Does anyone know the top cities for martial arts

[Jerry Johnson]

More specifically, me and a friend where discussing what each thought where the martial arts capitals ( in the US ) for certain styles of martial arts. Example, Aikido might be CA. Or NY. Sword arts WA. etc.

For each of the major Japanese arts what cities can be consider the capitals of each art?

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by Jerry Johnson
For each of the major Japanese arts what cities can be consider the capitals of each art?
Tokyo, Osaka, Tadotsu, Nagoya, Otaru, Sapporo, Sendai, Yokohama...

[Tripitaka of AA]

Headbutts used to be Glasgow ("Glasgow Handshake").
Razor attacks to the face used to be a delicacy of genteel Brighton ("Brighton ROck")
Car Theft is a Manchester speciality...

You can guess what targets they prefer in Bolsover.

[Exorcist_Fist]

The English contigent proving once again they can't read...

[TakadaDojoKeith]

Originally posted by Jerry Johnson
For each of the major Japanese arts what cities can be consider the capitals of each art?

Well, the best place for MMA in Japan is definitely Tokyo and the surrounding areas.

[Tripitaka of AA]

I just stuck a flag in the grass near the War Memorial in town today. I proclaimed this the capital of one-armed kitchen knife ryu. Anyone who can claim previous ownership of this art should consult the list in my Grandma's basement in Tokyo where all known practitioners must be recorded in order to qualify for the "Hall of Fame".

Incidentally, last year's award of "Kitchen Knife Instructor of the Year" has been upgraded to include the whole decade, and the three years previous. Obviously our records go back much further than this, but we don't want to get in a slanging match over lineage, so we're keeping them locked up.;)

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by Tripitaka of AA
I just stuck a flag in the grass near the War Memorial in town today. I proclaimed this the capital of one-armed kitchen knife ryu. Anyone who can claim previous ownership of this art should consult the list in my Grandma's basement in Tokyo where all known practitioners must be recorded in order to qualify for the "Hall of Fame".

Incidentally, last year's award of "Kitchen Knife Instructor of the Year" has been upgraded to include the whole decade, and the three years previous. Obviously our records go back much further than this, but we don't want to get in a slanging match over lineage, so we're keeping them locked up.;)
We get the point, David, but to be blunt, it's just a stab in the dark. You really are sharp aren't you, with statements to the effect that your art is a cut above the rest. After all, no matter how you slice it, your art will have bladey well faded by to(m)zorro...
:D

[Tripitaka of AA]

Ouch Sir, you cut me to the quick. But lest your blade be as dull as your wit, I suggest you find an oilstone to sharpen your edge before attempting to challenge me again.

I honed my art in the secrecy and seclusion of a darkened kitchen deep in the back of my house, during a power cut.I use a Barber's strop to deburr the edge of my razor-sharp tool. You'd better keep clear when I get stroppy.Smoothly I slice, deftly I dice and with good cheer I chop my way through the whole range of traditional English vegetables (not including Matt Boxall). On a good day, I can slice an English onion without a sniff, let alone a tear.

So don't cry for me Antonio, though my heart is filled with (Z)orrow, and say not goodnight, for in my time zone it is morrow. :)

[Brian Owens]

Originally posted by Jerry Johnson
More specifically, me and a friend where discussing what each thought where the martial arts capitals ( in the US ) for certain styles of martial arts. Example, Aikido might be CA. Or NY. Sword arts WA. etc.

For each of the major Japanese arts what cities can be consider the capitals of each art?
Excellent dojo can be found all over the US, and some pretty bad dojo as well; but certainly there seems to be a concentration of koryu bugeisha in the Seattle area, and a large number of Aikidoka in the Los Angeles area. I associate Kendo with New York, and Karate with both Los Angeles and New York. The first Judo school outside of Japan was in Seattle, but I don't hear as much about "Seattle Judo" as I do about Judo in New York. (Of course, I'm not a Judoka either.)

But really, major metropolitan areas with large, established Japanese-American communities is the key factor. Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, and so on. Sometimes you can get very specific, like with a particular subgroup of an art: Small Circle Jujutsu, for instance, becomes associated with Hawaii, because that's where Wally Jay -- the founder -- resides. And so on.

Of course, just because these large cities are "meccas" dosn't mean there isn't good Budo to be found in "Small-town America." It's just that bigger cities get the press.

So, really, I don't think any one city in the US can be considered a "capitol" for any martial art, because interest is so widespread and the number of dojo so large.

And that's to all our benefit (as well as our detriment).

[AlexM]

Originally posted by Yagyu Kenshi
I associate Kendo with New York

New York has some good kendo clubs. But it's not really on par with the Los Angeles area: the really good players are in Los Angeles at the moment. I think about 80% or 90% of the current US national team is from LA or Sothern California.

[Joseph Svinth]

A problem with NYC anything is that "World-famous" is automatically part of their title. Doesn't matter if nobody outside the 'hood has heard of the guy, he's "World-famous."

New York judo is good by US standards, meaning that the best players would probably make a pick-up team at a YMCA in Havana or Paris. Bottom line is that USA judo is mediocre, no matter where you go. It isn't solely the distances between shiai, either, as the former Soviet Union fields world-class teams.

Brian is right, though, about finding good stuff in places you wouldn't normally think to look. For example, there is Olympic-caliber taekwondo in Missoula, Montana (Olympic TKD is entirely different from strip-mall Take-My-Dough) and there's some some good capoeira Angola being done in Seattle.

As for absolutely terrible places to learn karate, Tokyo has to be near the top of the list. There are good folks, to be sure, but the standard seems to involve little more than practice in bullying juniors and sucking up to seniors while simultaneously waving one's arms and shouting, "Ichi! Ni! San!"

[Shitoryu Dude]

My brother took a few months of TKD in Missoula back in the early '70s. Same place?

:beer:

[Joseph Svinth]

Probably -- it's the University of Montana club. The same folks teach judo, too, so between that and the tougher competition one finds at international levels, they tend to be a whole lot more pragmatic than the usual strip mall outfit. Great website, too.

[BULLDOG]

Any place other than Sarasota Florida.

When you think of McDojo’s think of super sizing Sarasota.

For the few real MA instructors, in Sarasota, God Bless.

Ed Barton