QOTD: Your Martial Art?

[atlasien]

Have you studied a martial art? What is it?
For how long?
Why did you start?
Why did you stop, if you stopped?
What did you love or hate about it?

[lopan]

Fantastic QOTD!

I started with Shotokan when I was 9. Competed and did very well in Kata. Eventually I moved on and studied Shaolin Kung Fu, TaiChi (just dancing with old people), dabbled in a bit of Capoeira, learned some TKD basics, until I arrived at Wing Chun.

Wing Chun is my base. I started that in 1999. It forms the core of my martial discipline and my personal discipline. It gives me strength and it governs many of my personal philosophies. My instinct these days is always a wing chun one. My first reaction is to move via wing chun. Direct. Drive through.

Unfortunately (like many WC practitioners) I became a bit disillusioned. WC guys are really cocky and believe their hands to be impenetrable. They train a very SPECIFIC subset of fighting -- close and spontaneous combat -- and believe that anything further than this dilutes your ability to be able to react instinctively. That bothered me. I also eventually began to doubt my ability to stop an agressor. I wasn't sure if my punches had the amount of stopping power I wanted to knock down say, a 200+lbs man charging at me. Sure, a WC practitioner can fire off a flurry of punches quickly (the venerable WC chain punch) but i was not confident that it would work against someone with a strong jaw.

About a year ago I began training traditional Muay Thai. My private instructor is one of the best in the World (as ranked by the World Muay Thai Institute) and I'm in the best shape of my life now. Furthermore, I've been given tools that have given me enormous confidence in my stopping power.

My style is now a mix between Wing Chun principles and Muay Thai power. I guess I see it as two different levels; whereas my WC is "soft", my MT is "hard" and I'll switch between both depending on the nature of my opponent.

[jaehwan]

I'm actually surprised there are not more Wing Chun guys in mixed martial arts. Those fuckers know how to hit hard. But I think you're right; there seems to be a disconnect between the way a Wing Chun fighter sees fighting and what really happens.

I do judo. Judo, I think, is effective for basic fighting. But if you want to do MMA, even World Champion Mike Swain acknowledges that you still need to go beyond and study some form of striking.

I'd love to do Muay Thai, but I don't know if I'll ever have the time for it.

[minbo]

I studied Capoeria for a year, but I was no good and I my schedule did not allow me to go as often as I should have, so I stopped.

I also practice Kyudo for about a year also. Again, time constraints prevented me from continuing. Also, a lot of the people in the Kyudo class were a freaky Japanophiles, which made me feel rather uncomfortable.

[lopan]

^ that's the thing though. A WC strike may hit first. It may even hit hard.

But if i ever get the chance to hit someone, i want that hit to be my best. I want that hit to be the hardest and i want to be assured that my hit will be a knockout. I want it to be my MT strike. I CANNOT run the risk of allowing someone to shake off a weaker WC punch if I had the opportunity of stopping my opponent with a knockout MT punch.

What I like about the grappling arts is that you don't need to get dirty to do it. What I mean is if I hit someone, i'm bound to get his blood on me. How else am I going to stop him without knocking his nose in or busting some teeth out? However, with grappling, I'd be able to disable my opponent without the mess. And that's what appeals to me... with shit the way it is these days, there is no way i'm going to allow someone's blood to get on me -- who knows what diseases this guy's got?

I wish i could learn grappling, but, like you Jaehwan, i have no time. And, i don't think i'm cut out for that kind of movement; grappling is very difficult for me. My body is designed for striking.

[jaehwan]

Lopan,

Do MT people hit harder than WC people? I've never been hit by a MT person, but I once had a WC guy hand me a phone book and tell me to hold it in front of my chest. He pulled his hand back about one inch from the phone book, and he punched. Damn near sent me to the other side of the room!

One area where I think WC guys have their delusions is in that whole mid-range where they do most of their training. Bong saos and tan saos work well during chi sao (sticky hands), but they can actually hurt you in a fight if your opponent grabs your arm or locks you in a Thai clinch (though the pak sao is sweet!). And it's hard to throw a hard WC punch when you're being pulled around by a grappler or clincher. It's almost as if the entire system gets negated when you bring grappling and clinching into the equation.

Hmmm...maybe that's why there aren't a lot of WC fighters in MMA...

