General Chat & Info Board

Megan White4 · 2005-12-31T18:11:13+00:00

This thread is for anyone looking to get into martial arts but feeling lost regarding the what, where, when, or how. If you have specific questions about gym l…

ruggedfalcon2 Active Member

64 messages
joined Jun 2005

#301 · Sep 23, 2006

rustytinker3 said:That’s not what I mean! Train boxing for one year, and you’ll be able to land a hit even on a pro boxer.
Train Wing Chun for a year and you won't even be able to pull a lever on a Wing Chun master.
So go ahead, compare the wisdom and science of these two arts!!!!!

THEY ARE INCOMPARABLE!!!

Exactly—they aren't comparable... but I have to ask, where exactly have you seen "levers" being used in Wing Chun? Honestly, very few people in the world actually utilize true leveraging within Wing Chun... because reaching that level requires a massive amount of technical knowledge—something most people never actually achieve... (not going to bore you with the details of why...). As someone who follows Wing Chun... all I see online are clips of people throwing hands and feet that don't even resemble actual Wing Chun... so I'm genuinely curious, where did you see these Wing Chun levers?😕

rustytinker3 Member

33 messages
joined Oct 2013

#302 · Sep 23, 2006

Look, you don't get it. You claimed you needed a whole scientific degree just to throw a direct, but I basically debunked that right here: (Train boxing for one year, and you’ll be able to land a hit even on a pro.)

Justin Adams5 Active Member

70 messages
joined Apr 2006

#303 · Sep 23, 2006

rustytinker3 said:That’s not how it works! Train boxing for one year, and you’ll actually be able to land a hit on a pro.
Train Wing Chun for a year and you won't even be able to pull off a basic leverage move against a master.
So stop trying to compare the wisdom and science of these two disciplines!!!!!

THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNEQUAL!!!

Sorry man, but you really don't have a clue. I don't get it—you come looking for advice, people who actually know their stuff try to help you, but then you act like you know better. You claim to be impressed by Chinese martial arts, yet you clearly don't know the first thing about them.👎

David Lewis7 Member

10 messages
joined Jul 2006

#304 · Sep 23, 2006

Justin Adams5 said:Look, buddy, you really don't have a clue. I mean, I don't get it—you come here looking for advice, a group of people who actually know their stuff tries to help you out, but then you act like you know way more than everyone else. You claim to be all about Chinese martial arts, but honestly? You don't seem to know a single thing about them.👎

👍 Honestly, great question!

The whole point of this thread is "you ask, we answer"—not "you ask, we answer, but you aren't happy with what we say, so you start these pointless arguments that just derail the whole discussion." Man, whenever things get messy, we really need placidbison20 around to clean up the mess....

rustytinker3 Member

33 messages
joined Oct 2013

#305 · Sep 23, 2006

My bad, I didn't see the lever, but there's also the Vida choking technique, which is pretty similar for me. Choking is basically just a lever applied to the neck...

I know there's Aikido in San Diego. But honestly, I have no clue what they actually teach there...
I don't know these disciplines all that well yet.
che, what are you training??? and for how many years???

Jonathan Johnson67 Member

46 messages
joined Aug 2005

#306 · Sep 23, 2006

Honestly, you’re probably better off looking into Aikido... though I’m not entirely sure what the scene looks like down there right now.
From what I can gather, there isn't much else to choose from in the city. I mean, if you aren't looking for MMA or kickboxing, your options are pretty thin. Wing Chun doesn't seem to be at a high level, and as far as I know, Ninjutsu just isn't an option locally. Maybe placidbison20, David Lewis7, or Mark Wilson39 would have a better idea of which schools are actually worth your time...
PS. That guy is basically the local authority on Wing Chun around here. He basically chased off everyone else practicing it... 😂🙂

rustytinker3 Member

33 messages
joined Oct 2013

#307 · Sep 23, 2006

Alright, my bad. But I still gotta say my piece. (Clearly I was wrong this time)
I just popped in here to ask if anyone knows where in Los Angeles I can find training for something similar to Wing Chun, or maybe some kind of related martial art??

Justin Adams5 Active Member

70 messages
joined Apr 2006

#308 · Sep 23, 2006

Jonathan Johnson67 said:
From what I've gathered, there aren't many other skills to pick up in Split. (Unless you want to try MT or kickboxing...). QUOTE]
There isn't any Muay Thai in Split.😉

David Lewis7 Member

10 messages
joined Jul 2006

#309 · Sep 23, 2006

rustytinker3 said:Choking is basically like having a lever applied to your neck.

Man, 10 PM hit tonight and the connection is just completely trashed again. Seriously—nothing but dead air.
Look, there’s a huge difference between a standard neck cramp and those intense neck cranks—they aren't even close to being the same thing, even if they're hitting the same spot.

Look, you're throwing around a lot of opinions without actually knowing the facts—and honestly? You're not even listening to the advice being given.
First thing you’ve gotta wrap your head around is that all sports and skills are basically on equal footing—you just have to find the one that actually clicks with who you are as a person. Don't just jump into something because people say it’s "better" than what you were doing before. In the world of martial arts, "better" is a super relative term—it really just depends on you.

Second on the list—though honestly, you might find Jiu Jitsu (not BJJ, just pure technique) is more your speed. Depending on where you’re living in town, you've probably only got two or three solid clubs to choose from.
If you're looking for something totally non-contact, there are a few Aikido clubs around—though honestly, I wouldn't really recommend them to most people. That said, there are some good folks in those circles who actually know their stuff and might be able to point you in the right direction.

