I want to get fit and learn a form of matial art?

Question

as a beginner (and not a very fit one) I want to get fit and learn a form of matial art but which one ... i did judo as a kid but now im 6'2" and 36 yrs old and not very fit right now. i cant stand the gym its so boring i'd rather learn something ..... so which one guys'n'gals? (i also want to enchorage my 7yr old daughter to join me)

Answer 1

Well all you can do is research the schools that're local to you, and they'll start you out as a beginner if you let them know about it.

since you haven't trained in Martial Arts since you were young, then they'll prob'ly start you all over as a beginner. especially if it's a different discipline.

choosing a Martial Art is about personal choice. What is it that YOU want to get out of studying Martial Arts for YOUR OWN PERSONAL BENEFIT? or your child's personal benefit?

more confidence, fitness, sport, a hobby, self defense, perhaps it's for personal enrichment (ie becoming a better person through learning discipline and respect) or enlightenment?

again each person who studies Martial Art has to figure out for themselves what they want out of the discipline they choose, no one can tell them which discipline will work for them.

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

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

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: the majority of people here that post answers will start blurting out names of disciplines that are probably not even available in your area. there're only a handful that will tell you that will answer the way I am now.

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 as interesting as they did.

to find the Martial Art that will "best" suit you is to research the local Martial Arts schools in your area. if you can find at least 3 schools that interest you, then sit in on a few of the classes (with your daughter of course) and watch them at each school and decide which one out of those 3 schools that interested you both the most.

the next thing to 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, friendly, "family like" environment for you and your daughter and you can be assured 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", as well as teach it with a practical sense.

the real problem is finding a school that IS NOT a "McDojo's" or "belt factory" school, because these schools will basically "give" you a belt rank as long as your paying their monthly fees or contracts which are usually pretty outrageous.

these are a few tips on how to avoid these kinds of schools:

These schools usually do a lot of boasting; particularly about how soon their students make their 1st degree black belts, 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

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 (some schools don't allow children as young as 4yrs old to participate due to insurance concerns)

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

Also, 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.

good luck in find ing a good school for you and your daughter.

Answer 2

Tae Kwon Do is excellent from a workout perspective, but if part of your aim is to learn a solid self defense method as well, TKD is useless. (Too much high kicking and off-balance attacks--even the Koreans will admit that it's more of a sport than a fighting style.)

The best fighting arts usually tell you to do things that would be considered "dirty" in a street fight, such as eye gouges and groin kicks, but these require little conditioning. There are some excellent Gong Fu (Kung Fu) styles out there that focus on conditioning, but be warned, unless you are really interested in learning martial arts, some of these conditioning techniques can be a bit boring.

The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to watch a whole class at a variety of schools near your home/place of business. This way, you know what you are getting into, and it is convenient enough that you don't skip a day because once you skip one, its easier and easier to skip, and before long you're paying for something your not even using.

Answer 3

As it was mentioned earlier, be aware of what you are entering to. I fell victim to the belt factory type school that wanted a 3-year contract. You basically could have bought a good used car with the amount I spent. They were asking near $6,000 for 3 years. It was financed, just like a car. Luckily, I was able to get out of the contract. I saw kids, as well as adults, with poor skills and discipine that wore high ranking belts. As long as you paid, you ranked. If you're looking for a good workout, Tae Kwon Do is a good choice. It seems to be the most popular. They are almost in every town. Try to find one that you will enjoy. Many people stray from the militant type dojos because they are too serious. I like to go into the dojo smiling, train hard, and leave smiling.

Personally, I like Jiu-Jitsu. I've always love the grappling portion of martial arts. That's strictly my choice. Just check out the schools in the area, try a few out, and make your choice. Good luck and have fun.

Answer 4

Do a search of martial arts classes in your area , either on the web , phone book , or walking down the street.

try some free intro lessons to decide what is best for you.

No particular martial art is better in general , but you will find one that suits you best. It all depends on what you have in your area.

4th dan black belt Tae Kwon Do

Tae Kwon Do is an excellent self defence , and anytime you learn striking you are also learning to defend yourself.

The guy below me has no idea , I teach kicking from the ankle to the head.

Answer 5

It is all dependent on the environment you are fighting in. More often than not it will be in convined place, so I would go for a compact martial art coupled with some ground work, as 8/10 fights will go to the floor anyway. Muay Boran is properly the best martial art to deal with this.

Answer 6

I started Tae Kwon Do at the age of 44 with my 7 yr old son. He lost interest after brown belt. I'm still going strong as a 3rd degree Black Belt about to turn 59. I really enjoyed doing it with my sons. I recommend it highly.

Answer 7

There are many martial arts that will give you a challenging workout . Speak to the instructors of different schools in your area , that will help you more in your choice then anything you learn on this forum .

Answer 8

you need to decide what the most important factor for joining is?if it's so your daughter then you need to find a ma that is suitable for her as well as you.you also have to find one that is going to be convenient and financially viable.my suggestion would be freestyle karate if theres one available.beware of the big yellow arches of tkd or McDOJOS (as it's almost as well known as.)
PS.also remember every tkd mcdojo or practioner will tell you no the one i do's not like the others or no my instructer's not like the others he knows what he's doing or no i teach differently than all the other tkd ppl.

Answer 9

You should definitely join me and countless thousands in the Shito Ryu style. More Info at http://www.shitoryu.org/. LOL but really its up to you, have a look around try some free classes. And once you get there make sure you are really serious.

Answer 10

what about the orthodox Chen Taiji? It's pushing hands is very interesting and works well on controlling your opponent.Please visit my web: www.chinataijitour.com