Talk to me about martial arts....

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Hi, I'm really thinking about doing a martial art. My local lesiure centre does taekwondo, I know nothing about it and wondering if it is a good form of exercise? I really want to do something fun exercise wise which is more of a hobby rather then just exercise.

What benifits do you get from taekwondo? I am hoping to loose about 1 stone, tone up and get fitter. Is this realistic?

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Yes you should get v fit and toned with taekwondo. I did it at uni and I am now v jealous of my fitness back then! And I can still pack a v big punch (not that I ever have in anger....kind of...)

Latterly I did Ju Jitsu however and view it as a more complete martial art. I would recommend that or Judo too.

That said, by far the most important element is the teacher.

Thank you for your response. What would you say is the difference between taekwondo and ju jitsu?

The only class i have found near by so far is taekwondo.

They are massively different. TKD is all about very fast kicking and punching. It is possibly the most athletic of martial arts - the height that some of them get to when they kick is incredible! You do need to do a lot of stretching!

JJ is about self defence - locks and throws. It was very satisfying being able to through an 18 stone man (with some degree of ease) when you are a 10 stone girl!

All martial arts have varying styles within them and some "blend" different styles so may not match exactly what I have stated above. I would highly recommend doing a martial art though - very satisfying!!

I do kickboxing. It's a mix of kickboxing and a mix of kung-fu.

Warm ups of press ups, shuttle runs, squat thrusts, crunches, skipping etc.

Then working on kicking, punching, blocking techniques. Some walking techniques, staff & knife defence.

We usually end with sparring. I am rubbish at sparring as I'm too nice, although I can block attacks, I just don't have it in me to wallop a friend!

You will lose weight, get fit, probably whimper in pain a day or two after the class as your muscles are being used to the limit and you will learn how to protect yourself. I really recommend martial arts!

Thanks for the replies, I really want to find a class.

Also my dd who is 4 wants to do it as well as is currently doing taekwondo at school. There are some classes where we can do it together I believe, do you think I will still get alot out of it even tho children are in the class?

yay, finally a thread about MA

I've been kickboxing for a year now, love it. my school runs ladies only classes, so was so much easier to summon up courage to go.

sessions are 45 minutes long, 10 mins warming up and stretching, then pad and kickshield work, finishing off with situps/squats/push ups etc at end. it is intensive so you get a good cardio workout and tone up too. I noticed it especially in my upper body and abs. I have graded a few times (currently orange belt) so that helps keep you motivated too. there are sparring classes too, bit it's not really my thing for now, so just do 3/4 sessions a week. my DS (8) has recently started and graded too.

as someone said it does depend on the school and instructor though. I would try a few and go fir the one that feels right for you! Good luck!

I do Krav Maga - if you want to be able to defend yourself in a very short base of time, then Krav is good to choose - it's an Israeli fighting system which is designed to get civilians/troops up to fighting force as quickly as possible using your natural reflexes and the simplest move to get things done.

Lots of emphasis on cardio and warming up, stress drills, dealing with multiple opponents and the worst case scenarios and very very practical. Classes are generally short, fun and friendly. Less pretty to look at than most martial arts, though :)

I switched from Wing Chun, primarily because I didn't have the time to devote each week to refining skills in a traditional system. Krav gives me the tools I need to protect myself with a smaller time investment.

Dont know about tkd but I am another kickboxing fan, it is so much fun and a great workout. Most of the time you don't realise how hard you are working because of concentrating on technique and enjoying kicking and punching pads etc.

My DC's are also doing it and love it but classes are separate. Theirs is only half an hour and adults is an hour. Apart from the teaching and practice of actual punching/kicking technique, kids play games that are exercise in disguise, as opposed to adults doing push ups, sit ups etc. Kids get training on dealing with bullies, adults with reacting to a mugger . Tbh I can't I imagine how, in a combined class(until DC's are 12+ at least) that both kids and adults would get the best/most out of it, but I have heard of combined classes, so could be wrong...

I am an armchair expert by proxy - DD has her black belt in TKD. I've watched - a lot!

DH used to go with the DCs in a mixed class. To a large extent age has no relevance to TKD as it is all about experience eg. DD gained her black belt at 14 but when 10 would have been MUCH better than you as an adult beginner. Having said that clearly a 4 year old can't have that experience.

If the class is a proper mix you should be fine. Does the centre offer a taster session? I would definitely try it out. It used to fascinate me as initially DD needed to improve her confidence and aggression, DS his discipline and DH his flexibility. And they all did.

Yes it will improve your strength, fitness and flexibilty. If you practise at home (as you should) I wouldn't be at all surprised for you to lose your weight (depending on your body now . Go for it if you haven't already!