
Martial Arts for Geeks? - weak-geek
I've heard a lot of geeks say they do martial arts. I hate going to the gym, and am looking for an alternative to stay in shape.
Martial arts sounds interesting, but... doesn't that hurt? I'm a little weak geek, and would like not to get things broken, or having to limp around. Is there anyone with the same "background" here that does martial arts? How much time a week should I expect to put?<p>Thanks!
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zedshaw
Well, if your instructor is good at running the class you shouldn't be getting
hurt any more than incredibly sore from using new muscles and some scrapes and
bruises. Nothing broken or torn unless you aren't paying attention. Most of
the time you cause your own injuries through stupidity.

That being said, martial arts is a chance to learn about fighting and the pain
and suffering it causes in a controlled environment. That's something most men
these days never learn, which you can see by how they threaten and insult
people on sites like this.

For martial arts to study, you'll obviously be limited by your geographic
region and what's available. Honestly, you should just try a whole bunch and
see what you like and if you like the instructor or not. Good ones to try are
boxing, judo, aikido, shorin-ji kempo, wing tsung, and most forms of karate.

I'd avoid MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) unless you want to hang out with roid
juiced douche bags with no sense of honor.

In your case, I'd start with either aikido, judo, or shorin-ji kempo. All
three of these teach non-violence, are very structured, effective, designed
for small people, and generally run as non-profits or taught at universities.
I recommend judo especially for women.

Finally, you need to avoid scams more than pick a good martial art. To be
honest, at your level just about anything will help, but if you pick a bad
instructor you'll be in more trouble than if you picked a incompatible martial
art.

When you meet your instructor, if he's immediately trying to sign you up for
long term contracts or sell you shit, then walk away. If he talks in religious
terms, or talks too much, then walk away. Meditation is great, preaching is
not. If he makes claims that are "magical" then walk away. Floating,
levitating, mind control, are all bullshit. Ki, chi, "energy" are fairly
common and alright. If it feels like a religion and the students don't think
for themselves, it's a cult walk away. If you get "love bombed" when you first
walk in, it's a cult, walk away. If there are tons of belts walk away. If you
see the instructor get his ass kicked by a student then don't bother.

Picking a good teacher is far more important than picking a "good martial
art". If it feels like a scam, then just trust your gut and avoid it.

~~~
scott_s
I train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and many of my training partners (including my
instructor) compete in MMA. I help them train in MMA by sparring with them. (I
try to avoid saying I "train MMA" because I have no intention of competing; I
compete in BJJ.)

In my experience, MMA people are _not_ "roid juiched douche bags with no sense
of honor." The opposite is my experience; the comradery, mutual respect and
emphasis on hard work is what I enjoy most.

Don't generalize based on your limited experience.

~~~
jacquesm
Capoeira ? Or something else ?

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1331
There are many different styles of martial arts, with a wide variance in
philosophy. Some martial arts discourage hurting the body, in stark contrast
to those that seem to promote it. Personally, the philosophy of Chayon-Ryu
matches me really well. If you do a bit of research and try out some styles
that look promising to you, you may find one that you like. I recommend
checking out aikido, which encourages safety and does not require much
physical strength.

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bitdiddle
I think the best martial art for long term health and well being is Tai-Chi

It's simple to learn, for young people it will not even seem like a workout,
but it's likely the most powerful of all the arts and it's integrated with a
chinese system of medicine if you want to explore nutrition as well.

You can also study push hands, swords, and even beautiful fans[1], all very
gentle and peaceful.

[1] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5RzZC0aB6I>

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elliottkember
I don't know whether it helps, but a few friends of mine do kickboxing. They
don't seem to think it hurts - and even when it does, it doesn't hurt for
long.

Also, once you start working out, your tolerance for pain is much higher.

