PDA

View Full Version : 3 Months.



MoppyPuppy
26th March 2006, 03:07
Please dont hurt me, I dont know where else to put this...

Ok, Take any martial art.

Now, how much could you learn in 3 months.

Now this is the part where I go: "Well uhhh a friend of a friend of mine wanted to know, not me."

But I wont take that road, I dont really know why... but I still wont.

The plan is, I'm going somewhere special for my summer vacation, and I'd like to take martial art lessons over summer vacation, just for fun and it'd be good to learn.

I'll put this in bold: I DO NOT expect to be somekind of Black belt/unstoppable killing machine after summer vacation. I'm just curious.

Jock Armstrong
26th March 2006, 03:23
It really depends on how much of that three months you can devote to training- will you be uchi deshi, doing it every day or are you gonna go twice a week ?
Actually, go do it, enjoy and maybe you'll want to continue after vacation.

roninrj
26th March 2006, 04:31
Mate,

As Jock said it will depend on how often you intend to train. You should ask yourself some questions like

1. What do you want out of it ?
2. Are you likely to continue it after the 3 months
3. What quality instuctors are in that area

If you have had any previous training this may help as 3 months can be well spent with the right instructor/club.

Just some thoughts

Rowan Jones

Joseph Svinth
26th March 2006, 05:37
How physically fit and athletically gifted are you?

If you're already playing varsity football, basketball, and baseball, depending on the season, you can probably learn a lot in three months.

If you're so spastic that chewing gum and walking is an accomplishment, well, it could take a bit longer.

Prince Loeffler
26th March 2006, 07:43
The plan is, I'm going somewhere special for my summer vacation, and I'd like to take martial art lessons over summer vacation, just for fun and it'd be good to learn.



Somewhere special as in out of the country thingie ?

MarkF
26th March 2006, 11:03
Well, if it is just for fun, then go to the local boxing gym, wherever you may be. I have forgotton more than I learned in my life, but getting the peaches beat out of me taught me the most in a short time.



Mark

MoppyPuppy
26th March 2006, 17:58
I take it back, maybe its not for fun, though I'm sure it will be.

Oh... boy... what should I learn?!
I dont really know what I want to learn cause I dont know very many martial arts. Like most people (or maybe its just me) when someone says Martial Arts I immedietely think Karate.

But what if I want to learn something that is that common?
Is there a list? Any suggestions?

Prince Loeffler
26th March 2006, 18:31
I take it back, maybe its not for fun, though I'm sure it will be.

Oh... boy... what should I learn?!
I dont really know what I want to learn cause I dont know very many martial arts. Like most people (or maybe its just me) when someone says Martial Arts I immedietely think Karate.

But what if I want to learn something that is that common?
Is there a list? Any suggestions?


Jeremuah,

Here is a unbiased suggestion. First, Grab a local phone book. Make a list of the styles available, then research it on the internet. When you find the style that appeals to you. Call the Dojo / Dojang and ask to see if you can try it out. Don't ask for a one day guest pass , see if they offer you one week or even one month pass. If they charges you for a month then invest in it. You really have nothing to lose but time and small amount of money.

You want to make sure that this is the art for you. Lastly, some of us cannot really tell you what art is for you, we do not know you.

Good luck and let us know your findings. !

MikeWilliams
26th March 2006, 19:02
My advice: find whatever's easy to get to, with training times that suit you.

You only have a short time, so you might as well get stuck in to whatever is available. Don't worry about what it is, stylewise.

Sochin
26th March 2006, 22:38
I'd like to take martial art lessons over summer vacation, just for fun and it'd be good to learn.

I'll put this in bold: I DO NOT expect to be somekind of Black belt/unstoppable killing machine after summer vacation.

Putting "martial arts lessons over the summer" in the same context as "be some kind of black belt / unstoppable klling machine"

is like putting together "making a souflé" and "egging a house on hallowe'en,"

they both use eggs but other than that there is no relationship.

Projecting your fantasies on the reples here, even in the negative, suggests you get a Sensei over 45 years old who does not do tournaments.

MoppyPuppy
27th March 2006, 01:43
Um... I dont know what to make of that.

But I'm under the suspicion that this is the kind of response I tried so hard to prevent.

I shouldn't care.

mews
27th March 2006, 04:09
alas, some won't understand the urge to try something out, and see where you get.

If you are in a good school, and start in reasonable shape, by the end of the summer you should know if you like what you are doing. You will probably also notice changes in your balance - and other things depending on what art you choose.

If you aren't in shape, I'd suggest starting some modest exercises and stretches NOW, to avoid several weeks of real pain. :p You will still feel it, since you will be asking your body to do something new, using muscles in ways you haven't, but some strength and flexibility going in will help.

If you do undertake this project, go 3 -4 times a week - I don't think less than that will build any kind of useful body memory in the time frame you have.

enjoy (and maybe report back in September?)

mew

Prince Loeffler
27th March 2006, 05:34
Um... I dont know what to make of that.

