I was wondering if anyone here actually practices martial arts regularly, as a hobby and/or really like them. Not just the 'kicking ass' part of them, but the things behind.

By things behind, I mean not the old "strengthen your mind and body" talk, but what real effects the practicing of a martial art has in the character of someone. Practical stuff. For example, capoeira isn't based on honour or discipline, it's based on trickery and wits.

I myself am a capoeirista, have been practicing it for about 11 months now, and I just love the thing. Though I appreciate every other martial art in their own ways, except for wrestling. Wrestling is ridiculous, in my opinion. Boxing is cool, but it's become too sportive for my taste.

Muay Thai, Wu Shu, some kinds of Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, Aikido... there are a lot of interesting disciplines of martial arts out there.

Has anyone interest for the topic?

I have interests in Kung-fu and Jui-Jitsu, but I don't really have the time to practice either of them.

I used to practice Taekwondo, i enjoyed it, too. i quit in the end after they started letting kids into the classes... turned into a nursery :s

but in hear what you were saying, scrapper. When i was going to the classes, i found it easier to apply myself adn work at other things, though i am by nature lazy. i guess i could do with some of that nowadays

nice topic, though.

I used to be a Green Belt in Okinawa Kempo-style of karate. I even had a chance to meet Master Odo, who created the style, once and shook his hand.

I had just gotten the chance to have a bo stick and do katas with it. I didn't stick with it, though, because I was forced into it in the first place.

let me guess, when you shook his hand, he went 'SURPRISE!!' and threw you to the floor effortlessly?

thats what i'd do to people if i was a grandmaster XD

juvenile, but hey.

my brother has recently started doing ninjitsu, he hasn't gotten annoying about it yet which is amazing. usually the minute he starts something it's a constant barrage of everything he knows about it which is inevitable more than you ever will no matter what the subject even if it is your field of study. No Matter What.

He did Sun Hang Do for a while and Karate for about a week before that, but he quit both of those ages ago. ^__^ me and my mom are almost taking bets on how long this ninjitsu thing will last. he is really getting into it though, apparantly he took down his friend before he even thought about it the other day.

personally i have never done martial arts, just dance. which is an art, so it's sort of close. Capoira is a lot like dancing i think >___> break dancing... except its KICK YOUR ASS AMAZING WOW break dancing/hip hop thinger... it's cool.

Taekwondo is sooo nice. As a capoeirista, I'm a kicking enthusiast =P and Taekwondo is great at that.

I always thought Kempo and Karate were different disciplines, being Kempo a chinese version of the western boxing/kickboxing. But I never really researched it, am I wrong?

Never heard of Sun Hang Do, but it sounds korean. And korean fights are usually very peculiar and interesting ^^

Ninjutsu kicks ass. Veeery nice. But I think the only counterpoint is that it's based too much on weapons and tools. I personally prefer training with the body. Weapons are cool, but NOTHING can beat the body. Nothing.

And about capoeira, it's a fight that looks like a dance to someone who watches. Well, maybe because of the music... And because 90% of the capoeira shown to the world is nothing but flips, tricks and groundwork. That's SHOW capoeira. FIGHT capoeira is completely different. It's so dangerous, that it was forbidden (that's right, AGAINST THE LAW) in the early 1900's in Brasil. If anyone's interested, I can post a little summary of capoeira's story. It's a pretty nice one.

Oh, i had black belt on karate just last year and i'm starting on nijutsu about February last month.And both of'em isn't really that difficult.

Yeah! You should do a "History of Capoira" article skyscrapper ^___^

you know, like, if you want to. because that probably would be quite a bit of work.

Be@uty_Queen - that's cool that you have a black belt at your age ^_^ I guess starting ninjutsu wouldn't be too difficult if you are already that good at karate eh.

Yeah well, it's no biggie Sumisem.When you're talented you could do anything!

A History of capoeira archive would be easy to do, since it's quite a recent martial arts. Unlike milenar disciplines like karate or kung fu, capoeira was created in the 1800's. Not by wise monks. It was developped by black slaves.

More details in the article to come ;P

Wow, you must be really good on the History subject, huh?

Girl, when you really like something, when you really enjoy something by heart, researching and learning about it isn't a burden, it's a pleasure

Yeah, of course.And when i'm super talented, i just do my thang!

Yeah, my f*cking uncle *ahem*

I used to pratice at the Okinawa Kenpo Karate School.

But Sense Epps did things so slow, not to mention I was the last of my siblings to quit....with a white belt and three orange stripes.

<ignorance>
And how far is that? O.o
</ignorance>

white? im guessing not all that far ^_^

most of the time, white symbolises the 'birth of an initiate into the martial art', or similar hocus pocus. iunno how it worked for you.

In capoeira, each different group uses its own grading system.

On mine, white is the first one, for beginners. But it's also called a 'raw' corda, because it's not painted.

In some groups they really make a difference between raw corda and the white one (really PAINTED white). In those cases, the painted one is usually the highest graduation for the master.

I don't know the graduation system for other martial arts...

This afternoon i'm gonna take ninjutsu class!It's really gonna be fun!

My lead guitarist was a blackbelt at 14, or something along those lines, in taekwondo.
He's now drunken himself a bit sluggish, but whenever we'd end up swinging I was always a bit wary of him.
Personally I'm not sure what to make of it, though, I've fought several individuals with noticably ranking martial arts belts...but I'm not sure if they were just 'Oh, yeah, ignore that color, he's from Missouri' type people, because I was pretty decisively winning.
You do manage some odd stuff when it's for money, though, and it does seem to me that many don't actually comprehend martial arts in its application, no matter their rank.
I'm just a lazy ass alcoholic observer, however, so meh to all of you energetic bad ass illegal dancers who take heads off with feet.