Discussion
crashley said:
Actually felt/feel ok, kind of like i'd had an all over beating, but in a heavy work out sort of way. In fact, i feel a lot more pained from slipping on my kitchen floor on Sat and landing on one side of my arse.
There's no way i'm wearing protective stuff, i'd feel a right tit - i'll just hope that heal up a bit harder then! I'm not really sure what i was hoping for. I'm more annoyed that i feel bad about going back to train this wk, because my scabby toes will get blood on their mats.
I suspect the kitchen floor is probably harder than the mats so I'm not surprised. There's no way i'm wearing protective stuff, i'd feel a right tit - i'll just hope that heal up a bit harder then! I'm not really sure what i was hoping for. I'm more annoyed that i feel bad about going back to train this wk, because my scabby toes will get blood on their mats.
That's all I could think of really. There's only one person who wears any protective gear otherwise it's just the gi. I must admit apart from the odd black/blue toes I've not really found my feet get too grazed from ground fighting. On the odd occasion though, it does bloody hurt! haha
Haven't trained for years sadly, back in my younger days I reached Brown belt in Wado Ryu & trained with a lot of great instructors such as Higaonna Sensei, Alfie Lewis, Rick Jackson etc
Last time I went back I got battered & gained a couple of broken ribs, in my teens that was fine but work etc became a higher priority.
Really like the idea of Jiu Jitsu, Wado Ryu incorporates some. Tried a local club a few years back but it wasn't very good so I never went back.
Strikes me that many MA clubs go too easy on students to keep them coming back & paying their fees, my old instructor never earned anything from it, the fees went towards the overhead of the building etc, more like a traditional boxing club.
Last time I went back I got battered & gained a couple of broken ribs, in my teens that was fine but work etc became a higher priority.
Really like the idea of Jiu Jitsu, Wado Ryu incorporates some. Tried a local club a few years back but it wasn't very good so I never went back.
Strikes me that many MA clubs go too easy on students to keep them coming back & paying their fees, my old instructor never earned anything from it, the fees went towards the overhead of the building etc, more like a traditional boxing club.
crashley said:
Question tho - during the ground work, i seem to have effectively sandpapered the tops of my feet/toes - any suggestions to get them to harden up quickly? Don't recall this ever being a problem as a kid. In the meantime the healing/scabbiness is gonna mean lots of bloody socks!
Super glue, stings like f
kery when you first apply it though.Take note to always use your toes when you're on you knees and doing ground work, not only will you not get friction burns it'll give you a much greater control and leverage. Old Japanese traditional arts spent a long time sitting in Seiza, as to japanese people in general, it's second nature to them to use their toes for leverage when moving around in seiza, in BJJ, Aikido and Judo ground work it's a great skill to learn.
LordHaveMurci said:
Really like the idea of Jiu Jitsu, Wado Ryu incorporates some. Tried a local club a few years back but it wasn't very good so I never went back.
Strikes me that many MA clubs go too easy on students to keep them coming back & paying their fees, my old instructor never earned anything from it, the fees went towards the overhead of the building etc, more like a traditional boxing club.
The overall feel of a martial arts club really can make all the difference. I have been lucky that both clubs I have trained at have been really nice places. The club I have been with since 2012 are very nurturing and there's a real sense of community there, plus egos are at an absolute minimum which means everyone feels at ease. Strikes me that many MA clubs go too easy on students to keep them coming back & paying their fees, my old instructor never earned anything from it, the fees went towards the overhead of the building etc, more like a traditional boxing club.
Also the fees are only £5 per session and you pay on the day. Other places will charge X amount for so many sessions and take it monthly. The first club I was with changed to that where it worked out that you'd pay for a month whether you attended or not. Put a lot of people off but I suspect how my club runs is in a minority.
Alex_225 said:
The overall feel of a martial arts club really can make all the difference. I have been lucky that both clubs I have trained at have been really nice places. The club I have been with since 2012 are very nurturing and there's a real sense of community there, plus egos are at an absolute minimum which means everyone feels at ease.
Also the fees are only £5 per session and you pay on the day. Other places will charge X amount for so many sessions and take it monthly. The first club I was with changed to that where it worked out that you'd pay for a month whether you attended or not. Put a lot of people off but I suspect how my club runs is in a minority.
