Karate

[DamianUK]

Trophy black belt in 3 years? Maybe in a McDojo.

Really it all depends on what you want, i would sya getting to a decent level in 3 years would be laughed at by a serious martial artist.
But i got to a very good level of MMA with a strong background in TMA in 3 years.

Be a bit more specific about what you want... is it just the black belt? is it for fun/ self defence/ etc

Damian

[Dr.Mayhem]

Originally Posted by DamianUK

Trophy black belt in 3 years? Maybe in a McDojo.

Really it all depends on what you want, i would sya getting to a decent level in 3 years would be laughed at by a serious martial artist.
But i got to a very good level of MMA with a strong background in TMA in 3 years.

Be a bit more specific about what you want... is it just the black belt? is it for fun/ self defence/ etc

Damian

Like Damian says, fun? self defence? understanding? some ideological western view of Zen?


Damian, by very good level, what do you mean?

[DamianUK]

I won the national ground fighting tournament (under Yawara ryu as we didn't have our own banner), i won a couple of novice submissions fighting tournaments, i won in Millenium brawl II my first pro no holds barred fighting tournament (got my ass kicked in the next one by a monster )
I was helping teach a new branch of MMA under Chris Bacon in manchester and managed to become generally a "considered opponent" i.e. won enough fights to be "ranked" in name.... we don't have belts in MMA and didn't have a forman ranking system, i got my name in which is better than "A fighter from X club"

Damian

[DamianUK]

Oh but as i said i already had 12 years of Traditional martial arts under my belt.

Damian

[haran49]

Yeah I fully understand that black belt is the not the definition of 'decent level' (Wing Chun doesn't even use belts, and if i wanted the belt that badly I could easily purchase a black belt). I was supposed to type 'e.g' and not 'i.e', based on my sensai in Wado Ryu Karate telling me that most effective self defence techniques and free sparring were learnt at black belt.

I suppose by 'decent level' - I meant the stage where I could competently defend myself in a street situation. I acknowledge that this varies considerably with what art one is studying, how much effort one puts in, the quality of teaching etc.

I basically wanted to know if it is possible to begin a martial art aged 20, study the martial art seriously for a long time on a regular basis and balance this with the arduous task of becoming a doctor. Considering I personally have found it difficult to balance the first two years of medicine with learning martial arts, then I can only assume it will be even harder later on in the medical career. (That said, second year medicine at Cambridge is supposed to be the hardest of the whole medical career)

As for the gap year, it would be for me to actually figure out if I want to do medicine (work experience etc), but I would also use the time to learn Wing Chun as this art deeply interests me.

As for that post sounding like a rant, it didn't - it actually was very useful

[DamianUK]

Its not a problem doing martia arts while at med school... its all about work life balance and time managment.

However "effective self defence" is not really the realm of TMAs.

i have pm'd you if you want to learn self defence then take a look at that (don't want to advertise other websites on here).

If you want to learn Wing Chun for interest then fair enough.

Damian

[Dr.Mayhem]

Self defence, you dont particularly need a black belt for it, Ju jutsu, Aikido, Wado Ryu Shindo Yoshin Ryu Karate will all teach you basics and principles as you lead up to achieving your shodan grades (in the respective martial art).

However, you will find: Most street situations, the rule is, avoid them. If someone attacks me with a knife, my response is run, and that is the advised training. No fancy footwork or blocks are gonna work against some drunk, or druggie or even an angry chav with a knife. So really, the martial art will teach you awareness of your options, stretch the limitations of your body, and improve you all round, and at the end of the day, its whether you have got it in you to fight it out in real life, or not.

Good luck mate

[DamianUK]

Tactical retreat is a good response... however its not the be all and end all of knife defence, basically a tactial retreat is not "turning and running away". Not a good time to find out your attacker is much faster than you.

Look into combatives, or some word of mouth recommended RSBD.... its a whole new world of self defence.

Damian

[Huw]

what if the other guy has a gun?

[DamianUK]

I know its only a joke but its happening more and more, i have friends who were held in thier own homes in manchester and taken 1 at a time to cash points and forced to draw out maximum amounts while the others were hld at gunpoint.

Aviodance would solve a lot of problems, i worked the doors in manchester for nearly half a decade... its not as funny as it sounds.. not if you have been in that situation.

Damian