[Bubba]

This often gets raised on climbing forums, but does anyone do a martial art?

I'm off to my first ever Ju-Jitsu lesson tonight and am hoping I don't get my head kicked in in the first five minutes - what can I expect?

Long term goal is to do Ju-Jitsu and Thai Boxing.

Gotta be good for bouldering - fitness, balance, agility and flexibilty, not to mention the mental discipline.

[dave]

I recon limping round the crags nursing you arms full of bruises has got to do wonders for climbing.

In a fight all you need to know is pleanty of windmilling, and if you got some keys, get em out.

[Bubba]

You cynic  :wink:

[Bubba]

Damn! blocked by our firewall!

Didn't know steak 'n cheese was still going - I stopped looking at those sights after nearly making myself sick watching the "Chechen Snuff Movie" on rotten.com.

[fatboySlimfast]

deleted link cos wouldnt take u directly to movie.
Basically very funny paul kaye skit on nija training, and then he comes in as a windmilling townie fucking over all these ninja's screaming ' u fackin want sam you slaggggsss'   rest of site is still same with sum very dubious content

[Bubba]

Just had my first lesson - a bit of an eye opener - the people who've been doing it for a while would just fuck you up in seconds  :shock:

Pretty cool stuff - did loads of different things to get out of strangle holds, someone grabbing you and trying to punch you etc. Ju-Jitsu seems to involve the following: deflect intended blow or get out of strangle, get a couple of gnarly punches or elbows into their head or nuts, throw them to the floor and then smack them in the head or get one of their limbs into a horrible lock and break them. Sweet!!

In about 3 years, I'll maybe be able to do it for real...

[T.H.]

Glad you enjoyed yourself.

I don't think there's any better exercise than martial arts.  I did Shotokan Karate for 5 years and I think it provided me with a level of fitness that allowed me to jump into bouldering.  I'm still a big pussy though and would cry if your gran started on me. :wink:

[Bubba]

Thing I found hardest was slapping grown men and yanking on their limbs, hair,  etc - I'm just not used to it and felt really guilty. Still, I'm sure that'll pass  :wink:

Have now got a weird burnt skin thang on one arm - fook knows where that came from.

[hongkongstuey]

i used to do taekwondo in my youth and accidentally broke someones nose whilst sparing - felt well guilty after that

it was fantastic for fitness and flexibility thought - not sure i'm brave enough to enrol anywhere whilst living in HK - don't fancy getting my head mashed in by a bunch of mini Bruce Lee's!!!

[Bubba]

Don't think I'll be sparring for some time - I'd just be killed !!

I'd be scared of it in HK, but then I've heard of people moving to Thailand just to go to the boxing schools, etc. Perhaps it's the best place to do it, given the long history...

[Bubba]

Thought I'd got away with it ok, but now my shoulders and inner thighs are just the achiest. The 2.5 hour sesh on Saturday will be fun.

[Bubba]

This is quite funny:

http://sardonia.org/karate/

I'm now getting used to Saturday mornings filled with pain. What fun - thinking of starting Muay Thai too....

[Big Frank]

This often gets raised on climbing forums, but does anyone do a martial art?

I'm off to my first ever Ju-Jitsu lesson tonight and am hoping I don't get my head kicked in in the first five minutes - what can I expect?

Long term goal is to do Ju-Jitsu and Thai Boxing.

Gotta be good for bouldering - fitness, balance, agility and flexibilty, not to mention the mental discipline.

Although I dont do it any more I have a green belt in Judo, a more refined version of Ju-Jitsu.

I expect the 1st lessons will be in breaking falls, forward rolls and may be some basic moves.

Martial arts are as much about self control, respect for others and discipline as fighting.

[Lord Rothermere]

Not all martial arts.

go to www.sfuk.net for the finest combat sport your loose teeth can buy

Check out the forum.

LR

[Bubba]

Although I dont do it any more I have a green belt in Judo, a more refined version of Ju-Jitsu.

