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Martial Arts/Questions Answered by Expert Marcus Doyle
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Tall and Lean | 1/28/2010 |
| Q: I'm curious as to what kind of Martial Art would fit what I'm looking for. The main issue is my body ... A: A lot of course will depend on the approach that an individual takes for the development in your ... | |
| Physical Limitations | 1/2/2010 |
| Q: Doyle, I have had cancer several times and as a result I have some limitations.I have some nerve ... A: I think your best option might be to focus on one the "internal" arts like Tai Chi, Hsing I or Pa ... | |
| Freeze up | 12/28/2009 |
| Q: I was wondering what type of training or martial arts discipline/style would you recommend to best ... A: Danny, Hope you had a good holiday season and unfortunately, after typing out a nice long response, ... | |
| Looking for a system to try..advice? | 11/26/2009 |
| Q: I'm a man in my late 30s with a mild lumbar injury, otherwise fit.I'm 5' 7'' and 160lbs, not very ... A: Interesting list. I would probably go ahead and eliminate the TKD and MMA clubs . . . you've got ... | |
| Shotokon Karate or Taekwondo? | 11/24/2009 |
| Q: For serious fights in which I must defend myself,which style would serve me better,Taekwondo or ... A: It would heavily depend on the instructor's approach to the art and how they trained students in it, ... | |
| Practical breaking techniques | 11/18/2009 |
| Q: I have trained in Taekwon-Do for about 5 years and have a red belt, so I have a little bit of ... A: Nick, Thanks for the question! For some reason, I missed this email through the holidays, but ... | |
| Looking for a system to try..advice? | 11/1/2009 |
| Q: I'm a man in my late 30s with a mild lumbar injury, otherwise fit.I'm 5' 7'' and 160lbs, not very ... A: Paul, Well, a lot will depend on what is available in your area, but if you are looking for a ... | |
| Joint locks | 8/20/2009 |
| Q: I'm in my 60's and in general have become relatively skilled at avoiding confrontation. I'm ... A: As always, there is little substitute for in-person training with a qualified instructor, but there ... | |
| which martial is better for girl | 8/20/2009 |
| Q: i am a girl and i want to learn a martial art to defence myself if i am in danger on the street. i ... A: Nora, Most of it will completely depend on what is available to you in your area of course. Since ... | |
| Joint locks | 8/20/2009 |
| Q: I'm in my 60's and in general have become relatively skilled at avoiding confrontation. I'm ... A: If you are looking for increasing knowledge of joint locking in a non-aggressive manner, you may ... | |
| Cross-training in Martial Arts | 6/24/2009 |
| Q: when it comes to cross-training, how many is too much? I have about six years of experience in goju ... A: George, I generally don't recommend that students cross-train in another martial art until they ... | |
| judo & Trad. Jujitsu | 6/10/2009 |
| Q: Assuming all instructors are of a high quality, which of these combinations do you feel is most ... A: Danny, You've hit upon a sneaky little truth in martial arts training . . . most of it is not that ... | |
| judo & Trad. Jujitsu | 6/10/2009 |
| Q: Assuming all instructors are of a high quality, which of these combinations do you feel is most ... A: Well, for self-defense, part of it depends on what you feel most comfortable in, so here's a good ... | |
| Tai Chi: Yang or Chen? | 6/4/2009 |
| Q: I am considering taking Tai Chi as I have recently had some health issues which have left me ... A: Absolutely. There are three main Chinese internal arts: Tai Chi Chuan Hsing I Pa Kua (Ba Gua) ... | |
| Tai Chi: Yang or Chen? | 6/4/2009 |
| Q: I am considering taking Tai Chi as I have recently had some health issues which have left me ... A: Leslee, Tai Chi Chuan is a great art, and really, you are talking about two great forms of it. I ... | |
| learning kung fu and taekwondo | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: My daugther is blue belt and will be promoted to purple belt next month. She loves taekwondo and ... A: Sam, Sorry about taking a bit to get back to you - I had missed this in my emails somewhere. ... | |
| disciplines available | 4/21/2009 |
| Q: In my area I have a Hapkido school, a Modern Arnis school, a traditional Wing Chun school and Muay ... A: Well, if you've read any of my other posts on this type of a topic, the most important thing to me ... | |
| Which martial art to choose ? | 1/2/2009 |
