martial arts training

[PWHerman]

I've seen a lot of threads on martial arts training here, and there really seems to be a lot of people here who really know their stuff.

I've been thinking about taking up a martial art. I'm not going to ask which one should I take because I think that topic has probably been beaten to death but I do have a few questions if anyone could help out.

First, how much does it cost to get good training? Secondly, how often should you train every week? Finally, how can you tell a good school from a bad one?

Any help that could be offered would be appreciated.

[henrikrh]

A good school of martial arts is one you enjoy and that caters to your need, do you want self-defence, control, fitness, competitive sport or some combination thereof?

Price can vary, if you go to university or live near a university there might be a club and it will likely be cheaper.

You should train as often as possible without losing intrest or having it affect important other things in your life. I train for 2 hours 3 times a week. I do karate, but at a club that is very unorthodox and does alot of throws, ground work, locks etc. and I love it so far. I've been there for about 10 months now.

[traz]

The cost of good training varies alot depending on where you live and what you decide to take up. To give you something to gauge by though, when I did traditional Hapkido it averaged about 10 dollars for an hour long class, and my brazilian jujitsu and boxing classes are closer to 8 dollars a class. At my university, classes are much cheaper than the ones I take. I usually go in about 3 times a week.

As for how to tell a good school, looking at the class is a great start, seeing what kind of methods of teaching the instructor uses, whether it goes well with you and fits your needs/objectives. Looking at the higher-up students and seeing their form is also usually a good indication, and asking lots of questions helps. A good instructor will always answer your questions.

[MelchyBeau]

I am considering going to ken-po classes. has anyone had any experience in that form of martial art?

Melch

[aheravi]

Probably not as important, but check to see what 'style' they teach to see if that fits what you want. I studied Shotokan for a while, which is a 'hard' style...teaches multiple moves, but emphasizes more direct punches, kicks, etc.

A soft style has more sweeping motions, chops, etc. Just whatever floats your boat. But I agree with the other posters that you need to make sure you enjoy it first.

[New001]

I trained for roughly 9 years at a Tae Kwon Do school that borrowed from all kinds of other styles, and I taught classes there for about 4 years. So, take this for what it's worth.

I trained anywhere from 2-5 times per week. I started at three times per week, ended up at four or five per week for about a year, and then injuries forced me to take it easy. I'd say train as much as your body lets you, but definitely don't overdo it. Two or three times per week should be fine.

When you're looking for a good school, definitely ask to watch a class first. Preferably the same class you'll be training in, I'd say. Here are some things I would be looking for.

When the instructor teaches a student something, how well do they demonstrate it? The teacher shouldn't just be at the front of the room talking and counting.

How disciplined is the class? If there are younger students, it shouldn't look like a school recess. If they're older, they shouldn't be talking about their work or their family. When the instructor speaks, do the students listen?

Does it look like the students "get it?" The best way for you to tell how good the class is is how good the students are. If they're all falling over each other, chances are they're missing something, and if a lot of students are like that, the instructor is likely to blame. The students should also seem motivated to learn and look like they're enjoying themselves.

How strict is the instructor? If a student makes a mistake, does the instructor help him out or does he just punish him? The former is obviously good, the latter is mostly useless. The teaching should be mostly strict, but not mean. Think Mr. Miyagi, not Cobra Kai.

There's a few more things you could look for, but I think these are pretty important.

[Gunny Highway]

[ QUOTE ]
I am considering going to ken-po classes. has anyone had any experience in that form of martial art?

Melch

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never seen it hyphenated but there are several forms of kenpo that are very different. American Kenpo, Chinese Kenpo, Okkinawan Kenpo, then there's the alternate Kempo spelling. Anyway you'd need to be more specific to get any meaningful response.

[livinitup0]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I am considering going to ken-po classes. has anyone had any experience in that form of martial art?

Melch

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never seen it hyphenated but there are several forms of kenpo that are very different. American Kenpo, Chinese Kenpo, Okkinawan Kenpo, then there's the alternate Kempo spelling. Anyway you'd need to be more specific to get any meaningful response.

[/ QUOTE ]

Kenpo teaches striking while blocking....like if a punch is thrown you deflect with the left hand and uppercut strike the elbow at the same time.

Kenpo is actualy really cool. Teaches a lot of hand eye coordination. Most Kenpo schools usually teach katana too. Swords are definately +EV.

But the end all be all is animal styles Kung Fu. End of story.

If you'd like some more info there was a show on TLC about the top 10 deadliest martial arts...you can probably buy the DVD.

[turnipmonster]

I am not one of the people that really knows their stuff, but I have been looking for a school recently and have gotten some really good advice. the big thing is research, research, research. you definitely want to observe a class, also you want to find out about the lineage of the school and try to understand the history behind it and how it relates to the style. in kung fu at least there are different branches of the same style, so make sure you know what you're taking.

also sometimes names of styles are very similar. an example is northern praying mantis and southern praying mantis kung fu. the two styles are completely and totally different, one is relatively popular and has many branches, the other is fairly esoteric and has few branches.

--turnipmonster

[sandycove]

I would suggest Tai Chi Chuan/Push Hands/Chi Kung.

But only if you have a proper teacher in your area -- either connected directly to traditional Yang style and Master John Ding or Cheng Man Ching short form via Grandmaster William Chen or Master Benjamin Lo. Your teacher is far more important than the style. Most everyone out there is doing it wrong. Sadly, they don't know any better. More sadly, they are just waving at the air.