A question of styles...Please do not answer if you do not really know what you are talking about.?

Question

I want to take up martial arts, and am debating between styles. I was thinking ninjitsu, ju-jitsu, or also possibly Kung Fu. There is a place nearby that teaches Shaolin Styles of kung fu, but it is highly expensive and I hear that these are the absolute hardest styes to learn. What would be a good 1st style? I am 20 years old and I have been weight lifting for about a year.

Answer 1

Research the arts them selfs online see what type of art they are... Grappling, striking etc... Do you want to compete in tournaments that are full contact or just kata displays...

I have over 12 yers of raining in Judo. I highly recomend Judo first than Jujitsu, wrestling and after that Muay Thai.
Judo is actually created from Jujitsu by a Jujitsu black belt. It has all of the same submissions but he added throwing and take down techniques.

Any school should let you attend a fe sessions to see if you like it before paying or signing anything. Right now they are charging so much because of the hype around UFC over the last couple years. Make sure they are open 5 to 7 days a week for you to go in. Alot that teach multiple arts only let you go on the designated days for that particular style. So you pay $50-$100 a month to work out 2 days a week for an hour. Stick with a dojo that teaches on style. Otherwise you can also run into a sensei who is a black belt in Karate and only a yellow belt in Judo trying to teach both arts.
Striking arts don't realy favour stronger bulkier guys. Where as Judo and Jujitsu are suited for guys with strong upper bodies and legs. Judo especially.
What ever you decide good luck and have fun

Answer 2

There's some good answers here and some not so good ones.

First off, while Ninjitsu sounds great and all there really isn't any credible teachers of it. The art itself is now a watered down version and aside from a very few quality schools that teach you a hybrid martial art that is now called Ninjitsu those very schools are few and far between, and the things they show you aren't truly viable as you never get a chance to really do them to anyone at full speed, full force and in an adrenaline based situation.

Keep in mind there is a big difference between Jiujitsu (classic Japanese) and BJJ (Brazilian JuJitsu). Some people always assume people mean BJJ when they ask about Jiujitsu.

Classical Jiujitsu is actually a hard style, with strikes, weapon forms and defenses, throws, chokes and joint manipulations.

Judo comes from Jiujitsu, it however removed weapons and strikes (though there are strikes in Kodokan Judo just not focused on or taught) and concentrated on the throwing and matwork. The idea was to develop an art that could be practiced at full speed to gain the most benefit.

Kung Fu is great for what it is. It however takes years to truly master to be effective, but as far as physical fitness, centering yourself and the like it is great. It is a beautiful art. Shaolin styles of Kung Fu (or schools claiming to be such) make sure you have them show you true lineage. Many places claiming to be Shaolin have little to do with True Shaolin styles, but are a cross breed of Kung Fu that people call Shaolin, or call themselves Shaolin so they can jack up their prices.

Best thing is to check places near you, find some place you gel with, and that isn't trying to rip you off. There are a ton of threads on here to tell you what to look for.

I tried to stick to just the 3 you asked about, I hope that was helpful. Some other styles you may want to look into as far as effectiveness and availability are

Judo
Kickboxing
Boxing
Karate (Kempo particularly)
(even TKD as a good foundation)

Generally you can find a school in any of those pretty much anywhere. Some other great arts but less availability

Krav maga
Muay Thai
Brazilian JiuJitsu (Or even a No Gi Submission wrestling place)
Aikido (more as a foundation)
JiuJitsu

Harder to find good schools of that, but as they are all gaining in popularity schools are becoming more prevalent. Aikido and Jiujitsu are both fairly old styles and sometimes it is pretty easy to find a decent school.

Well hope that all helps you. Good luck with your search for finding and art and school that fits you.

Answer 3

Well I’m an asst. instructor for a kung-fu class and a student of 8 years. Although I'm partial to Kung-Fu (Shang WuShu style) really any form of martial arts can be a benefit. When I started out I did 2 years of Tai-Chi which is less involved in the (*** kicking aspect) but more into the bodies own energy and how to use and control it. Like I said any style is not only good for your body, but also in learning respect, and discipline, also is a great confidence booster. I have also taken Ninjutsu (ninja training) Judo(throwing), Hapkido, and spent 20 days in Brazil studying Capoeira (like Eddy Gordo in the Tekken game) which is harder then I ever thought. And most recently I’m studying Dim Mak which deals with pressure points. You really can’t go wrong with any of them you just have to find a style that fits you and your life style and what you want to get out of it. If you’re looking to learn how to just beat people up then don’t waste your time or any instructor’s time that’s NOT what martial arts is for. Just go in with an open mind and a jar of Icy hot or cool heat LOL. I also did a lot of weapons training , and love collecting swords, and other weapons used in the arts. Just remember that it’s NOT something you’ll learn over night its takes sometimes years and a lot of practice and willingness. You’re still young start ASAP, you won’t regret it.

