Thursday, November 12, 2009

Will these martial arts mesh ok?

Yo, right now i'm learning a kung fu style of kickboxing (main base is kick boxing, but we're being shown a few of the kung fu blocks which are used also, thats the only REAL variation i can see on normal kickboxing)





I've overcome most of my earlier problems with kickboxing and i'm thuroughly enjoying it now. Only thing is, i can only turn up to one lesson per week instead of two (due to work)





I had originally taken up kickboxing with the intention of getting my fitness and self defense (or in my case self offense) up. And had the intention of taking up a second martial art sooner or later. Hence this question





I have found another martial art being taught in the area which seems rather interesting, although the style is a complete contrast to kickboxing.





Mantis Kung-fu. It seems the two styles are almost opposites of each other, so i wondered whether it would be ok / make sense to learn both.





Any words of wisdom appreciated.

Will these martial arts mesh ok?
There is no reason that you couldn't take more than one martial art. And if you think that you'd enjoy taking Mantis kung fu, go for it!





On the other hand, you should keep your intentions and goals in mind. If your goal is self-defense, you ought to learn something that will balance out your current skillset. For instance, taking Sanda and Muay Thai at the same time could be good -- and is worth it if you enjoy doing so -- but its more efficient to train Muay Thai and Brazilian JiuJitsu, as MT will cover striking and some basic clinch work while BJJ will teach you how to fight on the ground -- should you somehow end up there.





In your case, kickboxing will help you strike, so why not learn wrestling to help you stay on your feet and/or slam your opponents on the floor? Or learn BJJ so you can reverse your position, should you get taken down. You could learn Judo or Sambo, which is almost like the mid-point between wrestling and BJJ -- as it encompasses takedowns, throws, slams, and groundfighting. Either way, my point is that you cover more ground by training in a style with a completely different focus. I'm assuming that Mantis Kung Fu is a striking art, so it would either conflict with or supplement your kickboxing...but in the end, you'd still only know how to strike.





On the other hand, depending on your circumstances, needing hand to hand skills in a self-defense scenario is rather unlikely. If you're truly threatened -- by multiple opponents, weapons, or multiple armed opponents -- I'd think that Escrima (Filipino knife and stick fighting) would be your best bet. Of course, that's assuming that you also purchase a knife and/or extendable baton.





Anyway, that's my two cents. Good luck either way.
Reply:Mantis kungfu is a great art, (I prefer the tiger style myself,) and yes, you are right in seeing that they are different.





The only thing you should worry about is getting the two "mixed up", as in confusing motions of the two styles, etc.


(I face this problem, as I take several different martial arts.) But it is also an opportunity to combine two styles and improving it. Hence, free-style martial arts.





Basically, if you feel you can control yourself and be able to know the differences in movement of the two styles when called upon, then go for it.
Reply:Concentrate on 1 art first. Master that before learning another. In case you have not noticed, there are 2 kinds of martial arts- the flashy kind and the practical kind. You are right to say that Mantis is a complete contrast to kickboxing. I have yet to see anyone using flashy kungfu for self defense purposes. Most of the time its the 'boring' techniques that really work.





Instead of Mantis why not consider Brazillian Jiujitsu?
Reply:It is better to get a good base, at least Black Belt, in one style before attempting another one. If you do your body an mind will be confused and cause frustration. Since your style you train know is a form of kickboxing I am assuming that you don't have forms? this will not be as bad as if you were taking Tae Kwon Do in the confusion aspect. Remember that it is better to know one thing well, than many things half*****.
Reply:As long as you have a good instructor all martial arts are good. In terms of effectivness, I have a hard time believing the Praying Mantis is any good. The first one you take is ok.
Reply:My advice is to learn what your heart and spirit tell you to learn. My other advice is to ignore ignorant 'advice' like given below with the 'i've never seen anyone use kung fu to defend themeselves.' Kung fu was used for hundreds of years in China to defent MANY things, and very successfully. Just becuase you cannot "master" it in a hot minute like you can with the go-to martial art-de jour "gracie jujiutsu" and MMA gimmicks, does not make it a waste of time. What those who speak this way fail to realize is that learning a martial art is not merely learning to strike or fight, but learning to hone one's being and spirit into something more than it was.





You're going to get both sides of this, and certainly MMA subscribers will run in here with a few armbars and grapples and tell you that traditional martial arts are a waste of time and 'flashy', they'll tell you of the karate-ka that have been beaten by a UFC fighter and how a kick or punch doesn't do much once they close the distance. However, they'll rarely tell you of the shaolin monks that can be lifted on spears and carried around, break cinder blocks and iron bars with their head, snap the last in a series of 8 bricks in a stack without damaging the rest, or successfully fend of numerous attackers, either armed or without. They'll only tell you of the methods that, to them, are superfluous, completely ignoring the degree of self control, determination, will, focus, and spirit that it takes to master these aspects of budo. More plainly, they'll tell you what's convenient to make their style look better. This is not the whole, but rather the majority, which hail from UFC style brawling.





In the end, both have their uses, but if you're seeking an actual martial art and not just a 'way of fighting', you're going to want to worry about MMA type stuff later on.


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