Grappling is cool because you can go all out, and in general, no one has to get hurt. From what I've experienced though, striking is a lot quicker overall (though yes, there can be blood). Despite what the Gracies say, most fights don't go to the ground. I've seen fights that end with just one punch--a guy gets hit hard, and he just gives up because he knows he's outmatched.

I was reading this FAQ on the Gracie website which said that striking isn't important in a streetfight and that striking mostly exists in MMA because of the refs and time limits on the ground. I'd really have to disagree. I see so many talented Muay Thai stylists who can avoid the takedown and just beat their opponents senseless. So even though I'm mostly a grappler, I have a tremendous level of respect for strikers.

Oh yeah, and knockouts look cool.

[silkie]

I dabbled in some Aikido before, but just mainly to condition myself. It doesn't lend itself as a practical MA when defending yourself.

Unfortunately, I did not have the discipline or drive to yank myself out of bed at 7am morning, so I stopped going after 1 year.

Lopan, you sound like a pretty well rounded fighter. I think grappling will be great to add to your reportior, because my impression from watching americans fights on the street is usually a couple of punches and then try to wrestle you, especially the big guys. In terms of drawing blood and getting diseases, that is one of my fears also. I guess the best place to hit someone is probably in the gut- it is not as hard as the head, and if timed right can instantly knock the wind out of someone. Let me know if anyone disagrees.

Atlasien, why do you ask? Do you do MA too? Also, my gf wants to take a self defense course. Do anyone know if a good organization that teaches this stuff that gears toward women in bad situations?

[ellencho]

I myself favor the run, hide and cower in fear method. However, if somebody manages to get ahold of me, I use the go completely limp method so they can't pick me up.

I've been using those methods for as long as I can remember. I love them because they are very instinctual so you don't have to think much about anything. I hate them because they don't seem to garner much respect from the martial arts community.

[vsoy]

I myself favor the run, hide and cower in fear method. However, if somebody manages to get ahold of me, I use the go completely limp method so they can't pick me up.

My go-to move is called "screaming like a little girl" Seems like most men can't deal with high pitch screaming. It totally incapacitates them and they can't think for a few seconds. I think it temporarily sterilizes them or at least makes their balls shrink. When I unexpectedly unleash this move in the car, ie crazy drivers driving too close to our car, it really rattles the Y chromosome.

[ellencho]

Ah yes, screaming like a girl. Sometimes if that isn't enough I'll combine it with crying and blowing snot bubbles. Very effective technique. It should be a part of everyone's arsenal.

[taijian]

I studied Wing Chun for some years. I like its basic principles of simplicity and no wasted movement.

I don't see it as the one best method, however. Its strengths lie in close range combat and it is suitable in small areas. I've been interested in Aikido and Taekwondo as well but didn't really get around to them since I should focus on improving myself at Wing Chun first.

Its an interesting question: Is a Wing Chun straight punch powerful enough? I guess that depends on the target. I think the nose is a good target if the guy has a strong jaw. Also, we're taught not to just hit once. The idea is that once you get past your opponent's guard (with a hit), you should try to get as many hits in as possible. Hence, the chain punching. WC's focus on generating maximum power over short distances (as demonstrated by the one-inch punch) means no wind up punches since they may get spotted and intercepted. This also fits in with the practice of chi sao where you try to get past your opponent's guard before committing to a strike.

I do feel vulnerable where my legs are concerned. The stance we're taught seems a little static and dug-in. The low sweeping kicks of MT are frightening!

I think grappling and groundfighting are good for situations where the fight does go to the ground and/or you need to subjugate and control the opponent. While strikers' only way of subjugating an opponent is the 'beating to pulp' method, grapplers can lock up their aggressors. I don't think its a good idea to try to go straight to the ground in a streetfight, however, since the last thing you want to hear while locked in a grapple with an attacker is, "OK, guys, NOW!"

[aelward]

Wow, so many people who have studied Wing Chun. To start off with, I'm going to answer ATL's questions:

> Have you studied a martial art? What is it?

Mostly Wing Chun, but also Yang and Chen Taiji, some dabbling in boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ and Escrima.

> For how long?

Wing Chun constantly since 1995

> Why did you start?

I had learned Northern Shaolin when I was in younger, and a high school friend of mine always beat me up with Wing Chun. I always wanted to learn it, but didn't find a teacher until I was out of college.

> What did you love or hate about it?

