Living / learning martial arts abroad for police work?

Hi there,





I have been saving for quite some time to go to asia and learn martial arts for at least a year. I am posting this on both yahoo answers, travellers point and a martial arts website to get a varied response.





I will have enough money to go to any asian country and learn martial arts for at least 1 year. I want to live there and become competent in an art so that i am prepared for police work when i return home. I also want to enjoy myself and have fun.





I originally wanted to go to china and learn kung fu, but i know that this would probably be quite an unsociable environment considering i like to travel, play guitar and perform poi etc. In other words i want to go somewhere that i can meet other fun young people. I would not be able to teach english or work in the schools i have found in china though which would suggest quite an antisocial lifestyle and no means of making money.





Then i thought about going to the Phillipines and learning Eskrima. This is quite popular with me as i have always wanted to go to the phillipines and i love the idea of living on a selection of islands with beaches nearby. I could teach english there (although not make much money) and i think it would be quite socialble with travellers coming and going. The down side to this is that eskrima is not necessarily an art that i am very keen on or feel i could put to use in policing.





Then another idea is to go to Thailand and learn muay thai. I have travelled around Thailand before and know from experience that the Thai people are amazing and that there is a large amount of young travellers that id get to know. I also know of training centres on the beaches and islands (which i would like to travel around) and would really really like to teach english to children. I could do all this here and it is probably the cheapest option as well.


The biggest problem is that the art isnt really defensive at all and therefore wouldnt really benefit me with my future career.





I am basically asking advise from anyone who has an opinion to help me out. Any suggestions are welcome and any feedback whatsoever is greatly appreciated.





My main criteria is


- learn a defensive martial art for use in a future role in the Police


- to have a good social life as i will be there a year, with other young people (and maybe some attractive young ladies)


- to teach english to children as i love children and think id really enjoy it


- live not too far from civilization.... i want to travel while im out there and do a tour of south east asia when i finish





Thankyou very much


Nick

Living / learning martial arts abroad for police work?
Have you considered the Riot police/senshusei course in Tokyo, Japan?





The Senshusei course is tough and gruelling 1-year full time aikido training course conducted annually at Yoshinkan Honbu dojo, Tokyo. Course participants, even those with aikido experience, begin studying with the basic movements and are quickly taught the syllabus of Yoshinkan Aikido's basic techniques. Instruction is in Japanese and English, and given by teachers who regularly invited for international tours. Course graduates typically earn their shodan before course completion if they have not already achieved the rank.





This course was originally created to train some of the Tokyo Riot police during a period of civil unrest in the early 1960's. A number of Tokyo Metropolitan Police still undertake this course every year, but it has been made available to non-police candidates since 1991. The senshusei course was made famous through the Robert Twigger novel "Angry White Pyjamas". Many of graduates of the program have gone on to teach and open Yoshinkan dojo in countries that include: Australia, Canada, Israel, Germany, Portugal, the UK, and the United States.





This course was previously referred to as the "Instructor's Course" but as the emphasis is more on learning, training and developing spirit than on learning how to instruct aikido and hance the name has been changed.
Reply:Sounds like a great opportunity! You mentioned China, and the Shaolin Temple in Hunan Province has just such a program. Personally though, if I had that same opportunity, I'd go to Tokyo and study a traditional Jujitsu (or Aikido) and Karate. (I hear the Shotokan place in Tokyo is hardcore) Tokyo is also supposed to be a fun town.
Reply:Go to Okinawa they have the oldest and I think the best rounded karates and on the island most speak English.
Reply:I just did what you are about to do. i finished high school and took a year off to study martial arts in asia. i was 10 months in northern china studying traditional shaolin kung fu and 2 months doing muay thai. personally the martial arts i did in china was a waste of time. the school turned out to be a major Mcdojo teaching no effective stuff just forms. if iwere to go to china i would go to taiwan where there are excellent wing chun schools. i reccomend that. now in thailand i went to chiang mai and trained with Kruu Pedro Villalobos and i got to say the way he teaches muay thai is second to none if you go to thailand yo should check his school in chiang mai. His school is Muay Thai Sangka very practical for self defense. i recommend Japan especially the riot police place the answer above me suggested. Phillipines is good cause Escrima and Kali are excellent self defense arts. Id even try korea to check out hapkido. Russia for systema and sambo. It is all up tp you and what you decide hope i helped and good luck it is hard at first but the people you meet make the experience unforgettable.
Reply:I'd go to Japan to learn either Aikido a style to divert attackers energy to resolve a situation peacefully alhtough it takes a while to learn. Daito Ryu Aikidos parent art or Hapkido in Korea. These arts are all related as Hapkido came from Daito Ryu as well
Reply:You don't say what country you're from, but if it's the USA, please reconsider your career choice. We've already got way too many cops here and a "cop" mentality that's destroying the culture.


But living in another country for a while is a great experience. I've spent time in Japan and it's an awesome place. Good luck.
Reply:several people have mentioned Jiujitsu and I agree. It teaches hold/locks that could be useful in that line of work.