It seems to be more of a sport rather than a martial art, but with origins in ju-jitsu.

I expect the 1st lessons will be in breaking falls, forward rolls and may be some basic moves.

Been more moves than breakfalls really - which I'm not sure is a great idea. A bit of light sparring, but mainly moves. I can see why these things take years to perfect.

Martial arts are as much about self control, respect for others and discipline as fighting.

Nobody has mentioned anything like that yet!

[Bubba]

Not all martial arts.

go to www.sfuk.net for the finest combat sport your loose teeth can buy

Check out the forum.

LR

Think that may be a bit beyond me at the moment....

Is BJJ really that applicable in "real world" situations - if you spend all your time on the floor don't you run the risk of getting your head kicked in by your opponent's mates?

[Lord Rothermere]

That's a very astute point, and one that has been debated across Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) boards the internet through.

First, however, MMA is not just BJJ.  Its a competition format that has a suprisingly large amount of rules (for a sport that used to be called No Holds Barred) all of which are designed to provide the broadest matrix within which different styles and (moreso these days) mixtures of styles.  The concept being that you can punch, kick, grapple, work for submissions on the ground, plus punch and use elbows on the ground.

I used to cross train BJJ and kickboxing.  I found the BJJ was useful for standup grappling as well as groundwork.  Essentially I spent a lot of time defending takedowns in a Gi (which is designed to give your opponent something to grab onto).  This transplanted well into real life situations because most fights hit the ground very soon after starting.  If you can defend against takedowns you can stay on your feet and avoid getting kicked in the head.  Plus, you can spike your adversery on their head, which tends to end a fight pretty quickly.  And if you do end up on the ground you are better suited to surviving there.

What I got most out of training BJJ and MMA was the constant full contact nature of the drilling and sparring.  As climbers you'll appreciate the need for a good grip.  I can't think of anything better than BJJ to develops such a climber-level grip.  Plus that constant sparring and testing out your skills against guys bigger, smaller and more or less skilled than yourself just makes you feel about 10 ft tall if you are ever confronted in real life.

I'd personally say that any Martial Art which involves actually getting hit, thrown, or submitted at full strength, frequently, is all you need to gain confidence in the street.  I would recommend MMA because it mixes up all those things.  Plus the MMA community in the UK is really, really friendly and there is absolutely no cliqueyness whatsoever.

Let me know whereabouts you live and I'll tell you where there's a school (and give you an intro to the trainers....sfuk.net is my website and is the largest in Europe).  You'd love it.  I promise you.  I reckon its exactly the type of secondary sport that many climbers would find interesting.

If you want a good, friendly intro to the sport, on Sunday we're having an SFUK.net Open Mat event in Leicester where people of all abilities come from around the country to roll with each other in a non-competetive environment.

LR

[Bubba]

Thanks for the detailed reply!

I'm currently at the stage of reading everything I can about M.A. as I know seem to have developed a fascination for it (about 20 years to late  :wink: ), so have witnessed  some of the BJJ pros/cons arguments elsewhere on the web. I even bought an impressive MMA "manual", The Fighter's Notebook which I'm currently thumbing through.

MMA seems like a logical way from doing a single/more MAs to becoming a good all round fighter, but isn't it a bit ambitions to learn MMA from the off?  Also, Is it completely competition oriented or can it be learned from a self-defence standpoint?

I've started Trad JJ as it's free at my gym, but was thinking of doing Thai Boxing to supplement it as a striking art (I'm Sheffield based, and the Wicker Camp Thai Boxing Gym seems to have a good reputation). Having said that though, your post has been most interesting and I might investigage the MMA possibilites round here as well - do you know of anything in Sheffield? I believe there's a "Sheffield Shootfighters" but not sure if that's the same thing.

[Lord Rothermere]

There are plenty of places to train in Sheffield, plus the UKs most promising young pro, Ross Pettifer, is based there.  Sheffield Shootfighters are, I believe though don't quote me, linked to August Wallens Shooters over in Denmark.  They're rather good.

