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« on: October 02, 2009, 06:53:50 PM »
Greetings all! Let me begin by thanking all of you for providing a public forum for us newbies to learn from. I have been lurking here for awhile and I am grateful for the information that is available here. Please excuse this first post as it will be lengthy, but I felt I needed to be up front with you guys (and gals) if I am to receive informed opinions about my situation. I believe that I have much in common with many on this forum because I am engaged in a search for the truth.
When I was much younger (began when I was 15) I studied Tae Kwon Do. I participated in classes on and off for several years and earned a brown belt in that art. As I grew older, I began to believe that much of what I had learned during those years would be ineffective in real world situations, and I started to seek information on "reality based" systems and instructors. During my research I came across much material that at least passed the all-important (for me at least) "reason" test. You see, I try to apply reason to all of the decisions I make in life; if something isn't reasonable, then I have to really ask myself if I should spend the time pursuing it. When it comes to self-defense, I ask myself if the material I see has a reasonable chance of working in a stress-filled, life-threatening situation. Guys like Tony Blauer, Rich Dimitri, Kelly McCann, SouthNarc, etc. made me realize that there were at least a few people out there willing to pressure-test their material. While I didn't always like everything I saw from these guys, I did appreciate the fact that they were willing to test it in the most realistic ways possible, without excessive risk to the practitioner.
It was during this search for truth in combat that I found the Dog Brothers. I have always appreciated the entire concept behind this "family", and have checked in on the site at various times for several years now. There is no doubt that you folks are willing to pressure-test your techniques, and to critique one another as well, but to do so with positive reinforcement. It is just the type of environment I seek as I begin, once again, to try and find a path to follow in my search for truth. I guess my search is not only for truth in combat, but for the truth in myself as well. When I read posts here and watch DBMA material that is available on the 'net, I get the sense that through this brotherhood, one not only tests his technique and his willingness to use them in a realistic venue, but also may find some inner truths in the process.
So, herein lies my dilemma. I am seeking to start training again, but before I ask for opinions, I need to provide some background information. First, I am TERRIBLY out of shape. I am soon to be 39 years old, 6' 1" tall, 325 lbs., and an insulin-dependant diabetic. I am very serious about becoming as healthy as is possible, and am willing to do what it takes to do this, but I do have to deal with these realities; it will be a slow process for me. Locally, I have very few choices when it comes to material that is at least somewhat acceptable to me. Most of the schools in the area are what I would classify as "McDojos", and I refuse to waste my time studying material that I will have to deprogram later for the sake of getting a workout. When I have attended classes at the somewhat acceptable schools, the cardio portion of the classes has been very intimidating as I know that there is no way I would be able to hang with the class during this portion. In fact, I visited a Krav Maga class, and I swear I would have literally died during the first 15 minutes of the class had I been a participant. There are a couple of local schools that offer some form of FMA, but they are PMAA (Julius Melegrito) schools, and I haven't been able to find much information on that organization. Any opinions on his material would certainly be appreciated.
My alternative to attending a school is to start my own small training group. Now, with this option, I can definitely work at my own pace, but I lack the structure to build a strong foundation that I would have if I attended a good school. Working at my own pace at doing something incorrectly is not what I'm after here. Also, with the training group, I would hopefully have the chance to experience the type of "brotherhood" that you members of the pack enjoy. So, I guess my question for the forum members is, what would you recommend to someone in my situation? My current train of thought is to buy the first set of DBMA videos, work the material at my own pace, and hopefully find someone during the process that is knowledgeable enough to critique me. What do you guys think? Can I be successful training myself? Can I work the DBMA material into a strong base that I can effectively use against other styles in a training group? I find the DLO material fascinating, and I would love to train with that type of intenstiy in the future, especially since I have a CCW and carry every day. If I want to apply what I learn in that type (DLO) of context, am I on the right track by starting with the first series of videos?
I thank all of you for taking time to read this post, and I will truly appreciate any insights that you have to offer.
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) and I look forward to incorporating that material into my planned workouts. I think that is the kind of functional material that will hold my interest and truly drive me to improve my skills as I work to build my stamina.