Looking to start training in martial arts

[B0ARDIN087]

im looking to start training in some martial arts. I am a tall kid and am wondering if there is sites which summmarize alot of the popular kinds. My friend takes kung fu and thi chi and really likes them. I may start training with him. Also what is a good monthly rate to look for. His gym charges 100 per month? thanks

 

[MR.DUMBELL]

what for style are you looking for theres alot of them. Theirs stand up matrial arts like kicking boxing, kung fu, karte, theres a bunch more but just to give you some ideas. I do ju jitsu which is like wrestling in a way but alot of ground work alot of submission

 

[B0ARDIN087]

standup....

 

[Gearhead77]

There are a bunch of good styles if your are wanting to get into stand up fighting just be sure to check out a few classes prior to enrolling. I train in Muay Thai and love it to death because it is very effective in the real world. I also train in BJJ so that i can defend myself when a fight goes to the ground. (they always end up on the ground and if you think differently you will be in trouble) Just be sure to train in something that make you a good all-around fighter.

 

[B0ARDIN087]

what is bjj? u guys all appreviate everything haha. what is muay thai a mix of. my friend's gym is eagle claw kung fu. its like strenghening your fingers to deal blows to pressure points and break bones with your fingers....... i dont know is muay thai alot of tosses or kicks or waht.... thats they kind of info im loooking for.

 

[leatherface]

First off, I definitely wouldn't say a fight ALWAYS ends up on the ground...but nonetheless be prepared for it.

Anyhow, BJJ stands for Brazilian Jui-jistu. Just type that in on a search engine and find all the info you need. Its pretty much a style that covers all the ground fighting you would ever need & more.
Muay Thai is alot of kicks, knees, punches and elbows. Not too many throws or anything else(although other things are incorporated, dont get me wrong).

Anything else?

 

[Gearhead77]

Yeah not ALL fights end up on the ground, but the majority of them do so be prepared. Leatherface is right though about Muay Thai where you use all of your body as weapons. You kick with your shins, and some with your feet, and use alot of punches (most are very similar to boxing), along with your knees and elbows (my favorite because you don't hurt yourself throwing elbows, no fingers to break!). It gives a great cardio workout and has been proven to be effective in many MMA events.

 

[MikeMartial]

Really, it all depends on what YOU want. Are you interested in an effective, take-to-the-street style? Traditional asian style? More of a cardio workout? You need to find the answers to these, first.

If your tall, and not that it matters, kickboxing or Tae Kwon Do may be for you, because of a limb length advantage. Other than that, no style is suited for a bodytype.

As far as rate, 100 bucks a month is WAY overpriced. Most gyms in my area (Alberta, Canada) are around 50-60 bucks a month, with an unlimited schedule. I wouldn't pay 100 buck a month no matter who was teaching.

PS, you may find Tai Chi a bit boring.

 

[tbuz67]

Regarding fights going to the ground, I've been in 22 street fights, and about 1/3 of them went to the ground. I fought a majority of them with just a basic training in strikes and most of them were fought standing up. My longest stand-up fight lasted about 20 minutes against a guy who was a letterman wrestler in school. He didn't even try to take me to the ground, for some reason. My longest ground fight lasted about 25 mins with me against another wrestler, with me being on the bottom for about 22 of those minutes. That was when I was 19, back in '89. Back then, everyone trained in primarily striking, me included. I had no groundfighting knowledge whatsoever. I took a pretty good beating that day. But out of those 22 fights, every one was different, none resembled another. Some took place in snow, some on gravel, grass, pavement, some inside. Some took place in daytime, others in the dark. Some were fast-paced, some were slow. Some ended quickly, others dragged on. I was angered in some, scared to death in others. Some I took a serious beating, others I didn't have a scratch. I've suffered black eyes, broken nose 3 times, loose teeth, stitches, and overall bruised face and cut/puffed lip(s).
After I began studying muay thai & jujitsu, I've had one fight since then in, '99. The jujitsu worked great, with the fight lasting with only one punch swung, and me taking the guy to the ground. It was over in under 2 mins.
If I were to tell someone what to study, my answer would have to be to study it all. You simply don't know what the circumstances are going to be in the event of a physical altercation.
NHB events have shown us that a good groundfighter will likely defeat a stand up striker. Remember, though, that the majority of those on the street aren't versed in anything. Keep in mind, though, that even though someone isn't formally trained in a specific fighting style, doesn't mean they aren't going to know how to fight. I've seen, more than once, a very skilled karate practitioner get his ass whupped by an experienced street fighter with no formal self-defense training. I've also seen many practitioners of stand up striking (boxing, karate, tae kwon do) beat the crap out of others who thought they could fight.
No matter what you choose to study, you'll have an edge over those who have no ambition/drive into putting the effort into studying anything at all.