Hi everyone! Bit of a newbie outing here because I could do with a bit of advice.
I got it into my head that I'd like to learn Escrima. I'm not much of a martial artist as such, I used to fence with fairy sabres and moved into historical western weapon-based arts for a while, though the clubs I found lack a certain aliveness...
I like to keep fit though. I love running and working out in the great outdoors. Part of the reason I quit the HEMA stuff was that I kept running into fat nerds who struggle to move their own body fat around (You know who you are!).
Perhaps it's time to try something new. I would prefer to get into some kind of weapon-based art though. It's what comes natural to me.
Escrima sounds good, as does the lot of FMAs, though there's only one school near where I live and I strongly suspect it's a McDojo. The guy who runs it seems nice enough but keeps pushing for a one-year contract while at the same time ignoring my inquiries about any extra membership fees, club uniform, etc. Alarm bells ring...I understand he has to make a living and I'm sure he knows his stuff but I like to know in advance how much I have to shell out before I sign the dotted line.
So, what else is there?
Any other art I could try that would perhaps carry over, even if it's not predominantly weapon-based? I mostly wanna learn for fun but I detest non-contact arts and such. Bit of a waste of time, really...
I even thought about taking a few private lessons out of town and perhaps finding a local training partner to practice with. Not exactly ideal but I live in the middle of nowhere (Derby, UK)and quality schools are few and far between.
Got any suggestions for me?
I got it into my head that I'd like to learn Escrima. I'm not much of a martial artist as such, I used to fence with fairy sabres and moved into historical western weapon-based arts for a while, though the clubs I found lack a certain aliveness...
I like to keep fit though. I love running and working out in the great outdoors. Part of the reason I quit the HEMA stuff was that I kept running into fat nerds who struggle to move their own body fat around (You know who you are!).
Perhaps it's time to try something new. I would prefer to get into some kind of weapon-based art though. It's what comes natural to me.
Escrima sounds good, as does the lot of FMAs, though there's only one school near where I live and I strongly suspect it's a McDojo. The guy who runs it seems nice enough but keeps pushing for a one-year contract while at the same time ignoring my inquiries about any extra membership fees, club uniform, etc. Alarm bells ring...I understand he has to make a living and I'm sure he knows his stuff but I like to know in advance how much I have to shell out before I sign the dotted line.
So, what else is there?
Any other art I could try that would perhaps carry over, even if it's not predominantly weapon-based? I mostly wanna learn for fun but I detest non-contact arts and such. Bit of a waste of time, really...
I even thought about taking a few private lessons out of town and perhaps finding a local training partner to practice with. Not exactly ideal but I live in the middle of nowhere (Derby, UK)and quality schools are few and far between.
Got any suggestions for me?