martial arts

[hev]

katie is starting tai kwondo next week(cute or wot in her outfit )anyway does anyone know of a decent self defence class for a bigger woman who is a complete unfit beginner(me!!!!) i often walk home past a dark field,no choice,no other route and would feel safer if i defend myself,any ideas what class to take?

[pearl]

I did one a few years ago Hev, it was just held at our local leisure centre so maybe thats a good place to start. The woman was a martial arts expert & not v big. One night I was partnered up by this martial arts bloke who'd accompanied her, & I felt so proud when I managed to overpower him! (I'm 5'2 & 7 stone!)

 

JP does taekwondo & loves it, there are some real littlies there too

[Guest Lya of the Nox]

this any good

http://www.martialartsclubs.com/clubsinfo/286.php

http://www.goaikido.co.uk/goaikido/Homepage/

[Mumble]

JP does taekwondo & loves it, there are some real littlies there too

Pearl, how does JP cope with the touch and interaction or doesn't he have problems in these areas? I've thought about a similar class (I quite like the idea of the one with the big sticks - I'd be deadly!) but although I'd like the discipline, I wouldn't cope with the contact part - I tried karate when I was about 12, but didn't cope for long because of that. I thought about fencing, because you only touch with the foils, but I hadn't realised what an incredibly expensive activity it is to do and I'm on a very limited budget, unfortunately.

 

I'm trying to get into my uni climbing club but I need someone to come with me as social/non-literal language support - the uni are trying to find someone but it doesn't seem that there's a queue of people who want to help, even though they'd get paid, which is a shame.

[annie]

this any good

http://www.martialartsclubs.com/clubsinfo/286.php

http://www.goaikido.co.uk/goaikido/Homepage/

 

 

I was going to suggest Aikido (hubby is a teacher). Quite a few women go to the club's classes and you don't have to be fit to do it .

 

Annie

xx

[Kinda]

hev

 

I did karate for 7 years and my advice is if you just want self defence then just look for a self defence class but if you want something longer term that gets you fit and becomes a hobby then choose a martial art and I think this will be determined by what is available locally to you and on what night.

 

Karate takes years to become sufficiently proficient for self defence purposes and not sure about the other martial arts. I loved it when I did it but it has left me with a view problems in later years. I loved the disciplin of karate.

[Clare63]

I did kick boxing before I had Connor....doubt I'd get me leg up that high nowadays

 

Think most leisure centres do martial arts and self defense classes.

 

Good luck hev and go kick some ass !!!!!

 

Clare x x x

[David Matthew Baker]

Learning to be a Kodo drummer might work. Saw them last night and wouldn't like to meet any of them if I was alone on a dark night and had upset them some how. Have decided a big drum would be the ultimate anti angst tool too. They're very good by the way for anyone who hasn't seen them. Don't know where they get their energy from but I'd like some of it. They seemed moved and very enthusiastic about the reception they were getting too. Sorry will steal this thread if I'm not careful. I know my mum did a self defense course at one point and seemed to find it useful. It had a wide range of different types of women from what she said. All the best, David.

[pearl]

Pearl, how does JP cope with the touch and interaction or doesn't he have problems in these areas? I've thought about a similar class (I quite like the idea of the one with the big sticks - I'd be deadly!) but although I'd like the discipline, I wouldn't cope with the contact part - I tried karate when I was about 12, but didn't cope for long because of that. I thought about fencing, because you only touch with the foils, but I hadn't realised what an incredibly expensive activity it is to do and I'm on a very limited budget, unfortunately.

 

In taekwondo the touching seems to be fairly limited. When I've been to his gradings, most of the time is taken up with performing patterns, sequences of movements which are done solo, followed by 15 mins or so of light contact sparring. Because there are clear rules about how you touch etc, JP is fine with it. Unexpected touch can freak him out. At college a couple of weeks ago, he was doing his best to ignore that daft girlie I've posted about who specialises in winding him up. She got so frustrated by him not responding that she grabbed his arm. He immediately went into taekwondo mode & flung it off as he would in class. She was most offended & threatened to report him for assault! He was sooo worried, but he had a witness & I'm pretty sure she was joking, anyway he heard nothing more about it. On such little things can a boy's future turn.