i'm gonna tie your wrists with leather and drill a tiny hole into your head.

Is that a threat or a promise?

Martial art? Depends on whether you're looking for something that's useful or just fun. I've been practicing Kendo for a while. It's not real practical as a "self-defense" art, although, if I have a cane or a pool cue, someone's in for a world of hurt. Still, it's a darn good art and if you've got a good sensei, you'll work up a good sweat. There is a seriousness about it and like in the old samurai movies, after a while, you can see who's going to win or lose just by the way they hold themselves.

Again, the major drawback is it's not a real practical art and it does have a serious cash outlay (shinai, armor, bokken), but it's been a lot of fun and I've met a lot of good people in the sport. (Remind me to tell you about the experience at the World Kendo Championships in Glasgow, Scotland someday. ;) )

Lies! Shameless lies!

Bear wrote all the sex scenes. For the record.

Currently, I take budo taijutsu. (There are a lot of teachers not listed on the site; if you go into it, some footwork may be needed.)

I have also had the opportunity to take some eskrima (doce pares style), taekwondo (not the sport version), and a tiny bit of tai chi and kobudo.

My favorites are eskrima, budo taijutsu, and tai chi.

Eskrima is taught very quickly. It's very simple, and rhythmic. It's a lot of fun. It's like dancing with sticks (or wooden knives). In my experience, it is far easier to do with music playing.

Budo taijutsu does not exist in sport form. The Bujinkan style consists of some samurai schools and some ninpo schools. If you want to learn practical hand-to-hand *and* weapons techniques, this is a pretty good art. The techniques are about body mechanics; proper techniques will work even if your opponent is significantly larger. The people I've trained with in this style (3 groups in 3 states) have all been pretty laid-back and good-humored, and have taken training seriously. A fun bonus is playing with rubber shuriken. I've just recently gotten back into it after a long (long) hiatus.

Tai chi can be more than just a moving meditation, but I only did it for a few months. I did enjoy it, (I was recovering from an injury, and had to take a break from the more intense stuff), but my schedule changed such that I could now longer make it out to classes.

Most instructors will allow you to take a couple of classes for free, to see how you get along with the class. People you are compatible training with are really important; it doesn't matter how good the teacher is of someone else if they are not someone you work well with.

Torture scenes?

There were torture scenes?

I didn't know there were any torture scenes.

Personally I'd go for Eskrima. I think it was first recommended to me by Matt (who also found it helpful writing the fight scenes in Revenge of the Sith, although he's got a broader background than just Kali, if I recall right) but I've also looked into it at various times. So far only been stopped by lack of teaching facilities local to me, but if you can find it...

Oh, n' it's not all swords n' sticks. It's reactions and hands and good excersize.

Martial arts?! I just got home from the dojo!

My arts are judo, and Muso Shinden Ryu iaido.

Judo I had wanted to do since I was a kid. You know that Flintstones episode? Akisaki-HA! I did a year in a McDojo, took a hiatus of a couple of years, then found my perfect dojo. I love the principles behind judo: mutual respect, and minimum effort->maximum effect. I don't know if you'd recall my relative size, but I top the scales at 130, and I can grab big guys, tug them off balance, and throw them. Then pin them and choke them until they call uncle. But it's cooperative, you know (and not too-cooperative, like aikido can be sometimes). It's a group thing, very social. At least my particular club; we've got a great group. I guess what I love about it most is how powerful I feel doing it. What don't I like? The MMA jerks who cruise through looking to pick up some skills on the mat, and are complete assholes.

Judo is what's called a gendai art -- modern. My other art is koryu: literally, old school. And it's a polar opposite. Judo is weaponless, except in some of the self-defense kata. Judo is close and hands-on.

