One Year To Train--What To Do?

[Ashton]

Hello All,

I hope I'm posting this question in the correct forum. If not, I'm sure one of the Mods will move it where it may be more appropriate. I'm brand new to this forum having been told about it by a friend of mine who lurks here every once in a while.

I would appreciate any input or advice the other members might have for me on a matter that has grown to be very important to me. My situation is this: The company I work at will be relocating me to central America within a year and a half as a result of international expansion & a promotion for me. While the area I'll be living in is relatively safe, where I'll be working, from all accounts, is a crime/war zone. So I have a year and a half to train to prepare for the possibility of street encounters. I've scouted out thae area in which I live (Dallas, Tx) & I've come up with 4 possibilities that appear to be the best options:

(A) WingTsun: www.dallaswingtsun.com A breakaway group from the Leung Ting gang. The main instructor there is a fan of Peyton Quinn, Bob Orlando, Scott Sonnon, Marc Mac Young etc. It appears he tries to make the Wing Tsun training more realistic by adding scenario training, surprise attacks, surprise weapons etc. He has gone through RMCAT training. I really like the reliance on body structure & biomechanics me not being a big guy (5'8). My only real reservations are that there might not be too great foot work in the system & I'm not 100% sure how street effective the system is.

(B) Kenpo/Filipino Kuntaw/Arnis: www.planoselfdefense.com There instructor here is also a sticlker for biomechanics & teaches his students how to mess with an attacker's body structure/body mechanics etc. He teaches something he calls "Reflexogenics"--similar to what I believe Tim Larkin teaches as far as taking advantage of your opponent's reflex actions in a fight. He uses the Tracy Kenpo he teaches as a base to layer the Kuntaw on top of. The Arnis is his weapons system. He was taught by Al Tracy & his Filipino teacher is Raffy Pambuan--apparently a very well-regarded figure in FMA. I also like this system, but I am a litle wary of the Kenpo as it feels to me like a return to the the old Tae Kwon Do days that I'm trying to erase from my muscle memory. The class also trains barefoot wearing traditional uniforms, which in my opinion, seems to detract from the realism of the training. One other good point though, is that he does hire people from a RMCAT-lie organization to come in & do "adrenaline" type training.

(C) Kenpo/Indonesian Kuntao/Silat/Boxing: This is coming from a gentleman that I found through Marc Mac Young's list that happens to be in my area. Similar to the above, he uses Parker Kenpo as a base & injects it with principles from Kuntao, Silat & Western Boxing. It appears to be a formidable system, but he seems to be a little squeamish about teaching some really hardcore "break somebody's elbow here" type of material. Thsi would be private training oncea week rather than group training. He has done work as a bouncer & a body guard. His Kuntao comes from limited training with Bob Orlando & his Silat from a couple of different sources. Boxing was his first "martial art."

(D) Haganah/F.I.G.H.T. System: I checked out Krav Maga near my area & was disappointed to find that it was taught as more of a high-impact exercise class rather than a street combat system. Haganah appears to be a "stripped-down" version of Krav. The instructor says he was trained by an Israeli Spec Ops soldier & trains as close to that as possible. As he describes it, the system is very similar to WWII Combatives with some BJJ & Vale Tudo thrown in as he teaches it.

These are the systems I've pretty much been able to dredge up amongst all the Tae Kwon Do & Mc Dojo schools in my area. Iwould really appreciate any feedback or input I can get, particularly from experienced students & instructors that frequent here.

[Sgathak]

Youve got some pretty decent options, considering your needs...

Wing Chun is well known for its quick teaching/learning.

The Kenpo/Kuntao schools probably have some pretty decent stuff to offer, but I would be concerned about what/how much you would be taught it 18 months. Talk to the instructor and see what his/her opinions are.

HaganaH, is, from what I have seen, good stuff. Down and dirty - "close with and engage" sort of stuff. Talk to the instructor/take a class and see what you think.

given your time frame and needs, I personally would recommend seeking out a place that does Muay Thai, BJJ, and Arnis/Escrima/Kali if at all possible...

Will your company be employing any close protection (bodyguards) for you? do they have K&R insurance?

