I need to start doing something different with my life. I also need to get out more. I’ve thought here and there over the years about taking some sort of martial arts classes.
However, I know nothing about them. I know about what I’m looking for, mostly gaining some strength, flexibility, and some sparing. I found something called Hapkido, which they say focuses on self defense and well being. It seems like something I’d be interesting in.
So how does one go about looking for a studio? Picking one at random doesn’t seem to be the way to go. I live in the Maryland suburbs so there are a lot of them.
Also what can I expect from Hapkido, or are there other choices I may want to think about?
Pick school teaching a martial art that appeals to you, that is fun enough to you to stick with, and that has a solid instructor. The last one’s probably the hardest to assess.
So, let’s go one at a time: what do you hope to get out of classes? Do you want something more traditional or more modern? Do you want to compete in tournaments, learn real world so-called “street” defense, or somewhere in between? How do you feel about some contact in sparring? Do you want to learn something more of a striking style, more of a grappling/wrestling style, or both?
Something different. Lots of changes in my life, divorce being the big one with loss of access to my kids added to that. I think I just need something to do that’s different and I’ve thought about doing something like this on and off for years. I’d also like to get a bit more flexible and stronger.
"Do you want something more traditional or more modern? "
I honestly have no idea what this means.
“Do you want to compete in tournaments,”
Probably not.
“learn real world so-called “street” defense, or somewhere in between?”
I would lean towards street defense, though in my 37 years it so far has never come up. I’m sure it’s not a bad thing to learn though.
“How do you feel about some contact in sparring?”
I don’t think I’ll have a problem with it. I’ve never done it, but I don’t seem to be opposed to the idea.
“Do you want to learn something more of a striking style, more of a grappling/wrestling style, or both?”
Again I don’t know. I would think I’d rather do both. So far reading what I have on the Hapkido so far it sounds more appealing to me then some of the others.
You should be able to go and observe a class at any reputable school. Pravnik raises good questions you should ask yourself in terms of what you want to get out of it.
I would add a few things that I think apply regardless of the style you choose.
-Does the school have a healthy program for adults? Going to a school which teaches 90% kids can be pretty unsatisfactory for adults. If you are a woman, are there other women and female instructors?
-Do you like the atmosphere? I guess everyone has their preferences in this regard. From my point of view I want to see a positive learning relationship between ALL students. Do you observe more senior students give more junior students a hand or answer their questions without making them feel like jerks? Do you see everyone treating each other respectfully? Comraderie before and after class? Is the instructor available for questions after class?
-General convenience - where its located, the class schedule, how often you can go for the price (per class price structure vs. unlimited-for-a-flat-fee price structure). A school could be great but if you can’t get there reliably or afford it, its going to be a problem.
But really I think the biggest thing is visiting and talking to instructors and students about why they are there and what they get out of it. If their attitude and yours line up you’ll probably do ok. If you find yourself disagreeing philosophically with a lot of the people you speak with, move along. They could be great teachers and students technique-wise but you’re going to end up frustrated by the non-match with your personality.
I go to a fairly formal/traditional karate school, that has little emphasis on practical defense, no sparring for lower level belts, and split from Kyokushin over differences regarding the importance of tournaments. They have three schools in Maryland. http://www.seidomd.com/
In my limited experience, Hapkido and American Kenpo are good for self-defense. There’s little grappling, if any at all. Kenpo was more about brute force applied in the right way, and Hapkido was all about minimal force in the absolute right way.
Note that in Hapkido you will get your joints locked a lot. That is not fun. I had much more fun in Kenpo getting knocked on my ass than in Hapkido having my wrist turned every which way.
Then again, I did find that once you master the zen of not crying when having your joints locked, you do find a new perspective on life. I find that my clients can yell and scream at me all day and I’m cool with it, as long as they are not joint locking me.