While I'm not knocking the £5 per session clubs, I've trained at many and with some amazing instructors who've compete all over Europe, as pointed out by somebody else, 'some' seem to want to just keep the money coming in.Also the fees are only £5 per session and you pay on the day. Other places will charge X amount for so many sessions and take it monthly. The first club I was with changed to that where it worked out that you'd pay for a month whether you attended or not. Put a lot of people off but I suspect how my club runs is in a minority.
I've also trained in places with monthly subscriptions where they actively want to churn out fighters, so unless you're prepared to put in the effort, they aren't interested in you. These places also have better bespoke facilities so the quality of training can be better. My first MMA fight at a ticketed event was also the first time I'd ever stepped in a cage!
Ours is monthly as well.
I think times have moved on with MA clubs. I did Wado BITD as a teenager and it was painful. There was this macho BS that somehow it had to be hard to be good. There is absolutely nothing macho about senior students or even instructors beating the st out of lower ranks. Fortunately this attitude has largely died out now mainly because it was always a western construct and bore little or no relation to what was happening in Japan.
The last thing I want to do (and I suspect it is the same for most people) is get hurt or injured whilst training. It is singularly pointless.
Nowadays if you find the right club you can go along, practice technique on pads and bags and get fit. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you recognise its limitations. For a lot of people in MA this is fine and if gets more people involved, so much the better.
Of course you can then make a conscious decision to step it up and get on the mats/in the ring/cage but this is a calculated risk and part of that is accepting that the likelihood of getting hurt/injured increases. But even here, unless you really are training with complete idiots, I've never been in a situation where better fighters/instructors would consciously beat the st out of you just because they can.
A decent instructor should expect his student to catch him after a year. If they can't, then he should pack in. If he then responds to be caught by beating them up then all the instructor is doing is reinforcing the fact that the student will be punished for doing well.
I think times have moved on with MA clubs. I did Wado BITD as a teenager and it was painful. There was this macho BS that somehow it had to be hard to be good. There is absolutely nothing macho about senior students or even instructors beating the s
t out of lower ranks. Fortunately this attitude has largely died out now mainly because it was always a western construct and bore little or no relation to what was happening in Japan. The last thing I want to do (and I suspect it is the same for most people) is get hurt or injured whilst training. It is singularly pointless.
Nowadays if you find the right club you can go along, practice technique on pads and bags and get fit. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you recognise its limitations. For a lot of people in MA this is fine and if gets more people involved, so much the better.
Of course you can then make a conscious decision to step it up and get on the mats/in the ring/cage but this is a calculated risk and part of that is accepting that the likelihood of getting hurt/injured increases. But even here, unless you really are training with complete idiots, I've never been in a situation where better fighters/instructors would consciously beat the s
t out of you just because they can. A decent instructor should expect his student to catch him after a year. If they can't, then he should pack in. If he then responds to be caught by beating them up then all the instructor is doing is reinforcing the fact that the student will be punished for doing well.
3 years (spread over about 4) in Wado Ryu and up to brown belt after back problems, 2 years of traditional jujitsu getting to blue belt (different grading system to Brazilian) and just started Bjj due to problems being thrown in traditional.
Just back from my 4th session of Bjj at Gracie Barra and loving it.
Got a great club with fantastic instructors and brilliant students who range from absolute beginners to pro Bjj and Mma fighters. No egos on the mat and absolute respect for every bodies grade right from the top down.
My 10 year old son also does all 3 disciplines but has reached junior black belt in karate. He likes Bjj best too.
Just back from my 4th session of Bjj at Gracie Barra and loving it.
Got a great club with fantastic instructors and brilliant students who range from absolute beginners to pro Bjj and Mma fighters. No egos on the mat and absolute respect for every bodies grade right from the top down.
My 10 year old son also does all 3 disciplines but has reached junior black belt in karate. He likes Bjj best too.
ben5575 said:
Ours is monthly as well.I think times have moved on with MA clubs. I did Wado BITD as a teenager and it was painful. There was this macho BS that somehow it had to be hard to be good. There is absolutely nothing macho about senior students or even instructors beating the st out of lower ranks. Fortunately this attitude has largely died out now mainly because it was always a western construct and bore little or no relation to what was happening in Japan.
