Martial Arts For Girls?

[Kasandra]

Dear all,

I would like your consultation about Martial Arts. I always wanted to try this but I have been always afraid to look like a loser, is there any frindly place for girls to come and start martial arts??

[Tejas]

There is a real nice place to learn Aikido (good for girls) in Pattaya on the waterfront above Mike's Dept. store.

The problem, for girls, is that it is Pattaya and on the waterfront where prostitution is rampant.

The good news for girls is if they know Aikido the guys will pay for unwanted advances.

No doubt you can find something similar for girls in Bangkok.

[Phil Conners]

Aikido moved to the Little Duck center behind Big C Sukhumvit/South Pattaya road almost a year ago. Check their website http://www.aikido-pattaya.com/ for details. If the link for any reason should disappear you can try Google "Aikido Pattaya".

Edited January 23, 2010 by Phil Conners

[Kasandra]

Thanks a lot. Bus as I know Aikido teaches how to protect yourself, and what if I would like to know how to kick someones ass?

[Tejas]

Thanks a lot. Bus as I know Aikido teaches how to protect yourself, and what if I would like to know how to kick someones ass?

Aikido most definitely allows a person to "kick the ass of an opponent," especially one larger.

It is primarily defensive. But that can hurt an opponent.

You use their strenght to defeat them. You can immobilize a larger opponent with a few hand/body moves.

But if necessary, it is offensive and can be deadly.

The Japanese man who started it was very old.

He used to sit on the floor and allow much younger men surrounding him to attack him.

He would sit there and throw them all over the place.

I think it is worth an investigation.

If nothing else, it gives a person a good mindset.

It will also teach how to avoid conflict.

[Kasandra]

Well....

you convinced me, I'm gonna definitely try it.

I just wondering how long does it takes to learn the basic moves?

and how exactly the training goes?

Is it painful for the beginners?

[raro]

Aikido takes a while to learn but it has its benefits. Very gentle martial art but if the techniques are applies correctly it can lead to serious injuries, even death. Yes, it hurts in the beginning, especially the wrists.

The trainer here in Pattaya is very good and looking after beginners.

Note to self: got to join classes again...

[TomBrown]

In my opinion, particularly with beginners, it's best to take a friend along with you, even if they too have never tried a martial art before. The reason I say this is that students can be at different skill levels and might not want to be stuck with a beginner all the way through a session. Really depends on the martial art and how the class is run of course. In most cases everyone tries to help each other.

[Ulysses G.]

Aikido is not really for kicking ass. Try Moi Thai or Ju Jitsu or Brazilion Ju Jitsu.

[Tejas]

Aikido takes a while to learn but it has its benefits. Very gentle martial art but if the techniques are applies correctly it can lead to serious injuries, even death. Yes, it hurts in the beginning, especially the wrists.

The trainer here in Pattaya is very good and looking after beginners.

Note to self: got to join classes again...

Good post. Also good idea to go with a friend. It can be a bit scary watching people do Aikido. Lots of throwing, similar to Judo.

I mentioned it mainly because it is one of the few martial arts that allows a small opponent to defeat a much larger one.

I was thinking of girls defending themselves from much larger men.

True story: On my first day I was introduced to a small, Thai young woman. I was told to push her. I was much bigger/stronger, or at least I thought I was.

But I was not able to push her off her centerpoint no matter how much force I used. She did not move at all. I was impressed. She knew how to counter my force using her body/mind.

And with a flick of her wrist, she could put me on the ground in pain in an instant.

For those who think it is all passive, Steven Seagall trained in it.

If you watch him, you will see a lot of circular movements. That is characteristic of Aikido.

Good luck.

[Ulysses G.]

Seagall trained in Japan. They often teach really waterdowned Aikido in the US.

[Tejas]

You will see Aikido here:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_quer..._type=&aq=f

In any fight between an Aikido Master and a Karate Master, I would bet on the Aikido Master.