Iaido/iaijutsu is the art of rapidly drawing and striking with the sword. It is largely a solitary pursuit, even though you might be attending class with a handful of other people. I can't explain exactly what it does for me, (other than shiny sword!) but I know other people can see it when I talk about it. I guess it's like when we were talking about writing on the T coming back on the last day of Boskone, you know? It makes me feel like that inside--that passion--because it is an immensely difficult pursuit, full of details. Complete internal locus of control. And I work hard at it, and I feel myself improve, and it feels powerful and beautiful in a way I can't describe. Connected to the universe, and right. And there's no finishing point--it's open-ended. There's no point at which you can sit back and be satisfied for more than a few moments, before you find something else you can improve.

Er. Sorry. I've emoted all over your LJ. ^_^;

Um, the iai is definitely not for everyone. I ended up having to leave my first dojo and find a teacher who worked best for me, and I've seen about eight other students come and go since I started. The judo is definitely more attractive to most people, and since there's no striking in it you're much less likely to get hurt than something with punches and kicks.

You're more than welcome to visit our judo class and give it a try (it's in NoHo--I know it's just a little far for you, but we might be able to find a recommendation for something closer), and I'm sure you'd be welcome to watch an iai session--but things are a little more formal there and there would just be the courtesy of asking sensei.

I do Chen style taijiquan, which is the original, martial, form of "tai chi." I like it fine, though it's rare to find any instructor with any real level of gongfu in this style, and because it is a form of tai chi it does tend to attract people who just want to get into shape but who don't want to do aerobics.

I also used to do catch wrestling, but that's even harder to find (which is why I'm not doing it now).

Was there a place within walking distance and that was cheap, I'd do Brazilian jiu-jitsu. As it stands, buymeaclue bought me ten weeks of seminars on Danzan-ryu jujutsu for Xmas/birthday, which I am looking forward to.

It really depends on what you are after. There are plenty of martial arts that are essentially nothing more than Live Action Role Playing, except that the LARPers tend to have no idea that they're LARPing. On the other hand, it'll get you into shape regardless, but if you want fighting/self-defense, you have to train with frequent sparring with a high level of contact.

Edited at 2007-12-27 04:01 am (UTC)

Was that a situational need of pajamas, or an absolute need? If it's absolute, I could hook you up with a cozy set. :)

If you loved kickboxing, then you could, y'know, do more kickboxing.

Or Tae-kwon-do, which is all kick-y.

The thing about Taekwondo is that, like Judo, it is recognized as a sport, appears in the Olympics, etc., which has led to it being taught in many places as a very sport-like rather than martial-like activity.

Since "self-defense" doesn't show up on your list of desired characteristics, a sport slant on the activity might not be a bad thing. If you're not interested in tournaments, then check carefully when you're visiting schools about how tournament-focused they are. If you like the idea of tournaments, rock on.

The meditative qualities are going to be probably the hardest thing to find, so you may want to focus on those when you're feeling a place out.

Although I'm less interested in Taekwondo myself (me for the self-defense applications up front, please) I feel like the deciding factor should really be less the art and more the school. If you think you'd like to do Taekwondo, but every place you visit has a vibe that makes you want to skitter away, do something else. Alternatively, if you happen to stop into a Wing Chun school and love the place instantly - study Wing Chun!

My general tips for checking out schools:

1. Any school absolutely should let you visit and watch classes, and shouldn't be very restrictive about which ones you're allowed to see. If they won't let you watch and talk to current students, fuck'em. (And then, *do* go watch a class or two, and talk to the current students. I like to ask current students what they like best about what they're studying, and what's the most frustrating part.)

2. Schools should also be able to accommodate a request to try a beginner's class before you make a commitment to join. In that case, it may take some finagling for the teacher to find a class it would be appropriate for a novice stranger to be in, so there's nothing skeevy about them doing a little more working around to find a good class for you to do this with. They may charge you $10, or something, which is annoying, but also not skeevy.

3. While you're watching a class, look for--

- A. gender make-up of class, especially at higher ranks. If there are lots of women, but all at the beginner level, and all the senior students are men, consider that this may be indicative of a problem.

