Wolfling

I think everyone is giving good advice. Stabilize before flexibility, so strength work is actually more important that stretching. Dr Stuart McGill wrote the book in this, so look him up.

There is a bit more to it than that, especially with an internal art. Tai Chi has different energies (or jin) that you have to learn how to manifest, it is not only the moves. For example, Peng and An.... these are not esoteric, they are actual things, how much relaxation/tension at what time, when do you press and when do you yield, etc.....they take some instruction to get right for Tai Chi. But you are correct in that you have to apply the moves with a partner, and you can even develop fighting skill with the moves, but that does not make it TaiChi....

If you are interested in a traditional Kung Fu Style, have a look here, and at his youtube channel, He is really good... https://www.facebook.com/durankungfu/

BaGua Zhang - (8 Trigram Palm) is designed for multiple opponents. It is designed around 8 directions and 8 angles. I would second the avoid going to the ground, but, since people do wind up on the ground, look at Chinese dog boxing or Silat ground work over BJJ and other grappling arts. Standup joint locks that lead into breaks or throws are fine, but you must disengage quickly, not tie people up. Hit, break, move on (or preferably while moving, never stop moving, never set in a stance) weapons are your friends, being in another county when the fight breaks out is even better :-)

Hi Alessa, Tai Chi Chuan roughly translates as Supreme Ultimate Boxing. It can be quite effective at rapidly ending a violent confrontation through victory. There are plenty of youtube clips on training, martial applications, books are available from YMAA, etc. But to really learn, you need a teacher. You might have to travel. You will also need local partners to train the stuff you learn. https://ymaa.com/publishing/app/tai-chi-martial-applications http://www.clearstaichi.com/

Hi Nak, The MT people I have played with have been into body hardening. If it is something you do, shin to shin can be very effective is making people reconsider the error of their ways. A sharp kick to the peroneal nerve (a bit above the knee, on the outside of the leg, more towards the back of the leg) can cause the leg to not work any more. You have plenty of weapons that will work well, you just have to find some willing friends and practice.

I hope this helps :-) What everyone else has said is true. Here is a little explanation that might help a little When you exercise, you are actually damaging your body. This damage needs time to heal. So, you do not want to work out 2 days in a row because you will be creating more damage without enough healing time (this healing time can vary, depending on many things, so don't think it will always be 1 day off!!). Now, bed rest is not what is required for healing, you need to keep moving to keep blood, lymph, etc moving (bringing fresh blood to the damaged areas, and removing waste), just don't go heavy. Normal activity and sleep are essential. I find *light* swimming to be great the day after a workout, I think the cold water and movement really get things circulating. As for the phrase "You don't build muscle while exercising, you build muscle by resting" is a statement designed to stress the importance of rest, and is mostly true. What it means is, after you have damaged your body (in a workout, or any other time), humans have a wonderful adaptive system. It heals itself. But, if given proper conditions, it doesn't come back the same, it comes back better and stronger. Bones, when they break, heal stronger than they were before the break, the same with muscles. The healing occurs during rest, not during the workout, so, the workout causes the damage, the rest promotes the healing. Strength and muscle are built in the post-workout rest phase. I hope this makes sense and helps :-)

well, find a new Dr and a new PT :-) having said that, I would sit down and place my foot on the ground. put the 9 points of the feet firmly on the ground (heel, outside edge, little ball, big ball, and each toe) one at a time so you can feel what each one feels like. Find out what having your foot on the ground firmly actually feels like (most people have never paid attention to how their foot feels when it is on the ground). Once you have that, press down equally on the 9 points (still seated), then take your hand and feel the muscles in your quads. Slowly roll the foot in and out, towards the arch and back out to the outer edge. Feel how each of the 4 quads engage and disengage. Once you can actually feel what is going on, then you can start to understand why what you are doing is or is not working. You can pay attention to how foot placement engages the muscles differently depending on position, then ensure your exercises are working the correct muscles. Oh yes, get a pick of the anatomy of the leg so you can see the muscle structures.

Gymnastics (and dancing, because dancing is a much more useful and used skill than fighting ;-) at least one may hope!!)

Well, if you want to train, THE place to go is: https://www.gunsite.com/ There is plenty of great training around, but this is the best. If you are serious about carrying, this should be a requirement: http://www.ayoob.com/df.html or at least read: https://www.amazon.com/Gravest-Extreme-Firearm-Personal-Protection/dp/0936279001 Here is an article on training facilities: http://www.gunnuts.net/2014/03/31/top-5-firearms-training-schools/ Randy Cain has an excellent reputation as well: http://www.guntactics.com/Rifle.htm

well, I have to ask, what do you mean by meditation :-) ? There are many kinds and you do them for many reasons. Saying you are having trouble meditating is kind of like saying you have trouble exercising, the statement is too broad useful :-) If you are having issues with one type of meditation, try a different type. There are active and passive, sitting, standing, laying down, moving, etc. Next, don't feel bad if you suck at it, meditation is a skill. You learn, you practice, and you get better with time and effort. No one is good on their first day :-) Personally, I like to start with the HoshinTao secret smile meditation and Mantak Chia's 6 healing sounds. They are both active, and very good to do. You can always work on silence at a later time :-)

Well, why Keto? Unless you are an epileptic, it is not a healthy diet. I would suggest you focus on your health, not only weight loss. I have a million suggestions (such as start doing the cooking in the home, then you can start modifying the meals, etc). Your parents want you to be healthy and happy, they might be great at it, or they might suck at it, but I have never met a parent that wants their kid to be sick and miserable. If you take the initiative, start doing more that is visible and acceptable to them (I have never seen a parent that turned down help) they will respond and become more flexible. Often, parents don't believe their children will follow through with whatever fad they are going through this time, put in the effort, do the work over time, and they will become more flexible. Get your Dr on board with your diet choices, an adult professional gives you credibility. Go out for a team sport, then the coach can assist with advocating for a better diet. Enlist help, do the work.

