Martial Arts: Your interest?

OB1Shinobi wrote: what do you mean "something like this"?

like what exactly? i think i may be able to point you in the right direction if i have an idea of where you want to go

Of course I should have been more specific.

I wish I could pursue a system of study that allows for gradual advancement, but I recognize that that is most likely impossible from home. I'm looking for something that provides me a chance to find that "sacred space" for an hour a day, focusing solely on the actions at hand. I currently do weights three days a week and cardio in between with a day or two for rest. I wouldn't mind getting some more flexibility, though P90X has helped with that.

So any activity is healthy, but I think I am looking for something that just allows me to train within a system and provide a mechanism for focus.

I am really interested in learning Aikido... but have yet to go down to the place that offers training.

Aikido (Japanese: 合気道 Hepburn: Aikidō?) [a.i.ki.doː] is a modern Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the way of unifying (with) life energy"[1] or as "the way of harmonious spirit."[2] Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury.[3][4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido

@ McNulty
well my friend then i would direct you to youtube lol

for flexibility i dont think youre going to beat yoga - as little as a week of daily beginner yoga exercise will probably give you some flexibility gains

for a martial or combat emphasis you might get some ideas from the Jedi Warrior thread

once youve got the fundamentals of how to strike, theres a ton of boxing and kick boxing tai chi and kung fu tutorials and workouts on youtube (and quite a few in that thread)

i particularly recommend this guy and if youd like to just jump in right away heres his boxing workout #1

I'd love to see an ongoing thread on this topic.

I trained in Yang style T'ai Chi Ch'uan for about year quite awhile back. A job-related move put an end to my training, but my self-assessment was that I progressed well for the time spent; before I was done, I was among a few people who assisted the teacher in guiding the class.

After that, I wanted (and still would like) to study one of the striking arts; I like the cultivation of focus, stamina, and flexibility they engender, as well as the character development that is often provided. Unfortunately within days of signing up for classes in Shotokan karate, I experienced the first of three retinal tears; my eyes, as it turns out, are unusually fragile, and the medical experts advise me that accidental head blows or even the fast spinning movements of training could put an end to my ability to see. So, barring a miraculous healing or the beginning of my next lifetime, no such training for me - and twenty years on, I am still bummed. I nevertheless enjoy observing the martial arts and studying what's written about them.

As an aside, I'd like to respond to this part of OBi1Shinobi's post:

OB1Shinobi wrote: ... most of my life i have lived in violent prone areas and unfortunately associated with people who lived violent lifestyles

ive been homeless for several years and been in and out of jail since about 16 which is almost twenty years ...

im going to comminity college in may and they have judo for self defense course which im going to enroll in

i hope to open a gym when i get out of school ,,, while i am there i will major in psychology

Just wanted to say I admire you all to pieces. My background is a lot different than yours; though I've had other challenges, the ones you are overcoming show me a profound reaching for building a positive life from really harsh circumstances. There's not much more any of us have the right to ask from another human being.

well im not that admirable, really, but thank you for your kind words and encouragement

also i have seen that if you scratch the surface, there are a lot of exceptional individuals frequenting this community, i dont think i rate very highly by way of comparison,but i also dont think comparison to one another is the primary way we ought to rate ourselves
(thankfully!)

the judo at campus didnt happen because that course was no longer being offered, but i am training jiu jitsu in a m.m.a. gym and i am in my second semester of the psych degree, and have a good gpa SO FAR lol - i still have one exam this next tues so we will see what happens!

as for your situation, what if its non contact and theres no spinning around necessary?

I would love to go to a "Jedi gym", even though I know yours probably wouldn't be. Chicago Jedi are so lucky..

i think it would be great to open a jedi gym - my ideal vocation is basically a synthesis between personal trainer and therapist

the idea is that one day the office will also be a gym, and trainig center, and martial arts and resisitance training will be the primary focus for the physical element, but there would be excursions into other areas, such as energency response/first aid for one

theres some other ideas but they arent very well fleshed out yet and i dont know how practical any of this even is

but thats the general dream, for myself,
how and IF it will actually work out i dont know - its kind of a pipe dream maybe but the process of getting myself qualified in the necessary fields is going to benefit me regardless so im moving forward with in mind

I've always been a participant in martial arts ever since I was young , recently I haven't been as involved as I would like be because of the joys of shift work. In the past I studied wing chun , karate and aikido. Now I'm restarting my aikido training as well as hopes to begin some other forms of traditional martial arts in the future .

I find aikido to be a good blend of "soft arts" and spiritual practice with zazen mediation being part of my Ciriculam at my local dojo . Very intrested in traditional Japanese schools , such as the famed Tenshin shoden katori Shinto ryu school. Would love to be a member of the school but at present is not feasible due to the location and availability of training.

OB1Shinobi wrote: ... as for your situation, what if its non contact and theres no spinning around necessary?

An art like that would be terrific, but I am not familiar with any like this. If you - or anyone else - knows of such a tradition, I'd be tremendously grateful to learn what it is.

Good wishes on your upcoming test!

thanks for you good wishes

how much can you move around? like if you had to really run for your life would you be able to do that without risk to your eyes?

could you like for instance run track on a regular basis?
im not asking because i think you should run track but because if you COULD run track then theres no reason you couldnt do a careful jiu jitsu or even a no contact boxing or kick boxing

theres plenty of them out there now, actually its been easier for me to find no contact boxing than real boxing lol because most people want to get fit but not get hit