Looking for Martial Arts

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

I did some basic karate when I was a kid, and would like to get into it again. I know there are a lot of places that offer lessons in all sorts of marital arts, but I had a very bad experience with the one in Arlington Center.

To put it simply, I hate people yelling at me. Most martial arts teachers I've seen treat their students like a drill instructor chewing out new recruits, and I absolutely refuse to pay money to have someone scream at me.

Can anyone recommend a place to learn martial arts with polite, helpful instructors? I don't have much of a preference for the type of art, though I think Akido would be interesting. I am looking for some place on public transportation, preferably on the Red Line.

Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!

Comments

[knowthyself.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not exactly around public transportation, but I can't recommend enough the Theodorou Academy of Jiu Jitsu (http://bostonselfdefense.com/) in Watertown. I've been going there for 5 years. Sensei Nick Theodorou is great, definitely NOT a yeller, but an excellent motivator. The instructors are also greta, very friendly and helpful, as are the students really. If driving is or becomes an option, very much worth checking out!

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

I suggest messaging lyonesse via message. She has taught before (and I have considered learning from her before; I don't like people yelling at me or otherwise behaving in a way I consider inappropriate either). I don't recall if she is currently teaching, but I expect she would at least be able to point you in a very good direction.

Best of luck.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Revere's a hike, but Doreen Cogliandro, the master instructor at the Revere Karate Academy, is my teachers' teacher, and she is a fantastic person. Her #2 instructor, Sita Van, is also pretty awesome. I haven't seen either one of them in years (I kind of dropped off the face of the martial arts earth during college), but I'd have no compunctions about recommending their school.

Unfortunately, the school I went to, which I love dearly, is even farther away.

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend Jae H. Kim Tae Kwon Do. I've been going there about a year and a half, and love it. I go to the Boston do jang near Fenway, but there's one near Porter Square on Mass Ave, too.

http://www.tkd-boston.com

Suck it up, soldier!!!

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

:)

[skexy.livejournal.com]

Mark at Davis Square Martial Arts is great; I studied there for five or six years before deciding my body just couldn't keep up, at least for now. But I intend to go back for Tai Chi eventually and would probably go back to Mark when I do if I'm still in the area. I can assure you, you will not deal with chastisement there. I have heard good things from a couple of friends who studied at the Tae Kwan Do place in porter square; but I wasn't thrilled when I walked in there. I have heard nothing but good things about the Aikido dojo in porter and was impressed by the class I watched there.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

I am a huge fan of Total Performance Sports (http://www.totalperformancesports.com) (and even though I linked, you should probably ignore their website. It sucks, but it's under total reconstruction right now, so they're not fixing the parts that suck in the old site). If you like (and message me with your e-mail), I can send you a coupon for a free week.

It is not a martial arts studio, it's a gym. But at said gym, Muay Thai is offered twice a week, taught by an awesome and gentle instructor named Heather. She's tiny and soft spoken but could also clearly kill you with her brain. As a bonus, you'd also have access to the weights, powerlifting equipment, etc. There are other classes as well, but this gym is unspeakably awesome and deeply geared towards making people strong and powerful.

It's still in process (in my opinion) of recovering from the "only men want strength training" forms of sexism, but it's doing pretty darn well, and the kettlebells classes are often more than half women.

The membership pricing structure is awkward, but boils down to how much you're willing to commit to. If you want no committment, a month membership is something like $59. But on the opposite end of the scale, if you're willing to pay a year in advance, the price comes down to $24/mo. So if *all* you do is Muay Thai, that's about 8 classes for $24 or $3/class. (Even if you *don't* commit, $59/mo= less than $8/class!) There are also usually informal classes on the weekend.

I see you don't have a car, and while Everett is not on the Subway T, it's very bus-able. It's just a short ride from Sullivan Square.

Another thing to know is that TPS is NOT bougie (like so many places increasingly are). The class times are geared towards people who work during the day, and the whole place is very multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and more-or-less working class and no nonsense. That said, I've had more people be nice, helpful, and outgoingly supportive there than in any gym I've ever been to. Actually, the people have been more nice and welcoming than in any *church* I've ever gone too!

[modlin.livejournal.com]

You might check out aikido at New England Aikikai (http://www.neaikikai.org/). Very convenient in Porter Square, and friendly, welcoming people. No screaming. You can observe a class to get a feel of what it's like.

[whitefire.livejournal.com]

Look, you can't quietly and politely ask someone to please sweep the leg if they wouldn't mind.

[imvfd.livejournal.com]

I'd very much recommend Boston Classical Soo Bahk Do:

http://www.bcsbd.com/

The classes are pretty intense but it is a very friendly environment and there is never any yelling at students. I believe that you can get a "free sample" one-on-one class with the instructor to see if this is the art for you.

However, the art is very much not like Aikido, in that it involves a lot of hand and foot strikes, although it does involve some grappling as well as slow, almost Tai Chi like movements as you go up in rank.

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

tagged. This is a great thread!

[djdreilinger.livejournal.com]

I've been taking karate at Emerald Necklace Martial Arts (http://www.emeraldnecklacebudo.com/karate.htm) for three-plus years now, and I can't sing its praises enough. Power without machismo; hitting plus community service. Recent relevant post (http://jasongould.blogspot.com/2010/03/ever-wonder-if-karate-was-right-for-you.html) from Sensei Gould's blog.

It's in Allston, 95 Everett St., on the 64 and 66. Feel free to msg me. You could also just stop by any Saturday at 10:30 a.m. to watch the beginner's class.

Check out C.W. Taekwondo in Central Sq.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

It's very affordable because they are a 501c3 non-profit, and it is right on the T and across the street from the green street parking lot. I have been going there for 8 years now. I have many friends from there, and there is no yelling. You can stop by for a free trial lesson to see if you like it.

[anyee.livejournal.com]

CW Tae Kwon Do. http://www.cwtkd.com
They're on the red line in Central Square, on the street behind Mass Ave towards the river. The school is affiliated with MIT, so lots of fun geeky adults of all types come kick there.

I've done TKD on and off for years. I love CW for a few reasons:
1) They respect your body's limits. When things start swelling and tearing, the instructors tell you to stop, even if you don't want to!

2) They're focused on the sport and accomplishment. There are many people who go to tournaments, many levels of training, and a sense of overall desire to do well.

3) They're non-profit, so the rates are lower. Less than 100/month as I recall it. JHKim is about 250, last I checked.

CW TKD awesome. A lot less traditional but a lot more enjoyable. I found that at JHKim, the focus was on getting money out of me. From blackbelt clubs to special training programs, there was always a new money-making scheme. That was one of the major reasons I stopped going.