Anyway, my only advice as a martial arts n00b (pravnik is a martial arts stud) is to make sure you check out the class and figure out the makeup of the class. I did 4 years of Kenpo with 6 year olds, and a couple of parents. It was ok for me but that’s because my best friend came with me, and we just sort of did our own thing. If there had been no one else my age in the class, it would have suuuuuucked.
“Traditional” arts ted to have more of the trappings and flavor that some “modern” schools tend to eschew, such as bowing, uniforms, kata (sort of stylized martial dances, etc.) A “modern” mixed martial arts school might teach similar techniques to a traditional school, but without the traditional trappings and typically with more emphasis on physical condiditoning. A less sport oriented school like Krav Maga might teach similar techniques, but with more emphasis on stuff that would be illegal in sport oriented arts like eye gouges, groin strikes, hair pulling, etc., as well as gun and knife defenses. Which of these is “better” starts 100 page flameouts on martial arts message boards that make our worst Pit threads look circumspect.
Hapkido has a lot of what most would consider traditional elements, but is also an eclectic art that tries to incorporate techniques (striking, throwing, joint locks) from different styles into one art, which is sort of a modern trend. If Hapkido seems like something you might be interested in, by all means try out a class. Most schools will let you try out a class for free, I’d recommend trying out several different schools and styles and seeing where the instructor seems knowledgeable and the students seem like they know what they’re doing (hard to gauge, I know). If Hapkido interests you, you might also take a look at some Judo schools (a Japanese martial sport with very good self defense applications) or Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu (similar to Judo but with more emphasis on wrestling on the ground).
I’ve done martial arts for many years, mostly in Shaolin kung fu, but also in a few different other styles.
Most schools will let you either observe or join a session or few to get a feeling for the class. Flatly avoid any school that wants you to commit without getting that initial feel.
In the long run, the instructor and classmates will be what makes the experience most rewarding, not the specific style, but it sounds like you are open minded and not hung up nit-picking traditional differences. Hello Again’s comments are spot on, it is all of those secondary factors beyond just the style that make or break long term enjoyment.
Hapkido is a good match for what you’ve described. You may also look for Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, and Kajukenbo. These are typically less ritualistic and have a good balance of drills/technique/sparring.
Little to add independently, other than to observe that pravnik really knows his stuff, and that I strongly urge you to consider what he says. (Until he has you flipping truck tires, that is!)
I also want to agree with what Hello says - especialy staring out you want a class that is fun, and convenient.
I’m not sure there is any “bad” style of MA - tho there are plenty of lousy schools and instructors in any style. Probably the biggest thing to avoid is “belt mills.” Tho every gym will require some respect, personally, I was never very interested in some of the more “traditional” rituals. Be leery of any school that claims it’s art is “the best.” And I personally gravitated away from “supernatural” or far-fetched claims such as “chi” …
But with those few disclaimers, basically try whatever seems most convenient. If you don’t like it for whatever reason, try something else. Or even if you DO really like whatever you started with - try something else and see how it complements the other stuff you already learned.
Like pravnik, I pretty much just did “fighting” - whatever worked. And I think a well-trained fighter should be able to grapple, strike, and use weapons. But I jumped at just about every opportunity to work and learn from streetfighters as well as traditional practitioners of arts ranging from shotokan to fencing and everyplace in between.
One final thought - try to form an opinion as to a school’s attitude towards safety. At 37 years old, your attitude towards injury mght be different than a teenager’s. Full contact sparring is IMO necessary for learning practical self defense - but it also is likely to result in some injuries. At the very least, practitioners should be wrapping their wrists and wearing proper protective gear. And at age 50, I can tell you that the arthritis I’ve developed at every bone I’ve broken is a bitch.
I used to study Hapkido under a guy who was a pretty big deal in the area. This was immediately after I studied at a general ‘self-defense’ dojo (it is now a mixed martial arts school, which is similar to the original concept, if a little more laid back). I liked it very much, and only gave it up because I left for college.