| Q: I'm 45 years old and would like to study some martial art for health & self defense. I studied tae ... A: I definitely think that the best way to learn martial arts is from an instructor. Books and dvds ... | |
| advice... | 12/8/2008 |
| Q: my question is about martial arts and self defense. I know self defense is more than just knowing ... A: Lee, Yes - self-defense is a lot more than learning to fight and I'm glad you realize that. ... | |
| Which martial art should I choose? | 12/5/2008 |
| Q: I have dabbled in various martial arts for many years from books, friends, and college classes. ... A: Joshua, Sorry this one took a while to get back to you on - I never knew it was sitting out there ... | |
| Cross-training | 9/21/2008 |
| Q: Doyle Is it a good idea to cross-train Wing Chun and Aikido? I'm aware that everyone is different ... A: My general view on cross-training is that it is never a bad idea to learn more, and trying several ... | |
| Hapkido or San Soo | 7/15/2008 |
| Q: These are the two arts I am looking at starting. I am 43 years old and have never trained before. ... A: Brian, Sorry about the delay - I failed to get a message from AllExperts saying there was a ... | |
| Which one for me? | 6/3/2008 |
| Q: Hey Marcus, I was wondering which would be the best system for someone like me to begin training in. ... A: Steve, Well, the biggest thing for you to look for is what is available in your area - as the ... | |
| martial art weapons | 4/11/2008 |
| Q: sorry this is my first time using this site lol ..but my question is do u no if a glaive ( 'S' ... A: Martial art weapons are, by definition, any weapon used in personal combat. Glaives are actually ... | |
| Are Tonfas Useful Today? | 2/19/2008 |
| Q: I've always liked Tonfas, but I haven't had any weapons training (I've been in Taekwando and my ... A: One issue of traditional oriental weapons in self-defense today is that, by their very nature, are ... | |
| Hapkido, defensive perposes? | 2/15/2008 |
| Q: for the past several months i have been doing Aikido, it was great. but just a tad to defensive for ... A: In reality, there are two things that make someone effective in real combat: 1) The person 2) The ... | |
| 5 year old and martial arts | 2/6/2008 |
| Q: I am looking to start my 5 year old in martial arts. I am not sure what style I should put him in. ... A: Shelly, Martial arts can be a great outlet for kids, and it definitely can help address discipline ... | |
| Help me pick a style. | 2/1/2008 |
| Q: I'm 6'3", with a background in wressling. I'm however horribly inflexible in the legs and cannot ... A: Bottom line - one that you are comfortable with the environment, training facilities and ... | |
| advice | 12/14/2007 |
| Q: I have very good judo school that is charging only $25 a month that is very near my house(2 miles). ... A: If you are looking for a good mix of stand-up and ground work, here's some ideas. Keep in mind that ... | |
| Which martial arts style is for me? Newbie adult wanting to learn weaponry. | 12/9/2007 |
| Q: I am a 26 year old female with zero previous martial arts experience. I've always wanted to learn ... A: Ultimately it depends on what is available in your area and what instructors you feel can best ... | |
| Comparing different martial arts | 11/24/2007 |
| Q: I have a couple questions actually. I am starting out in learning tae kwon do and hapkido. The ... A: First, understand that there are very few martial arts that train you to fight against another ... | |
| Locating gyms and cross-training advice | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: I am currently training in Boxing because I enjoy MA and like the sparring component that Boxing ... A: If you are primarily interested in grappling to supplement your boxing training, you have a few ... | |
| How to start training. | 10/9/2007 |
| Q: I work full time but have classes off this semester and so a crucial window of time to start my long ... A: My suggestion is that while time is always a factor, martial arts is as much mental as it is ... | |
| Stylistic Differences | 9/5/2007 |
| Q: What are the main stylistic differences between karate and taekwondo? A: It very much depends on the style of karate being taught. Taekwondo (TKD) is relatively new in the ... | |
| Help me please | 9/3/2007 |
| Q: I have been taking Kenpo Karate in Colorado, I am not in any advanced ranks or anything, but when I ... A: First of all your concern is normal, and in some ways very well founded. The simple truth is this: ... | |
| self taught? | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: Can any of the popular styles be EFFECTIVELY self taught using books nad/or videos? If so, do you ... A: It depends on if you have experience or not in martial arts. If the answer is no, then I do not ... | |