- B. Pay attention to how the instructors and students interact, and how the students interact with each other. How formal is it? How competitive? How rigid or chaotic? There aren't any wrong answers, just figure out whether they have a dynamic going that you'd enjoy being part of.

- C. Look for number of people showing injuries. One or two? Not a problem. Always several students showing injuries any time you visit? Not a school you need to be a part of.

- D. Regrettably, although it's not very common at all, some people *do* use martial arts schools as a basis for building a cult-like group. If you get a feeling like that, don't ignore it.

...there was probably more, but I can't think of it right now. You're very sane, sensible, and smart - if you take time and ask lots of questions, I have no doubt you'll end up somewhere wonderful.

I need to get back to work, myself. Writing about this stuff makes me damnably nostalgic.

(As far as arts go, I like Judo when it's not being a tournament-based sport, Shotokan karate, because it suits my body and is satisfyingly violent and effective, and aiki-ju-jutsu, which is what aikido was made from but is 800 years old and has a lot more teeth, which are what the creator of aikido objected to. Oddly, I like Shotokan karate (low, solid stances, powerful blows, not a lot of mobility - as opposed to something like Kenpo karate, shorter stances, much faster and more mobile) because it sits easily with my brain, and I like aiki because it turns my brain inside out and uses it to mop the mats. It's good to have a balance of the two.

I've practiced shotokan karate and aikido extensively. I've also done smatterings of dozens of other arts (seminars, or retreats, or whatever.). Generally, those have been full of 'Oooh! Shiny! I like that move *yoink*'.

Lately, I've been practicing kali (escrima), and enjoying the hell out of it.

Karate (of whatever school) has the awesome thing going for it of being a hell of a workout, as well as actually fairly easy to pick up. It's all body mechanics. "Put your foot here. Put your hand here. Faster. Harder. Good."

Aikido is a different art entirely. They are almost two sides of a coin. Where karate is all about beating the hell out of your opponent, head on, in aikido, there is no opponent, it's all energy, and force. You're changing the rules of what 'a fight is' to change the way that your body thinks about how to deal with what's going on. It's generally very big on the spiritual side of the art.

Escrima (kali) is a whole shit-ton of fun for me. It's designed so that the motions (strikes, blocks, disarms, holds, etc) are almost exactly the same, no matter what you have in your hands. Which means that I'm spending a whole bunch of time moving with various stuff (sticks, knives, hunks of pvc filled with wet sand (oh, god my forearms) etc). After 90 minutes of this, in a non-ac room with a dozen other people, I just want to die. :)

Edited at 2007-12-27 05:16 am (UTC)

I did taekwondo with Chyeung-Ghi forms for about three and a half years, and I adored it. I second what everyone says about finding the right dojo, though...mine was definitely a dojo, not a gym, and our instructors also taught some hapkido grappling techniques to go with all the kickin' and hittin'. I also did Thai kickboxing for a while and that was just fun. A monster workout, and it teaches you to inflict some major damage if you're looking for self-defense.

I'm a big fan of the kicky arts. I'd recommend TKD to almost anyone and kickboxing to those looking to punish themselves a bit more.

I do Shaolin kung fu, which at my school is a nice mix of forms, sparring, self-defense, and conditioning, and a nice mix of empty-hand and weapons. I've also done some kempo, and a little bit of kajukenbo. But I enjoy the circular movements of the kung fu, and the schools where I've gone have been good about teaching practical applications for the forms.

More than the style, though, I'd really look for a school that seems like it's doing stuff -- whatever it is -- that seems fun to you.

I can go on at insane and tedious length about this stuff, so if there's anything you want to ask, please let me know.

Once again, newsgroups offer more information than you were probably interested in.

Rec.martial-arts or some such has a fairly famous faq.

I've done tai chi, kenpo and kickboxing. It depends on what you want out of it. Tai chi is very relaxing and good for limbering up and circulation and stress relief. Kenpo is a lot more aggressive, but it's a very fast way to learn self-defense. It's also excellent for fitness, and sometimes you just want to kick and punch things while screaming "KI-YI". Kickboxing, likewise, great way to get in shape. I think in terms of less wear and tear on the body, tai chi is better.

