Martial arts for middle-aged man?

Question

I'm a 38 year old guy in a moderate shape physically " not really the fittest guy on the block but doing ok". As of lately , I was in a sitauation where a street thug threatened violence and somehow I got away unharmed. This got me conisdering martial arts ; the problem is that they're so many types.

So , which martial art would come in handy for a middle-aged professional if the need arises for a street fight ?. I don't need something that takes 10 years to learn and would look impressive on the olympic scale. Just something quick , easy and practical.

Answer 1

first of all let me say that it's good to hear that you survived the encounter without serious injury, or getting killed. and I'm also glad to hear that you are interested in studying Martial Arts, in the interest of learning self defense. but Martial Arts is more than just learning how to defend yourself or learn how to fight. but on to my "suggestion" to your question

it's a personal choice of which discipline YOU want to study there isn't a "best" Martial Art. Only YOU can Make the decision about which one is best for YOU and what you want to get out of studying Martial arts for your personal benefit.

The discipline you may wind up studying DOESN'T MATTER because there is NO discipline that is better than another, because they ALL have their strengths AND weaknesses

First of all, what YOU need to do is research local schools by looking in the phone book or internet search engine to find out if there ARE any Martial Arts schools in your area.

Second, if you can find at least 3 schools that interest you, watch a few classes at each one and decide which one out of those 3 schools that interested you the most.

Third, the next thing you should do is find out if they have some trial classes (up to a weeks worth to help you make a decision, hopefully without being hassled to join or sign a contract to join the class), and if you find that you like the school, then enroll in the class.

You just need to find a Martial Arts School that will provide a safe, "family like" environment for you and that the instructor(s) are going to help you become the best Martial Artist that you can become.

What matters is that you feel comfortable in the classes (and like the classes) and feel comfortable that the instructor (and the instructor's TEACHING style and not the discipline itself) can properly teach you self defense without the "smoke and mirrors" .

The instructor should also like to do it more for the teaching aspect rather than the "making money" which it is a business to make money after all; but it should not be the only reason for teaching the discipline.

What many people fail to realize about Martial Arts is that there isn't a particular "brand" that is a "best fit" for specific people.

There IS NOT a Martial Art that works for people with SPECIFIC body characteristics (height, weight, age, body type, gender, etc.)

Because the fact is that when people ask "what's a good Martial Art for me to learn?" or “what’s the “best” Martial Art to learn” has 2 major problems:

1st: these questions just beg for the majority of people here to start blurting out names of disciplines that are probably not even available in your area.

2nd: Just because they recommend a Martial Art that they may (or worse MAY NOT) have studied and it just happened to become THEIR favorite Martial Art because they’re interested in studying it or it worked for them doesn't mean that it's going to work for you or that you’ll find it interesting.

The biggest problem you should worry about in finding a school is being aware of schools that're a "McDojo's" or "belt factory" type of school.

These schools usually do a lot of boasting; particularly about how soon their students make their 1st degree black belts. A prime example of this: having several "young black belts" that're usually 9 or 10 yr old kids, which should be a rare thing to see unless the child started learning the discipline when they were 4 yrs old, or promising that as a student you’ll be making your black belt in about a year’s time (the average should be between 4 to 5 years or better) which often means that they have a high student turnout rate. This is a Red Flag

They may also try to get you to commit to (by signing) a contract, usually one that's 6 months long or more or try to get you to pay down a large sum of money for that kind of time period. This is a BIG red flag

And don’t be fooled by these schools telling you about how many tournaments or competitions their students have entered and placed in or won a trophy, which is NOT a necessity in Martial Arts. Tournaments/competitions can be good to test your own skills at point sparring but again, it’s not necessary because they are the LEAST important aspect to concern yourself with in Martial Arts.

Long story short, these schools will basically "give" you your belt ranks every few months as long as you are paying the outrageous fees per month, and you won't really learn self defense.

Answer 2

Please let me reiterate what several of the respondents have also stated in that I'm sorry you had to encounter that situation, and I'm thankful that you were able to get away.

Martial arts are a blast. They DO require a modicum of physical fitness, but a decent martial arts school will tailor your experience to get you into whatever shape you have to be in.

Everybody's different. Martial arts are different. Even the "Killer/UFC/MMA/Three second Ninja-fu-Do" disciplines require some investment in time and discipline.

Research the different styles available.

A really comprehensive website is: www.tkdtutor.com

*They objectively discuss pretty much EVERY martial art known to man (no exaggeration).

Once you've made your choices, check out some local schools.
*See if you like their format/teaching style

*Try out the school for about a month to see if it's a good fit for you.

I am a 48 year old, balding public school teacher. I'm in pretty decent shape. Please believe me that it's NEVER too late to pick up a martial art.

Best wishes and good luck!

Answer 3

Do not seek a style, seek a good school.
Look for a friendly clean place to work out.
Never pay for rank testing.
Never sign a contract.
Go to all the schools in your area. Observe, ask questions.
Ask to watch their applications and sparring.

Just to dispel a belief I fell you may have, there is not course or graduation in martial arts. It is a lifelong process. It is like boiling water, if left alone it cools.

Criminals practice being criminals all the time while victims only get to do simulated training. You must train hard and often.Criminals look for easy targets, they use advantages. Do not be an easy target. Use your mind. Beware of your enviroment.

Answer 4

They are older than you think. With age your bones will get weak and hollow and your spine will bend. We cant last forever, we all have to detorate and make an exit sometime. Even machines dont last forever, nothing does. The chinese are very strong, they look liket middle age, but they will be 70 or 80 yrs old. You neck too will get weak and your head will be stoping forward. These are all age related which none of us can escape, every one who is luckly enough to live that long will understand it.They should be admired for still getting by and they are still on their feet not bedridden.

Answer 5

Sure you can start at that age, look at Randy Couture. He started later in life and was a champ. I don't suggest Martial Arts for street fighting, but if I had to choose a style, I would go with Muy Thai.

Answer 6

I started at age 44 so you still have time. For middle aged people striking arts are generally better because grappling means falling down a lot & that tends to hurt a lot. I teach & study Tae Kwon Do & can recommend it highly. I've been in it 15 years now & am a 3rd degree black belt. Make sude that you find an instructor with whom you are comfortable & get going.

Answer 7

Sorry to hear about your incident bro. I would advise Muy Thai to you. It teaches you how to box as well as use of your shins, elbows, knees, and head. I practice it and find it very useful and effective. Another art to consider would be some type of grappling. I am just getting into grappling and am fooling around with a little brazilian juijitzu(sp). Good luck.

Answer 8

i dont think that muay thai is best for you. it takes a while to learn and is extremely physically intensive. you will only really be at the age where you can use it for five to ten years, after that it will be useless. brazillian jujitsu would be great for you, as well as any other groundfighting arts, as almost all fights go to the ground. another great one for you would be aikido, which uses a lot of fine-muscle movement to gain leverage. it is very effective and will serve you well for a long time.

Answer 9

dont worry, I know a lot of middle aged people older than u that are either in or not in shape that take kung fu grappling, pressure points, takedowns, and joint locks, u should include the city u live in cuz the best schools r the big organizations. u should take kung fu, aikido, judo, muay thai except aikido and judo are empty handed while kung fu can teach to fight with a cane or stick or daggers, knives, and swords or spears. I wouldnt recommend something doing with olympics like taekwondo because its more of a sport than street fighting.

Answer 10

any art is good you are about the age i was when i started.i was never so sore in all my life and the pain from stretching was awful.i lived through it and i`m in better shape now at 48 than i have ever been.go for it and stick in there and do not give up.tko