| style for function | 12/28/2006 |
| Q: As I thought about it more, and read more into stuff, striking is what is most important to me. I ... A: My personal recommendations would be to focus on maybe an art such as Wing Chun, which has strong ... | |
| style for function | 12/21/2006 |
| Q: I'm 5'8" about 240lbs (muscular build, a little outta shape), but I'm interested in what styles ... A: There are several styles that would fit your body style, but of course it is all dependent on what ... | |
| choosing a martial art | 12/20/2006 |
| Q: I'm fairly new to martial arts and have not yet taken a "real" class or devoted myself to a single ... A: If you've read some of my other posts, you would notice that I am much more a proponent of ... | |
| Self-Defence | 12/19/2006 |
| Q: I was just wondering what you would suggest for a self defense program for a T12 paraplegic. ... A: Kevin, I'm not too familiar with T12, but my guess is that you have good use of your arms and chest ... | |
| CQC- Close Quarters Combat | 12/5/2006 |
| Q: Wayne, West Virginia. I'm almost CERTAIN that there will be no instructors around here, which is why ... A: Ok - so you aren't close to too much. I think Huntington, WV might have some stuff, but ... | |
| - | 12/5/2006 |
| Q: How about Combat fighting or Sambo, I think it may be quite effective and you can learn it fast, I ... A: A lot of the Combat Fighting/Mixed Martial Art training camps work some boxing, some kicking, and a ... | |
| CQC- Close Quarters Combat | 12/4/2006 |
| Q: Okay, I saw this kind of fighting style on a video game, which may sound silly, but I would really ... A: I have not heard of any specific system called "Close Quarters Combat", although the term is often ... | |
| - | 12/1/2006 |
| Q: What other martial art would you recommend to someone who has already trained in Aikido and Iaido. ... A: Aikido has given you some good work in a defensive art that works quite effectively in a ... | |
| kickboxing | 10/21/2006 |
| Q: I've been kickboxing for a few years now and I've been thinking about taking up a more traditional ... A: Bert, It does depend ultimately on what things you are attracted to in martial arts, and what is ... | |
| help | 8/21/2006 |
| Q: I was just wonderig, I am trying to decide which martial art i would like to practice. I was ... A: Between the three arts you mentioned, all would help increase strength and flexiblity, as well as ... | |
| is kickboxing good for self defence | 7/18/2006 |
| Q: I've started kickboxing 2 months ago and wonder how good for self defence is is such as if someone ... A: First, any form of martial training can have self defense benefits, but a lot of depends on the ... | |
| self defense | 6/2/2006 |
| Q: How can i learn to defend myself and others? Is There any way to teach myself? What? A: Ryan, The best way to learn practical self-defense is to train with a qualified instructor. ... | |
| Tae kwon do vs kung fu | 5/12/2006 |
| Q: In the town that I live in there are only 2 martial arts available: Tae kwon do and kung fu. I don't ... A: John, There seems to be a lot of towns like this across the country, and I have found myself in a ... | |
| Which Marital art for my situation | 5/9/2006 |
| Q: Here is my situation, I am 32, 6'1 225lbs. I play golf and ski, so I am not in the best of shape. ... A: Dave, First, what someone looks for in any martial art is different, and you've indentified several ... | |
Martial Arts
Answers by Expert:
Marcus Doyle
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions regarding stylistic differences, self-defense against a variety of attacks, and practical approaches to martial arts. With over 23 years in martial arts, I have a large pool of knowledge to pull from.
Experience
I have experience in several styles with most of my time dedicated to Shaolin Kempo and American Kenpo (23+ years). Other arts include: Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, Kung Fu, Judo, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Tai Chi and several "progressive" fighting systems. My training has spanned over 20 years and have taught a wide variety of students and courses: men, women, specialized short and focused self-defense courses (rape prevention/defense, etc.), casual students, elite athletes, children (age 4+) through elderly (oldest student to date: 79), students with disabilities (blind, deaf, amputees, paraplegic), and students with a wide variety of previous experience and training.
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