FWIW, you KNOW how 'active' I am (read: not at all), and yet-- I'm enjoying myself mightily in karate.

I am studying shorin-ryu karate, and I love it. This particular style of karate does not seem to be quite as commercialized and often kobudo is offered as a separate 'track'.

If you're looking for something kick-y, this may not be it; kicks are to solar plexus at the highest, as a general rule.

Anyway. I like karate, but then again, I need someone to tell me: do this. NOW, do this. NOW, the next set of kicks. NOW, we're going to do kihon.

Karate may not be as good for you if you are more independently minded, like my husband-- who hates the idea of going out onto a dojo floor and getting told what to do.

I've studied aikido, shorin-ryu karate (very briefly), jeet kune do, and wu style taichi, which has preserved its fighting techniques.

Tai chi takes tremedous patience to get to the martial stuff. Many tai chi schools only teach the forms for relaxation, flexibility, and strength and don't get into the fighting aspects. So if you're looking to get into sparring quickly, this is not the route. However, tai chi can pair very nicely with a "harder" style, and I've seen plenty of kung fu students who study tai chi in parallel for the flexibility and balance and fluidity of movement.

Of the ones I studied, I'd recommend aikido and jeet kune do. Jeet kune do was developed by Bruce Lee. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeet_Kune_Do It's a very practical hard style. I really enjoyed it, but the classes were hard for me to get to and after my 2nd knee surgery I gave up hard styles. (note: my knee injuries were not caused by martial arts accidents)

There are several styles of aikido. Wikipedia has a short summary of history and current styles with links to the various aiki foundation pages: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido Fun footwork, simple and complex joint locks, and really cool throws, plus many aikido schools also teach short staff, spear, and sword techniques. What's not to like? I only gave it up because I had issues with my school and the other school around was nortorious for back injuries.

Some schools practice their style in such a way that their members are prone to back injuries.

I would stay away from a school that is proud of their injury rate or does not take reasonable steps for safety or has too many students quitting due to injuries that effectively end their martial arts practice. Injuries are pretty much unavoidable in martial arts study, but why invite more trouble?

Also, ditto to everyone who said you need to go watch a class at a school and talk to the instructor about their teaching philosophy. I'd also question schools that want you to fork over a lot of money up front and sign long contracts. Are these schools so insecure about being able to keep you as a student they want your money first so when you leave they still have it?

Avoid the "black belt mills" -- schools whose most important aim is making sure you get your black belt in a relatively short amount of time. They just want your money. American culture has given meaning to "black belt" that just isn't... right. Black belt means basic competence in the style's techniques. "Shodan" in Japanese means something like "first steps", so a black belt is really just the beginning of becoming a true expert in the style.

On the martial arts side of things:

What I have practiced in the past:
Tae Kwon Do and Okinawan Karate

I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a brown belt (very nearly got black) in Okinawan Karate (Shorin Ryu).

TKD is good for cardiovascular fitness. If I did three hours a night three times a week for a few months, I was in incredible shape. Also, it gives you some very pretty kicks.

Karate I liked because of the precision of form. It felt more like a science than TKD. Also, it was fist-based instead of kick-based and in a lot of fights it's not the safest thing in the world to take one foot off the ground.

What I didn't like about them was the same: They were very hard on the body. TKD moreso than Karate. I got injured a lot -- just stupid accidents, mostly -- but I ended up getting arthritis at 23 years old so bad it was hard to walk and I had to give them up.

Also, now that I've moved on, I don't like the herky-jerky way they make you move (especially Karate).

