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| I have been practicing Iyengar yoga for the last 6 years (and do not plan to stop this ever), but meanwhile and in parallel, I would also like to start learning one martial art. Just few basic things, if this is possible, that make you able to defend yourself.
Out of all the different traditions/schools of martial arts that exist and are taught today which kind, would you suggest would fit to someone who is doing/and is mainly devoted to yoga ?
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| Dear Kristi: This is my personal response:
Step1: If you are sincere Iyengar Style Yoga Exercise student, and are practicing it for 6 years, please go to step 2
Step2: You should certainly take up a Martial Arts if your heart feels like it, and if you have time and resources, and if martial arts will not hamper Yoga Practice.
AND
- You can take up any matial arts that feels good to you while seeing others doing it and or while you trying it yourself. I mean, you will know which Martial Arts you should take up. The one which you like and feels good to your heart will be great for you. (Assumption is given in Step 1 above.)
kristi - 2009-03-15 6:30 AM
I have been practicing Iyengar yoga for the last 6 years (and do not plan to stop this ever), but meanwhile and in parallel, I would also like to start learning one martial art. Just few basic things, if this is possible, that make you able to defend yourself.
Out of all the different traditions/schools of martial arts that exist and are taught today which kind, would you suggest would fit to someone who is doing/and is mainly devoted to yoga ?
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Location: London, England | kristi - 2009-03-15 10:30 AM
I have been practicing Iyengar yoga for the last 6 years (and do not plan to stop this ever), but meanwhile and in parallel, I would also like to start learning one martial art. Just few basic things, if this is possible, that make you able to defend yourself.
Out of all the different traditions/schools of martial arts that exist and are taught today which kind, would you suggest would fit to someone who is doing/and is mainly devoted to yoga ?
Hi Kristi,
Wing chun is a type of kung fu that was designed originally for women-lots of blocks which protect the breasts, and lots of moves for close-up fighting-perfect for defence, rather than offence. Perhaps avoid martial arts where high kicks are used-I don't think these are so good for self-defence and which can result in high forces being exterted on the knee and hip joints.
Nick |
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Veteran
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| Thanks very much to both!
Neel, to be honest, I wouldn’t say that it is my heart which is telling me to start a martial art, or any other kind of practice, except of yoga, which for me is 100% enough and very important.
It is mostly and mainly the will to feel more “secure” and self sufficient in any case that I may need / be forced to defend myself that leads me to think of starting learning also a martial art.
So, I think I will start by finding and trying any wing-chun teachers/courses here, as Nick suggests.
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Location: London, England | Hi Kristi,
Good stuff-perhaps go through all the kung fu clubs in your area, so that you can find a group you like to train with, a teacher you like and a style that suits you. Hopefully you'll find all three at once 
Nick |
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| my very good girlfriend and fellow yogini practices brazillian martial art called capieora. it is dance-like and very powerful. my very good friend, mark, is also a fellow yogi and he practices wang chung kung fu! my husband practices yoga and iado (or did for many years, he hasn't been to see his iado teacher in a while); and many around here practice tai chi along with yoga. as a kid, i not only did yoga with my mom, but i also practiced taekwondo (or, as my mom pronounced it Tackey-wo-doh! LOL!).
so, i agree, that any martial art will do. there are actually indian martial arts (eg, originate in india), but it's hard to find teachers/practitioners here! |
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| Nick - 2009-03-15 5:30 AM
Perhaps avoid martial arts where high kicks are used-I don't think these are so good for self-defense and which can result in high forces being exerted on the knee and hip joints.
Nick
As a second level black belt in Taekwondo, I would like to agree with this. I would also like to suggest that there are many good self defense classes if that is all you want. Learning a martial art is a lot more than self defense and not usually all that practical for use as self defense. If you still want to learn a martial art, please go to as many different schools as you can in your area and talk to the owners and instructors as well as watch both beginning and advanced classes. The right choice for you will be obvious. |
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| Hi Zoebird, capoeira is indeed becoming popular lately…
I personally do not like this martial art. I may be wrong, but my intuition is telling me that it does not have good results to the person/character trying it. Because I believe that the gestures/ poses that we do with our bodies are very much influencing us “inside” and leading us to certain types of behavior, and whenever I watch people doing capoeira movements, the feeling I get from this practice is a kind of an insidious feeling…
Yes Jim, all that I want is to be able to defend myself in case it is needed and I also have big questions as to weather this can indeed be achieved, just by some short training in any kind of martial art and I am sure that martial arts are much more than that and need the same kind of “devotion” and practice as yoga.
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Location: London, England | Hi Kristi,
Hope this helps, als, avoid martial arts which have saprring competitions-in a self-defence situation, a woman needs to know how to go for the most 'sensitive spots.' In competitions, you would be disqualified for gouging someone's eyes out, crushing their trachea, herniating their testicles, but in a 'street' situation, your instructor would be patting you on the back for successfully using these techniques Sad but true.