[Ulysses G.]

Perhaps, but in a fight between two regular blackbelts, the Aikido guy would usually get blasted.

It takes a long time to learn to use Aikido effectively. The same is true of Tai Chi.

Edited January 24, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[chomphoo]

Rawai Muay Thai in Phuket, but I guess I can't put their link here. About 25% women trianners including fighters. Good fun, excellent training, hard physical work, good fighting results and good eye candy - and accommodation.

[raro]

Perhaps, but in a fight between two regular blackbelts, the Aikido guy would usually get blasted.

It takes a long time to learn to use Aikido effectively. The same is true of Tai Chi.

that is common belief but unfortunately wrong. I don't want to get the s1t kicked (or better: thrown) out of me by an Aikido Master either. The landing can be rather hard.

As for body size/weight, the smaller opponent has a clear advantage in Aikido as no power is applied and being below the opponent's center of gravity is crucial for success. We have one girl in the dojo, she is about 12 or 13. Had this visitor (not black belt, but fairly advanced student) from another dojo and he was supposed to attack her. Got struck on the mat holding his wrist with a painful facial expression - he totally underestimated that his power turned against him and because she was half of his size had that advantage over him.

Again, the dojo in Duck Square is very beginner friendly and we all remember well how we started and were somewhat scared of being thrown around. After you learn how to roll out of a throw it is actually good fun!

[Kasandra]

=) thank you soooo much for all the information, it was very interesting to read.

But I have made my decision - I choose yoga =)

[Phil Conners]

Hm, I fail to see the link between martial arts and yoga

[raro]

Hm, I fail to see the link between martial arts and yoga

..exactly my thoughts...

[Kasandra]

I tried and its too complicated for me, I hardly can walk today and my back hurts.

You have to be very flexible for this thing, thats why first Im gonna do some yoga and then will see....

[braverrouge]

I tried and its too complicated for me, I hardly can walk today and my back hurts.

You have to be very flexible for this thing, thats why first Im gonna do some yoga and then will see....

Are you sure that you came to the Aikido class and not the Taekwondo class ????

I'm teaching Aikido at the dojo in south Pattaya and can't recall to have a female "newbie" in my class.

[Gik]

Well after one year hard study moi thai you really can kick ass 90% of opponents but aikido even after 5 years its still under question . Aikido can only be effective after long and long and long and long time of hard study. I think at least 15 years.

[dmax]

fairtex hotel in naklua, loads of girls train there mauy thai etc , also one of the trainers there is a girl from leeds in the u.k . rooms arent cheap though starting at 1600 thb per night with breakfast and inc all classes , but you can pay for classes and training sessions,gym etc without booking a room.

[raro]

Well after one year hard study moi thai you really can kick ass 90% of opponents but aikido even after 5 years its still under question . Aikido can only be effective after long and long and long and long time of hard study. I think at least 15 years.

you didn't do much Aikido yet, right?

[soundman]

Well after one year hard study moi thai

Luckily not too many Thai's read this section, because the expression "moi thai" would have them wetting their pants with laughter.

........................

Taekwondo is a good introduction martial art/contact sport for girls. My daughter started Taekwondo last year & 60% of the class is female.

[braverrouge]

In the western world, Martial Arts, is interpreted as a form of self defense with destructive goals/results only.

In the eastern world, the destructive part is secondary, such as in Aikido.

The goal in Aikido is to become mentally strong rather than physically.

We train techniques, movements etc. over and over again until they become our second nature.

Once we have reached this stage, we don’t need to rely on physical strength too much anymore.

I totally agree with the comments that it takes a long time until anyone can master Aikido at a certain level … But like babies, it takes them 1 or 2 years until they will make their 1^st step, then another few years until they will be able to run fast without to stumble over their own feeds ….

And there is the destructive part in Aikido.

Aikido can be very dangerous when not practiced in a controlled environment or techniques applied in a controlled matter.

