Posts
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Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Back in shape, training for the Olympics...maybe!
Well, after over 2 years of recovery from multiple back injuries (lumbar and upper back) I'm nearly 100%.
Now I'm looking to get back into martial arts and am contemplating which discipline to try next. I could pick up Shaolin and Wushu which was what I was training previously, but I want a change as my old bones need to gently fall back into it. There is an Aikido dojo over the road from my home, which would be a nice repertoire to add to my predominantly striking arsenal.
I'll also be looking at Jujitsu as well, as a mate of mine (aptly named Andy Jujitsu!) goes to a good class, and I'll be teaching him weapons as an aside.
But, funnily enough, I've been watching the Olympic Taekwondo and I was not impressed. I mean there was so little accuracy and zero attempt to block quite blatant kicks. I would be hard pressed to call Taekwondo a martial art, because there doesn't seem to be any defensive aspects. The fancy kicking is nice and could be useful...if your opponent either has no arms or completely forgot how to use them.
In a way, I'm quite attracted to Taekwondo, in as far as I would like to go see if blocking kicks and counter kicking as a tactic could get me into the British Olympic team! As I understand it, the rules even allow you to punch, though you have to be throwing one hell of a punch to get through the ballistic body armour they wear.
Oh and you can't punch in the face.....No, really...
Saying that, it is an amateur sport, so you don't really want to be losing a tooth every weekend, as that gets downright boring. Still, if I get my Shaolin Shadowless Kick back up to speed, maybe I can knock enough heads to win a medal?! More to the point, I want to party in the Olympic Village!!!
Or should I go for the speedwalking? :)
Now I'm looking to get back into martial arts and am contemplating which discipline to try next. I could pick up Shaolin and Wushu which was what I was training previously, but I want a change as my old bones need to gently fall back into it. There is an Aikido dojo over the road from my home, which would be a nice repertoire to add to my predominantly striking arsenal.
I'll also be looking at Jujitsu as well, as a mate of mine (aptly named Andy Jujitsu!) goes to a good class, and I'll be teaching him weapons as an aside.
But, funnily enough, I've been watching the Olympic Taekwondo and I was not impressed. I mean there was so little accuracy and zero attempt to block quite blatant kicks. I would be hard pressed to call Taekwondo a martial art, because there doesn't seem to be any defensive aspects. The fancy kicking is nice and could be useful...if your opponent either has no arms or completely forgot how to use them.
In a way, I'm quite attracted to Taekwondo, in as far as I would like to go see if blocking kicks and counter kicking as a tactic could get me into the British Olympic team! As I understand it, the rules even allow you to punch, though you have to be throwing one hell of a punch to get through the ballistic body armour they wear.
Oh and you can't punch in the face.....No, really...
Saying that, it is an amateur sport, so you don't really want to be losing a tooth every weekend, as that gets downright boring. Still, if I get my Shaolin Shadowless Kick back up to speed, maybe I can knock enough heads to win a medal?! More to the point, I want to party in the Olympic Village!!!
Or should I go for the speedwalking? :)