I love Wing Chun for its flexibility. To me, it is a core set of ideas (center line, simultaneous attack and defense, economy of motion, etc) integrated with a simple set of motions. Those ideas can be interpreted differently, and therefore trained to emphasize strategies that suit the individual instead of trying to get the individual to conform to the style. While I personally prefer counterattacks to the outside gate, I have seen people who actively attack through the center. While I am most comfortable at close-range, others can make it work well at long range.

Although the attitudes are changing for the better, the long=standing problem with Wing Chun comes down to complacency and ideology. Wing Chun people tend to argue about why their training method is best instead of truly trying to improve themselves. Instead of embracing the "innovative" or "progressive" they stick to the "traditional" and "authentic." But unfortunately, modern MMA is nothing like the Southern Kung Fu styles that Wing Chun was developed to defeat.

Also, because the sticking hands exercise resembles an interchange of attacks and defenses, a lot of students think that it is the goal and not the means. It is not easy to stick to a Boxer. It's not; but the ideas and body positioning you learn in sticking hands practice can be applied indrectly.

To me, Wing Chun is limited by the practitioner, not the other way around. Use the principles, experiment with how it can be used against takedowns, in the clinch, etc. Find people to spar with-- and if you want to train to fight full contact, then spar at full contact.

One last note: regardless of what martial style you do, you are not going to excel at fighting unless you go do it. If you are learning boxing: even if you are doing all the conditioning exercises, the footwork, the pad drills, the bag work, etc, it will be meaningless unless you get in the ring. Same goes for Muay Thai.

[jaehwan]

To me, Wing Chun is limited by the practitioner, not the other way around. Use the principles, experiment with how it can be used against takedowns, in the clinch, etc. Find people to spar with-- and if you want to train to fight full contact, then spar at full contact.

One last note: regardless of what martial style you do, you are not going to excel at fighting unless you go do it. If you are learning boxing: even if you are doing all the conditioning exercises, the footwork, the pad drills, the bag work, etc, it will be meaningless unless you get in the ring. Same goes for Muay Thai.

Yes, these are both very good points.

I know someone who lives in Thailand. He said that Muay Thai is taught much in the same way that Americans teach boxing. There are a few basic moves and drills that the old men in Thailand teach and drill, and the people refine it by testing it in the ring. In many ways, it isn't even a fighting style--it's more of a sport that people try to win. The reason Muay Thai adopts itself so well to MMA is because the form is similar to MMA--they get in the ring and fight full contact.

Now this isn't to say that all martial arts necessarily must be about MMA and full contact fighting. In my judo club, we have lots of people who just go for the workout and nothing more. Some people just go for the philosophy. Some have no interest whatsoever in self-defense or competition, and there is nothing wrong with this. I used to compete in my early years, and as I'm getting older, I myself am starting to gravitate more towards the philosophy of the art.

I couldn't agree more with the last paragraph. The mindset in either a fight or a competition is so different from what you do when you just do the footwork, pads, heavy bag, etc. You have to do it in order to...well, do it.

[Pat the Great]

three years of brazilian jiu jitsu here, with some (comparatively marginal) experience with boxing and muay thai.

[nskripchun]

Wow, so many people who have studied Wing Chun.

Yeah, no kidding... at the risk of making the Fighting44s sound like WC central... I studied Wing Chun too! My uncle (not a blood uncle, but y'all know how it works) ran a small club in his garage - never more than 4-6 students. I studied as an elementary school student up until about 8th grade. I wasn't very good, and as the only kid in the class (my mom made me go because she thought I needed to be less studious, ie a NERD) I used to get beat down a lot by the adults. Haha.

The funny thing was that I eventually quit going to WC class because I started studying kendo with my Japanese American friends. The Seattle area has a pretty long history of kendo, and right around the time I started practicing, I also hit a late growth spurt which helped give me some confidence. Even though I was shorter than most of my opponents (older HS kids, adults) the growth spurt gave me better speed, endurance, and freakishly long arms - I used to surprise my sparring opponents with the reach of my strikes (my body today is still not a "square"... my wingspan is bigger than my height).

Since I never really did any sports in HS except kendo, I went a bit kendo-crazy. I started going to practices at least 2-3 times a week, and sometimes even 4-5. I was able to make the junior team representing the Pacific Northwest region and participate in the nationals as a senior - I lost, but it wasn't a horrible match. If you lose, you might as well lose to the best.

I kept practicing in college, but I started trailing off my junior-senior year. Too busy with school.

