[trooper]

I've always considered shooting a martial art rather than just a sport (even though some people are happy with just the sports aspect)

Here's my question to you:

how many of you practice another martial art besides shooting? Do you do it to complement your weapons training or just because you like to? What kind of similarities do you see?

For the record, I am a student of traditional Shotokan Karate (though I don't train as much as I would like to :-)


Regards,

Trooper

[shootist2121]

I practice Kenpo Karate..Only been at it about 4 years now...I started with my daughter when she was 17..It is a bear to spar with the eighteen years olds at my age but I use to box in High School and college..LOL..Those boxing skills still confuse the heck out of a pure karate student....My edge..Well some times...LOL

Shot formal NRA Bullseye iin college and than combat style for a while before it became ISPC and became so ridged. At that time I could not justify the cost as I was just getting married.

:cool: :cool:

[swingcatt]

Korean Arts of Taekwondo and Hapkido. I train to stay in shape (harder now than it was before 30!) and to have another self defense tool in my toolbox. I like to teach people who take my PPC class that it is a very good idea to have other options than their firearm for self defense, therefore I make a point to practice what I preach.

Whether I like it or not, well... that depends on if you ask me before class or after class. Or even the morning after class, if you know what I mean! :)

I have only been at it for a few years, but I have gained great respect for it and what it can do. Learing the discipline and reflexes that it takes will not only help shooting skills, but it helps to round out your entire self defense package.

As far as shooting itself being a martial art, my instructor calls shooting the art of "chi chi bang"!

SC

[El Tejon]

Ah, brasshopper, when you snatch the .45 cartridge from my hand you may leave the range.

[Seminole]

I train in karate. Moving around a great deal geographically has meant that I have trained in a number of different styles. I started off in Kyokushin, moved to Wado-ryu and have trained in the Okinawan style of Shorin-ryu for the last five or six years.

In regards to shooting as a martial art, I see parallels with karate. I think it can be be a martial art if one trains in it as such. On the other hand, some people train in it as a sport and some people engage in it as simply a recreational activity.

For me, shooting and karate are complementary. Taken together they allow me a wide range of defensive options. For the same reason I also train in kobudo ("traditional" weapons)--it is best to be prepared for as wide a range of possibilities as possible.

[Moondancer]

Trained in (and then taught) ITF-style TaeKwon-Do from early 1974 until 1999 when I had open heart surgery. I've been shooting handguns since 1972, so that preceded empty-hands by just a wee bit.

After a relocation, I went into Kyokushinkai for a bit, but have been looking for a good dojang / dojo / kwoon since I'm now in north metro Detroit during the weekdays. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything that excited me here! :(

[Penforhire]

Yes. I've always been interested in MA's as sports. In the past I studied and performed archery, Tae Kwon Do, Go Ju Ryo, fencing, knife throwing, Tai Chi, Judo, wrestling, and boxing. Guess I'm a martial arts drifter. I never exceeded the middle belt levels but I could always spar with the best of 'em. Now I'm out of shape so leave me alone...

To me, shooting is the exercise of force at a distance. Lots more smoke and fury than archery.

[falconer]

I used to train in Hsing I, Tai Chi and Shuai Chiao, until college and collegiate shooting took up all my time. The past 2 years of not training in the martial arts has done very very bad things to my wasteline. I'm slowly starting to train again and get back in shape.

Funny thing is, when I do play around and free fight with my classmates when I'm home, I've learned to fight meaner to compensate for my stamina not being what it used to.

[BamBam-31]

(Keanu voice on): I know Gunkata. :D

[illuminatus99]

studied ITF taekwondo and wingchundo for a number of years, now I do armored combat in the SCA.

[Bruddah_Al]

Been doing Kali, Muay Thai, and JKD for 9 years (yes, Inosanto lineage). Doing Silat as well and started with BJJ recently. I like to stay well rounded :D. In it not so much for the art but for application these days. I guess I fall under the Mixed Martial Art group.

I see shooting the same way. I try not to limit my self to one school of thought. Point shooting, indexed fire, and aimed fire shouldn't be separate. Each has something to offer, even if it's one thing that can benefit someone somewhere.

Al

[SRYnidan]

I am a student / instructor in DanZan Ryu Jujitsu they are both martial arts and compliment each other. I get a lot of disagreement on this subject mostly from the MA side. For some reason they have no trouble seeing Tanto Jitsu as a martial art but have trouble with the gun. The mindset are the same and I see a sad lack of that in both.

[Wilhelm]

I do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 2 days a week and MMA 3 days a week. I hit the range at least once a week and I am a knight in the SCA. I have a very busy week.



Wilhelm

[aikidoka-mks]

I train in aikijutsu and will begin kenjutsu soon.

aikijutsu works well for me and it was developed around the use of a weapon (sword). Certain techniques were developed to counter someone trying to prevent you from drawing your weapon and would apply for guns today.

I would consider serious firearms training a martial art.

I do wonder what the legal implications are for those of us that have trained to at least a 1st degree black belt level. Will they say we should have used our martial arts skills first even when the perp has a weapon?

Mark

[trvlr905]

I've been shooting for a couple of years, and just recently started Muy Thai. I can see the parallels between the two. When I first started both I was pretty horrible, but with a little practice, oh, who am I kidding, a lot of practice, have become a kinda of proficient at one of the two. :) There is another parallel, the folks who are more experience at either are more than willing to help out the newbies.

[Walther P99]

I was in martial arts for 2 years but I had to quit once I started Grad school. I did find out one thing, though: I have very little athletic ability at all due to my poor flexibility and overall lack of coordination. :fire: I did do pretty well in sparring; but I never sparred in the advanced class (thankfully ;) )

The instructor (who has black belts in three different styles) also believes in concealed carry; he showed me his CCW, I think it's a .40 cal Baby Eagle/Jericho. His belief was that concealed carry was part of the total self-defense "regimen" along with (empty-hand) martial arts.

[NapAttack]

I started Yoshukai at 29, took 4.5 years to get Shodan. Then taught for another 10 years. Finally realized that damage to joints was cumulative. Age and treachery will overcome youth and exuberance every time but as I got older it got harder and harder. Always got one of these 18 year old football players that wants to show the old man a thing or two.

Got into IPSC, I was interested in firearms since a kid but not seriously. I found that many of the things I learned in Karate transferred over like center and focus.

The main thing I learned was that as I got older, I was less and less inclined to go hand to hand with someone. It finally struck me that most attackers are going to be younger and stronger though quite likely not larger :D than me. I also discovered that I was less inclined to risk injury. It takes longer to heal the older you get. Seems to hurt more and longer too.

Upshot of all this is that I believe that hand to hand training complements firearms training and can serve to keep you alive until you can reach your firearm. Society's rules say we can't always be armed 100% of the time. Firearms are the great equalizer.