I thought I'd taken it up late.  I always wanted to do an MA but swam competetively until I was 18 so never had the time.  Got into MA at Uni at a real roughneck gym in Hull  That's where I learned to get hit and not panic when it happened (IMO the most important aspect of any MA - controlling the adrenalin dump).

We have fighters of all ages training and competing.  From real youngsters right up to chaps in their forties and fifties (there's bound to be older, but I imagine they'd find our online MMA community a tad overzealous at times).  John Hopkins, a senior lecturer in Manchester Uni, is in his mid forties and trains like a demon as well as being one of our best ambassadors.

IMO, it is the competition base that makes it one of the more practical.  That said, its what works for the individual.  I have a friend who trained, and still trains, MMA but when he joined the Met, found that he reverted instinctively back to his trad MA styles and found them more effective.  Horses for courses.  Just don't get sucked into those McDojos who offer an easy solution to your self defence needs (one inch punches etc).

Fighters Notebook is the best MA manual I have ever bought.  The guy who produced it, Kirik Jeness, was a friend of mine.  He's a top chap and very influencial in the world of MMA, judging at UFCs and owning the finest online MMA community in the world www.mma.tv.

Give it a go.  I reckon your bouldering fitness would be highly transferable to MMA.

Drop me a mail at sfuking@yahoo.co.uk if you want to discuss training options in Sheffield (before I get kicked off this board for turning it into an advert for my sport).

LR

[Bubba]

That's where I learned to get hit and not panic when it happened (IMO the most important aspect of any MA - controlling the adrenalin dump).

Guess I won't know how I perform on that score 'til it happens. I've met a few people who've been really into a MA but when they started getting smacked, they gave it up.

Just don't get sucked into those McDojos who offer an easy solution to your self defence needs (one inch punches etc).

I might try a few places out before committing to one long term. Once a week doesn't seem enough anyway, so might try another JJ place - do you know if the Castle Academy is any cop?

[Bubba]

Fighters Notebook is the best MA manual I have ever bought.  

Good to see my cash wasn't wasted!

(before I get kicked off this board for turning it into an advert for my sport).

Don't worry, don't think that'll happen  

[Bubba]

Couldn't resist this link:

http://www.bubbadummy.com/testimonials.htm

"You are going to love Bubba!!! He is even better than what you are expecting. I guarantee it! And, he feels much heavier than 50 lbs. (more like 150 lbs). You wouldn't want one any heavier."

[Lord Rothermere]

Bubba,

Some details for you, should you fancy popping down and having a look (I think you'll be impressed)

Sheffield Shootfighting (Shooters affiliated...v. good)

Instructor: Richard
Tel: 0114 2811 624

address: 393 Club, Langsett Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield.

...and another....

Royce Gracie JJ (affilated to the guy who won all the early UFCs and then started sfuking with all the rules so they were weighted to his advantage)

instructor: royce gracie coach: andy roberts (blue belt 2 stripe)

contact: tel: 07946540855 email: andy@roycegraciesheffield.com

web: www.roycegraciesheffield.com

address: castle black belt academy, 19 valley road, sheffield, s8 9ft

training times: mon, wed, fri at 8.00pm + other classes by arrangement. private sessions available. full time, fully matted training academy. regular seminars with royce gracie and other top bjj instructors..

Hope this helps.

LR (James)

Keep your eye on SFUK.net and use the forum to ask questions if you want some advice.

[Bubba]

Cheers mate - the Castle Academy is quite near where I live and they seem to have a good reputation, so i might well get in touch with them. One and a half hours on a Sat morning doesn't really seem enough to learn stuff so could do with another mid-week session.....

[Bubba]

First Muay Thai class tonight at the Wicker Camp gym - hard work but quality. Much less technical than Ju Jitsu but much more of a workout.