Martial arts help needed.

**JohnnyReb** · 02-18-07, 03:02 AM

Since I just started in the jail, I'd like to get some martial arts training of some kind.

Around here my options are limited.

Here are my options.

Okinawan Karate, Jujitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, or MMA.

What do you think would benifit me the most?

**General Patten** · 02-18-07, 07:07 AM

tae kwon do is pretty good

**lewisipso** · 02-18-07, 07:48 AM

I don't have the availability to take martial arts (time and money) but if I did I would seek out something with in close (elbows, knees etc) or ground fighting. It's just my experience that this is where most of my fights wind up. I've never had much of a chance to "square off" with an opponent.

**TXCOP** · 02-18-07, 07:57 AM

MMA all the way. The guy to ask is Tapout. PM him.

**zap** · 02-18-07, 08:15 AM

MMA....from a martial arts instructor

**Piggybank Cop** · 02-18-07, 09:00 AM

Please enlighten an old fart; what is MMA?

Thanks.

**zap** · 02-18-07, 09:25 AM

Mixed Martial Arts

Take some of this and some of that and develope a well rounded system that works for you. For instance you might mix karate striking with akido joint manipulation and judo ground fighting.

**dapples** · 02-18-07, 09:45 AM

OOps sorry just realized I was in "Ask a Cop" ssssorry

**RailPD133** · 02-18-07, 10:24 AM

MMA is good because I am a big fan of taking what works from different forms and molding them into what you need. However, if I were to take just one form I would go with a form of Okinawan karate such as Ishin Ryu (sp?). That form was ment for close quarters combat. Of course all you really need is to be able to understand body mechanics and use the offenders on body and joints against them.

**mavriktu** · 02-18-07, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by dapples

OOps sorry just realized I was in "Ask a Cop" ssssorry

Dont worry gang,Im on top of it and she will be punished

I have decided that her punishment will be ,Some of you will be happy to hear,a time out from the poker room,

So you better hurry in while ya got the chance.

**countybear** · 02-18-07, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by lewisipso

I don't have the availability to take martial arts (time and money) but if I did I would seek out something with in close (elbows, knees etc) or ground fighting. It's just my experience that this is where most of my fights wind up. I've never had much of a chance to "square off" with an opponent.

PM or call me about this when you get a chance.

**JLK** · 02-18-07, 12:49 PM

i would go with mma. find what your strength is and go with it. since you are a c/o pressure points and joint manipulation look better for the camera. i perfer to get on top, strike till they go limp, then handcuffing is easy. but i will use what ever it takes. the more tools you have in your toolbox the more options you will have.

**Hannibal** · 02-18-07, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by zap

Mixed Martial Arts

Take some of this and some of that and develope a well rounded system that works for you. For instance you might mix karate striking with akido joint manipulation and judo ground fighting.

+1. add some Krav Maga to the mix and you have a good combination. Don't forget to practice weapon retention in fight scenarios.

**Gatekeeper** · 02-18-07, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by RailPD133

MMA is good because I am a big fan of taking what works from different forms and molding them into what you need. However, if I were to take just one form I would go with a form of Okinawan karate such as Ishin Ryu (sp?). That form was ment for close quarters combat. Of course all you really need is to be able to understand body mechanics and use the offenders on body and joints against them.

I agree with Ishin Ryu. That is what I study, and it is a discipline that works well for the type of fight encountered in our line of work.
Next month I will be taking GAGE training which is Ground Assault Ground Escape. Should be interesting.

**Terminator** · 02-18-07, 01:58 PM

MMA.

JohnnyReb, if you want to train, you can come down to Term's dungeon here in North Carolina and I will twist you into a pretzel and snap every bone in your body.

