Martial Arts for Aspie safety

[Levinus]

In the journey to discover my own aspie tendencies, I thought I would share my martial arts experience. It is nerve wracking meeting the other students for the first time, and terrifying to go to tournaments and travel around. But aside from that...it seems to be a safe haven!

Why I like it:
#1. Everyone is focused on martial arts. Not me. Not each other. Not weird social stuff.
#2. Everyone is out of their comfort zone and trying new things. So no one is focused on me.
#3. Believe it or not, it is a sport (finally) that I am okay at.
#4. The structure, discipline is appealing. Everyone forms lines, in rank, with names on their uniforms. It helps me so much!
#5. The uniform is cozy. It ties across both sides, the top of the pants, and with the martial arts belt. Being squeezed is a good safe feeling.
#6. Thought I hate to admit...I meet people. Sure, none of them are fixated on electronics or adore fractals. But they are friends.
#7. There are new things to fixate on. Weapons are a pleasant distraction. Just the manipulation of a bo staff is almost hypnotic to me. Suddenly manipulating something with my hands isn't weird anymore.

Anyone else do martial arts?

 

[Sparticus]

I was 15 when I joined my first dojo. People there accepted me more than my family did. Tournaments were fun & great bonding experiences. But often we had to wait half a day to fight. The structure & discipline became very welcomed. The uniform was a comfort; walking into the dojo and putting on my uniform felt like home. One Summer we had a pool party at someone's house. By that time I was a senior member. I couldn't believe how comfortable I felt around those people. They respected me and vice versa. But it was the fun I remember.

When I went to a new style I started out as White belt-except for one Japanese dojo-they let me wear my belt. Anyhoo as a White belt I had to start all over again...and then when going to another style the same thing. But still, I always found the best people were in a dojo/gym. I have so many stories...

In the journey to discover my own aspie tendencies, I thought I would share my martial arts experience. It is nerve wracking meeting the other students for the first time, and terrifying to go to tournaments and travel around. But aside from that...it seems to be a safe haven!


Anyone else do martial arts?

 

[total-recoil]

Yes, I know a bit about it. I'm a big fan of Bruce Lee because Bruce studied fighting as a philosophy and I liked the way he subjected the Chinese martial arts to a reality check. So much of the styles such as Wing Chun, Mantis, Crane and so forth were a bit "ornate" and as Bruce put it "rigid". Real self defence calls for direct reaction - the shortest possible line of attack, not time and motion wasted with flowery, waving hand movements. So Bruce (who had been in real fights in Hong Kong) began to investigate with an open mind how to adequately defend yourself in real defensive scenarios. The MMA we have today borrows on this approach but I think Bruce's Jeet Kune Do was ahead of this and placed much more importance to Zen philosophy.
I guess the way I see it is really you can choose a martial art you like but it's wise to bear in mind each form does have its weaknesses. Personally I like Tang Soo Do which was studied by Chuck Norris and later incorporated into Tae Kwon Do. Ideally though you need to learn from boxing, Judo, Karate and, as Bruce always stated, learn to adapt to any given situation.
Also the Zen philosophy is the most interesting aspect of martial arts.

In the journey to discover my own aspie tendencies, I thought I would share my martial arts experience. It is nerve wracking meeting the other students for the first time, and terrifying to go to tournaments and travel around. But aside from that...it seems to be a safe haven!

Why I like it:
#1. Everyone is focused on martial arts. Not me. Not each other. Not weird social stuff.
#2. Everyone is out of their comfort zone and trying new things. So no one is focused on me.
#3. Believe it or not, it is a sport (finally) that I am okay at.
#4. The structure, discipline is appealing. Everyone forms lines, in rank, with names on their uniforms. It helps me so much!
#5. The uniform is cozy. It ties across both sides, the top of the pants, and with the martial arts belt. Being squeezed is a good safe feeling.
#6. Thought I hate to admit...I meet people. Sure, none of them are fixated on electronics or adore fractals. But they are friends.
#7. There are new things to fixate on. Weapons are a pleasant distraction. Just the manipulation of a bo staff is almost hypnotic to me. Suddenly manipulating something with my hands isn't weird anymore.

Anyone else do martial arts?

 

[Kelly]

My husband (suspected aspie) teaches aikido and so my aspie daughter also learns it, I've picked up a few of the moves from being a guinea pig for them both but I don't actually take part in classes as I can't handle being that close to people I don't know and I would hate anyone touching me whatsoever so I wouldn't be able to train properly. I've found my husband's aikido students and the other sensei very overwhelming socially, they all meet up for BBQ's, xmas parties etc luckily for me my husband is totally anti-social so we never have to go to them.

 

[Lizbet]

Anyone else do martial arts?

