What would be the best guidelines to choose a martial art?

Question

I have made some basic research about martial arts, I know I am more interested in Japanese martial arts, although I try to keep an open mind.
I am mainly interested in acquiring: a good discipline/ character, self-defense skills and "young-forever" fitness that a martial art can offer. My main limitation is: lower back pain.

How do I choose a martial art /or school that gives me what I am looking for and at the same time I can feel confident it will not destroy my lower back (or other bones). :-)

Thank you.
I appreciate your answers.

I am glad I've gotten such a great answers so far. In addition I want to mention that where I live I can choose from the more common styles of martial arts in North America like Karate (Karate Do & Shotokan), Judo and Tae Kwon Do. Also Kung-Fu, Ki Aikido & Akikai (Aikido) and likely Tai Chi. So far, I have made deeper research on Aikido because it is gentler (although not less effective of course) and seems that my physical condition may suit in this specific art.

Thank you all for your opinions.

Answer 1

Most Japanese Martial arts, done RIGHT, will accomplish most or all of your goals. To figure out whether they will be done right, you have to talk to the instructor.

I wasted three years in a Karate dojo, where the instructor had an agenda, and that was to develop semi-pro kick boxers. Ultimately, as it became obvious that I wasn't going to be a kick boxer, the instructor promoted me to black belt and had me teach the defensive techniques, so that he could concentrate on his fighters. Looking back, I think that the only thing I learned was how to learn Karate.

I was lucky. My next school concentrated on self defense, and traditional teaching, and developing the students along the lines you mentioned. But I didn't even go in for their free intruductory class until I had talked with the instructor about what his priorities were. I have remained in the school for 15 years.

Send a side message and tell me where you live. Our national organization may have a school near you.

Answer 2

First off, let me say that I have a bad lower back and from time to time experience mild to severe pain in my lower back. I have found that ensuring correct posture, alternating between a chair and pilates ball (to sit on) at work, and stretching/excercise have reduced the level of pain and frequency. I can not say that this will be the case with you, but, I think it is reasonable to assume that becoming limber will help your back.
I just saw the previous post regarding back injuries...I agree you should see a doctor/chiropractor if you havent (should be understood). Depending upon the injury (mine is a slipped disk) the aikido may suit you well. Hapkido (Korean and from aikijujitsu) envolves as much falling as Aikido however I have only once run into a problem. The result was to simply not do that excercise.
I am in Aikido and Hapkido while I also have experience in Kempo and Karate. Almost any good dojo/dojang will provide you with the items you have listed and help in reversing/slowing the aging process (I am 37 and my wife is 34 -- her arthritis inflamation has reduced significantly since starting over a year ago).
What to look for in a school:
1) Are the students stretching and excercising for about 15 min at the start of class?
2) Is the instructor teaching or running to answer the phone during class?
3) Is the cost reasonable? (I paid $125 at a top school in NYC and now pay $75 at a school in Vegas that is a great dojo)
4) Are there hidden fees? Paying for a belt test, registration fees? I paid registration fees to cover the uniform (gi etc). Belt test fees are ok if reasonable --- $50 or so.
5) Are there a lot of ranks? Should be no more than 10 ranks max. My Hapkido and Aikido is 6 ranks and in Aikido everyone wears white belts except our sensei.
6) How often can you practice? 3 or 4 hours a week is simply not enough. A good school should allow for 6 to 12 hours min per week. This would allow you to learn and workout at a reasonable level each week. A school open to you for 3 to 4 hours per week is not a good sign unless it is a new instructor. And, if open only 3 to 4 hours a week consider that the price should be lower.
7) Personal attention. You should be able to get a senior student or one of the instructors to help you before or after class. This "private lesson" at mcdojo's is simply a load of crap as it only provides a short time that the instructor should already be doing if you ask.
8) Does the class spar? They should spar w/o a huge amount of gear. Head/mouth gear plus hand gear is acceptable, but pads around the chest and legs? This indicates the instructor might not be teaching control and when a student gets into a real fight might not be able to handle a real hit or really hitting someone.
9) Is the class taught in the language? Counting, moves, culture (bow etc)? Dumbing it down to Americanize eastern martial arts is just wrong. Something is lost in the translation.

Hope some of these help. Using this criteria you should be able to limit a lot of schools. If you are in NYC or Vegas let me know...

Answer 3

I don't know if this has already been said because I'm kinda in a hurry right now, but I saw the question and thought I'd answer. I used to take a martial art called Choung Nhu. It explored many styles from Japanese to Chinese. One thing that I've learned is that Japanese styles tend to be direct and, I guess you could say, "strait". Simple, but effective motions. Chinese martial arts are more fluid and almost more "dance-like" depending on the art. Kung-Fu based styles will be based on animal observations. Don't do Aikido though if you have a bad back, because there's rolling involved--Front Rolls, Back Rolls, "Whip-its", and certainly not Judo, because of all the bending. Tai-Chi sounds best for your situation, and it's all about concentraition and focus, and honestly looks the coolest when done correctly. Discipline and character will come from any martial art with a good Sensei.