Ironically, the least amount of kendo studying I did was in Japan. The area where I lived didn't have that many clubs, and the 1 time I did get to practice, I had to take a 3 hour train ride out to the dojo (a very kind Buddhist monk invited my friend and I to his dojo; I felt I had to honor his invitation).

Now that I'm in grad school, I haven't been able to practice in about 2 years, but I think about it every once in awhile when I look at my bogu (armor) and stack of shinai (bamboo swords). I still clean them regularly.

[taijian]

Also, because the sticking hands exercise resembles an interchange of attacks and defenses, a lot of students think that it is the goal and not the means. It is not easy to stick to a Boxer. It's not; but the ideas and body positioning you learn in sticking hands practice can be applied indrectly.


Yup, this problem arises from a rote learning approach to martial arts study. It's like practising the Kata of Karate without understanding the meaning behind each move. Chi sao is a conditioning exercise to train our reflexes and sensitivity to the opponent's force. You'd never approach a fight actively trying to stick to someone.


To me, Wing Chun is limited by the practitioner, not the other way around. Use the principles, experiment with how it can be used against takedowns, in the clinch, etc. Find people to spar with-- and if you want to train to fight full contact, then spar at full contact.

One last note: regardless of what martial style you do, you are not going to excel at fighting unless you go do it. If you are learning boxing: even if you are doing all the conditioning exercises, the footwork, the pad drills, the bag work, etc, it will be meaningless unless you get in the ring. Same goes for Muay Thai.

Good point. There is no substitute for real experience.

[maogirl]

i studied muay thai 16 years ago (gulp) when i was still strong and flexible from gymnastics. we were trained traditional thai style, ie lifting cans filled with cement and whipping our shins to kill the nerves. what i liked about my training was that my master trained us according to our strengths and weaknesses. i'm really strong and quick, but i have no endurance or patience, so he trained me to be more aggressive and try to finish the fight as quick as possible before i got tired.

we were also full contact and my first time in the ring was pretty fucking nervewracking. my master told me that once you got clipped in the head, that was it, you'd get so pissed off that you'd forget all fear, and it's so true. i got hit on my jaw and just saw red and wanted to kill someone.

i kinda miss it sometimes, but i probably won't train again.

[maogirl]

Ah yes, screaming like a girl. Sometimes if that isn't enough I'll combine it with crying and blowing snot bubbles. Very effective technique. It should be a part of everyone's arsenal.


don't forget the projectile vomit on command technique. if you can control the speed, direction and force of the vomit, you can successfully repel most muggers, i've seen it with my own eyes.

[awong]

i did karate, but stopped b/c of braces and never got blackbelt. I guess if I wanted to I can go back into it, but I dunno, I was glad to quit at the time and havent really looked back. I peferred to kick and use my long reach instead, but the style of karate was too much punching and more up close during sparing.

[Candide]

Sounds like Wing Chun central here! I'm doing Wing Chun as well, but I'm a newbie - started in Oct last year. I'm doing it because it helps improving my balance and leg strength, which translates to better running/jumping (I play soccer) and dancing. It's been so effective, and I will be doing it for years to come.

Before WC, I did a Southern Shaolin style and a family style taught to me and a few others by my dad's friend, who's a special force cop in an Asian country. That family style is purely for fighting situations and its moves are very aggressive as a result. Sometimes a move starts with us sitting down in a chair and then reacting to an opponent attacking us - i.e it's very much based on what could actually happen to you in real life fights. The master incorporated a lot of his real experiences fighting thugs into training. Apart from a few school "gang" fights, I never used it though. It's very effective but IMO too deadly to be taught like other popular martial arts at sport centers. Unfortunately I had to stop training when I got into high school and then moved to Australia. I still do a bit of practice every now and then.

[atlasien]

Atlasien, why do you ask? Do you do MA too? Also, my gf wants to take a self defense course. Do anyone know if a good organization that teaches this stuff that gears toward women in bad situations?

I'm just doing a QOTD to get people talking :) I don't do martial arts but have a lot of interest in the subject.

When I was a girl I used to do Goju-ryu karate until I was about 11 years old. I liked it but my sense of social justice was bothered by the fact that when the kids messed up we had to do pushups and situps, but when the adults messed up they weren't punished. I used to complain about that all the time, so the teachers probably hated me.