Having said that, the most effective thing for a woman would be to outrun their attacker, I think. It's much easier for a woman to train to run fast than it is for her to learn to disable a more powerful opponent who may have a knife.
Nick |
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| certainly, you are welcome to yyour feelings, as they may be telling you that it is not the right martial art for you.
FWIW, if nothing, my friend is a very sweet and loving person. she has practiced cap. for about 5-6 years and recently earned her teaching certificate through her master teacher. she is an amazing individual! she is very involved in the tradition--even studying briefly in brazil--and also knows how to make the instruments for the martial art. everyone whom i have met in the martial art is a generally good person (of course, everyone is human and has foibles), so i cannot say that it negatively affects anyone's character, unless they brought that with them.
but that's just my experience.
oh, and it's exhausting. i've taken classes with m friend, and while fun, i prefered the singing and drumming to the actual doing of the martial art. LOL it was HARD! gets you in shape fast! |
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Expert Yogi
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| kristi - I say go with your gut. Rational or not, something with that "not for me" feeling will not benefit you. When I was looking into starting yoga, our rec centre had someone teaching Kripalu. I have no idea what Kripalu is like, but my instant reading of the name said "cripple you." 
Now, our friend Jim may say this is superstition - not choosing something based on some silly trick of my eyes and mind - but certainly I would not have been comfortable in that class. And since there were other yoga classes offered, why not go with one that didn't give that strange connotation? Finally, I had a good friend and co-worker recommend my Iyengar teacher and the rest is history. 
I also suggest some serious self defense classes as opposed to a martial art unless you have time to dedicate to another demanding practice. |
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| I personally recommend you to go for Martial Arts as long as your other schedules are OK.
kristi - 2009-03-15 9:27 AM
Thanks very much to both!
Neel, to be honest, I wouldn’t say that it is my heart which is telling me to start a martial art, or any other kind of practice, except of yoga, which for me is 100% enough and very important.
It is mostly and mainly the will to feel more “secure” and self sufficient in any case that I may need / be forced to defend myself that leads me to think of starting learning also a martial art.
So, I think I will start by finding and trying any wing-chun teachers/courses here, as Nick suggests.
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| I like Aikido, and there are a couple of instructors at the local school who are also into it. Hapkido is similar, but a little quicker. My first traditional yoga class was taught by my Hapkido instructor. Unfortunately, it both cases it takes quite a while to be proficient in the art to the point that you can defend yourself. If you really want something quick and easy, my suggestion is to buy a gun, pepper spray, or a tazer. |
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| krav maga is a good self defense martial art, but talk about agressive people. every person who does krav, in my experience, can be very aggressive (even needlessly so). i particularly remember working at a gym where it was yoga and then KM afterwards. the class before me (abs) ran late 10 minutes, so i ran over 5 minutes (still cutting 5 minutes out of my class time). the KM folks came in screaming and yelling at us, picked up our stuff adn threw it out the door, and even put hands on some of the students!
it was like !?what?! we were confused. the krav class got kicked out of the gym, then.
they said we were 'disrespectful' for running 5 minutes into their time, even though there was no class after them and they could go over (and usually did anyway) AND that is industry standard. we all strive to start and end on time (start at 5:30, end at 6:25, start at 6:30 end at 7:25, start at 7:30 end at 8:25. this was my 7:30 class which started at 7: 40 and would have gone until 8:35, but instead i ran it to 8:30, which is right when their class was supposed to start).
yeah, crazy!
but, then, i guess my friend Ernie isn't like that. Of course, he studied tae kwon do and kung fu for 25 years before starting krav, so that probably had something to do with it.
but, krav IS effective as a self defense course. |
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| tourist - 2009-03-16 7:03 AM
Now, our friend Jim may say this is superstition - not choosing something based on some silly trick of my eyes and mind - .
This is absolutely superstition, BUT if you felt that way, NOT following your "mistake" (that could have possibly been intuitive) could have led you to injure yourself because you already had that doubt. Many such prophecies are self-fulfilling because we unconsciously make them so.
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| kristi - 2009-03-16 3:05 AM
Yes Jim, all that I want is to be able to defend myself in case it is needed and I also have big questions as to weather this can indeed be achieved, just by some short training in any kind of martial art and I am sure that martial arts are much more than that and need the same kind of “devotion” and practice as yoga.
kristi,
To become competent enough at a martial art to be able to actually defend yourself against an attacker who does not have a weapon will take five or more years of intense training four or five times a week. If your attacker has a weapon, your ability to defend yourself isn't very good despite your skills. Remember that attackers usually sneak up on you while you are preoccupied with something else; they don't usually stand in front of you and invite a fight. Like Nick mentioned, the best defense is usually running away. (Even shooting a moving target is very difficult.) Especially for a woman, the best defense is to 1) stay away from places or situations where you could easily become a victim 2) be aware of what is around you and who is in the area 3) if someone threatens you, before they have a hold on you, kick them in the shins, scream and run! (Kicking someone hard in the shins is quick and easy and will make it very difficult for them to run after you and screaming will scare them and alert others of your need for help.) Remember that there are many places that are not safe for men at night and even more places that are not safe for women.
