’s a disaster...

Once the weather clears up, get out there for some light jogging or cycling. For now, you can start working on push-ups, sit-ups, and stretching... that goes a long way.
Beginner workouts aren't overly difficult because you don't have the technical knowledge yet to do anything complex; you're just learning.
At my gym, there's a group of people roughly between 25 and 50—mostly beginners, nothing too intense, just keeping it steady. Give it five months and you'll see how good they are.😉

First, you need to decide what actually interests you... striking, grappling, a mix of both, or something else entirely.

Konju, how exactly do you expect anyone to give you serious advice?
You admitted it yourself—you’re just sitting around, hanging out at coffee shops, doing nothing, and spamming posts...
And now you think you can just pick out an outfit and jump into contact sports?!
What could anyone possibly recommend to you there? You have boxing, you have kickboxing/Muay Thai; I assume you know what those entail and just how demanding they are. There might be two or three other "high-contact" disciplines out there, but I wouldn't suggest them to you.
As for that bit about the baseball bat, you must be joking.

Jamie Fowler2 said:I’m nominating Gerald Smith76 for an honorary plaque. His patience is notable, and he consistently steps up to help even when working under impossible conditions. 👍

😘
My presence on this forum is driven by higher ideals and the welfare of everyone interested in the broader world of martial arts and combat sports... actually, this one works. 🤣

the wild beast said:I'm 18 and want to start training Jiu-Jitsu or Muay Thai, but I don't know where to begin or which is better? I think Jiu-Jitsu suits me more. Would I progress faster with a private coach? Let me know.

First: those two disciplines are worlds apart.
Second: there is no objective "better"—only what fits your goals.
Third: what kind of Jiu-Jitsu are you looking at? Brazilian, traditional, modern, or "combat" styles? Do you actually know the differences between them? And do you know what a Muay Thai curriculum looks like? There’s plenty of info on this forum. Check the archives on this page.
Fourth: do you have the money, the time, and the actual drive to commit? As for a private coach—not yet. These are skills you need to drill with partners and against various types of opponents.
You can look into supplemental coaching later, especially if you stick with Jiu-Jitsu.
Fifth: where are you located?

coppermarlin6 said:If you can actually explain the difference between traditional styles and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I'll tell you where you can go. It seems like you don't have a clue what you're talking about, let alone what you're trying to achieve.

Good catch on that one.
Maybe just a coincidence?

Jacob Martin78 said:The issue is that you can spar UFC at 99% intensity, whereas traditional jujutsu doesn't really allow for real sparring; you just drill kata and techniques with a partner who helps you through them.

Exactly. That is the primary flaw of the "classic" styles.
Kano realized this and created Judo (which is why I'm back at it 🙄 )

"Jujutsu, which had techniques for hand to hand combat, studied "true power." In order for each us to experience personally the "core principles of the martial arts," we must not stop at the mere, repetitious practice of kata. Training and sparring help us reach the core principles of martial arts and the power they generate through experience. As an added benefit, randori training leads to an indispensable and highly prized sense of security. We must admire Master Kano's foresight in promoting the benefits of randori training."

The rest of these texts are brilliant, almost like scripture... http://judoinfo.com/history.htm

Brandon Carter2 said:It’s a mix of striking, leverage, throws, takedowns, and ground fighting.http://www.ijjf.com

Competitive sports versions put a heavy emphasis on the ground game. Whether you consider that "real" combat or not is up to you, though the reasoning behind it is pretty obvious.

Peter Myers29 said:In America, Ju-jutsu is essentially what Kung Fu is in China—both terms just describe some kind of combat skill. I wouldn't say Ju-jutsu is obsolete, given there are schools that have existed for hundreds of years. They might not be as widespread today, or certain lineages may have died out, but calling a skill "outdated"... Hmm. 🤔

Aikido, Shotokan, Heaven shin'yo-ryu, and so on... you can't list them all.

Sure, but when people talk about traditional Jiu-jitsu, they usually mean the "classic" version, like what you'd see taught at a police academy or in a competitive sport setting.
Regarding Jiu-jitsu, I keep coming back to the relationship with the YMCA in the early 20th century and the competitions held for the American police force. To make the point even stronger: Ken's Judo, which was intended to be a reformed version of Jiu-jitsu, either vanished or evolved into a pure sport. 👎

What you listed is top-tier Jiu-jitsu, and I'm not disputing that.

Megan White4 said:$67 there could be an average monthly price, so it might be more or less...

The real question is how many sessions there are per week. If it’s twice a week for 90 minutes, $67 then it's somewhat reasonable at $8.25 per session. $300 would be pushing it, and $400 is definitely overkill $17 per session. It's pretty straightforward math.

🤔

I’d be willing to pay up to $133 for one-on-one training three times a week with a pro, but paying that much for group classes or a standard sport three times a week is excessive, regardless of your budget.

Melissa Williams25 said:Is $83 a month for karate training expensive, or is that just the average price?

Let's assume $67 is the average rate per session...

wanderingridge said:Look, I get it, but what a friend showed me (I think it was Aikido) really caught my attention. It’s incredibly direct, mostly happening from a standing position, except when you end up pinning an opponent to the floor by their wrist or fingers while they're begging for mercy. There isn't much of that endless rolling around on concrete or gravel either.
There used to be a club in a new development near Chicago, but I'm not sure if it's still active. Also, in this style, there isn't all that setup work to break balance before the technique hits—it's just as direct as Wing Chun.

That isn't classic Jiu-Jitsu. Classic Jiu-Jitsu is either outdated or has been turned into a sport.
You can find Shotokan, various military styles, or whatever they teach at the local YMCA or CJJC.

Dorina said:I have a quick question.

Does anyone know if the local gym near downtown is accepting new members right now? Also, how often are the sessions held? I'm looking for more details on their training schedule.🙂

I think they do. I see new women joining all the time—just one showed up this past Tuesday.
The instructor is top-tier, really high level. For everything else, you're better off just dropping by in person or giving them a call at 555-0199.
😉

Even though most of my training involves Eastern martial arts rooted in this kind of philosophy, I tend to take a more Western approach to it. To be honest, I just don't have the time or the headspace to get lost in deep metaphysical speculation.
The reality is simpler: the human body generates chemical energy through its biological processes. How much of that energy is actually available to me depends entirely on my physical conditioning and my mental state.
How I tap into and distribute that energy comes down to technique, a practical understanding of what those movements offer, an awareness of body mechanics, logic, and sheer focus.
🙂

You wouldn't believe how many women are at my boxing gym right now.
They aren't exactly focused on the heavy hitting yet, but they put in the work—hitting the bags, working the mitts, while the coach gives individual attention to some while the others grind through jump rope drills. It’s great for conditioning, staying fit, and just blowing off steam. Honestly, I don't mind watching them stretch out, too 🙂 —it doesn't seem to bother them one bit
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