General Chat & Info Board

Hello,
Due to some health issues (diabetes), I need to start being more physically active...
Since I spent about ten years involved in martial arts and combat sports, my instinct is to look for something within that sphere.
It’s important that it isn't overly strenuous—nothing involving intense drills or heavy contact—and ideally, something relatively casual. It doesn't necessarily have to be highly effective for self-defense, though that’s fine if it is; it's not a requirement.
Tai Chi has crossed my mind... does anyone here practice it? How much muscle engagement can I expect from Tai Chi? (I'm looking for moderate physical activity.)
I see there are a few studios in Chicago that offer classes. Does anyone have a recommendation for a high-quality place in the Chicago area?
I realize some might not classify Tai Chi as a true martial art, but again, the combat aspect isn't my primary focus.
Scheduling is also a factor. Anything before 7:00 PM won't work for me. I know that sounds like an odd constraint, but my work schedule makes earlier sessions impossible.
By the way, I'll pass on Aikido. I attended a session once and it just didn't click for me.
Thanks for the input.

Gerald Rivera60 said:Hey there,
Due to some health issues—diabetes, specifically—I need to start getting active again...
Since I spent about ten years ago involved in martial arts and combat sports, it feels pretty natural to look for something in that same vein.
By the way, I’m looking for something that isn't overly strenuous—nothing with intense drills or anything too intense—more of a casual vibe. It doesn't necessarily have to be high-level self-defense, though that's fine if it is... just not a requirement.
Tai Chi popped into my head... does anyone here actually train it? How much muscle engagement are we talking about? (I really just need moderate physical activity).
I see there are some places in Chicago that offer classes. Does anyone have recommendations for a quality spot in the city?
I know some people might not classify Tai Chi as a true martial art, but honestly, the combat aspect isn't my main priority.
Scheduling is also a big factor for me... I can't do anything before 7 PM... I know that sounds a bit specific, but my work schedule makes it impossible to get there any earlier than that.
Also, I'll pass on Aikido... I tried one session once and it just didn't click for me, I guess.
Thanks for any input.

There's Tai Chi over in the downtown area with Master Mickle... don't know the specifics though...

Thanks a lot, 👍
I managed to find the link with the schedule too.
http://taiji.yanta.net/trening.htm

Gerald Rivera60 said:Thanks a ton, 👍
found the link with the schedule too
http://taiji.yanta.net/trening.htm

All good, good luck 👍

Question: Is there an Ultimate or MMA club in Osijek?

The closest thing I could dig up was Champion Gym, but I'm thinking they might just be focused on BJJ, I guess.

Brenda Adams4 said:Question: Is there an Ultimate or MMA club in Springfield?

The closest thing I could track down was Champion Gym, though I suspect they might just be strictly BJJ.

They do BJJ, but if my memory serves—and it usually does, despite my failings—I think there are a few folks there doing MMA since they have a kickboxing club under the same roof too. Actually, a buddy of mine competed in an MMA tournament over in Chicago representing Champion Gym.
Anyway, is it really that much effort to just show up and ask if you’re actually serious about it?

wanderingridge said:They do BJJ, but I think they have enough going on to offer MMA since there’s a kickboxing club there too, along with the BJJ. A buddy of mine actually competed in an MMA tournament in Chicago representing Champion Gym.
BTW, is it really that hard to just go ask if you're actually interested?

I mean, I have to try and catch their specific training times, but honestly, since we already have great people like you on this forum, it kind of makes all that effort redundant, so I can save myself some time and the headache... thanks, I appreciate it.

And seriously, I was more just looking for info than actually trying to sign up for classes right now, because kickboxing isn't really my thing—I'd much rather spend a few years building a solid foundation in wrestling or boxing, even though BJJ looks pretty cool too.

👍

David Lewis7 said:How is that even possible? 😎

Real talk, lately I’ve been leaning way more toward full-contact sports than technical stuff—mostly because of some people in my real life and a few guys on this forum. Less BS, less "he said, she said." But whatever you pick, just remember one thing:

With Aikido, you might find a nice little hobby or a social circle to find your inner peace, but you won't find what you listed, specifically: "any actual chance of defending yourself in a fight."......

I’ve got much stronger opinions on Ninjutsu. As for Wing Chun, I don't know enough to weigh in, so I'll shut up about it.👍

👍 👍

David Lewis7 said:Wait, how can that be? 😎

But seriously—lately, I’ve been leaning much more toward full-contact sports rather than traditional martial arts (thanks to some real-life influences and even a few folks here on the forum)—mostly because there's way less guesswork and "he said, she said" involved... but whatever path you choose, just remember one thing:

With Aikido, you can find a really pleasant way to stay active and socialize—to find that inner peace and zen—but you won't necessarily find everything else you listed, specifically: "the ability to actually defend yourself in an attack."......

Now, I have much stronger opinions regarding Ninjutsu, but as for Wing Chun, I don't know enough to chime in, so I'll stay quiet on that one.👍

Everything becomes serious once you truly commit to what you're doing. Personally, I've found myself getting much more excited about technical skills lately rather than pure contact sports. It's like I've already gotten my fill of proving myself and all that nonsense—now, I'm just looking for some inner peace.
I'm searching for a sense of harmony in it all, instead of living in paranoia about whether someone's going to jump me on the next street corner (even though I'm always alert)... life is far too short for that kind of stuff, and you've got to enjoy it as much as possible!

here's the deal

thinking about getting into boxing—so I have a few questions:

1. where are the good gyms in the US
2. what’s the typical cost for training sessions
3. how much should I budget for gear (gloves, etc.) and what do I actually need?