The last thing I want to do (and I suspect it is the same for most people) is get hurt or injured whilst training. It is singularly pointless.
Nowadays if you find the right club you can go along, practice technique on pads and bags and get fit. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you recognise its limitations. For a lot of people in MA this is fine and if gets more people involved, so much the better.
Yeah, it's not a good attitude that you have to come home from a training session black and blue! Like you say, it seems to have been a more Western mentality that bred that macho crap rather than martial arts origins, which seem to be far more humble. t out of lower ranks. Fortunately this attitude has largely died out now mainly because it was always a western construct and bore little or no relation to what was happening in Japan. The last thing I want to do (and I suspect it is the same for most people) is get hurt or injured whilst training. It is singularly pointless.
Nowadays if you find the right club you can go along, practice technique on pads and bags and get fit. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you recognise its limitations. For a lot of people in MA this is fine and if gets more people involved, so much the better.
We are repeatedly reminded to be careful as it is training and we're not out to injure anyone. You get the odd bump and bruise but no one is out to send anyone off with injuries.
I guess it's about not being out to prove a point but nurturing people to be as keen and enthusiastic as you are about it.
Alex_225 said:
Yeah, it's not a good attitude that you have to come home from a training session black and blue! Like you say, it seems to have been a more Western mentality that bred that macho crap rather than martial arts origins, which seem to be far more humble.
We are repeatedly reminded to be careful as it is training and we're not out to injure anyone. You get the odd bump and bruise but no one is out to send anyone off with injuries.
I guess it's about not being out to prove a point but nurturing people to be as keen and enthusiastic as you are about it.
Same at Gracie with the Professor making it clear in both the adults and kids classes:We are repeatedly reminded to be careful as it is training and we're not out to injure anyone. You get the odd bump and bruise but no one is out to send anyone off with injuries.
I guess it's about not being out to prove a point but nurturing people to be as keen and enthusiastic as you are about it.
"look after each other"
&
"play safe"
Autopilot said:
While I'm not knocking the £5 per session clubs, I've trained at many and with some amazing instructors who've compete all over Europe, as pointed out by somebody else, 'some' seem to want to just keep the money coming in.
I've also trained in places with monthly subscriptions where they actively want to churn out fighters, so unless you're prepared to put in the effort, they aren't interested in you. These places also have better bespoke facilities so the quality of training can be better. My first MMA fight at a ticketed event was also the first time I'd ever stepped in a cage!
Sorry only just spotted this post. Yeah there's plenty of clubs out there which are run as businesses so want to keep the cash churning in.I've also trained in places with monthly subscriptions where they actively want to churn out fighters, so unless you're prepared to put in the effort, they aren't interested in you. These places also have better bespoke facilities so the quality of training can be better. My first MMA fight at a ticketed event was also the first time I'd ever stepped in a cage!
The first club I trained with went from paying on the day to monthly sessions and if I'm honest it was pretty clear why. The chap who ran it gave up his day job to run the club as his business as well.
I'm lucky now that the fees go directly to the club and it's not run as a business. In terms of the overall mentality behind the club, people are encouraged to go as far as they want to go. So there is an element of competitiveness but more so an encouragement to be fitter, be able to defend yourself etc. The option is there to compete but more in a traditional sense than an MMA/Cage type situation.
Our club policy was to take it easy on lower grades than you, any higher grade was fair game (within reason) as they should be better than you.
I had upset my instructor, he wanted to prove a point so he got a green belt who had not graded for a long time so was probably brown/black belt standard to hammer me to make a point, seen as fair game as I was theoretically a brown belt, despite not having trained for a long time!
Rarely did anybody receive injuries, just when our instructor thought he had a point to prove. He could be thoroughly nasty when he wanted to be, usually made his favourites work hardest, sadly I was one of his favourites being the highest graded student & used to help instruct, mainly the kids.
We used to have about 30 kids train twice a week, they paid the rent so they had it quite easy. We then had on average less than ten adults as we trained hard & most didn't stick it, those that did were very good though.
Sounds brutal by todays standards, maybe it was but I saw people like Alfie Lewis threaten far, far worse!
