Martial arts background for tricking

beginner tricking martial arts

Some styles of martial arts would be great to serve as a foundation for your tricking. I’d like to share with you what my background in martial arts is, and what my recommendations for you are.

My martial arts background


When I was 13 years old I made a new friend, he used to be known online as Taegashi. He invited me to take a Taekwondo class with him where he trained. The organization was USTA at the time, but soon after I joined they became ITA. Now it is Tiger Rock Martial Arts International. I trained there for 2 years and earned my black belt,which means absolutely nothing to me.

Jujimufu Taekwondo, ITA Taekwondo, Jon Call Taekwondo

The dojo I trained at was a “McDojo”, the purpose of the school was to make money. Looking back, the training was a joke, the staff was a joke, my fellow black belts and I at the school were a joke. They were practically giving away black belts!  But for the two years I was there, and especially considering I was starting with zero experience in sports or physical training of any kind, the results were definitely not a joke. During my time there my self-esteem went through the roof. The classes developed my flexibility, stamina, and basic martial arts technique. These Taekwondo classes were my gateway into an active lifestyle.  Getting used to training in a public environment like this with others, and competing in tournaments, prepared me for a more advanced practice of tricking.

When I discovered tricking


In the summer of 2000 I discovered tricking when I saw my first sampler, the old Bilang Sampler 004, Chris Devera video 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKmR4qzuAEA

Seeing that sampler changed my life. For the remainder of my time training at my Martial Arts school, all I cared about was learning tricks to put in my katas. You can see me tricking here after competing at a tournament in March 2002.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shpgcBnkqTE

I quit because the way the Taekwondo classes were run were actually getting in the way of my tricking goals. I only wanted to trick, and that was it. Quitting was the best decision I could have made looking back.

My recommendations


A background in any martial art that emphasizes kicking will serve as a great foundation for tricking. Taekwondo and Karate are good choices. Even training at a McDojo will help you a lot. I don’t think you can go wrong, they’ll get you kicking and stretching, and the group training is gonna help.

If you’re only interested in flips than you’d be much better off looking for an adult tumbling class at a gymnastics or cheerleading facility.

You’d be even better off if you did both. Each will develop two things you need for tricking: fitness and self-esteem. Starting tricking without a training background will be hard, unless you’re gifted.

I’m not gifted, I could have never succeeded with tricking without my Martial arts background.

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  • Jason Maine on

    MjDojo is an interesting phenomenon. Definitely, they will not teach you real fighting skills. From another perspective, they can inspire you to find the real dojo or improve your fitness at least.
    Cheers
    Jason

  • rasoulalibabaei@yahoo.com on

    Extreme Martial Arts Tricking

    extreme martial arts tricking-International extreme martial arts Tricking Under the Supervision of I.R.IRAN Martial Arts Federation

    For the first time Tricking has been registered in a formal and legal manner under the Ministry of Sport and Youth,Martial Arts Federation of Islamic Republic of Iran,in Iran. Vice president of style:Master Rasoul Alibabaei

    Administrator of style:Master Yaser Adavi

    And I have to note that it isn’t registered under anykind of other sports like Gymnastics or Karate it is an independent registeration ,Tricking is not under any sport ,it is a sport for its self.

    The purpose of registering Tricking is to identifying our beautiful sport Tricking to the world and expand the Tricking in environment and public,and introducing Martial Art’s world with new perspectives(sight) and different approaches(attitude).

    Expand body security and health with exercising excuse and reducing cure prises.

    Sodality among defferent segments of society,different countries and civilizations of whole world with the purpose of making world peace under the banner of justice.

    1-There are 8 grades to black belt,and graded from first Dan to tenth Dan.

    Note:it is not like other martial arts that you have to exercise with belts,you can exercise casual if you like the belts are just for showing your grade and to know what greatness you have rather others.also you can’t do tricks when you get too old well the belts could show who were you and what kind of skills you had before.and we know Tricking is a new sport and many Trickers can innovate new Tricks well these would go for Dans or we can update belts.

    2-There are 3 styles for battles:

    –Batteling(individual and group battles)

    –Kicking(including the heaviest kicks according to and based on more rotation)

    –Forming(forms with weapon and without weapon)

    3-formal (black) uniform with logo of the style on it.

    Regulation Tricking with aim giving to valid coaching degrees,agencies,arbitral degree,championship verdict and…with Tricking name,independently of other styles created for identifying and independent Tricking around the world.

    Our long_term plans will be: holding training seminars,competitions,arbitration and dan period,couching,giving agency verdict and…domestic and international to expand and identifying Tricking to whole world with the brand (WTG)

    meaning:World Tricking Gathering.

    wtg180

    We invite all Tricking lovers and all people who are interested in Tricking to join our warm and friendly team and help us identifying and expanding Tricking.they can get more information in our major Iranian Tricking site: www.tricking.ir

    Also you can join in the site request for getting the agency verdict to join us,and other requests.

    And you can have direct communication with us by this e_mail:worldtricking@yahoo.com

    Phone number:+989196268355

    With special thanks to you all readers.

  • harry on

    This harry scot, How is work today, am hearing impaired, i will like to know if you are available for martial art training and exercise services and do you accept credit card for payment kindly get back to me as soon as possible.

    Contact Name :
    Full Shop Address :
    Cell Phone # (So i can text you) :
    Type of credit Card Accepted :

    Best Regards,
    harry……..

  • aerialdancer on

    I earned an ITA black belt too. I left because our grandmasters couldn’t leave well enough alone. Every year they changed requirements, forms, one-steps, & even sparring guidelines. For a while (‘07, ’08) they were requiring the instructors to cover everything in every class, meaning that we would do maybe 2 or 3 reps of any one technique before moving on. I can’t learn anything that way, so I switched to a WTF school whose owner has been teaching the same forms for at least 15 years. Before he came to the states he was an instructor in the S. Korean special forces.
    But like you, I had no experience in sports or physical training. Unlike you, I was 50 years old. But I learned that I can learn, I can do this! And now I’ve added aerial silks, the circus art, to my training, which I could never have done without the ITA training as a foundation.

  • Taegashi on

    LOL Mcdojo love it. Sometimes I miss those days, but really that was only cause you were there. It wasn’t much long after you left that I did.


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