Martial arts?

[Jaakko]

I've finally decided to get rid of the flabby me and start on a martial art in the summer. I'd prefer a relatively down-to-earth art (ie. one that isn't built around difficult techniques, like high kicks), and one that's useful for self-defence as well.

So, what's good and what's not?

[David Floyd]

Muay Thai kickboxing is excellent.

Brazilian Jiujitsu is also excellent.

If you are looking for a good mix of realistic striking and grappling, find a good place for Valetudo.

I've heard good things about Krav Maga, also.

Jeet kune do is a possibility, but only as a last resort, IMO.

Outside of those, I wouldn't take anything, at least not if you want good self defense skills.

[Zero]

Originally posted by David Floyd
Muay Thai kickboxing is excellent.

Brazilian Jiujitsu is also excellent.

If you are looking for a good mix of realistic striking and grappling, find a good place for Valetudo.

I've heard good things about Krav Maga, also.

Jeet kune do is a possibility, but only as a last resort, IMO.

Outside of those, I wouldn't take anything, at least not if you want good self defense skills.

How can you tell them apart? Martial arts have adopted so much with one another they all look like just clone of one another these days..

[David Floyd]

Martial arts have adopted so much with one another they all look like just clone of one another these days..

Take something like Karate or Tae Kwon Do on the one hand, and something like BJJ or Muay Thai on the other, and you can see a drastic difference in both style and effectiveness.

[loinburger]

I took Hapkido for several years, and it was a pretty practical martial art IMO -- it was mostly just learning balance, focus, and ways to break somebody's wrist (e.g. "If they do this, then you do this and break their wrist" -- after awhile it became pretty intuitive).

It's fine for self-defense, but not so good for getting in shape -- for that, go with kickboxing.

[Jaakko]

Speaking of kickboxing, Savate was also one of my options (or should it be called Boxe Francaise?), with English boxing and Savate legwork. The interesting part was that they use shoes for kicking, which seems much more attractive than trying to harden your shins like they do in Muay Thai.

Grappling seems like a skill that's good to have, but I'm not familiar with the different schools at all.

And Jeet Kune Do, isn't it more of a philosophy than a single art?

Finally, Krav Maga probably isn't for me, since they seem to focus on speed which isn't really my thing. I've also heard people say it's a "McDojo", which seems quite possible when you consider that it was developed for a military.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Jaakko
Grappling seems like a skill that's good to have, but I'm not familiar with the different schools at all.

AFAIK grappling falls under two broad categories -- hard forms (Judo) and soft forms (Hapkido). In hard forms the emphasis is on strength, e.g. throwing people. In soft forms the emphasis is on hitting the other guy's weaknesses, e.g. breaking their wrist. The former is a lot better for competitions and staying in shape, the latter is a lot better IMO for real-life fights since it's more adaptable.

[Pekka]

Jaakko, where do you live? Training is very limited to your location in Finland.

There are only few good, working with good trainers and gyms.. so kickboxing and Muay Thai is pretty easy to find here, but BJJ is not (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), also you can't find Jeet Kune Do in Finland. I would say go with Shootfighting and pick up kickboxing or muay thai too at the same time, or pick one up if you feel it's necessary, as Shootfighting wouldn't give you so good stand up. Well it does, but you should also train those.
I don't know too much about Savate, I think it's pretty ok though, but hard to find good gym and trainers here.
At least with those I guarantee a hell of a work out couple times a week. beefcake.. BEEEFCAAAKE!

[Pekka]

But I would also give good thought what David Floyd tells you. If it's possible, you should take up those he mentioned, start with one and then add, so you know it's for you and don't pay for nothing if you get tired of it ... (but you won't, you get addicted).
Some of them just depends very much where you live.

[Pekka]

loinburger, just as long mister x won't fall into trying something that doesn't work in real situation . Smash the face in, good hard low kicks and solid knees.. One thinks it's not wise to go on the ground in streets if possible...

.. but naturally the ones you spoke of gives decent techniques. My personal preference just is to stare the guy down, then punch his face in, and when he's knocked out and lying on the ground.. then go for braking the wrist .

j/k

[Jaakko]

I'm in Helsinki.

I found a link to a Savate school here, so it's definitely an option. If nothing else, they have some really flashy pics from matches.

[Pekka]

Ok, you should have no problems then. Pretty much everything is covered in Helsinki, so you shouldn't have any problems.

[Jaakko]

BTW, I found an absolutely cool (and silly) link on Savate of old, http://www.savateaustralia.com . I want to learn Jacket Fu!

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Pekka
loinburger, just as long mister x won't fall into trying something that doesn't work in real situation

Oh, absolutely, never trust a martial art that doesn't have a "backup plan" to it. F'rinstance, Hapkido was mostly about breaking wrists or arms or kidneys or whatever, but the instructors fully acknowledged that not everybody was going to be fazed by things like that, so they also taught backup plans like kicking out the guy's kneecaps, or crushing his windpipe, or stabbing him in the face, or whatever.

I knew too many people in jr. high and high school who were psyched up about learning martial arts, but whenever they'd try to demonstrate their techniques on me they'd inevitably fail. "Ok Kevin, grab my shoulder, and I'll throw you!" "No, no, don't grab my shoulder like that, grab it like this." "No, you're holding on too tight. Just kind of, I dunno, rest your hand on my shoulder. And I'll throw you." "Dammit, you're heavier than I thought. **** you, hater." If a martial art only works when the other guy is cooperating, then it's useless.

[Jaakko]

Pekka, any idea how good Combat Academy is as a school?