2013- Note to self, learn a self-defense martial art.
Seriously thought about continuing to learn martial art after experience in karate and boxing. Mostly as a way of self discovery and improvement, to maintain physical wellbeing, expand and test my limits as a person, to try something new!, to teach myself discipline and determination as well as to maintain an interesting hobby into the more demanding years of my life. Not to mention handy when in self defense despite avoiding physical conflict being the most sensible choice. Because there will always be situations you can't get out of, when personal values and beliefs are assaulted and cannot be forgiven, when you need to protect people you care about or to stop potential or evolving conflict. Skills I may potentially need as a doctor but hopefully will never require.
So...Krav Maga, Sambo, Keysi or Jeet Kune Do?
Have a feeling readers will not know any of these.
So a bit of background for those interested and also for me to consolidate my thoughts on which one I should learn. I narrowed my choices down to these four due to the well roundedness of their philosophies as compared to the rigid concepts of the more staple and well known disciplines of boxing, taekwondo or karate.
I've previously learn't karate to the level of purple belt and found it stiflingly rigid, often slow and overly 'demonstrative' rather than realistically effective. However the non-aggressive defensive counterattack philosophy is admirable.
Krav Maga was developed by the Israeli military as a form of hand to hand combat in a real world military situation involving guns and knives. It focuses on efficiency, lethal and incapitating blows, weapon disabling using your environment and instinctive responses. Not really a martial 'art' as much as it is a guide to , nor is it able to be employed to full effect in competition (unless groin kicks, eye gouges are legal and both parties have weapons).
Ironically one of the weakest competitive combat disciplines but rated as most effective in real self defense situations. Many women learn this martial art as a form of self defense not as much reliant on strength as much as it is on using your wits.
A Russian martial art combining concepts from judo, wrestling, kickboxing, you name it. Why is it good? 1. It's Russian 2. It was developed once again for the military during Soviet Russia and for Spetsnaz troops and focuses on real life military situations.
You could say it combines the best of many martial art disciplines.
One of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters Fedor Emelianenko is a master of Sambo.
The League of Shadows taught it and Batman uses it! Need I say more?
No really, it is a real martial art focused on real life crowd control. It is designed to fight multiple opponents at one time and teaches 360 degree awareness, solid defense and efficient attack.
Intriguing not only because it is relatively unknown as a martial art.
Invented by Bruce Lee, it arose from the foundations of Bruce Li's Wing Chun training (FYI Wing Chun is a southern Chinese martial art focusing on efficient quick striking as popularised by the movie 'Ip Man'). Unsatisfied with some of the deficiencies of Wing Chun, Bruce Lee supplemented it with an amalgamation of global martial art ideas and techniques, notably a change from the rigid stance of oriental martial art (think Karate) to the fluid movement of kickboxing. There is a movement away from the fixed mindset and techniques of most combat arts (think TKD's reliance on kicks and Boxing) to emphasize a philosophy of individual adaption, self reflection and growth and efficient, lightning fast striking stemming from its Wing Chun roots.
Notable mention must be to Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jutsu/Judo for their deadly unconventional effectiveness, especially in the MMA scene. Anderson Silva recognised as the greatest mixed martial artist in the world is a practitioner of both. However, I found the elbow/knee and high kick mentality of Muay Thai also restrictive as well as the 'on the floor' idea of Jiujutsu similarly non-ideal especially against multiple assailants.
.............................
Hmm, I guess the above four disciplines aren't as much which one I should choose as much as it is which one is convenient to fit into phase three Med, and is cheap enough for a poor Med student. It is also something I would love to continue as a doctor.
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