The best style is the one you practice every day :-) So, look around, shop, find the group you like and will enjoy training with, because if you don't enjoy it, you won't go. Having said that, based on what you have said, I would think you would be better off with a grappling class, Judo, Hapkido, Aikido, Bujinkan Ninjitsu, Jiu Jitsu (If you find a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class, make sure you spend time working while standing up!!), etc, etc, (if they are available, I did read about what you said was in your area). I say this because it sounds like it would be better for you to wrap someone up and immobilize them, rather than punching them in the nose. Good luck, the martial arts can be a great way to walk the path :-)

Hi Riot Girl, you can do it, if you believe you can. Even if you don't believe you can do the whole thing, believe you can take the next step, then the next. Many small steps lead create a very long journey. Let me be the first one here to offer my support :-) You will get much more. St Pete, Russia? :-)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systema

You will never learn correctly without a teacher........there is just so much going on.

Let me be your first cheerleader. You can do it!!! :-) every small step in the right direction makes a huge difference. Welcome to the club :-)

@Lazarus Long -- so, have you started wearing kilts yet?? :-) Huge Heinlein fan here. Drink Deep.

Ha :-) Nice read. One of my teachers said warriors get "it" (enlightenment) far more often than priests. The difference between a warrior and a priest is: a priest goes into the temple, prays and meditates until he becomes enlightened (communes with God), warriors do the same thing, only they do it in the world, with the understanding that some Jack#$$ with a 3' razor blade might come along and try to remove their head. Warriors don't have the luxury of faking (as they stare at each other with focused intent waiting for the opening) or getting lost in "the dark night of the soul", they die (or they die ;-) wow, there are a lot of puns there) Descending into the basement of DaMo's cave can be terrifying if you don't know what to expect. Fear activates the adrenals which sit on top of the kidneys, water and fire can be mixed at this level, if you are more interested in immortality than enlightenment. One thing you neglected to mention, maybe it was outside of the scope of your paper, but religion and God do serve a purpose on the path. As social conditioning is removed (nothing is forbidden) and you become a law unto yourself, they provide a framework, a structure for you to exist in. Behavior can become very strange without rules or boundaries, and since societies rules no longer apply, faith can become very important (for those wishing to avoid jail time or job loss) (and being part of an organization can explain away much of the weirdness, especially if they have money and influence.....) Without benevolent scripture or sutra, you can get lost. The right hand path leads to enlightenment, the left to power, and the dark side is very tempting.....

Just because it is not traditional, does not mean it is not an art :-) and don't let guys like me tell you any differently. One of the things traditional styles will use for conditioning is weapons. An hour with an 25lb Kwan Dao is serious workout. Even a 4lb sword requires good fitness to use correctly (ask Tom Cruise about filming The Last Samurai!!). Also, traditional styles used weightlifting (often oddly shaped stones or other heavy objects lifted in particular ways), weighted clubs, etc, etc. as well as holding postures for extended lengths of time (min to hours) and dynamic exercises (Forms, bodyweight exercises) to develop the body to be able to use they style correctly. Sometimes, health took second place to ability, as some of these arts are designed to get young soldiers ready for the battlefield. In more recent history, the black belt was often the point at which the body was conditioned enough to be able to learn (2-5 years of training). For the most part, modern training techniques have become more focused on general fitness and health (as long as you stay away from the extremes or professional fighting) and are as good or better than most "traditional" techniques. Science is your friend in this. If you are following a "traditional" path, pay attention to what you are trying to accomplish, because you probably will :-). What you are doing might not be the best thing for you (I am thinking about a friend who studied in Okinawa and can punch through stone, but has serious arthritis in his hands because of the training) For fitness, look at the old guys (60, 70, 80 yrs old) in the style, are they healthy and happy?

Stance training. If I were asked to recommend one thing to make any martial artists better, stance training. Each style will be different on the stances, but training them is essential. When you can sit in a horse stance for an hour, then you will have accomplished something. Develops root, stability, balance, centeredness, leg strength, core strength, flexibility in the hips/kwa, focus, will, etc. It will improve every aspect of your art. Legs make everything else work.

Another thing to consider, one of my teachers told me it takes 10min in a posture for the tendons to release (whatever that means in real physiology), but holding a single stretch for extended periods of time does work. For instance, the Valentino brothers, for split training, will have you put your legs up a wall so your feet are facing the ceiling, then slowly allow them to separate as far as you can, then read a book (or something) and allow gravity to keep pulling them towards the ground. Be careful coming out of an extended stretch, things can tighten up. Also, you can stretch out, then, while in a stretched position, engage the stretched muscles, try to pull against the stretch (I hope this makes sense?) also called isometric stretching.

Well, I always say the best art is the one you practice regularly. So find the one you can see yourself keeping up with for the next decade or 2 :-). (how you train is more important than style) Styles never meet, only stylists (B. Lee). Oh yes, I have never been in a violent situation since I got out of High School 30+ years ago, neither has anyone in my social circle (outside of the pros: cops, bouncers, etc) so you might want to think about maintaining health more than becoming a master of violence. It is a pretty useless skillset unless you are one of the professionals.

A good option, maybe not always appropriate (such as when poor uncle Jim who had one too many at the family BBQ) ;-) I like a Kahr CM9 to carry.

Thank you, I will :-)