I practiced Chun Kuk Do (one of the two styles started by Chuck Norris) for about five years and was in training for my first-degree black belt. I also did some jiu-jitsu style grappling, which I enjoyed, but I have a bunch of joint problems so I had to stop or face permanent damage. I enjoyed the exercise and a lot of what you mentioned... the uniforms, structure and weapons (I used a bo staff) were awesome! The contact didn't usually bother me, but in competitions it was frustrating that people often got away with deliberately breaking the rules, especially in sparring. The other issue was that my school was very social. There was a lot of non-karate interaction before, during and after class that really stressed me out because I couldn't switch back and forth from "karate mode" to "social mode" so quickly.

 

[WildCat]

I had an opportunity to study martial arts as a kid but rejected it for what reason I forget now. I'm open to it, however, provided I have the time and budget to do so.

 

[Mellotron]

I had a karate class when I was 8 once. I remember being terrified by it, too much for me to handle with the physicality and the rigid nature of the way the instructor spoke. That was the only class I ever took. I do have respect for martial arts, they seem really neat. I couldn't likely make it in a class though even now.

 

[total-recoil]

There is a lot you can do without sparring or grappling in martial arts. Just the kicks alone are a large part of it and this can be done alone in a room, i.e. roundhouse kick, spinning hook kick, side kick and so on. You can use a wooden man for wing chun or a heavy bag for kicking and punching. Add to that all the conditioning and stretching.

My husband (suspected aspie) teaches aikido and so my aspie daughter also learns it, I've picked up a few of the moves from being a guinea pig for them both but I don't actually take part in classes as I can't handle being that close to people I don't know and I would hate anyone touching me whatsoever so I wouldn't be able to train properly. I've found my husband's aikido students and the other sensei very overwhelming socially, they all meet up for BBQ's, xmas parties etc luckily for me my husband is totally anti-social so we never have to go to them.

 

[total-recoil]

Like, "Defeat does not exist in this dojo does it? Pain does not exist in this dojo does it? Fear does not exist in this dojo does it?" (Sensei John Creese)

I had a karate class when I was 8 once. I remember being terrified by it, too much for me to handle with the physicality and the rigid nature of the way the instructor spoke. That was the only class I ever took. I do have respect for martial arts, they seem really neat. I couldn't likely make it in a class though even now.

 

[Mellotron]

Like, "Defeat does not exist in this dojo does it? Pain does not exist in this dojo does it? Fear does not exist in this dojo does it?" (Sensei John Creese)

Haha yea something like that

 

[total-recoil]

Quoting from The Karate Kid which was my favourite movie and very eighties. And now for an impression of, guess who:
"Wax on, make a circle. Wax off, make circle. Breathe in, breathe out. Wax on, wax off. All in wrist, Daniel San. Now, show me sand the floor!"
Actually neither Pat Morita or Ralph Maccio had ever done any Karate prior to that movie and I think Pat Johnson trained them just for the part. William Zabka who played Johnny (sweep the leg) Lawrence did actually continue to study martial arts after this film went out.

Haha yea something like that

 

[Mellotron]

Quoting from The Karate Kid which was my favourite movie and very eighties. And now for an impression of, guess who:
"Wax on, make a circle. Wax off, make circle. Breathe in, breathe out. Wax on, wax off. All in wrist, Daniel San. Now, show me sand the floor!"
Actually neither Pat Morita or Ralph Maccio had ever done any Karate prior to that movie and I think Pat Johnson trained them just for the part. William Zabka who played Johnny (sweep the leg) Lawrence did actually continue to study martial arts after this film went out.

I haven't seen the movie I don't think, maybe save for a few minutes I caught on tv once. Its always referenced to me and yet I still never really saw it. I looked up the sensei you quoted earlier and then realized what that was from haha

 

[lizzy171002]

I tried to join a dojo when I was in high school, but I had my sister with me for support, and when she quit after about eight lessons, I couldn't keep going. I really loved it, but without the support of a familiar person I couldn't deal with the social aspect at all. I really want to try again, but I haven't been able to build up the courage to try it solo.

 

[total-recoil]

I spelt it wrong it's John Kreese not "Creese". He played the charismatic sensei who was teaching his students the concept of aggressive Karate. Juxtaposed against him was the old Japanese man who was teaching Karate as a defensive art. And in the middle, a teenager who moved from New Jersey to California but was then bullied and picked on at his new school. The buliies, of course, were all doing Karate at Kreese's dojo.
Anyone who hasn't seen Karate Kid - it's a must watch. Make sure you watch the eighties version with Ralph Maccio and Pat Morita. Oh, and Elizabeth Shue stars in it as well. The root basis of the film is to do with the spiritual side of the martial arts and how misguided people can be led astray by bad martial arts teachers and so on.