Answer 4

The main guideline in choosing a martial art should be practicality and effectiveness in a real street fight.

If you're just looking to get into shape, join a gym and get a personal trainer.

Tae Kwon Do and Karate and all other 500 year-old martial arts are not very practical and realistic when it comes to today's street fights. Sorry, but a jumping, spinning kick to the head will not work. What you need is realistic training that's up-to-date.

Using Karate or Judo in a street fight today would be like using muskets and cannons in WW3. There are better options out there.

The US military, mainly the SEALs use a very progressive form of Jeet Kune Do. A street fighting-based martial art that's designed to take out an opponent very quickly without all the nonsense that modern-day martial arts contain. No stances, no yelling, no silly uniforms and no belts. You train in your street clothes, with shoes, because if you were to get into a fight today, that's what you'd be wearing.

Look into Jeet Kune Do or Krav Maga. Both arts are very practical and aren't full of nonsense that just wastes time and money.

Answer 5

With your lower back pain, I think your first priority should be to consult either a sports medicine doctor or a physio therapist to diagnose the problem. If (and only if) they are familiar with the martial arts as well, they also would be the ideal people to ask for advice on your question.

For what it's worth: you probably want to stay away from arts that involve a lot of jumping, throwing or falling. You definitely want to avoid capoiera, modern wushu and Korean arts that emphasize aerial kicking. You should also reconsider your thoughts on aikido. Falling repeatedly, even on mats, can be very hard on your back. So judo and jujutsu are probably not good ideas either.

Traditional Japanese karate and some forms of kung fu likely pose the least risk of further aggrevating your back. The Korean arts might be acceptable, so long as your teacher understands your injury.

Having said that, if you are still young and your injury not serious, you may be able to handle any of the above by simply toughening up your back and ab muscles. Again, consult your doctor.

Lastly, a caveat with respect to Chinese internal arts like tai chi, ba qua, and yi quan: they may look gentle, but looks can be deceiving. Attacks by accomplished practioners of these arts go right for the spine, even if what they are actually striking is your head or even an arm or a leg. This may be hard to believe, but my statement comes from personal experience.

So while I highly recommend these arts as they also have healing properties that can do a great deal of good for your back, find a teacher who knows what he is doing. He should also be able to appreciate how your tolerance for high impact is lower than that of other people.

Good luck, and do be careful.

Answer 6

Every style has strengths and weaknesses, but it sounds like for what you're looking for, you could choose almost any martial art you want to. I would avoid some of the grappling arts given your lower back pain. Wushu (the style I practice) involves a lot of aerial techniques and twists and turns, so I'm not sure that would be good either.

Basically what you want to do when looking for a school (once you choose a style) is watch a few classes and see how constructive the environment is. What's the instructor to student ratio? Are the facilities sufficient? Is there a pro shop on site? What are the credentials of the other instructors? Basically for me the "turn and run principle" was when a school "guaranteed" me a black belt withing x years. That to me indicates a school open for the wrong reasons, which is a bad way to learn that discipline/character thing you're going for.

I would suggest good ol' Karate or Shotokan for you given your back pain and what you're looking for in an art. Good solid styles and probably a huge variety of schools you can choose from. Good luck!

Answer 7

Martial Arts have been around since there was a need for conflict resolution. The study of conflict and how to gain the best advantage from conflict are the basic building blocks of Martial Arts.

There are several schools of martial arts, each with it's own flavor and character. Some examples;

Karate
This martial art was originally designed for unarmed peasants to take on fully armoured soldiers. Strikes are linear and extremely strong, as practicioners were not expected to get a second hit.

Judo
Literally translated as the soft way, Judo is best known for it's throws and joint locks. Originally based on Ju Jitsu, Judo is now an Olympic Sport.

Aikido
Inspired by Samurai in Japan as the combat art of last resort after being disarmed. This art promotes harmony between you and your opponent, and almost all moves are reactions to attack.

Boxing
In it's many forms, boxing is probably the most universal martial art. Many cultures consider fighting on the ground to be uncivilised, so boxing emphasizes punching.

Capoera
Masked as a dance, Capoera was a martial art taught between slaves in Brazil. Because the hands were almost always shackled, Capoera uses wide sweeping kicks and handstands.

Ninjitsu
A martial art mostly praticed by Americans.


There are many other forms of martial arts.

Answer 8

I don't know as there would be any "best" guidelines. I would suggest Tai Chi or Aikido in that situation myself. Both will offer excellent discipline. Overall I think Aikido would offer a little more self-defense, while Tai Chi might actually help your back pain and your health more. Daily exercise is important no matter how you get it. You may want to study multiple martial arts to gain maximum learning, since they all have something to teach. Yoga might also be an option as a second exercise routine to your main martial art and could possibly help you in many of the same ways that Tai Chi could.