I had upset my instructor, he wanted to prove a point so he got a green belt who had not graded for a long time so was probably brown/black belt standard to hammer me to make a point, seen as fair game as I was theoretically a brown belt, despite not having trained for a long time!
Rarely did anybody receive injuries, just when our instructor thought he had a point to prove. He could be thoroughly nasty when he wanted to be, usually made his favourites work hardest, sadly I was one of his favourites being the highest graded student & used to help instruct, mainly the kids.
We used to have about 30 kids train twice a week, they paid the rent so they had it quite easy. We then had on average less than ten adults as we trained hard & most didn't stick it, those that did were very good though.
Sounds brutal by todays standards, maybe it was but I saw people like Alfie Lewis threaten far, far worse!
White, red, yellow, green; Year 1
blue, purple, Year 2
brown, Year 3
brown, Year 4
brown, Year 5
black, End of Year 6
Above assumes you're training say 4 times per week every week and committed/making progress. Guidance only obviously but it is generally in that sort of timescale.
Vast majotity of people tend to drop out after month 1, month 3, end of Year 2, mid Brown belts. 100/1 is the commonly held ratio (bullst?) new start to getting their black belt.
blue, purple, Year 2
brown, Year 3
brown, Year 4
brown, Year 5
black, End of Year 6
Above assumes you're training say 4 times per week every week and committed/making progress. Guidance only obviously but it is generally in that sort of timescale.
Vast majotity of people tend to drop out after month 1, month 3, end of Year 2, mid Brown belts. 100/1 is the commonly held ratio (bulls
t?) new start to getting their black belt.Interesting to see how other clubs work with their grading system. At the Kung-Fu club I was at first, there tended to just be three sashes but less emphasis was on grading. The only guy I knew of who got his black sash had trained for 11 years!
Where I am now the belt grades go white, red, orange, green, blue, purple/white, purple, brown/white, brown and finally black. In theory you can grade every 6 months which is hard work but gives you something to aim for. Often the higher belts take longer as the expectations obviously increase so you have to be sharper, fitter etc.
To train for a the first dan grade, there is a minimum of a years training which you are invited to partake in so it's a really big jump from brown to black.
Where I am now the belt grades go white, red, orange, green, blue, purple/white, purple, brown/white, brown and finally black. In theory you can grade every 6 months which is hard work but gives you something to aim for. Often the higher belts take longer as the expectations obviously increase so you have to be sharper, fitter etc.
To train for a the first dan grade, there is a minimum of a years training which you are invited to partake in so it's a really big jump from brown to black.
Daniel San, belt is for holding up trousers.
- Mr Miyagi.
It was emphasised to me when I got both my black belts that the black belt signified the beginning of the journey, the end of the start nothing more than that.
Obviously within a year I'd slowly given up those arts and moved onto something else...
- Mr Miyagi.
It was emphasised to me when I got both my black belts that the black belt signified the beginning of the journey, the end of the start nothing more than that.
Obviously within a year I'd slowly given up those arts and moved onto something else...
FredClogs said:
It was emphasised to me when I got both my black belts that the black belt signified the beginning of the journey, the end of the start nothing more than that.
Obviously within a year I'd slowly given up those arts and moved onto something else...
I would agree that a dan grading is far from being the end of the line in terms of learning. I suspect many people get their black belt, which as western as it is, should be a huge achievement and then stop there. Where as there are additional dan gradings that you can complete which are hugely involved. Obviously within a year I'd slowly given up those arts and moved onto something else...
That said, I knew of someone who did some kind of MMA and was able to grade every three months. Potentially ending up a black belt within a couple of years. I can't help thinking that it waters down the credibility somewhat.
HotJambalaya said:
Anyone done Krav Maga? thinking of giving that a bash
Did taekwondo years ago, but stopped once I hit uni.
Krav Maga does intrigue me as it sounds like a combination of other martial arts put together for realistic situations. Did taekwondo years ago, but stopped once I hit uni.
HotJambalaya said:
Anyone done Krav Maga? thinking of giving that a bash
Did taekwondo years ago, but stopped once I hit uni.
Did uni hit back?Did taekwondo years ago, but stopped once I hit uni.
Krav Maga, like anything, is very teacher dependent, just go and if the teacher seems like he's not a prick you might learn something useful, like how to punch like a girl.
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