# What form of martial art do you practice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 8, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378 "2003-09-08T21:00:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![green\_dragon\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/13edae/32.png) [@green\_dragon\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_dragon_1)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/21 "2003-09-09T15:12:34Z")
**Scuba\_Ben** , what’s ‘CMK’ taekwondo? I’ve not heard of it? Any big differences to ITF or WTF? ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/22 "2003-09-09T15:17:32Z")
Used to do Uechi Ryu Karate back in the day. Haven’t had a chance to practice for 5 or 6 years, though. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/23 "2003-09-09T15:21:42Z")
Judo at around age 9 to 12. Hapkido for about 6 months. Twaekwondo for about a year. Finished up with 2 years of Karate/Judo (went to several judo and karate camps and competitions around the New Jersey area). Now I’m trying to get back in shape and tackle western medieval martial arts. Though the emphasis is not in unarmed combat (although there are grappling, punching and kicking techniques, as well as dagger combat), it is an interesting martial art form. Of course fencing (long sword, great sword, rapier) is the main study, but it also deals with polearms, staves, etc. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/24 "2003-09-09T15:23:54Z")
I’m a master of _die chi_. If I get in a fight, I play dead. ---
**Author:** ![sultana\_of\_slash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@sultana\_of\_slash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sultana_of_slash)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/25 "2003-09-09T15:26:47Z")
Aikido, aikikai style, nine years. I agree with Ambush and Carter. Marksmanship is a martial art. So is any kind of warfare. But if you want to stick with the ones that develop the user’s body, not to mention spirit, I think the Western martial arts are boxing, and fencing. Never boxed, but I fenced in college, foil and saber. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/26 "2003-09-09T15:40:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sultana of slash \* > \*\*Aikido, aikikai style, nine years. > > I agree with Ambush and Carter. Marksmanship is a martial art. So is any kind of warfare. But if you want to stick with the ones that develop the user’s body, not to mention spirit, I think the Western martial arts are boxing, and fencing. Never boxed, but I fenced in college, foil and saber. \*\* I agree wholeheartedly! Also I did try modern fencing for a little while back in the day. A friend of one of my uncle’s taught here in New Jersey. I didn’t like it much. It was certainly a physical sport, good for body and mind, but it was just too sport-like for me. This is what first had me investigating historical (medieval and renaissance specifically) western martial arts, as it teaches concepts and technique used in deadly combat. I would hesitate to call modern fencing a martial art in the sence that it is not studied as a form of self-defence or method of ‘warfare’. It’s purely sport. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/27 "2003-09-09T16:08:10Z")
I’m a piss-poor student in escrima, a Filipino stick and knife fighting class. Actually, I’ve already made first rank, and I’m pretty good when it comes to using the knife, but I’m still a little slow with the sticks. So slow, in fact, last time we sparred, my partner smashed my helmet. Yeah, I need to work on that whole “dodging” thing… ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/28 "2003-09-09T16:21:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by green\_dragon \* > \*\ ***Scuba\_Ben** , what’s ‘CMK’ taekwondo? I’ve not heard of it? Any big differences to ITF or WTF? \*\* That one I had to look up. It stands for Chang Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do (never heard of it myself). I found this quote about it: > [@](#): > > CHANG - create or develop, MOO - martial art, KWAN - House > After World War Two, Grand Master Byung In Yoon established the Taekyon Club at NgNSung Agricultural High School in Seoul, Korea. Here he inaugurated Chang Moo Kwan at the Taekyon Department of the Y.M.C.A. and appointed Nam Suk Lee as first instructor. Grand Master Nam Suk Lee is the first and only president of Chang Moo Kwan. That’s froma Canadian club at [www.jungdotaekwondo.com](http://www.jungdotaekwondo.com), and they seem to practise the Taeguk Poomse. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/29 "2003-09-09T16:34:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by green\_dragon \* > \*\ ***Scuba\_Ben** , what’s ‘CMK’ taekwondo? I’ve not heard of it? Any big differences to ITF or WTF? \*\* Chin Mu Kwan, history at [http://home.swbell.net/rianardj/kang.htm](http://home.swbell.net/rianardj/kang.htm) As far as I can tell, it’s just like ITF. If there’s any federation-level politics, I don’t know about it. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/30 "2003-09-09T18:22:07Z")
Havn’t practiced for a while, but took Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu for several years, it’s an old Japanese jujitsu style. I can’t help it, but everytime I see WTF taekwondo, I read “What the f_ck taekwondo", sorry but it gives me the comic idea of a cross between taekwondo and drunken style kung fu, where your opponent is left in dumbfounded dissbelief as you pummel them to the ground, mouthing "What the f_ck” as they fall. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/31 "2003-09-09T20:24:25Z")
\<----- This is in judo. I have done tae-kwon-do, a little shotokan, and some other styles, and even some Western fencing. Currently mostly jujitsu, although I have no rank in it. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/32 "2003-09-09T20:49:02Z")
Aki-Jutsu here. My father started me on the basics of rolling/falling/technique as long ago as I can remember. It’s kinda like aikido, but more violent. We resolve the conflict by ending it as abruptly as possible. 🙂 Thus, the moves are more or less the same. We just like to use strikes a bit more and sometimes include Boken or Jo work as well. ---
**Author:** ![Tensoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@Tensoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tensoc)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/33 "2003-09-09T21:41:07Z")
Shuri-Ryu Karate-Do… I’ve also done a little judo and some jujitsu… but mainly the Karate… I’m a little unhappy that it’s been awhile since my last class… Hoping to pick it up again as soon as I’m able… ---
**Author:** ![Husker\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Husker\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Husker_Dude)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/34 "2003-09-09T22:21:46Z")
The hit and run. ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/35 "2003-09-09T23:56:11Z")
Hwa Rang Do … brownie points to anyone who’s heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/36 "2003-09-10T00:06:16Z")
I have a brown belt in cowardice. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/37 "2003-09-10T00:11:00Z")
**karomon** isn’t that the Korean version of Japanese Jujitsu or maybe I should say an analogue of Japanese Jujitsu, since ideas and methods seem to have moved between Korea and Japan a great deal over the centuries. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/38 "2003-09-10T01:38:42Z")
1. LOL @ **John Carter of Mars**. 2. I messed around with a couple styles of karate and several grappling arts as a kid and teenager, but I practice nothing right now and haven’t for a number of years. If I have the time, in a semester or two, I hope to take the fencing course at my school. You never know when you will be walking down a dark street at night and get waylaid by a bunch of musketeers! 3. Could **Griffin** , **NinjaChick** , or somebody else knowledgeable in the Korean martial arts tell me what the ITF and WTF in their posts stands for? TIA. ---
**Author:** ![green\_dragon\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/13edae/32.png) [@green\_dragon\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_dragon_1)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/39 "2003-09-10T02:03:16Z")
**Mephisto** - ITF is “International Taekwondo Federation” WTF is “World Taekwondo Federation” Not being much for politics I’m not sure on the difference between the two…I get the impression that the ITF is more focussed on competition fighting than WTF and has it’s own set of forms/poomse. Technically, the taekwondo we practise is WTF, it’s more self defence oriented (insofar as that’s possible with taekwondo) and more about effective fighting rather than effective competing. I could be entirely wrong about this, we’re just kinda doing our own thing and using the WTF forms lol ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378/40 "2003-09-10T02:06:23Z")
Thanks, **dragon**! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-form-of-martial-art-do-you-practice/200378.md?page=3)