Returning to Martial Arts

I have studied martial arts on and off for about 10 years – the first 5 were the most continuous and intense.

I loved it – although I am the first to admit that the club I trained in wasn’t exactly official.  The instructor was very good, but we weren’t affiliated with any known body.  The style was that good old generic ‘kick boxing, tae kwon do, thai boxing’ that was all the rage :)

Anyway, I have decided to get back into it for a number of reasons:

• it *really* helps with fitness.  I need to lose a couple of stone, and this is the quickest way I know how
• helps keep depression and stress (both of which like to come knocking on my door) at bay
• it is just really good fun getting into it with a bag!

As a practicing (I hate that word!) Christian I will be staying clear of any martial arts which have a spiritual dimension to them.  This is actually very hard and rules out a lot of the arts I would have chosen (aikido, bushido, kung fu for example).

My checklist for the art is as follows:

• clear strategy for charting progress (i.e. belts/gradings).  I know they are meaningless, but I give up easily if I have cannot *see* the progression
• include offense and defence and optionally weapons
• focus on technique as oppose to ‘hit the other guy harder’
• include sparring – I love semi-contact

Note: I don’t really care about it’s suitability for getting out of a ‘real fight’.

My checklist for the school is as follows:

• an instructor I can learn from
• enough students to provide a varied learning experience
• friendly, but challenging
• similar beliefs – i.e. egos left at the door

The checklist for the school is more important than for the art itself.  I definitely need the right external environment in which to learn – the subject matter in this case is less relevant, at least for the next year or so.

So, my journey continues/resumes.  From looking around my local area, I have two choices:

• Taw Kwon Do
• Jiu Jitsu

My concern about JJ is that it will turn into a ‘how to roll around the floor’ which I am not particularly interested in.  I get it’s potential, and I want it, but I want the offensive striking and the defensive throws as well.

My concern about TKD is that it doesn’t offer enough of the ‘intercept and throw’ skills – but I don’t really know enough about it.

Anyway, over the next few weeks I will either be visiting lots of different schools or I will have found one and studying there!  Tonight is (hopefully) http://www.martialartsleicester.co.uk/page/where_we_train.  I will let you know how I get on.