General Chat & Info Board

When it comes to dropping weight, boxing is definitely a solid way to go.
As for combat skills, is there anything else you're looking to pick up besides weight loss?
Ground fighting, striking with hands or feet, submissions, weapons?

Given your body mass, combining boxing with wrestling would be a really effective strategy.

placidbison20 said:Regarding weight loss, boxing is definitely a solid option.

I'm with you on this. You could perhaps pair it with some kind of weight training at a gym... but if the sole objective is shedding pounds, then cycling, jogging, or any form of consistent, vigorous physical activity would likely be perfectly sufficient. Of course, it all boils down to personal preference.

Most of this is because my doctor recommended I drop some weight.......
As for boxing, it's just something I'm interested in and enjoy.......
I live in St. Anthony, so I was wondering if there are any gyms or training halls around here? (Doesn't have to be super close)
What’s the monthly fee, and what kind of gear should I bring?

I mean, I don't know about you guys, but I’ve been sitting here staring at my screen for the last hour just... thinking. Maybe it’s the coffee, or maybe I’m just getting old, but everything feels a bit much lately, doesn't it? I guess I’m just trying to make sense of how things are moving so fast. It’s like, one minute you’re totally fine, and the next, everything is shifting under your feet. I might be overthinking this—honestly, I probably am—but there's just this feeling that we're all missing something obvious. Or maybe we're all just looking in the wrong direction? I don't know. It’s hard to say for sure without more info, but I can't shake the feeling that something is slightly off. Just an observation, I suppose. Nothing major. kaže:
Does anyone know where I could pick up a higher-quality staff? Looking for something around 6 feet—maybe a solid Bo staff.
So, what’s the ballpark figure we're looking at here? I mean, if anyone actually knows the approximate price, I guess they should just lay it out for us.

Furniture in Haymarket. 😁 🙂

Those sticks are solid, like $2,000 worth of gear... I mean, if that feels like overkill, you could always just stay home, crack open a drink, and spend your time sharpening them or whatever. 👍

Look, I’m totally losing my cool here, but honestly? It was fine. Things just got completely wild for a second there. 😁

restlessmarlin6 said:That furniture shop over on Main Street😁 🙂

Decent sticks, about 6.5 feet... If that’s overkill, you could just stay home, have a drink, do some sharpening, stuff like that... 👍

Mind you, mine snapped on me, but hey, it was a pretty wild situation... 😁

thanks, I'll go check it out sometime soon.

Yeah, I think the price was somewhere around 30-$13 if my memory serves me right, 😉

I'm 18 years old and looking to get into either Jiu-Jitsu or Muay Thai, but I'm honestly stuck on where to start and which one is actually better. I feel like Jiu-Jitsu might be more my style. Also, would I see faster progress if I hired a private coach? Let me know what you guys think.

placidbison20 said:That’s pricey.
Period.
We pay $67 just for three 2-hour sessions a week.

I get that gym space in a big city like NYC is expensive, but prices are definitely starting to climb.
It’s mostly because trainers are getting a little too greedy.

At my place, it's $47 and you can hit training whenever you want—all six days if you've got the drive.

Yo, I heard there’s some Jiu Jitsu going on over in NYC for $133 but man, that is straight up robbery...

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

Try both. You really should attend a trial class at a few different gyms to see which environment and style actually click with you...

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?

I’m putting forward Gerald Smith76 for an award—purely for his patience and the fact that he’s always willing to jump in, even when the working conditions are absolute garbage. 👍

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. 🤣

restlessmarlin6 said:Yeah, I think it was around 30 bucks $13 if my memory serves me right 😉

Down at the local market, near the entrance to the old district, there’s this guy with a woodworking stall (just to the left of where you enter the main plaza). He’s got these grabbers and sticks—pretty sturdy stuff, too. He tells me he can trim them down to whatever length I need, and they go for about 10-$5.00 👍

I think I'm gonna grab one of those and see if they actually hold up better than the ones from the big-box stores.

The whole thing with the ridges is a mess... makes it way too easy to take a hit depending on which technique you're running. You really need the staff to be smooth and straight. At least for our style of training...

It’s not about being a hero or anything like that 😁 if my memory serves me right 😉

Hey everyone, I could really use some help here

I'm based out of Ottawa and I'm looking to get into sword training, but I can't find a single Kendo club anywhere. All I see are Aikido dojos, so I was wondering if they actually use swords much in Aikido—I think those bamboo ones are called bokken or something like that? 😉How often do they use them, and what's the deal? Or, if anyone knows of an actual Kendo club in the Ottawa area, please let me know...
Thanks in advance

Here is my question...
Where in the US can I find a good place to practice Tai Chi?
How many clubs are out there?

There’s either a ton of clubs out there for Tai Chi or absolutely none—depends on what you're looking for.

If you tell me what your goal is, we can probably point you toward some specific spots to check out...

Lisa Torres2 said:I’m based out of Ottawa—well, looking at this from an American perspective, let's just say I'm stuck in a city where the martial arts scene feels a bit lopsided. I've been itching to get into some serious swordsmanship training, but I can't find a single decent Kendo club anywhere in the vicinity. It's frustrating, honestly. Like trying to find a decent steakhouse in a town that only serves salad. The only thing available around here is Aikido. So now I’m sitting here wondering: how much actual sword work goes into Aikido? Do they actually use those bamboo swords—what are they called, *bokken* or *shinai*?—or is it mostly just wrist locks and circular movements? I'm really looking for that blade work, you know? Not just redirection and flowing through space. Does anyone know if an Aikido practitioner gets any real time with a wooden or bamboo sword? 😉When you're looking into using ITD... or just trying to figure out what the most efficient route would be—honestly, I was just wondering if anyone actually knows if there’s a decent Kendo club located in Ottawa.
Thanks in advance.

Hey there. Just checking in.

As far as I can tell—and I’ve looked pretty hard from my neck of the woods all the way across the States—there isn't a single dedicated Kendo club to be found. Not one. Officially? Nothing exists. Now, you see people using a *bokken* within Aikido circles, but let’s be clear: there is a massive, fundamental difference between those two disciplines. They aren't even playing the same game. Given the situation you're facing, I’m worried that your only real move is to reach out directly to clubs or federations in places like Mexico or maybe Canada, just to find someone actually practicing the art properly. I only suggest this because you’ll probably start out by grinding through some books or watching old instructional tapes—maybe even dabbling in a related martial art—but if you’re serious about Kendo, the step I mentioned is going to become inevitable sooner or later. You might as well get a head start on it now.😬.