NeilT

just interested, as the title says I've recently gone back to Karate after an 11 year break.

Many reasons for returning to it, namely fitness (got bored swimming twice a week), something to work towards (back in the grading system where I left off at 5kyu - Purple belt, and determined to at least hit a dan grade this time round), and the usual club atmospere. Got to say my legs and soles of my feet were killing me the first week

Also I'm enjoying it more this time than when I previous studied it - part of which may be a different sensei.

So - anyone else studying a martial art?

Neil

ps - and please, lets not turn this into a 'kung fu XXX is better than karate YYY thread' or 'they're all crap' thread etc

OllyK

Does water colour count? If so pig bristle brushes are better than badger

NeilT

yes - thanks for the input

hectic

im an artist ..... specially on friday and saturday nights!!!!!

brihoppy

i was in nottingham the other week and noticed a disturbing amount of kickboxing paraphernalia dangling from various chavmobiles around the city centre...made me think twice about going out that night...!!!

OllyK

Just because a nova has a big zorst doesn't mean it has 300bhp, likewise a pair of boxing gloves doesn't mean the guy can fight. Mind you with a head to head in the car it's only your pride that'll get hurt if you're wrong

brihoppy

yeah, and they might be crap kickboxers but think theyre not...thats the scary part...!!! dont get me wrong, done a bit of queensbury rules in my time, but i dont want some jackie f***ing chan wannabe kicking off in front of his gormless mates because i looked at his birds pint...!

still a good night though, senoritas was good but what a rip off...!!!

Freak

wax on ....wax off.....

moses

man i miss it, im so rusty and not as fit as i used to be, i used to luv it

just dont have the time now

SiPie

Still keep my hand it at Lau Gar Kung Fu



PS It's better than Karate

Less rigid

Only joking mate...good for you in making the effort to return after so long

16vmarc

I did it 15 years ago. Got to yellow belt.

Stupid

I practise No-Kan-Doo

I'm good as well.

NeilT

Moses - you sound like me a few months back - get back into it - find the time - you know you want to.

NeilT

Tried Lau gar over at Woking (Surrey) about 15 yrs back for a few months - was a good class, Neville somebody or other was the instructor then, guess hes still around

Bonehead

I'm gonna start learning Krav Maga

Focusbird

Nice one for going back to it

I did kickboxing for 5 years, then gave it up to have my son, tried to go back a couple of years ago and just couldn't keep up. The instructor was a complete arsehole who got a kick out of smacking you around the back of your head with his foot if he thought you weren't trying hard enough (at sit ups ffs) so after my first smack I decided not to go back. Think I've matured a bit since I first did it, all I could think was "I paid £3.50 for this lesson and I get smacked cos I couldn't do the sit ups - well sod that!"

It is a damn sight more interesting than swimming though

jpor

iTrader: (1)

I was thinking about doing this myself. I too reached purple belt (5th kyu with Tab) when I was training in shukakai karate. But had to give it up due to cost and School. Was thinking of taking it up again. I take it you had to do a refresher on your katas? Can't remember too much about the ones I had to do. Found karate better than ju-jitsu. Only managed yellow belt in ju-jitsu and then got bored.

Ben WRX Bug-Eye

Off on a tangent I know, but when was the last time you saw a one on one fight? These days its often a group against a sole person. No matter how much martial arts has been done done - still probably going to take a kicking.

Hol

iTrader: (1)

Karate - twice - to - three times a week.

I also had a long break before getting back into it. And only did so when my son started training with my old sensei at 4yrs old (wish my dad had let me start that early!).

I found the hardest thing was that my body had changed with not stretching before and after training down the gym, and I had minimal flexibility.
It gets easier

Edited to say:

We had a couple Ju-jitsu Black belts come to the lesson on a type of exchange relationship to share tricks between disciplines. Some of the 'holds' we learnt, I was impressed with and would use them given the need to be that close.
My only problem was they picked on me a lot to demonstrate, being a big guy
And I couldn't shake peoples hands the next day......

dij

I also would like to start martial arts training again,but like so many others,dont get the time (and am too bloody tired after work).

Tried qite a few different ones and found that the traditional ones like Tang su do,or Tae kwang do are too harsh on the joints,then theres kickboxing (more a sport than art) which seems to have the same problem every club you go to....youll end up getting punched or kicked as part of your training (WTF!).Thai boxing is a compromise between traditional arts and the modern kickboxing,but i would still come home with fookin bruises!!