Oh, and per forum rules, please post with your real full name.

[Ashton]

Sgathak,

Thank you for the feedback. No my company won't be employing any bodyguards or security personnel outside of your regular "Reny A Cop" security officers.

I've looked at a couple of BJJ/Muay Thai schools that i could find, but both were really into the sports competition aspects of those systems. I'll keep looking, but it seems what I listed is really what I have to choose from.

Still open to any feedback from anyone. I appreciate the input!


Ashton Rollins

[Jeff Burger]

You could get a decent level of competancy in Muay Thai and BJJ in a short time.
Not that they are not worth commiting to for the long run.
That sport aspect may have short comings but it allows you to deal with fully resisting opponents. IMHO a huge benefit.
In Muay Thai you use the fist but keep the attitude of its getting a hand to your target. A punch to the face could be an eye jab, mid an low level kicks could be to the groin.

What they lack are multiple opponents, use and defense of weapons.
Though some BJJ schools may work some more self defense than others.

You need the basics first and Muay Thai and BJJ can offer that.

Maybe there will be some other schools in the area your going to to continue your training.
If not at least could have strong striking and grappling basics.

Maybe you can get some privates to learn about dealing with multiples and weapons.
If you have training partner/s you could even get some video on the subject and practice.

Jeff

[Cliff Hargrave]

Can you carry a gun there? If so I suggest finding a good shooting school. Barring that, I suggest some type of kickboxing and a good FMA school with emphasis on knife work. Also make sure you are in the best physical shape possible with lots of running and strength training. Good physical attributes can go a long way.

[Ryan S]

Central america = knife culture.If I were you I'd invest in some western boxing skills and go out and buy a nice big ASP.The I would learn how to use it.Out of your options I think the Haganah sounds about the most usefull.Tell the instructor what your concerns are and where you are going.He may be able to tailor the training to the most usefull stuff for your situation.If not do some privates with him.Might be more money but at least that way you can dictate the direction of the training.Just my.02 cents.

[Fitz]

U should try looking up Jeet Kune Do? I personally dont think it was that long to learn considering that it doesn't use forms or system techniques for u to memorize. I'm betting it'll take about at least a good 3-4 months for a person to "click" and get what JKD is. But then u might get confused like me and think it's mixed martial arts, which in a way it is but in a way it's not. Then u got the rest of the year to spar and condition urself. It's simple, direct, and straight to the point. There's nothing for u to memorize like "what stance am i suppose to be in when the bad guy is in a southpaw position or if his foot is placed 45 degrees to my left blah blah blah crap....". U simply react like an echo and do it. Anyways, good luck on ur journey mate.

-Fitz

[Jeff Burger]

Welcome to Budoseek Fitz
Per forum rules please include your real full name.

Jeff

[Mike S]

All of the arts mentioned are great!!! Out of all of them though, you'll most likely get the best results from the Haganah. Not saying that you wont be able to learn anything from the others, because you will, but the Haganah/Krav Maga, is designed to be learned quickly by the student, and does not require as much from the student, and considering your time frame, you'd be best to go with that.

Again, this is not a slam on the others. I also cross train in a few other arts besides Kenpo, but considering how detailed some of them are, and again, your time, its not really giving you much time to really look at the art.

Mike Slosek

[DragonMind]

Forget trying to over-analyze the schools/styles. Go to the one that you will feel comfortable going to and will actually train at.

Having said that, let me ask you a few questions. What type of assault do you think is most likely to happen that you must train for? Single assailant-unarmed mugger requires a different mindset and response than a coordinated kidnapping by trained paramilitary types. What types of weapons are legal or practical to carry where you are going? Only a fool goes into a gun fight with just a knife.

When you can answer those questions you'll have a better idea of what types of training - more specifically what kinds of techniques - you need to become comfortable with. Since I can't answer them for you, I'll say that in general, learn a very few unarmed techniques that feel natural to you but learn to use them from every angle and position. Learn to use a stick and a knife. These two represent not only good weapons but the basis of 80% or more of improvised weapons (think pool cue, lead pipe, broken bottle, etc.).