Mark Wilson39 said:Everything gets serious once you really dive deep into what you're doing. Lately, I’ve been leaning way more toward martial arts than full-contact sports. I think I’ve already gotten my fill of trying to prove myself—all that ego stuff—and now I’m just looking for some inner peace.
Looking for some kind of harmony in all of this, rather than living in paranoia about whether someone’s going to jump me at the next corner (even though I’m always on guard)... life is too short for that crap, and you gotta enjoy it while you can.

Let's talk about "proving yourself" versus "fulfillment"—something people always bring up when they compare martial arts to combat sports.

Why does everyone talk about combat sports like it's just one big ego trip? 😕
There are plenty of people out there who do this just for fun—they don't care about hitting the pro circuit—they just prefer learning through full-contact sparring.

As for why people say only certain skills provide true fulfillment... look, I love martial arts. I've tried a bunch of different styles, and they’re great hobbies for free time, but honestly? Nothing beats my Wednesday night soccer game with the guys. That’s where I feel most alive.
Can't boxing be fulfilling too?😕
And why is it that traditional disciplines are supposedly the only ones that offer inner peace and harmony?😕
Are martial arts the only thing that holds those qualities we need to make life actually meaningful?

David Lewis7 said:There’s very little debate regarding proving versus fulfilling—most people already touch on that when comparing martial arts to combat sports.
Why are traditional arts the only ones capable of offering inner peace and harmony?😕
Are they really the only disciplines possessing those qualities—the ones that supposedly give life its purpose?

Drop that nonsense...🙄 it's just a consolation prize for people practicing these so-called "martial arts." Once they realize how pointless all this training actually is, they run toward philosophy to find "inner peace" and "harmony"—of what, exactly?—😕 which is conveniently the one thing combat sports supposedly lack, ha...🤣

David Lewis7 said:Are skills the only thing that provide those qualities we need to make life meaningful?

They certainly aren't. If I had chosen differently, I would have trained in rugby and wrestling. For me, that was the dream combination, and in my opinion, it’s no less valuable than BJJ. Once you reach the stage where you are searching for quality of life within some club, you have already missed the mark; those things should be found first within your family and among your friends.

jademarlin26 said:If you've reached a stage where you're looking for quality of life within some club—you've got it wrong. You find those things at home, with family and close friends first...

😁 👍

Robin Palmer3 said:All those stories...🙄 that’s just the consolation prize for people into so-called "martial arts." Once they realize how pointless practicing these "skills" actually is, they go looking for solace in some philosophy about inner peace and harmony (of what?), 😕 which is that supposed quality martial sports lack, ha...🤣

Where on earth are you getting this from? Who exactly are you hanging out with... 😁 I haven't met a single person involved in martial arts who thinks like that. So, I'm genuinely curious—where are you finding enough people to make such a broad generalization? Let me clear one thing up right now... even if you were the only practitioner left on Earth... no, I'm not looking for solace anywhere, nor do I need it. I've been in combat sports for decades—primarily Muay Thai and Wing Chun—and I haven't found any "pointlessness" in my training, so I don't need any comfort... seriously, where is this info coming from? What kind of sample size are you using for this hypothesis? Did actual practitioners tell you they realized it was all meaningless and moved on to "inner peace"... or is this just some psychoanalytical theory you cooked up? 😉

By the way—regarding "meaning" and "consolation"... it seems to me that you all might be folks from the martial arts world. You know, the type who started mixing everything together to create MMA because you couldn't find enough sense or satisfaction in what you were originally training... just a passing thought, since we're already on the subject of meaning and consolation 😁 😉

ruggedfalcon2 said:By the way—the whole thing about "meaning" and "consolation"... it feels to me like you guys are all just martial artists who couldn't find actual purpose in your own disciplines, so you mashed everything together to invent MMA as some kind of consolation prize because what you were training wasn't enough. Just a random thought since we're talking about meaning and solace. 😁 😉

Look, wrestling is a beautiful sport—really—it offers peak physical and mental development for anyone involved... but after years in that world, I found my calling in MMA. It’s just the next level up from pure wrestling. Honestly, I'm just bummed it wasn't an option back when I was younger—total sporting tragedy, haha. 😬
Actually, there's always the flip side... take Yamamoto Norifumi Kid, that brilliant MMA fighter from Japan. He actually went back to wrestling and temporarily left MMA just to chase Olympic gold in Beijing. Go watch his MMA fights on YouTube—you'll be floored by this 143-pound genius who used to demolish opponents even if they outweighed him by 45 pounds... he took out guys like Royler Gracie and Genki Suda via knockout, and he famously dropped Kazayuki Myata with a flying knee in just four seconds. He's a beast in K1 too, undefeated—and that's coming from a wrestler at heart! 👍

Was just about to look into some martial arts training. Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and Aikido sound interesting... based on what I've heard, at least...
Can anyone actually tell me what you learn in those styles? Like, what's the actual breakdown?
Also, if anyone has a solid recommendation for a stand-up self-defense style, let me know...
I did a year of kickboxing and a year of Muay Thai, but they weren't really my thing. Didn't feel much like "skills"...
Thanks in advance!

Can anyone tell me what you actually learn in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu? Like, what skills are we talking about here?
What about Aikido?????
Also, if you have any recommendations for a good stand-up self-defense sport or martial art... let me know.
Thanks in advance!!!!

Look, you didn't actually specify which styles really grab you. If you're looking to get into stand-up training, you could swing by our place—near the old downtown area... Or if you want to try Wing Chun, Ninjutsu, Kenpo...
If Japanese martial arts are what you're after, maybe give Ninjutsu or Kenpo a shot. I’d guess Ninjutsu is probably the closest thing to Jiu-Jitsu you'll find around here. placidbison20 might be able to give you the lowdown on that...