What I do now:
Tai Chi Chuan, Xingyiquan, Baguaquan, and Shaolin

Tai Chi is classified as an "internal martial art" and is easy to love. It is a science of movment that looks easy but is actually very difficult and demanding to learn, but it still accessible to almost everyone of any age or fitness level. As our teacher says, "You decide how hard it is." What I love about it most is the sense of grace and poise and balance it gives me, and the fact that my arthritis has very rarely flared up since I started it 3 years ago.

The other two related "internal martial arts" are Xingyi and Bagua. Xingyi looks more like an "external" form -- linear drills based on punches and kicks. Learning to hit with power. The internal mechanics in it are more subtle -- a lot of people recommend using Xingyi as a way to transition from an external style to the softer internal styles. I have to say -- it's a lot of fun for me. Bagua is a little more esoteric. Where Xingyi is linear, Bagua is circular. Literally. You learn to walk all over again. And you walk in circles and twist and turn and learn fancy foot work. The big problem with Bagua is it can be very frustrating for beginners. Learning to walk all over again -- in some styles, up to six times -- can drive a lot of people nutz. But nothing is as good for catlike speed and being able to flank or outmeneuver your opponent on foot.

The Shaolin I do is the Northern Wushu standardized by the Mainland governement. This style has basically become a style of dance or acrobatics that uses punches and kicks. It's not so strong on the fighting/self defense aspect (but I've got all my other arts for that). The big benefit for Shaolin is that it teaaches speed, agility, and flexibitity. And it's really good for cardio. You might also get some unarmed fighting and weapon skills doing it, but like I said that part is almost accidental.

I feel like I should correct a misapprehension re: auctorial intent, there. Sarah and I didn't write the book with the intent to shock anybody.

I think that my misapprehension has come mainly from reading some of the responses to questions/comments from readers, in particular following the post were you addressed some of the complaints that had surfaced.

In particular, one poster remarked that the story squicked her, and Sarah responded that it was part of the intent. I probably read too much into that response, but it made me wonder for a moment if I was missing something since that was not at all how I reacted to the book.

Soon after posting my review, I read some of your comments about the book on your website, and those I felt fitted my perception of the book much better. I can definitely agree that it isn't 'your kid sister's companion animal fantasy'. :) I should probably tweak the review to include that, actually.

Martials arts is pretty much my life at the moment.

I do Tung Su Do karate, which I enjoy very much. In my expirience, it has been about equal amount kicking and punching,as opposed to Shotokan Karate, which is mostly punching or Tae Kwon Do, which is mostly kicking.

I've also done Brazilian Jujitsu and Judo. For the record, Judo hurts. There have been mornings I couldn't get out of bed the day after practice.

Also, Kobudo is a lot of fun. This one involves weapons, Bo staff, Tonfa, and some others. I think this might be my favorite, apart from the minor disasters caused when a weapon goes flying out of your hand and halfway across the room.

Hope that helps!

I'm studying two martial arts. The first is a combination art, incorporating Tae Kwon do, Tang Soo Do, Aikido and a bit of grappling (essentially, karate with added goodness). The second is Judo. I find that, as I get older, I'm enjoying the Judo far more than the Karate. All those jumping kicks are hard on the knees... :(

I find that every form of martial arts has strong and weak aspects, and the trick is to find and study things that complement each other. Being able to block and strike is good. Sometimes it isn't enough, and you end up on the ground. Being able to grapple is good. Once you're on the ground with someone on top of you, knowing how to get that choke, and (more importantly) training yourself not to panic or freeze can be critical to surviving.

In the end, more important than the style is the quality of the teaching. Every style is powerful and effective when executed well. Every style sucks when it isn't. There are many schools out there where the teachers suck. I sat in on one class where the black belt instructor's punches were such that he could have punched me for an hour without it being a problem for me.

You want a teacher that will push you. You want to build up your body - not just aerobics, but internal strength - the ability to take some punishment. You want to improve coordination and reflexes. You want to learn how to control what your body does.

If you take up Judo, you also learn how to control what your opponent's body does - but that's a longer and slower process.

If the instructor is just teaching techniques, that's not enough.