That’s why I sometimes reject students who are too much focused on fighting others.

Those kinds of students I usually recommend to train Krav Maga or to practice other kind of sports.

[Ulysses G.]

I totally agree with the comments that it takes a long time until anyone can master Aikido at a certain level … But like babies, it takes them 1 or 2 years until they will make their 1^st step, then another few years until they will be able to run fast without to stumble over their own feeds ….

I am glad that braverrouge clarified this. I have no intention of arguing with a moderator who is efficient in martial arts!

[braverrouge]

I totally agree with the comments that it takes a long time until anyone can master Aikido at a certain level … But like babies, it takes them 1 or 2 years until they will make their 1^st step, then another few years until they will be able to run fast without to stumble over their own feeds ….

I am glad that braverrouge clarified this. I have no intention of arguing with a moderator who is efficient in martial arts!

[raro]

I totally agree with the comments that it takes a long time until anyone can master Aikido at a certain level … But like babies, it takes them 1 or 2 years until they will make their 1^st step, then another few years until they will be able to run fast without to stumble over their own feeds ….

I am glad that braverrouge clarified this. I have no intention of arguing with a moderator who is efficient in martial arts!

you're well advised not to!

It takes a while, but certainly not 15 years. A black belt is achievable within 5 years and even below that level you should be able to avoid a fight. And this is what Aikido is all about.

[bjoe97]

<br />There is a real nice place to learn Aikido (good for girls) in Pattaya on the waterfront above Mike's Dept. store. <br /><br />The problem, for girls, is that it is Pattaya and on the waterfront where prostitution is rampant. <br /><br />The good news for girls is if they know Aikido the guys will pay for unwanted advances. <img src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> <br /><br />No doubt you can find something similar for girls in Bangkok.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

This is completely and utterly incorrect.

Aikido is NOT a martial art. Its far more likely do more harm than good.

Aikido in its present form is not taught as it was developed and it not at all in any way suited towards modern day self defence.

On top of that it would take at least 10 ( many say much longer and this is with almost daily training)or more years of regular training under a real expert to be able to use it effectively ( this was once said by the founder himself-who also added that no aikido technique should ever really be attempted until one has mastered atemi( striking).Yet, this is no longer taught. A lady trying to put on one of their many wrist locks throws is just not worth seriously considering.

Far more effective, quicker methods exist.

A lady facing a self defense situation may be doing herself far more harm than good if she attempted to pull of a complicated fine motor skill like aikido.

I think ladys who do karate, taekwondo, judo, muaythai are in fact taking a rather big step backwards.None of these are martial arts and unless one goes the whole way a lady very much risks just upsetting an attacker and up the ante.

Great for fitness and a positive pastime. Certainly not real self defense.

I totally disagree about any threat aikido would present to any attacker and in all my years of martial arts I have never come across any lady who could use it , other than to amuse an attacker and get herself in more trouble or anything similar to help herself physically in a real life situation .

Avoid that if self defense is goal.

And also avoid another place in pattaya run by someone, a kiwi I think, totally insane, who claims he was in the special forces, teaches military type stuff, yet was never in any military( sadly he has landed a job teaching Thai swat!

Training an already very unprofessional unit( on one base in December only 2 of apx 30 of their handguns did not malfunction on the range!)

I can just see how these farnag wannabees will help upgrade their level of skills!

These sorts have marvel comic history's and no real background are dangerous .One even claims he was a shaolin ( chinese fighting monk) student. Unfortunately the martial arts attracts many delusional oddballs such as this.

For reality.get on the web-

Google-

melisa soalt

Richard Dimitri

FAST bill kipp

diana mosacarda ( a JKD student under paul vunal who has an excellent program)

PM if you would like the contact of a real ex SF teacher, super nice guy and I can send you an excellent DVD lecture intro if you are sincere.

