Has martial arts made you more confident?

[mahon83050]

Hey Everyone,

I was thinking of taking up martial arts again (I did one year Tiger Schulmann's, but would not go back there). I was looking into taking up Judo.

Now, I am pretty much a non-aggressive, laid back person who detests violence and violent people in general. I believe in treating others with respect. I guess you can even say I am a bit passive and usually let petty stuff roll off of my back. However, as we all know, there are pricks out there who may try and take advantage of your niceness.

I do not know about you, but when I go out to a bar or club, getting into a fight is always in the back of my mind. I am not at all saying, I would go around starting fights, but you never know what someone else may say or do. You go to a bar with a cute/attractive girl, this increases ten fold.

Basically, I dislike and even fear confrontation (whether it be verbal or physical).

I want to know if martial arts can help be get over this fear.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Consider using martial arts to raise your confidence instead of lowering your fear.

 

[Monster]

Ever since I started doing MMA now I'm like, "*RoaR* wanna mess with me?"

 

[wolf116]

Yes it can, to the point where you actually want someone to jump you in a dark ally. It happined to me, someone pulled a knife on me so I shin kicked him in the nads verry verry hard.

Do a hard martial art where you do a lot of full contact sparing. Also doing weights and getting bigger at the same time helps just as much.

It is no short term fix though. It took me a couple of years of MMA to be confident it confrintation.

 

[Berlex]

yes

 

[mahon83050]

I want to do Judo since it is a grappling art.

I think King Fu, Tae Kwan Doe or Karate would not really work in a street fight.

Thanks guys.

 

[Shiftkey]

Absolutely. There's no feeling like knowing you can take on just about anyone (considering most people are not trained to fight). You don't have to be a violent person to want to learn self defense. People are stupid not to.

 

[sparky0000]

I will take a 95 year old granny with a loaded gun over any of you Bruce Lee types.

All American guys talk tough. But they never actually just get together and throw down. What up with that? Don't tell me that it is because of guns in America. There are just as many if not more guns floating around Eastern Europe as there are in America.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Lg5x5Eo43hw
http://youtube.com/watch?v=T06HJyCjttI&mode=related&search=

 

[mahon83050]

Oh hell yes...I've always been a fighter, used to box etc etc but now I'm pretty much using my legs as well and it's full contact. Yeaa we wear padding and helmets but I highly suggest you do a martial art that has FULL contact (with protection) because it will heighten your instincts, reflexes, give you an understanding about yourself, how to stay calm and most of all you will be disciplined or become disciplined. If you have natural athletic abilities and know how your body works it will make the learning process faster and you will learn things about yourself along the way.

Fuk Judo and all that sh**, take something that's strictly striking or wrestling because all those "forms" don't work in real life and your opponent is not going to let you "set-up" or prepare yourself. You have to hone your instincts and learn when to turn it off and on depending on the situation. Their are many factors that play along with you learning an ART and depending on how good you get you will start to become more and more creative as you progress as well. I recently posted a report about how I ended up in a fight (not trying to brag) but the conditioning my body and mind had developed helped me get out without any scratches, I stayed calm the whooooole time and my nerves weren't all hyped up and I was able to better think and act upon with focus and concentration.

But I highly suggest trying one to see how you like it...you might have natural abilities and become the next UFC champion.

Well, I do not think Judo has any sparring. However, it does involve alot of contact. I was also looking into Krav Maga, but that seems geared toward fighting off multiple attackers with weapons (less realistic to happen in real life).

Sparky0000:


Russians are nuts period. My grandfather was in the American army in World War II and his division was the first to meet up with the Russians in on the river Elbe. He said they were all drunk firing their machine guns in the air. Basically, he was more scared of them than the Germans.

 

[I Want To Be a Playa]

more confident? i dunno it always has seemed dorky to me. taking yourself too serously

 

[wayword]

Yes, it won't really increase your confidence around girls per se...but will around other guys who might try to start something.

Usually people start in a sucky "phag tag" sport art like TKD or katarate. These tend to focus on forms.

Then they may try some more "applicable" MMA styles like grappling, judo, Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, wrestling, san shou, JKD concepts, etc. These tend to focus on techniques.

Still later, they may progress to studying body mechanics like in some kung fu styles and their descendants like JKD.

Finally, you have the internal Eastern soft schools like Taijiquan, Aikido, etc. These are very esoteric arts that can be immensely powerful - but 99% of people can't make them work because they require a very deep, counterintuitive understanding and subtle skills developed progressively over years.

 

[mahon83050]

Yes, it won't really increase your confidence around girls per se...but will around other guys who might try to start something.

Usually people start in a sucky "phag tag" sport art like TKD or katarate. These tend to focus on forms.

Then they may try some more "applicable" MMA styles like grappling, judo, Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, wrestling, san shou, JKD concepts, etc. These tend to focus on techniques.

Still later, they may progress to studying body mechanics like in some kung fu styles and their descendants like JKD.

Finally, you have the internal Eastern soft schools like Taijiquan, Aikido, etc. These are very esoteric arts that can be immensely powerful - but 99% of people can't make them work because they require a very deep, counterintuitive understanding and subtle skills developed progressively over years.

Well, I think it can help in confidence with girls too!

It is always in the back of my head that having an attractive girl may lead to confrontations with jealous haters (mostly in a bar/club setting). So, I think it can help your confidence when it comes to chicks. If you know how to defend yourself, you will not be afraid to have an attractive chick and it will give you more balls to go after hot chicks!

 

[Livinlifehard]

MMA makes me a lot more confident, and because YOUR getting better, its not about a team... its about you! But i dont look for fights, if your going to be getting in fights get ready for jail or a hospital... anyone has a knife or gun these ages.

But it will make you more in shape and faster and its fun as hell.... if you want to fight get in a ring. More sweat on the mat, less blood on the streets.