Justin Adams here. Just popping in to say hello—hope everyone's having a solid week so far. Stay safe out there! kaže:

You're splitting hairs—there’s no Muay Thai here.😉

Tell every fifth kickboxer in this group who keeps swearing they "know what they're doing"—to take it up with MT. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

rustytinker3 Member

33 messages
joined Oct 2013

#310 · Sep 23, 2006

So you're talking about Aikido...
What's actually taught there? Throws, chokes, sweeps...?

Some guy also suggested Japanese Jiu-Jitsu over in Split... what's your take on that, Jonathan Johnson67?

rustytinker3 Member

33 messages
joined Oct 2013

#311 · Sep 23, 2006

David Lewis7, so which of these jiu jitsu gyms is actually any good?
And where are they located? What are the names of the clubs?
Which one would you vouch for?
I'm not really feeling the Brazilian style, or ground work in general...

Justin Adams5 Active Member

70 messages
joined Apr 2006

#312 · Sep 23, 2006

David Lewis7 said:Tell every fifth kickboxer around here what they think they "know" (quoting) MT 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Well, Frane Radnic and I had a little chat about that topic.😬

Jonathan Johnson67 Member

46 messages
joined Aug 2005

#313 · Sep 23, 2006

rustytinker3 said:You mentioned Aikido...
but what’s actually the focus there? Joint locks, chokes, sweeps...?

Oh, and some guy recommended Japanese Jiu-Jitsu over in Los Angeles... what’s your take on that, Jonathan Johnson67???

There was actually a whole debate about this on the boards once:

If I remember right, there isn't a single gym in LA that hasn't been trashed by someone else in the city. So, honestly, just go check out a few different spots first. See where you click and what feels right. You’ll always find one person cheering you on and another one tearing you down... somewhere...

placidbison20 Active Member

197 messages
joined Jun 2010

#314 · Sep 23, 2006

Jonathan Johnson67 said:there was some discussion about this on the forum before:

From what I recall, there isn't a single Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym in Los Angeles that hasn't been torn apart by someone else in the city. My advice is to go check out a few different clubs. See which one feels right and which style you actually enjoy. You're going to find people who support you here, and you're going to find people who criticize you there. It happens everywhere.

Nice work, happy. You nailed the situation perfectly.
The reality is that Los Angeles has plenty of talented instructors, but it also has way too much ego.

Paul King78 Newcomer

5 messages
joined Sep 2006

#315 · Sep 23, 2006

Look, I’m a total amateur when it comes to martial arts—honestly, Wikipedia and Google are my only sources of information at this point. But even Google won't give me the straight truth about what the actual scene looks like in a city like Chicago, so I figured I’d turn to you all instead. Among all these self-proclaimed "masters" out there, who are the genuine experts? Who actually knows their stuff and teaches with integrity? If you had to give an honest recommendation, who should I look into? I realize the options aren't endless and most things eventually boil down to just a few specific disciplines. If I had my pick, I’d love to dive into Muay Thai or maybe Ninjutsu. But since I don't have that luxury, I’d settle for anything as long as I'm learning from someone who truly knows what they’re doing. Does anyone like that even exist?

Gerald Smith76 Active Member

98 messages
joined Nov 2015

#316 · Sep 24, 2006

rustytinker3 said:David Lewis7, which of these jiu jitsu clubs is actually the best?
Also, what are the locations? What are the names of the gyms?
Which one do you recommend?
I'm not interested in Brazilian styles, or general ground fighting.

It would be better if we referred to it as jujitsu or jujutsu rather than jiu jitsu, since the latter usually implies BJJ these days.
You might find classic jujutsu more appealing.
The style encompasses throws, locks, some groundwork and striking techniques, with a strong emphasis on throws, locks, and defensive techniques. It is also characterized by in-fighting and close work. It is a circular, hard/soft, external style.
Training: Practical with a heavy emphasis on sparring and mock combat.

David Lewis7 Member

10 messages
joined Jul 2006

#317 · Sep 24, 2006

rustytinker3 said:Hey... which of those Jiu Jitsu gyms is actually the best?
What kind of locations are we talking about? What are the names of the clubs?
Which one would you suggest?
I'm not really feeling the Brazilian style—not big on groundwork in general.

If I recall correctly, there are three main spots—one at the local university Judo club, one over by the stadium, and then "Hurricane" out in the suburbs. I don't know much about the other two, and I think the third one is actually undergoing some renovations right now. 🙂
Honestly, just head to the one closest to you. Since you’re a beginner, get your feet wet there first—then once you’ve picked up the basics in a few months, go check out the other two and see which vibe fits you best.

urbanotter5 Member

14 messages
joined Jun 2006

#318 · Sep 24, 2006

I suspect there might be some ninjutsu practiced in Los Angeles, though I can't say for certain; someone mentioned it to me once in passing.

A friend of mine used to train in Uragen, but he told me he’s moving on to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instead. Not that it matters to me—that sort of thing isn't really my interest.

briskjackal5 Active Member

249 messages
joined Feb 2018

#319 · Sep 24, 2006

Justin Adams5 said:Sorry, old friend, but you're way off base here. I don't really get it. You come looking for advice from people who actually know their stuff, but then you act like you've already got it all figured out. You say you're impressed by Chinese martial arts, but honestly, it seems like you don't know the first thing about them at all.👎

He’s clearly just trolling, and you guys are totally falling for it. 😁

- briskjackal5 -

Mark Wilson39 Member

10 messages
joined Dec 2006

#320 · Sep 25, 2006

There used to be a thread about which injuries haunt you all the most—but since I can't find it anymore, I’ll just drop this here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/heal...ss/4270716.stm This page has some great exercises and advice—stuff I’d actually love to listen to myself if I could—on how to dodge those pesky injuries whenever possible.

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