The hapkido classes were hard for me to adapt to because my original training involved starting from more of a boxing-style stance. Movements were close and tight. Hapkido, on the other hand, is made to help protect against sword strokes, so the movements leave room for a sword between you and your opponent.
I have also briefly studied judo, krav maga, and (currently) aikido. Judo didn’t work for me because there were something like 60 people in the class, and people never partnered up in mixed-gender pairs. As a woman, that didn’t work for me - I was pretty serious about the study but most other women were not. Krav maga required a higher level of fitness than I had - so high that it was just not feasible for me to even start to improve.
Aikido is wonderful, and in my dojo, it is very grown up. By that, I mean that nobody there is trying to be tougher than everybody else. Hapkido was a lot like that as well. The important thing for both of these was more the vibe of the dojo, which really comes from the top. Confident instructors who don’t feel the need to prove anything, generous co-students who consider helping new people to be part of their training, and an open, mutually-respectful atmosphere are the three things that differentiated my aikido and hapkido schools from others.
All that is to say, check out the schools. The schools atter more than the art. If you want self-defense, realize that you have to be committed to studying for a good while before it will do more harm than good. Even when I used to teach self-defense at my first school, I would have given up my wallet if mugged. It takes a *lot *of skill before you can really defend yourself against somebody bigger, somebody meaner, multiple opponents, or people with weapons.
My advice, for what its worth. Start by looking for a school, not a particular style. Some place convenient with at least a few adults somewhere who don’t talk about “Chi” or how badass they are. Unfortunately, karate schools have to enroll a lot of kids to stay in business these days. If you don’t like the people then you won’t like hanging out with them for hours each week. A good place might have more than one style available.
You might also look for classes in rec centers and the like in your area. I train (full disclosure: I’ve been bad for the last few months and haven’t shown up often) in a senor center with a bunch of old guys I’ve known for years. Some of them have two or more black belts in different styles and have run schools in the past. Now they just want to have fun and mess around, trading and refining techniques. Nobody is going to get a black belt but there is a lot to learn and it’s free.
I’d like cast my vote for Krav Maga. Definitely research your instructor.
I’ve been taking classes for three years now. Normally it’s just me and one or two instructors, but I imagine they have less expensive group classes at some places.
I am a small female and they teach me how to use that to my advantage. I absolutely love classes.
Hapkido will get you a nice balance between hitting people, throwing people at the floor, and folding human bodies up like balloon animals. (I’ve heard it referred to as aikido’s meth-head cousin, which…seems kind of accurate, actually. Aikido is all about rerouting your opponent’s force to use against them. Hapkido is about doing the same - with plan B being “kick him in the head”.)
As Dinsdale said, there’s no bad art. There’s no best one, either. There are good and bad teachers and schools, but that’s it. If they won’t let you watch a class, that’s bad. If they won’t let you do at least one or two classes as a free demo, that’s bad. If someone says they can knock you over with their super chi powers, or can teach you to be a killing machine, or anything that just sounds ridiculous, that’s bad. If they promise you will earn your black belt in a certain amount of time, that’s really bad. If there’s any real emphasis on belts or some other form of rank, that’s bad.
If you feel comfortable, that’s good. If the instructor takes time to listen and answer your questions, that’s good. If the people there are enjoying themselves, that’s good. If the facility seems reasonably clean and safe, that’s good.
No martial art is going to really teach self defense. Sure, knowing how to get out of a hold and throw a punch may help, but if anyone claims they’re selling self defense, they’re pretty much wrong. It’s a sport, a hobby, exercise. Something that’s fun should be your number one priority.
This is a very salient point, and to expand on it, while many martial arts will teach you some effective techniques and principles for defense, they don’t teach it in a context or drill you in exercises that give you the practical experience to prevail in an actual, unregulated encounter. This is why an untrained streetfighter can often defeat even a fairly experienced martial artist; because although the streetfighter may have only a few basic moves that are easily defended, he’ll take the initiative and keep moving while the martial artist is trying to get fall into stance and raise his guard. The guy who is windmilling like a banshee and willing to accept a couple of blows in order to get inside the guard and start pummeling an opponent is probably better prepared than the guy who knows a couple hundred elaborate techniques for defending against every conceivable attack.
