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.
Not all martial arts.go to www.sfuk.net for the finest combat sport your loose teeth can buy Check out the forum.LR
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).
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.
(before I get kicked off this board for turning it into an advert for my sport).
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.
"Before I learned the art, a punch was just a punch, and a kick, just a kick.After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick, no longer a kick.Now that I understand the art, a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick."
Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water.Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup,You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle,You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot.Now water can *flow* or it can *crash*!Be water, my friend.
The best training for Muay Thai seems to be kicking the shit out of bags for hours on end, until your shins finally toughen up
Winner..... Palm Tree!