**tapout** · 02-18-07, 07:01 PM

let me stress that in no way do i claim to be an expert on this, and this is all just from my experience...

ok, this is one of my favorite subjects...not that im a martial arts instructor or anything even close to that by any means, but i have trained pretty extensively for a few years (not as much recently), and i have fought in a few tournaments. i also had the luxury of training a few times with royler gracie at my old jiu jitsu school, and was tought krav maga in the police academy by londale theus (obviously that academy course was very basic though).

it doesnt matter what you take, as long as you attend a reputable school and are comfortable with the instructor, and can make the time to train, youll be alright. dont fall for promises of black belts and the like...a good school wont try to sell you belts. at a good school, youll truly earn each promotion when you are physically ready. in fact, for example, if you were to take gracie jiu jitsu as i did, you should not expect a black belt until close to 20 years of training. its all about repitition and training right. the color of your belt means nothing, being able to handle yourself is all that matters.

personally, i started off with brazilian jiu jitsu, and then took agas kilat along side of that. its very difficult to find a school that offers agas, its a little known filipino art without much of a following here in the us, its similar to thai boxing or mui thai. my jiu jitsu teacher had just happened to have spent years living in the phillipines, and that was an art that he trained in when he was there, so he passed it on to us. its a lot of elbow strikes, knee strikes, footwork, and edged weapon defenses.

obviously, the more well rounded you are as a fighter, the better off youll be, so cross training or mma is probably going to be your best option. my personal opinion, if you could only take one art, take brazilian jiu jitsu. its a fact that MOST fights end up on the ground one way or another. especially being inside a prison, where there is limited space in the cells to work with (take it from a former c/o whos been in a few prison brawls)...youre gonna want to know how to control someone on the ground, or get to an advantageous position if you find yourself on the bottom. gracie jiu jitsu is the foundation of the martial arts movement in this country.

good luck with whatever you choose...keep us updated

**Terminator** · 02-18-07, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by tapout

its very difficult to find a school that offers agas,...

I offer agas right here in my house, usually after eating Mexican food. I'll offer it for free....I just ask that you pull my finger first, because it's agas out of my ass.

**Jks9199** · 02-18-07, 11:20 PM

I'm going run off of Tapout's post. I happen to have trained in martial arts for many years.

There's no "best" martial art, and there's no "best martial art for law enforcement/jails" either. A lot depends on the school in question. Visit all of them. Watch at least one class. (If they won't let you WATCH -- not participate, run away.) Look at what's being taught, and how it's being taught. If they're doing lots of point sparring or competition oriented stuff -- it's not going to be ideal for work. MMA can be good -- but all that it takes to open up your door and say you're doing MMA is knowing a smidgen of boxing, a dash of wresting, a little kickboxing and a hint of jujitsu... And it's RING oriented; it assumes you're opponent is going to fight reasonably fair. (Bad guys DON'T.) What you're looking for is whether what's being taught and how it's being taught seems somewhat likely to be applicable to work, and if it seems somewhat realistic. Personally -- I'm leery of places with lots of trophies and a 25-year old "super duper grandmaster soke head of family"... As a loose, very general rule -- the more commercial, the less real.

I'd also caution you against anyone wanting long contracts or pushing the "belt of the month club." You want "real" martial arts, not McDojo family fun crap.

I'm also going to suggest that you go to another forum... (I know... Why would you go anywhere else? But I've referred one or two from there here!) Check out MartialTalk.com. They've got several stickyed threads there about choosing a martial art that are worth reading.

With all that in mind... I'd suggest either Judo or Jujitsu, based on what you say is available. Both are practical, both involve working with a partner and actually learning the techniques against resistance, and most of what we do on the job is focused on controlling somebody, not knocking them out.

**spcwes** · 02-19-07, 01:28 AM

Being that most LE encounters end up on the ground when we get in to it I would suggest some sort of Judo or Jujitsu. Don't get me wrong, my background is a brown belt in Karate with over 6 yrs of training off and on. It has its place but I loved the ground fighting training that I got from the State Police instructor. It was great stuff.

**Rhino** · 02-19-07, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by JohnnyReb

Since I just started in the jail, I'd like to get some martial arts training of some kind.

Around here my options are limited.

Here are my options.

Okinawan Karate, Jujitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, or MMA.

What do you think would benifit me the most?

Whichever one holds your interest and will keep you coming back to the training hall. If it's more than one, I'd go with either Jujitsu or Judo.