I reject traditional martial arts

Warning; I'm going to be a total heretic here. I know many of you have trained and still train traditional martial arts (TMA). Do not take it personally if I come of as indignant.

I have trained in the several TMA and have since become dissillusioned with them. I find them to be formulaic and out of touch with practical fighting and built on and archaic and warped understanding of how people learn.
Take kata (stylized and fixed movement towards an imaginary opponent) for example, one is made to learn several of them and is told that they are a sensible and often necsissary lead-up to practical fighting. It is ridiculous and only apparent if one thinks of how the same practice methods might apply in fx. learning the piano. One would first learn the notes on an imaginary piano and only when one has mastered the traditional stylised movements is one to progress to an actual piano.

I see further faults with TMA, for exemple the narrowness of skope may martial arts styles have. Some neglect grapling whilst neglecting kicks or punches. Or vise virsa in all sorts of variations.

The another issue I have with TMA is that its person-to-person sparring and training method is stale and liveless. People are made to train hours on end even for decades to master hundreds of techniques against such things as the dead lump unrealistic I-stick-my-hand-out-and-keep-it-there--then-do-as-you-please-punch. It is not alive and truly interactive and done in a manner that is close what one would most conciveably come up against. (there are few exeptions, but they are exeption and only in a limited field like fx. submission wrestling).

Allthough I'm not practicing anything at the moment I'm MMA sympathetic. But not until resently. For those unfamiliar with MMA I suggest this video series; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL05Es8LVAQ
I think this is the stuff. We should all be training like MMA guys'n'gals.

i think you ought to check more MA styles out before you reject them totally. If you base your experience of MA on kata, then of course you'll be disillusioned because it is ineffectual as a self defence technique. Many styles have hidden albeit subtle benefits which are easy to overlook. I don't know about other styles, but in my ninjutsu training we are taught the '16 jewels' or pressure points and by applying knowledge of anatomy and science we are able to overcome oponents far more easilly. Plus since we knock each other about with some force, it prepares us for real life situations which means you're in less of a state of shock when it happens. It's much better to get knocked around in the dojo first than by some asshole that wants your wallet and/or your dignity. I think the reason a lot of styles reject grappling is because it isnt necessarilly the most effective or energy efficient method. Attacking someone at longer range or getting them into an armlock where they cant fight back is almost always going to give you an advantage over a stronger opponent that might be able to overpower you.

Keep training!

I know that not all TMA is bad. I've seen some good stuff too. But there are loads of scams, superstition, hierarchy, and ineffectual training methods that can only end up providing false comfort. I've had some useful and meaningful training in taekwondo and ju-jutsu, mainly from its hands-on apporoach, with sparring vests or from wrestling on the floor.

Almost all martial arts is good as exersise but some of them should simply be advertised as such and not pretend to give you skills in fighting - a easy example of that would be tai chi.

the problem with martial arts that it's an art teaching kata's and air punching the whole training won't help you 'in da streets'. But I do reccomend traditional ('eastern') martial arts like full contact taekwondo, Kyokushinkai karate and jiujitsu (if there is enough sparring involved)
Eventually a good MMA fighter is some one who knows how to perfectly combine a lot of martial arts and fighting sports. Most MMA fighters are good at thaiboxing (essential stand-up), Brasilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling.

theres also an awful lot of profit orientated schools or 'mc dojos' so you need to be careful when choosing a class.

They will often teach ineffectual techniques and make unsubstantiated or dubious lineage claims. Often at extortionate prices. As a rule of thumb, you should not attend a class that demands fees upfront and be wary of flamboyant, convoluted grading systems with multi-coloured belts. Especially when you see 7 year olds running round with black belts and dan grades.

i wouldn't say i reject tma's, i reject religion and fightingsports wich involve no fighting.

by religion i mean the five point death touch pyama party white midleclass jerking off of on an non-western cultural tradition.

yeah, Mc dojo's!

Authentic TMA's take a hell of a lot of discipline and commitment to learn. Don't diss.

I have found kickboxing reat (although its a mma) they dont give a toss if you get hurt and they teach you.

Punching (including feet work)
Kicking (includeing feet work)
Grappeling (on floor and standing)

also later you do training with rubber knives.

the week before last i did training with a real sword.

I kid you not.

Great now i want one.

"Ok lads were going to start with some spari--joe what the FUCK MAN WHAT THE FUCK" - "what is this cheating or something"

its okay the other guy was using one of these

pretty worthless (selfdefense) training if you ask me.. unless if you have those swords in your pocket.

Perhaps but in order to call yourself a master you need to learn the traditional classical stuff. Besides, the presence of the sword is pretty arbitrary most of the kenjutsu we learn can be applied to disarming other or more modern weapons or even to unarmed scenarios.

The weapon is little more than a 'body extension'.