But I'm under the suspicion that this is the kind of response I tried so hard to prevent.

I shouldn't care.

You should care as some of the posters here has been training time are quiet older than your oldest sweats.

Have you ever been in a dojo ?

Andrew S
27th March 2006, 07:48
My question is "Why the three month time limit?"
Are you intending to train for only three months? Or are you planning to do 3 months of intensive training (liberal translation:Hell) and then return to a more "regular" training pattern?

I think you haven't given us enough information about yourself for us to be particularly helpful - "Hey, I've been learning Shotokan karate for about 10 years, I'm going to Okinawa for 3 months and I'm particularly interested in learning some Okinawan kobudo - maybe bo. How much do you think I could learn on a 3-4 session per week training program?" or something similar would give us a better frame of reference.

Try rewording your origninal question :) I think you'll be happier with the responces.

mews
28th March 2006, 04:38
well, I read it as 'curious newbie who wants to try something out'

what harm, hmm?

I started in 1977 with a summer self-defense course. 3 months was the time limit because, like our poster, I had to be in school [in another city] in September. it was major pain, and funfunfun :p :p :p

I hadn't planned to do anything beyond that, but that first potatochip was soooo yummy....

relax -It's not like he's proposing to marry anyone's daughter!

mew

MikeWilliams
28th March 2006, 09:55
well, I read it as 'curious newbie who wants to try something out'

Me too. We should be encouraging him, not scaring him off.

Actually, if you really want to combine an exotic holiday with some good training, one of the annual BJJ camps in Brazil (http://www.brazilianblackbelt.locaweb.com.br/site/camp_novo.asp) might be an option. Not sure how suitable they would be for complete newbies tho...

MoppyPuppy
6th April 2006, 01:34
You should care as some of the posters here has been training time are quiet older than your oldest sweats.

Have you ever been in a dojo ?

Ahaha!

I didn't even know those were real!!!

If I told my friends that I was going to train at a "dojo" they'd probably all laugh at me. Not that it'd stop me, I just wouldn't tell them.

Oh, and what if I asked... "Can regular people get intensive training?"
I mean, c'mon, for something like that there has to be a huge set of prerequisites.

Black and Blue
17th April 2006, 17:46
< can regular people get intensive training..huge prerequisites>
I think if you walk into a good dojo you will surprised. Go for it!!

Phil Scudieri

Wilicyote
18th April 2006, 00:44
Ok here is a bit of encouragement.

Between my junior and seinor years in high school, I took a three night a week class in Tae Kwon Do. I did it mainly because I was bored and it looked interesting.

I had a ton of fun, and learned a lot -- mostly about balance, flexibility and body control. I did not learn anything that would be useful in a real world fight (but that wasn't really why i joined so it didn't matter).

I was a very avid soccer player and though I hadn't much talent I really loved the game to the point where it was pretty much all I ever wanted to do. Due to the lack of talent I rode the pine a LOT! However after the aforementioned summer I started varsity and was considered one of the most naturally talented players on the team, much to my suprise. So it seems that the class I took on a lark, benefited the true passion of my life a great deal, and I only studied three months.

I now study a completely different, and much more "combat effective" art and the contrast between my former training and present training could not stand in starker relief. However, I do not think, even for a minute that those three months of Tae Kwon Do at a rather casual dojo were a waste of time.

In the end you can probably get a lot out of kicking a tin can around in the parking lot (if you really pursued it with a passion) so I say go for it, as long as it is a dojo that you enjoy going back to every chance you get for those three months. It probably doesn't even matter what you study.

Disclaimer:
None of this post is meant to disparage TKD so I hope nobody takes it as such. Some of the happiest moments of my life were on the soccer field and probably would not have happened without those three months of TKD.

Paul Frederiksen

Brian Owens
18th April 2006, 06:54
...If I told my friends that I was going to train at a "dojo" they'd probably all laugh at me. Not that it'd stop me, I just wouldn't tell them....
I don't understand this post; can you tell us more?

Why would your friends laugh at you for wanting to get legitimate training from a legitimate source?

Brian Owens
18th April 2006, 07:06
...Oh, and what if I asked... "Can regular people get intensive training?" I mean, c'mon, for something like that there has to be a huge set of prerequisites.
It depends on how you define "intensive training."

At many dojo, the regular practice can be "intensive."

But I assume you mean some sort of special training above and beyond the regular classes. Again, many dojo in many of the martial arts offer summer camps, trips to the regional head dojo, trips to the honbu dojo in Japan, etc. for qualified students who have demonstrated their commitment and desire.

As an example, my old dojo had a week-long "kagami biraki" every year where the students from our three Seattle area branch dojo could gather at our main dojo, and our headmaster from Japan would come over and teach. While I was there, one of the students was selected to go to Japan to live with him as an "uchi deshi" (personal student/disciple) for a year. You could definitely call that intensive training.

So, depending on what art you choose to study, how well you progress, how much devotion you show to your dojo/dojang/kwoon, etc. you can most certainly get "intensive training," no matter how you are using the term.

HTH.