You can’t tell, but I started martial arts training, on a regular basis at least when I was 16.
I started on Monday nights training a bit of JKD; or Jeet Kune Do to give it its full title.

As this was my first martial art, I had little to compare it to. But still in my youthful arrogance (along with the rest of the class as far as I can remember) commented that Judo throws ‘don’t work’ (they do, and they fucking kill); how Karate was a load of bollocks, and that Tae Kwon Do was basically a dynamic form of ballet.

Not only did we all seem to proclaim that we had found the ultimate martial art, above all others, but we also semi-regularly remarked how the ‘splinter group’, the other JKD class in the town, was taught badly, and was a rip off.  We said this, despite never going, never actually finding out how and where our teacher trained and what his combat experience was.  Blind faith, one might say. And all this whilst I never had a clue what the “paxou” thing was supposed to do anyway.

Rex Kwon Do Trapping Skills

Roll on a few years, now I’m at Loughborough University with a load of jocks and heroes from down south.

Having not fitted in too well (probably because I was still wearing Rockports); I joined the Judo club.  I specifically remember one new member asking the instructor if Judo “was the best style for self-defence?”.  And his response – to paraphrase a bit:
“Yes, everyone can kick and punch, this is the most effective style for self defense”.  Brilliant.  That’s that sorted then.

I still think JKD, depending on how it’s taught is arguably the best ‘style’ for self defense, but you can’t beat the MMA sparring and competition to psychologically prepare you for a fight.  Yes; I realise that all street-fights apparently last about 10 seconds, and you need to strike first etc. but you’re still going to fall out of your arse if you’ve never been in any type of fight or physical confrontation.

I actually think the 2 styles (or style and sport) would complement each other pretty well.  Judo is awesome, and also bloody horrible when pulled off well.  By ‘horrible’ I refer to the pain and impact of a Judoka launching you over his or her shoulder at full pace. Sod that.

Anyway, that’s just my opinion, and it’s not a particularly strong or aggressive one, as I’ve not sparred for ages, and I am equally ill-equipped to handle a pub brawl – other than the fact that I never go to pubs, so probably will never get into one.

Here are the parallels I was on about in the blog post title anyway:

• Everyone thinks that their style is the best. Often with limited knowledge of other styles.
• Each style splinters off into two/three/etc subsections. Just like Christianity etc. and they end up fighting too. So even if we all agreed that, let’s say Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was the bollocks – it would soon seperate out into 2 or 3 slightly different styles. In fact, we’re seeing this a bit now, with BJJ Combat people mocking the BJJ sport people.
• They can both cost a fortune.  Someone told me the other day it was £3,500 to do a course on ‘Martial Arts’ in their local club. I’d want a blowie or 2, or something thrown in for that price
• Love is the answer!  Only when we stop thinking we’re right, just because, and everyone else is wrong, will we see that getting along and learning off each other is the way forward