Until you’ve actually been in the situation where someone has attacked you on simulated full force from an unexpected direction you really have no idea how effective your defense is. Don’t confuse rank–even in a practical art like kenpo, jujitsu, or wing chun–for ability in an actual fight. If you really want to use martial arts for defense, focus on learning a few basic but effective moves like shooting blocks, punches and palm strikes, and low (below mid-thigh) kicks, and leave the fancy spinning heel snap kicks and intricate joint locks in the dojo.
That aside, there is a lot of good advice in the thread already, particularly from Mithril, Dinsdale, and pravnik. I especially like Mithril’s point about the environment of the dojo or school; an overly aggressive school, or one focused on shallow, belt-climbing achievement over teaching respect, discipline, and control can make all the difference between blowing a lot of money for nothing or finding a new passion. I would advise avoiding most mixed martial arts schools for that reason, as they tend to cater to the more aggressive crowd. (I’m also not a big fan of groundfighting; despite the necessity of it, I just find it largely artless and uncomfortable, and tend to focus on arts and techniques that avoid going to ground.) I personally like Wing Chun gung fu, as the respect and working with (rather than competing against) a partner is part of the core philosophy of training, but other arts like Aikido and jujitsu are good in this way as well.
One point I’d like to address from the o.p. is that he says he is looking for strength and flexibility training. While all martial arts will benefit from and exercise those qualities, just doing the art itself isn’t going to be a great enhancer. In fact, if you really want to study and master a martial art you also need to commit to doing some outside physical training and conditioning to improve flexibility and prevent injury. This doesn’t mean spending hours in the gym developing bulging biceps and doing splits (and in fact developing too much strength can be detrimental to speed and flexibility) but you should at least spend a few sessions with a trainer to learn how to pre- and post-workout stretch, and some basic exercises for safely improving flexibility and light resistance strength training. Something like Pilates or Parisi training that focuses on core strengthening and total body exercises will reap benefits in space in terms of conditioning, and will also help protect you from incidental injury during training. Many dojos will start a class with some stretches and calisthenics, but these are often outmoded exercises that are of limited benefit, and frankly kind of waste your training time in class. Given the age of the o.p. he should definitely be cognizant of avoiding injury; minor contusions and bruises are inevitable, but hyperextended joints and broken bones are counterproductive to effective training, even in realistic simulation.
Whatever school and art you select, good luck to you, and have fun.
There are differences between Korean and Japanese and Chinese martial arts but from an outside perspective, they’re probably irrelevant WRT what you’re looking for. So here’s three flavors of what you can expect from martial arts:
A place with sparring, throwing, lots of practice with punches and kicks
A place with more aerobics. Think of Billy Blanks and Tae Bo. It’s where you’ll get your heartrate up and keep it up for the hour of class.
A place with meditation, where you learn key breathing, core excercises and various manipulations of body parts.
Almost all places have some sort of hybridization of the three. But some focus primarily on one over the others and if one of those three sounds better to you than the rest, then sitting in on classes and talking with the instructors will help clarify the issue.
Other important factors: how far away is it? How convenient is the class schedule compared with your schedule? These two questions will help you know how often you’re going to say “eff it, it’s too cold out. I’m sitting home and watching TV tonight.”
Ask about hidden costs. How much are uniforms? How much are belts? How much are testing fees? Are weapons expected to be purchased and when? It’s a sad fact that lots of places are black-belt factories, but that’s sometimes what it takes to stay in business.
Finally, understand that ALL places are the same with regards to this: you get out of the process what you’re willing to put in. Hard work will net results, whatever you wish those results to be.