I haven't seen the movie I don't think, maybe save for a few minutes I caught on tv once. Its always referenced to me and yet I still never really saw it. I looked up the sensei you quoted earlier and then realized what that was from haha

 

[total-recoil]

YouTube has some good tutorials for, say, the kicks. Last time I checked out there was a woman teaching roundhouse kick online for the Koden Kan Karate School. It was quite easy to follow. Once you learn one kick, go on to another. Then maybe practise on a bag at home. Also to get really high you have to do both static and dynamic stretching and this can be done at home without going to class.

I tried to join a dojo when I was in high school, but I had my sister with me for support, and when she quit after about eight lessons, I couldn't keep going. I really loved it, but without the support of a familiar person I couldn't deal with the social aspect at all. I really want to try again, but I haven't been able to build up the courage to try it solo.

 

[nonsensical]

When I was 9 yrs old my parents made me take TaeKwonDo classes. Not that it was a horrible idea, but going to tournaments gave me panic attacks. I would freak out, start crying and go hide somewhere just before being called to my matches. The main classes were less stressful and helped build discipline. It sure beat playing team sports! The real downside of learning martial arts (at least when I was a kid during the early 90s) was all the teasing by kids who knew you practiced martial arts. I'm sure 'The Karate Kid' movie had a lot to do with it.


Me in the back, upper right

Trying NOT to get my butt kicked!

 

[total-recoil]

The first Karate Kid movie was awesome. I especially loved the surprise bit where Daniel discovers that painting fences, sanding floors and waxing cars had subconsciously taught him Karate blocking techniques. And, above all, the situation of suddenly finding yourself in a strange environment where suddenly nobody thinks you're at all cool hit home to a lot of people.
Having said that, I recently read some hilarious commentaries on the sequels to Karate Kid (KK11 and KK111). It is true they were so terribly bad it's worth watching them in order to have a good laugh. There is no better humour than unintentional humour and I often asked myself where did they get the scripts from for the sequels?
Today Martin Kove who played Sensei Kreese appears at schools to give talks about his role of being a nasty sensei in the movie and to promote anti-victimization.

When I was 9 yrs old my parents made me take TaeKwonDo classes. Not that it was a horrible idea, but going to tournaments gave me panic attacks. I would freak out, start crying and go hide somewhere just before being called to my matches. The main classes were less stressful and helped build discipline. It sure beat playing team sports! The real downside of learning martial arts (at least when I was a kid during the early 90s) was all the teasing by kids who knew you practiced martial arts. I'm sure 'The Karate Kid' movie had a lot to do with it.


Me in the back, upper right

Trying NOT to get my butt kicked!

 

[total-recoil]

There is so much you can do prior to joining any group or school. First of all, conditioning alone is important. That would involve maybe a bit of cardio and weights as well as stretching. Then learning to balance and pivot and also plenty of dynamic stretching. Also, things like kata (many of the Chinese do just Thai Chi by themselves).
I actually go to a martial arts centre and know quite a few martial artists, mostly the older guys. At my place there is a lot of emphasis on Muay Thai but it's a pity there is no high level "art" to be seen which is what you would see in a good TKD dojo in Korea.
I think it's always best never to tell people you train.

 

[Aalo]

After I had studied philosophies and techniques of different MA's available, I decided to give Wing Tsun kung fu a try. I liked how they teach to sway the force, that opponent is using, away from self instead of trying to stop it on your own. It worked surprisingly well for a girl this small (5' 3", 162cm). But the training was never easy, because I always needed to assure those larger lads not to hinder for me. I hated that they did it and it also made it difficult for me to want to go training after a while. Since I moved to another city I hadn't found a replacement for WT.

Most of martial arts are accredited as sports these days, not serious means of self defense. My perception on them is that person knowing some budo or what ever could of course have great potential on scaring bully or attacker away either by telling their skills or by kicking few times, but I personally would never learn a MA that holds tournaments as a position for something life reliable. Because if you can do a little hit, kick 'n run in tournaments without hurting your opponent, how could it be effective in situation of real life danger?

 

[Daigu]

Yes, I know a bit about it. I'm a big fan of Bruce Lee because Bruce studied fighting as a philosophy and I liked the way he subjected the Chinese martial arts to a reality check. So much of the styles such as Wing Chun, Mantis, Crane and so forth were a bit "ornate" and as Bruce put it "rigid". Real self defence calls for direct reaction - the shortest possible line of attack, not time and motion wasted with flowery, waving hand movements

I will have to disagree to wing chun as being ornate. Yip Man previously to being a teacher of Wing Chun was a policeman and according to what I have read used it effectively. I don't really see anything in its forms as being ornate....sil lim tao...chum kil or bil jee. The kicks in this art don't go above the knee. IMHO if you try something higher...you are going to pay the cost. It alls depend on ur teacher I suppose...I killed my wing chun teacher after the 3rd lesson....he liked to play with fake knifes and I slipped off my slipper and kicked it at his face...the knife met his throat. The other thing I have noticed is that most training goes out the window with the first punch. Its the first punch that has the advantage