Martial arts can be fun, will build strength, endurance, speed and coordination and give you an air of physical confidence that can discourage a potential attacker before they attack. Most attackers are looking for easy victims.
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Veteran
Posts: 258
| Dear Zoebird,
I’d like to apologize for the hard expression I used against capoeira, didn’t mean to offend persons who are practicing it and especially your friend! It was an exaggerated way to express my negative feelings. (which negative feelings unfortunately derive from a very sad personal story, … because also my closest girlfriend, like a sister she was to me, who tragically and very quickly passed away 4 years ago, had just started doing capoeira those days…)
Thanks to everybody for all the advice.
So the general idea I get is that one needs much time and a long practice in any martial art so as to be able to defend oneself in case of danger… Although I am against “easy” solutions, I think that a spray, like Green Jello suggests might be more effective… But certainly NOT a gun, at least not for me! Because, among other things, it is the wide spread in the use of guns, which has lead us to feel more insecure… And as Jim puts it, you cannot use a martial art against a gun pointed at you… Which is what happened to a young couple in the little forest/hill right behind my own house, where I take my walk every evening…
Your advice about trying not to get in danger is wise and sensible Jim…
But the reason I started this thread/question was that I DON’T want and will try NOT to change my lifestyle which includes long wanderings, swimming, camping, etc in remote places… And also I cannot quit my job which finishes very late at night and often not in the safest neighborhoods in town…
But let’s finish all this with Jim’s positive idea :
>>>>>>>and give you an air of physical confidence that can discourage a potential attacker before they attack. Most attackers are looking for easy victims<<<<<<<
I think I will stick to this and given the chance, mention that after my 6 years of Iyengar yoga :-) I feel have acquired a big portion of this type of physical confidence !
And certainly… after all those hard and long kept standing postures… my strong legs can run faster than ANY stupid criminal or crazy person that may try to attack me:-)
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| Dear Kristi: Big Brother Bruce has agreed (kindly) to be a person to test all your Self Defense techniques! |
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| i don't think of intuition as being superstition, personally.
kristi:
i wasn't offended. i'm sure you know very nice krav people (besides my friend ernie! LOL). it is true that for personal security reasons, spray or a simple self defense class is a good idea. i've taken a self defense class and i don't carry spray, but i feel safe anyway.
i think that it's great to study/practice martial arts for their own sake, though, if one wants.
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| zoebird - 2009-03-17 8:47 AM
i don't think of intuition as being superstition, personally.
zoebird,
I don't think that intuition is superstition either and if that is how you read my post, I probably didn't make myself very clear. Making an error in perception and sticking with that error could be either intuition or superstition. Not doing something because it is Friday the 13th is superstition and (in my opinion) stupid. Not doing something because it feels wrong is intuition and (in my opinion) smart. Being aware of the silliness of the mind (as in superstition) as well as our non-verbal perceptions (as in intuition) is important for our survival as well as the survival of the planet.
jimg |
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| yes, i agree. i thought that's what you meant, too. |
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| kristi - 2009-03-17 4:53 AM But certainly NOT a gun, at least not for me! Because, among other things, it is the wide spread in the use of guns, which has lead us to feel more insecure… To each their own. My understand of history indicates that the people in power generally do whatever they can get away with. Guns tend to balance this equation because a gun is a great equalizer. Compared to a great many other forms of martial power is it cheaper, easier to use, and packs a great deal of deadly force. Personally I feel much more secure with a gun, and more certain of our country's freedoms as long as people have the ability to stand up for their rights. Generally the first step towards tyranny is the denial of the people their ability to resist the desires of the people in power. Often times this means removing their ability to maintain privacy, assemble, discuss or think radical concepts, or forcibly resist. This is the reason why all these freedoms are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Peaceful protest can often cause very radical changes in a society, but there is a limit to how much it can accomplish. One only has to look at the blight of the lawful leaders of Tibet, and how their peaceful struggle these past 58 years has failed to secure their homeland to understand this.
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| I thank GJ for his thoughtful post. It is fantastic for me. |
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Location: London, England | Hee hee,
How did we get back on to guns again?-I remember this same debate on one of my first posts here
Sorry to pick, GJ, but using a gun isn't easier-look at all the training that gun experts do-SWAT, snipers, etc. It's easier for any fool to pick up a gun and use it, that's true-and it's the fools that pick up a gun that are the problem, not responsible people, like you.
I wouldn't swap the existence that I have now for one where I felt safer to bear arms-it's like we live in two different worlds isn't it-because I'm pretty sure if I lived in some parts of America, I would probably have a gun. I count myself as very lucky-or stupid
Nick |
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| hey Nick , I totally agree with you! maybe it's because we both live in England, and the idea of carrying a gun is not very common here, i think.
I'm not sure that having a gun would give me a greater sense of freedom, it's still ultimately a weapon that harms/kills another person. not nice |
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which martial art fits to yogin(i)s? (...if any)
