Martial Arts

[Wilbo]

Since its safe to presume our mini-warriors in Shogun would have learnt plenty of Martial Arts, I was wondering if any of us much larger generals do too!

I study Aikido which is a soft style of martial arts that employs throws and pins rather than striking. There is no attack in Aikido so all our techniques start from an opponents attack e.g. a wrist grab or a vertical karate chop.

With reference to Shogun, we also do some bokken (practice Katana) and some Jo, a 4 foot pole which employs Naginata and Yari movements. In my last class we did 10 sword take techniques: getting the sword off of your armed attacker!

Does anyone else study anthing!?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I'll probably take some next year, my college offers them for free.

[Irinami]

I took old-school Tae Kwon Do when I was in college. By "old-school" I mean that the school founder was this old Korean guy who didn't understand the "sparring in armor" that the normal Tae Kwon Do schools do. Those are sport schools, this was a self-defense school. It was very clear that TKD is about combatting the mounted rider--apparently by kicking him off his horse and crushing his throat with your foot, though there was a bit of grappling taught in case things didn't go as planned.

If I get sent to the sandbox when I join the AF, I'll be taking a crash-course in Hakko-ryu Jujutsu from my Little Lady's dad. It's a school developed in Japan in the 20th century for practical fighting (as opposed to the sport/self-improvement schools which were in vogue during its founding days).

[Wilbo]

Hakko-Ryu... I dont have time to search now but I think thats aiki-jujitsu...

[Drisos]

Good idea, wilbo, this is exactly what i meant. .

I plan on switching my current sport(badminton ) for a martial art next year. my brother really intrested me in tae-kwon-do.(and he thought me some things! )

[Shambles]

personaly ive done some judo, when i was younger and only did karate long enough to memorise every pressure point on the human boddy,
for fitness i used to do mountaineering and I still say boldering is a good exersize.
I like boxing although I wouldnt class it as a martial arts,

And in all honesty, id say shaulin style kung-fu , Hung Kuen (defensive), or prehaps no-gi jiu-jitsu, would be the best martial arts to learn.

I also like full mui tai kickboxing but im prety shure a Good boxer could beat a kickboxer in the ring,

Having said all this (and quiting any form of martial arts several years ago)
I Will probably resume my martial arts training when i am able to banish my self of the trappings life brings,

And i will probably go back to karate and possibly learn no-gi jiu-jitsu, as i beleve these 2 will make an exelent combination for self defence, and I already have some judo skills so that should help with the no-gi jiu-jitsu.

Interesting topic btw,
made me type =)