Answer 4

Depends on what you like....

Ninjitsu-lethal ninja fighting skills, very few competitions, fighting is based on lethal attacks, very hard to find good nin jitsu schools.

Jiu Jitsu- submission based wrestling. take Jiu Jitsu if you are interested in effective self defense, competitions.

Kung Fu- I would say Kung Fu is not very viable with the amount of chain schools that do not have good expertise.

Shaolin- I have very little knowledge in this area but I do know that there are many many types of shaolin fighting styles, so go to the school and ask what they concentrate on, and what their principles are.




Remember this: Talk to the instructors about what they help you accomplish, what you want to accomplish, and choose what fits you best. Some of the schools concentrate of turning out champion martial artists, some on fitness, some on spiritual. Make sure you know what you are getting into and what you want to get into.

MY SUGGESTION: Jiu Jitsu-It is easy to pick up, but very hard to master. Jiu Jitsu has probably the most practical self defense application and involves many competitions. Usually, good schools will offer special instruction by traveling masters of Jiu Jitsu (gracies, etc), which there is no shortage of.

Answer 5

My recommendation is to visit each of these schools to see what you think. Before you go, learn a bit about each of these styles to understand some about each of these. Each person must determine for themselves which style is most effective, based on their goals. Are you interested in philosophy, confidence, physical fitness, or just fighting? Each of these will lead you to different styles or schools.

Don't try to base your decision on which style is toughest. Martial Arts are called disciplines for a reason. All styles require dedication, hard work, and lots and lots of practice.

If you are just trying to learn more about the styles, I recommend visiting Wikipedia for some background info, or visiting other websites.

Also remember, the decision you make isn't a final one. You may decide to begin practice in another style later. I myself am a 4th Dan in Taekwondo. However, I have always been interested in other styles, so I balanced out my up top fighting with some judo and jujutsu to learn groundwork, which I have been doing for about 8 years now. I also wanted to learn some soft style M/A, so last June I began taking Aikido. The downside is that I have no personal life, since I train about 30-35 hours a week. The upside is that I can constantly improve my Martial abilities, and am now a well rounded Martial Artist, not locked into one style.

Answer 6

I think that if you really want to find out about martial arts you should start off with karate. Most Karate studios teach a variety of styles. Judo, Akido, Karate and Ti Qkon Do. Just start off in something that is extremely hard and difficult even for people that have been practicing martial arts for years.

Answer 7

kung fu is usually pretty well rounded, worth the money ifits shaolin style, ninjutsu is hardto finda real goodteacher, but very worth learning, jui-jitsu is mainly a lot of wrestling, rolling, locks, throws, bone breaking, it can help, its considered one of the soft arts, but its on the hard side and can easily be deadly if turned up a few notches, look at steven segal he is a master of aikido, aikido is another one that wouldn't be bad to learn it was birthed from jiu-jitsu

from your choices i would take the kung fu, or ninjitsu. just be sure you're not gettin a watered down american version of these fine arts

Answer 8

This a good question, and it's a challenge to answer it. Now there certain things to consider when shopping for a martial art. One, is your body structure; two, what is your reason for wanting to do martial arts? Is it for self defense or you wanna be a bully? Your answers will determine what kind of martial arts will be okay for you. Personally if am in your position I will take up Jujitsu, Whether Brazilian or the traditional styles. It will give you good grounding and since you said you've been weight lifting for a year, it may help you loosen up a bit. I did Judo for 10 years before going into Taekwondo. Now am thinking of something new. Judo gave me basis in groundwork, throws, chokes and submission techniques; and Taekwondo burnished my kicks and punches. I am thinking of something new too, and may take up Aikido or Jujitsu. I hope I do answer your question.

Answer 9

Bruce Lee who was arguably the greatest martial artist got his start in wing chun kung fu. It is a Shaolin style. There are many wing chun websites. I'd suggest you search Wikipedia for wing chun. They have a lot of links. Wing chun is not very complex for a kung fu so it is quick learn.

Answer 10

Try any martial art ,but whatever you choose to try , DO NOT sign a long term contract . If you change your mind later you are screwed . Most schools will offer a month to month payment plan , so if you want to try another style you don't have to pay a school that you don't like for the rest of a contract .