Its hard hitting in your face. Not pleasant viewing at all.

But addresses what needs to be done God forbid you face this threat.

Currently the only place in Thailand that seems to offer correct tuition is the new gym , boxer-rebellion on soi 13.

On march 12-14 an esteemed American policeman "southnarc" ( google "southnarc" or "shivworks") is coming for a 3 day seminar.It will cover some excellent empty hand stuff.

This seminar is open to all and free for police/military- and ladys who feel that they need the training.

Good luck.

[bjoe97]

<br />

Aikido takes a while to learn but it has its benefits. Very gentle martial art but if the techniques are applies correctly it can lead to serious injuries, even death. Yes, it hurts in the beginning, especially the wrists. <br /><br />The trainer here in Pattaya is very good and looking after beginners. <br /><br />Note to self: got to join classes again...

<br /><br />Good post. Also good idea to go with a friend. It can be a bit scary watching people do Aikido. Lots of throwing, similar to Judo. <br /><br />I mentioned it mainly because it is one of the few martial arts that allows a small opponent to defeat a much larger one. <br /><br />I was thinking of girls defending themselves from much larger men.<br /><br />True story: On my first day I was introduced to a small, Thai young woman. I was told to push her. I was much bigger/stronger, or at least I thought I was.<br /><br />But I was not able to push her off her centerpoint no matter how much force I used. She did not move at all. I was impressed. She knew how to counter my force using her body/mind. <br /><br />And with a flick of her wrist, she could put me on the ground in pain in an instant.<br /><br />For those who think it is all passive, Steven Seagall trained in it. <br /><br />If you watch him, you will see a lot of circular movements. That is characteristic of Aikido. <br /><br />Good luck.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Invoking Steven segal was big mistake.

My friend, or I should acquaintance tossed Steven Segal around like a baby, twice!

One of the worlds greatest, best, martial art gentleman Sensie D F Draeger( RIP Sir) once told me " aikido is not for self defence" he was someone to listen to and wrote many books on this subject.

Back to Segal the man who tossed him was apx 75.His name is gene labell. He used wrestling techniques.

Thats aikido in a nutshell!

And you recommend it for women to defend themselves with! God help us!

Once again, aikido is NOT a martial art art.

The story about the thai girl has zero bearing on any combat situation.

Sorry, all that mind/body stuff is mostly( not all) all balcony designed to create this mythical martial art mindset that impedes progress but gets people signing up.

I bet what she saw was a series of 'tricks" often used in demonstrations to impress the likes of this poster.

There are many like this.They look great.

I can teach in 1 minute a method where 6.6 football player would not be able to stand up simply by applying one finger pressure to a certain point. Or how a tiny girl can smash a brick with a one slap.Or how to punch a balloon so it pops! Great for the kids! Useless in a fight.

And by the way,that cute little story had zero bearing on this at all

- in fight one does not push.So that example is really completely not relevant.

Punch her right in the mouth, did you know thats actually what usually really does happen in a fight by any chance?.

Now lets see her use her body and mind force flick your wrist and you fall to the ground!

Get real.The only place shes going is down.

Lady self defense is a serious matter.

check out some stats;

1 in 4 ladys in her life time will face some sort of attack.

In one country out of the percentage that are apx 15% will suffer serious mental setbacks.

5% will be murdered ( after a rape)

Apx 10% wil suffer a serious physical injury.

Rape is not just a punch in the mouth.

Its about one of the worst, lowest things a male can do to a female.

The first thing a lady should be taught is avoidance, not cure. The threat for a lady is completely different and far, far worse

The average lady facing the average man will lose out 90-99% time in a male type confrontation.

Yet you will see ladys join a class and do all this pretty little moves along with the men

And I think one should be very, very careful what one recommends to this lady.It carry's great responsibility and should not be taken lightly.

I have seen the aikido based self defence program offered here for official.

All will say is that what I saw would honestly do far more harm than good.