Starting Out, Learning to Fight?

I have been wanting to learn how to fight properly for some time and I want some recommendations on a practical fighting style that I can start with. I plan on branching out and learning more styles later.

I am 17 years old, still obese, but I am losing weight fast and I am weight training. I also have very strong legs for being relatively untrained. Any recommendations?

[quote]Dumass78 wrote:
I have been wanting to learn how to fight properly for some time and I want some recommendations on a practical fighting style that I can start with. I plan on branching out and learning more styles later.

I am 17 years old, still obese, but I am losing weight fast and I am weight training. I also have very strong legs for being relatively untrained. Any recommendations?[/quote]

Boxing…

kick boxing, judo , jj, bjj, boxing

I’d say get reasonably slim and generally fit; and then pursue martial arts.
Run, swim, lift weights, do callisthenics, climb, dive, surf, skate, chase girls etc.

Let me explain:
You say you’re obese. That means you’re very fat.
Congrats on being frank. Most people never manage to get to that point, much less past it.
It is difficult but entirely possible today to get the body you want, within certain genetic limitations of course. Luckily it’s easier for men then for women to get strong and fast.
But it can be hard to do multiple things at one time.
Especially when you’re/were fat AND untrained AND decide to shred pounds, getting into highly a technical sport (MA) is really less then optimal.

you will get suboptimal weightloss results,
you will improve only slowly in the sport, if at all, since your body is (hopefully) drastically changing at the same time
your chance of injuring yourself goes dramatically up (you’re overweight and most martial arts can be fairly destructive)
you will plateau with your weightloss a lot harder, and a breakthrough will be probably impossible without some close coach who really knows his shit

Shed the weight first.
Post pics and a detailed background in the other forums, follow the lead of the veterans there and report back when the job’s done.

Good luck.

I’d say still pick up ANY combat sport as a hobby, whatever you can.

Well schwarzfahrer, I think you make some good points on that, but I tend to doubt he’d be training hardcore for some time.

I agree with big boss, boxing will give you basics. And well, I’ve lost 10lbs since starting, and my diet is worthless.

and hell schwarzfahrer, maybe it’ll inspire him to jog a bit to help with his boxing, in my experience its easier to go towards a goal, say getting better at boxing, then just saying oh i want to lose weight.

Regardless, whatever you decide to do OP, don’t half ass it, get your diet right.

[quote]Tyrant wrote:
and hell schwarzfahrer, maybe it’ll inspire him to jog a bit to help with his boxing, in my experience its easier to go towards a goal, say getting better at boxing, then just saying oh i want to lose weight.

[quote]

I think this is very true, I find it much easier to push myself when I have a specific sport to train for, rather than a goal like weight loss or fitness or whatever.

On the otherhand its hard to learn anything when you are gasping for breath, so maybe getting fit first is the way forward?

[quote]Schwarzfahrer wrote:
I’d say get reasonably slim and generally fit; and then pursue martial arts.
Run, swim, lift weights, do callisthenics, climb, dive, surf, skate, chase girls etc.

Let me explain:
You say you’re obese. That means you’re very fat.

Congrats on being frank. Most people never manage to get to that point, much less past it.
It is difficult but entirely possible today to get the body you want, within certain genetic limitations of course. Luckily it’s easier for men then for women to get strong and fast.
But it can be hard to do multiple things at one time.

Especially when you’re/were fat AND untrained AND decide to shred pounds, getting into highly a technical sport (MA) is really less then optimal.

you will get suboptimal weightloss results,
you will improve only slowly in the sport, if at all, since your body is (hopefully) drastically changing at the same time
your chance of injuring yourself goes dramatically up (you’re overweight and most martial arts can be fairly destructive)
you will plateau with your weightloss a lot harder, and a breakthrough will be probably impossible without some close coach who really knows his shit

Shed the weight first.
Post pics and a detailed background in the other forums, follow the lead of the veterans there and report back when the job’s done.

Good luck.[/quote]

Agreed.

training with a ghi is tough when you are at a healthy weight, let alone obese. join some kind of martial arts/boxing/kickboxing club

[quote]Pluto wrote:
training with a ghi is tough when you are at a healthy weight, let alone obese. join some kind of martial arts/boxing/kickboxing club[/quote]

heh, you ever been to a judo club? :wink:

You’re 17. It’s not too late to join the school’s wrestling team. If you’re looking to lose weight and learn the basics of fighting, there is no better opportunity than this.

[quote]Cronk wrote:
You’re 17. It’s not too late to join the school’s wrestling team. If you’re looking to lose weight and learn the basics of fighting, there is no better opportunity than this.[/quote]

Absolutely. There is no way that you won’t lose weight and get in much better shape if you join (and stick with) the wrestling team. Plus, it’s very inexpensive (free in many cases).

It’s also a great base art to have if you choose to pursue the MA thing later on.

[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
Cronk wrote:
You’re 17. It’s not too late to join the school’s wrestling team. If you’re looking to lose weight and learn the basics of fighting, there is no better opportunity than this.

Absolutely. There is no way that you won’t lose weight and get in much better shape if you join (and stick with) the wrestling team. Plus, it’s very inexpensive (free in many cases).

It’s also a great base art to have if you choose to pursue the MA thing later on.[/quote]

I agree as well. I was hands down in the best shape of my life during high school wrestling. And it was free.

I didn’t read the replies so if this has been beat to death, then I apologize.

Do not start with any grappling until you lose some weight, imo.

If you do then you will be relearning many aspects of it when your body changes and you are able to move around better.

I did see boxing mentioned. Boxing is a great start. Kickboxing is also, but boxing will teach you the fundamentals which I am having to learn now. I started with ju-jitsu and my striking was not the greatest.

Even something like Kenpo karate is a good foundation for balance, etc… But at 17 their are much better things to begin.

JT