Wouldnt mind trying something less harsh on the body.......any ideas?

BTW,well done for getting back into it and keep it up......but careful with the locking of joints during punches,blocks and kicks,I do know of a person that suffered quite badly with joint problems in his late 40's who was a 2nd dan black belt in karate.

PhilA

I do Lau Gar kick boxing 3 times a week (used to do Lau Gar kung fu) and our classes are very friendly and no one gets hurt.
If you are thinking of doing martial arts, forget all the excuses and just do it. You may feel tired after work but when you get to the class and start you will be wide awake and ready to go, trust me.

Phil

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

I did Jiu Jitsu about 8 years ago; if nothing else it was good exercise, and about the only time in my life I've ever been properly 'fit'.

I got to light blue (comes after yellow, orange, green and purple - the sequence is a bit unusual), but I certainly wouldn't wear that belt if I started again now. I've forgotten most of the syllabus and there's no way I'd be able to last a session at that level without collapsing with exhaustion. Instead I'd start again as a novice and build up my skill and fitness again gradually, there's no sense getting in over your head and getting hurt.

Good luck with it though, I used to really enjoy it but stopped after I had to move and didn't get on with the local sensei. Maybe it's time to look at it again.

Dazzler

NeilT - was it Nevil Ray (sp) 15 years ago that taught you?

I gave up about 15 years ago too. Was studying the Shotokan form of karate in Egham. The class was pretty large, but had a great atmosphere. Anyone who got too big for their boots were brought down to size in the nicest possible way. The head sensei was a calm, funny and cool bloke of about 40.

Unfortunately, when I went to do Manchester for my degree I had to leave. I joined a club up there, but that lasted 3 months. The sensei there was the complete opposite - a complete and utter grade A w@nker! He constantly threw his weight about, intimidating newcomers by showing off to the girls in the class.
The the thing that finally made me jack it in was seeing him lay in to two blokes that accidentally got changed in the girls changing rooms before going off to play footy. In front of the whole class he slammed them up against the wall and belittled them for his own ego trip!

Was thinking about taking up something again like yourself. Lesson learnt is that the sensei and club atmosphere is key.

The good thing to come out of doing it way back was that I could put it on my CV and mention that it provided me with mental focus and mind discipline Think I might remove that now!!!

MJW

British Kung-Fu

NeilT

[QUOTE=Dazzler]NeilT - was it Nevil Ray (sp) 15 years ago that taught you?

That was him - had a few lessons with him in the midst of learning Wado Ryu karate - he knew his stuff but I preferred the teching methods of our Karate Sensei at the time.

NeilT

Yes - I've spent a few classed and many evenings trying to sort one kata from another - suprisingly, I've managed to re-learn the first 5 (up to Godan)fairly quickly ( a few weeks)- Karate seems a little like riding a bike in that aspect.

This time round I spent a while trying to find the 'right' class for me - rather than just jumping to the local Karate club. Also, would agree - lots of clubs run by macho meat heads of the 'Cobra Khan disclipine'

The one I went for is based in Leicester (bit of a trek for me) and is one of the only ones I found teaching the raw 'traditional' Karate (Shotokan), not a westernised competition version (nothing wrong with the latter, mind you, just prefer the traditional side). The Sensei, is also early 40's and has a very good teaching method. Strict, but patient and certainly no 'meat-head'.

As far as time goes, I've 3 kids and a business to run, so its tough finding the time to get out, but by shuffling a few things around its achieveable.

I'd urge anyone who is thinging about going back to just do it - well worth it, for many reasons.

Neil

Hol

iTrader: (1)

Don't you man like riding a horse??? - kiba-dachi

I found the memory of the Kata's there, but the detailed memory of timing and correct co-ordination, took a bit longer to remember.

Practice does make better - Not perfect!

My Sensei is very old school and teaches very much in the traditional japanese style. I prefer it that way as there is no ego from anyone.

He's very good with the kids and makes them recite a Kun every lesson about restraint and respecting others etc..

Focusbird

You could always try something like boxfit or boxercise at your local gym/health club, may be called something different near you. They're loosely based on boxing techniques but you don't actually have to spar, it concentrates on the fitness side