Kung Fu, Juijitsu, or TKD?

Question

Thinking of taking a martial arts. These three are what i've narrowed it down to. I'm looking for self-defense. I'm 5-7" and grew up a baseball athlete. I'm looking something that teaches discipline and patience along with the physical aspect. Grew up being picked on by bigger people. I want to be able to defend myself and my wife if need be. Any suggestions and comments are welcome. Serious answers only please.

Thinking of taking a martial arts. These three are what i've narrowed it down to. I'm looking for self-defense. I'm 5-7" and grew up a baseball athlete. I'm looking something that teaches discipline and patience along with the physical aspect. Grew up being picked on by bigger people. I want to be able to defend myself and my wife if need be. Any suggestions and comments are welcome. Serious answers only please. Also interested in weapon training.

Answer 1

I'm living & working in S. Korea now. I have studied both Kung Fu, TKD and Hapkido. I can't comment on Juijitsu. I would recommend Hapkido and the Kung Fu and then TKD. You mentioned that you want to learn self defense which all 3 can teach you but the Hapkido and Kung Fu will teach you more in terms of discipline, patience and inner confidence throughout TKD is good for a great workout and building stamina but the other two are more complete overall. I'm taking the Hapkido now and I really like my masters philosophy on the mind and body assimulated as one! I've found greater strength and balance both inwardly and outwardly than I have ever had before!!
Anyone that you pick should help you. All involve a great workout and you will develop confidence to be able to defend yourself. Goodluck with your choice and don't do it short term and expect quick results. Go into it for the long term and you will never regret it! I would suggest taking it with your wife. I study with my wife and it has allowed her to be more confident in not just self defense but in self awareness and life style.
My last comment is make sure you look around for a good school with friendly, qualified, instructors who will guide you properly. Look around and don't pick a school because it's close, inexpensive, or looks good. Shop around, sample a class or two at a few schools then make your decision.
Annyonghikasaeyo! Jo une haru dae sae yo! Some Korean to baffle you! Cheers!

Answer 2

Congrats on your desicion to study martial arts! I've studied martial arts for virtually my entire life (I was taught by my grandfather), and it's alway good to welcome someone new.

To answer your question, my suggestion would be to study Wing Chun, or Kickboxing. These are both very effective fighting styles, capable of good defenses, and offenses if need be.

Taekwondo enphasizes too much work on using the feet. So if you're backed into a corner, you might be in a lot of trouble.

Jujitsu is only really effective if you're taken to the ground, fighting just one opponent. So if there is more than one person, again you might be in trouble.

You might also want to consider learning how to box (regular boxing) as well. This will teach you very good footwork and parrying, which will successfully augment any martial art style.

Keep in mind that these are simply my opinions, and you shoud follow whatever you feel most comfortable with.

Hope this helps, and good luck to you, no matter what style you choose!

Answer 3

Take some trial lessons and see what one seems to fit you the best. The best one for all around fighting is going to be Ju Jitsu if its a good school. Tkd is a sport martial art, and I have yet to see other wise. I don't know much about kung fu, but as with anything else, I am sure if you find a good school you would like it.

Answer 4

i would take all of them for discipline and self defense because they all use different element. If your going ground combat where people are going to take you down and wrestle you go with jujitsu or judo because they use more balance and weight as force and its more grapling. So if you wanna get close to your opponent then go with the jujitsu. Kung fu is similiar to tkd but it emphasizes on weapon as a tool for combat. so unless your caring a weapond tkd would be the simpliar way of learing martial arts and im pretty sure theres a gym where they teach tkd nearby. Also if you need something to motivate tkd is the way to go becaue you get promoted as you do good. Tkd is more strictly the hand and the feet but it will teach you how to strike with force and different ways of blocking strikes. I took tkd and it was good discipline because not only does it teach you how to self defend but it teaches you to use the force for the good. Plus it was fun being able to spar in class and is a good way to imrove your self esteem.

Answer 5

Discipline and patience are somewhat contraindicators to "self defense".

I am 5' 6" and have never been picked on as an adult for any reason.

I have trained in Kenpo, TKD, BJJ, Boxing, Grappling, Judo.

Style isn't the issue. Even The immortal Bruce Lee was of the opinion that a person studying boxing for 6 months followed by wrestling for 6 months would be as good as many of the "masters" in any specific discpline using hand to hand combat.

I have never had to use any of my training in the real world; and I plan on keeping it that way. I am always courteous out in public and I always allow the other guy to win the argument. There are no winners in fights. Either you get hurt and possibly face jail time or you just get hurt.

I will refer you to:http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/martialarts.html

Be prepared to be ticked off if you are some traditionalist who follows a specific discipline.

Good luck

Answer 6

Honestly, when someone says they are training in Kung Fu, the assumption may be that they person just watches too many kung fu movies.

Answer 7

May I suggest you Kung Fu?
because i've literally seen a person getting punched up to balls with very good Jiujitsu knowledge in random street fight..
TKD is good but 70% is kicks, and too much focus on sports aspects these days.
Kung Fu should be more comprehensive if you ever find a good kung fu style and a good school.

Just my observations, Goodluck.

Answer 8

If you want to learn to defend yourself try Jujitsu or Kung Fu, or do both. Jujitsu will teach you good fighting techniques. Kung Fu will teach you good fighting techniques also but certain styles will teach you patience and good discipline. Do TKD if you plan on going to competitions and winning awards.

Answer 9

i would suggest wing chun kung fu .it has practical and yet simple applications.it is the martial art that bruce lee trained for most of his life it has no kicks above the waist as these can unbalance you it teaches you discipline and not to start a fight but to react to what your opponent does .it is also the only martial art founded by a woman and its main purpose is to defeat larger opponents no matter how big or strong it does this by teaching the impotance of internal energy

Answer 10

The Kung Fu students are going to tell you Kung Fu is better. The TKD guys students are going to tell you that TKD is better. The JuJitsu students will tell you that the other two suck.

Try all three. Choose the one you enjoy the most. If you don't like it, you won't practice no matter how good someone on the internet told you it was.

There are no bad styles, only bad teachers.