I wasn't very good, because I'm slow and clumsy. Only physical advantages: I have big bones, an extremely hard head and am difficult to stop once I get moving. My first real sparring match was at a meet with a little boy who was barely higher than my waist. I was nervous but when I saw how tiny he was I thought I might be able to win. But before I could even blink he hit me in the stomach so hard I fell over and couldn't get up for 5 minutes. My mother was traumatized... she took me out of that dojo and enrolled me in a super-hippy one where all we ever did were kata. I stayed there for a year or so, but haven't done anything since then.

Silkie, I think there are a lot of classes like that, I think your gf's best bet would be finding out through word of mouth which ones are best.

[vsoy]

we were also full contact and my first time in the ring was pretty fucking nervewracking. my master told me that once you got clipped in the head, that was it, you'd get so pissed off that you'd forget all fear, and it's so true. i got hit on my jaw and just saw red and wanted to kill someone.

I took fencing for a semester in college and I hated getting poked with the foil even with all the heavy padding. I sucked, but when I did get poked, I'd get so irritated and pissed that I'd do anything to get back at my opponent which including hitting in the crotchal area. Being shorter than everyone else worked to my advantage in that particular approach.

But in terms of martial arts, did a little tai chi chuan while visiting grandma in China but that's about it. Screaming like a little girl is still the first instinctual move.

[nskripchun]

I took fencing for a semester in college and I hated getting poked with the foil even with all the heavy padding. I sucked, but when I did get poked, I'd get so irritated and pissed that I'd do anything to get back at my opponent which including hitting in the crotchal area. Being shorter than everyone else worked to my advantage in that particular approach.


Ah, I can feel your pain.

During kendo practice, the worst part for me was always doing drills and sparring with newbies, especially the really gung-ho, crazy types (who tended to swing their shinai like clubs rather than swords). They had a habit of missing target areas and hitting you in places you're not supposed to get hit (crotch, armpit, elbow, back of the head, etc.)... plus, they would be exerting WAY too much force in an inefficient and incorrect manner. Even wearing armor, some of those hits can really be a pain in the ass.

On the otherhand, it would give you a lot more motivation to learn how to block or dodge better...

In contrast, when you spar with an OG kendo sensei, it's a world of difference - the hits made are fast, accurate, and exert enough force to make you feel the hit, but it was a graceful kind of strength - you'd be in awe rather than wincing in pain.

[Pat the Great]

i wonder what happened to girth and length? he was another bjj/mma guy.

[averagejoette]

Wing Chun sounds really interesting. I haven't seen it before, but I would like too soon.
I did Nippon Kempo for the last 11-12 years, but I suck at it. I don't like to hit people, especially my friends that went to class with me. I feel bad now, because I stopped going. But of course, if i got into a real fight or attacked my first defensive move would be the crotch kick, then run away screaming for my mommy.

[Pat the Great]

i competed at the brazilian jiu jitsu pan-americans this weekend in carson, california, and got a friend of mine to record my matches. (for those who care, it's the white belt division, middleweights) anyway, here are the two matches i won - i ended up placing third in my division. i'm the tall guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEIlCzSf5EQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJp3yKi9bLY

[lopan]

Nice job, Pat!

How did they score the rounds?

Remember, Pat -- "POSTURE!"> :)

[Noodles]

Have you studied a martial art? What is it? For how long?
I did Taekwondo for a year or so in my yougner days.
Why did you start?
My parents put me in there since my cousins were going to do it.
Why did you stop, if you stopped?
It got expensive, so I stopped at a blue belt.
What did you love or hate about it?
I thought it was ok, but I knew in a real fight I wouldn't use majority of the things they taught me. Fortunately I never had to find out if they worked.
Overall, I thought it was worth it. It taught me balance which help me in other sports.

[Pat the Great]

lopan, i was up on points in both matches, but it didn't matter because i won by submission both times.

[Kuroyama]

Have you studied a martial art? What is it? For how long?
Chen style taijiquan, Hebei style xingyiquan. 4yrs and 1yr respectively.

Why did you start?
Started TJQ because I couldnt afford to study aikido in a dojo where Japanese was spoken. The more I learned the more I found that Chen style made a lot of sense. I started XYQ because TJQ is hard as hell. Ended up going back to TJQ, but still practice XYQ basics. I found enough similarities to keep both going.

Why did you stop, if you stopped?
Havent stopped

What did you love or hate about it?
TJQ has a LOT to offer people. Real fighting ability, great body maintaining workouts, weapons work. If you can find a teacher that can separate the BS from the good stuff, then youll see how much there is to love about it.