Also, most martial arts have a soft style and a hard style. The softer styles tend to focus on self-defense, exercise, discipline, and health. The hard styles tend to focus more on combat effectiveness and showing off, but the health benefits tend to be a little less as you train for combat rather than a normal life.

Hope it helps! Good Luck in your search!

Answer 9

I trained in and taught martial arts for about 25 years. With the back pain, the Japanese styles are probably best. I did Tang Soo Do, which is kind of like Korean Karate. The back pain is what has taken me out of the picture. But, everyone's body is different. The martial art that you decide on may help control the pain. It could be a lack of flexibility or muscles that need to be strengthened. You will just have to see.
Remember, the style is not the most important thing. It's the instructor. You want to find an instructor that you "click" with. Know what I mean? Find someone that you trust and that has a good report with his students, but one that his/her students respect as well. You want to be comfortable with him/her. As for the other things you are looking for, look for a "traditional" school. There should be lots of discipline in the classes. The students shouldn't just be wandering around the class and so forth. Look for a school with lots of spirit. There should be an energy or excitement in the air during the class. That is a good sign. Without knowing where you are and the styles offered in your area, it is hard to recommend one. I hope this helps. Please feel free to email me with any questions. Good luck.

Answer 10

The main Japanese arts are...
- Karate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate
- Aikiod
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido
- Judo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo
- JuJitsu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jujitsu
- Kendo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo

If you have back troubles then I would suggest staying away from any art that involves ground work (Jujitsu) or throws (Aikido, Judo).
Kendo is an old art that is basicly sword fighting but it sounds like you're looking for a hands on art.
That leads us to Karate. Karate has basic stances that help to strengthen the upper legs and (some) of the lower back. Posture and deep stances will be good for you. There is some kicking but mostly blocking/avoiding and punching. I have trained people in their 70's and kids that are 5. I train with overweight, skinny, tall, short, slow, passive, agressive, etc.
Go and find a Dojo and watch some classes. Talk to the instructor about your back.
Have Fun.

P.S. You may look into Tai-Chi also

Answer 11

Good question, you seem to be focused on what you are Looking for an art in terms of practical stuff. Of all the "Kung Fu" type arts Jeet Kun do is an MMA and kind of cool. Muay Thai is a blast and I don't know about the Philly area (never been) but up here in the Northeast most Muay Thai Schools also offer BJJ as well, so you get stand up and ground game. MT schools are great, they'll have you fighting from class 1 on I personally have not run into schools that teach the above arts (BJJ and Muay Thai) and weapons. It may be different in Philly, there is a military form of Muay Thai where they teach weapons as well, the name escapes me but it is out there. I teach Krav Maga, not the branch from Los Angeles (which is good), but as a former IDF soldier, from the IDF School, where weapons and armed opponents are a way of life, in Krav Maga we steal from others as it fits our system, a good art always evolves with the times. I am a student of Combat Sambo (Russian), another art where we steal pieces of other arts from all over the world and incorporate the ones that work for us. In any art or system you choose the important thing is that it fit you, that you can practice it for years and enjoy it. You are tall and thin, so you will use moves that may not work for me at 5'6". Whatever you do, make sure that you work in a comfort zone for you, this should be a zone that creates discomfort for your opponent. I do enjoy playing with the MT guys when possible, and some of the things I do in Combat SAMBO ( Three branches of Sambo (Sport SAMBO, SAMBO and Combat SAMBO) are not exactly legal in BJJ I am happy to play with Muay Thai guys, they have great striking and kicking. MT is "The science of 8 limbs". I am versed in Combat arts which are about survival, not points, weapons work commences from day 1.Of the sport arts I can't praise MT and the MT Krus' I have met enough, they develop fluency in the use of striking very well. The conditioning you receive will depend on you level of condition and how much more you can develop. A good Kru knows how to push your limits. From what I have seen of the BJJ and MT schools, they will give you speed and power, they are excellent for physical conditioning, speed and power. In Krav Maga we also do an extensive amount of conditioning work for speed and power. You sound like a young man, and ready to have some fun and learn a skill, if you were in Boston area I would recommend some weapons seminars, MT and BJJ training, just doing the no gi BJJ is a great workout, my friend teaches 3 hour classes, first half is technique, second half is grappling pure and simple. Sometimes, if the resources are unavailable, mix and match, take seminars in weapons disarmament, study Muay Thai, BJJ and some wrestling, with your long limbs and a little more strength you could have one hell of a ground game. In Philly you also have Temple University, an NCAA D1 wrestling school, find out where those guys go off season to continue practicing and conditioning. The resources are limited by your location (which in your case is good, a major city) and your imagination. The whole point is to pick your direction and follow through, try a few schools, see which one fits you. If the instructors won't let you watch and take classes for free, I would be wary. It's just like with shoes, try a few pair on, see which ones fit you best and go for it.