The other end of that is that TJQ really brings out the nutjobs. People who expect to fly like in Crouching Tiger or use a sword to cleave through solid metal like in Hero. Then you get people who get really odd notions of qi and expect to use it like the force. IMO its this sort of Hollywood nonsense that keeps away good sensible potential students.

[kimtae]

My style? The art of fighting without fighting. Failing that, smashmouth: "hit'em first, hit'em hard, and hit'em continuously." I've never lost a fight this way.

[Impact-Blue]

Have you studied a martial art? What is it? For how long?

Iaido, for over 2 years now. Iaido is the Japanese art of drawing and cutting with the katana in response to a sneak attack or unprovoked attack by an imaginary opponent. My style of iaido is Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu. Our dojo is part of the Canadian Iaido Association with direct links to the Zen Nihon Iaido Renmen (ZNIR - All Japan Iaido Federation). Students begin thier practice with a wooden sword (bokken), and eventually moving up to a practise blade (iaito). Those that are truely commited may choose to use a live blade (shinken).

Why did you start?

A friend of mine saw some people practicing Hai Dong Gum Do (Korean swordsmanship) while setting up an emergency shelter and fell in love with it. Due to the cost and schedule we weren't able to attend or even afford to attend. So after a search on google, we found iaido. I oringinally had no intention of joining any martial art, but my friend insisted I go with him. After seeing one class, we met the sensei and he dragged me to pick up my bokken, uwagi and hakama (pleated skirt like pants). My friend brought his daughter and another friend of his along with me to our first practice. They were all eager to start, execpt for me. After about 8 months, they all left the art and I stayed. Now I practice religiously 3 times a week.

Why did you stop, if you stopped?

I have no plans on stopping at all.

What did you love or hate about it?

Many things! It's not a "mainstream" martial art you see being offered in strip malls with the instructors out to make a profit. Our sensei is very traditional, being japanese and all and runs our dojo in a very Japanese manner. The focus is on the development of the mind, body and spirit through the perfection of sword forms. There is no contact, competition or egos in my dojo. It's not a "hard" marital art that risks injuries, which makes iaido appealing to older practioners and women. As mentioned before there are no egos, you only compete with yourself and not anyone else, so rivalries are uncommon. Iaido is one of Japan's oldest martial arts (Katori Shinto Ryu and Sumo being the only one older ones). Iaido is made up of set katas (waza) that are practised, each one focusing on a different situation and setting.
Admittedly, Iaido has no practicality in terms of self-defense, but that's not why I study it, after each practise, I come away with a feeling of centeredness and calm. Ironically after swinging a 3 foot razor around....

[nskripchun]

^iaido is a beautiful MA to watch.

Do any of the people in your iaido dojo also study kendo?

There's a lot of cross-studying down south here in Seattle.

[Impact-Blue]

^iaido is a beautiful MA to watch.

Do any of the people in your iaido dojo also study kendo?

There's a lot of cross-studying down south here in Seattle.

Not too many, there's one guy who studied Kendo when he was in Japan, there's no one else that I can think of that does kendo. The other sempai and kohai in my dojo study, GoJu Ryu Karate, Muay Thai, Akidio, Kodokan Judo and Katori Shinto Ryu.

Who do you study Iaido with Scott Irey sensei?

[topdawg]

I have been doing boxing and nothing else for more than two years now. Still love ever bit of it, and don't see myself quitting before achieving some real accomplishments in competitions (soon).

I must admit, though, that boxing as a sport or MA is very limited, and may not be the final word on street fighting. But I love what it offers in building up character and confidence in me that was never available before. Currently I am the team captain of the UC Davis Boxing Club, and maybe one day I will look into doing some BJJ for fun.

[27727746]

Freestyle wrestling - 1 semester in high school. Stopped because I had to switch schools and my new school didn't have a wrestling program.

Muay Thai - 6 months. Stopped after I broke my leg blocking kicks. I've been trying to work up the nerve to start back up again.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu - 2 years. Stopped after the aforementioned leg injury. Started back up in February of 08.

[Kaneshida]

I've taken jiu-jitsu for about 2 years and then stopped, but I am planning to get back into it.

Kendo also looks really interesting to me, beating someone with a wooden sword is so appealing.

[.:hanbox3r]

Karate and still going for about 3 years.

Boxing for about 1.5 years now. Have only had one fight (lost that one -.-) cause I'm still a student, but I love it like nothing else.