Should I sign up for karate or dance lessons?

Question

I'm a hyper person by nature, & I really need to get myself involved in some kind of physical activity to get out some of this energy.
I've been thinking of taking dance lessons, but recently I started considering karate. Does anyone have any info on these activities, or related ones? Pros & cons, prerequisite abilities, etc.

I don't have time for both, so I can only really pick one.
Thanks!

Very good advice so far...
To SmartAleck- yes it is true that yoga is good for ADHD. I have taken classes for yoga before & I find that I am more comfortable doing this type of activity at home, usually in the morning. I have been practicing yoga for a few years now. Thank you, your answer has been the most informative so far.

If this helps in advising me....
I am a 32, married, & a mom. I have to allow time for my family as well, so one activity will be all I can do outside of the home.

Answer 1

this year i celebrate 27 years in the martial arts .i have many black belts but my first was in tae kwon do . tkd is my favorite because it was my first style and my instructor encouraged me to learn as many styles as i could to be a well rounded black belt. in our style the definition of a black belt is one who has conquered his fears. that doesnt mean we dont have fear rather that we can control it it does not control us. i truley feel that without the martial arts i would not be who i am today. i live my life to the fullest without fear . all my kids are martial artists and are top competitors. in the last two years they have brought home 17 state titles 1 national champion and 1 national runners up . as good as they are in tkd they excell i all other sports. my daughter who is the national champ plays on the boys 8th grade all star team as a starter . my youngest boy is a champion wrestler, baseball allstar weapons champion and is now on the swin team in his first year. my oldest boy who finished 2nd in the nation is working out like a madman hoping to get a shot on the us olympic tkd team and he is adhd. i am not saying all of this to boast even though i am very proud of them but to say that martial arts has given them the ability to focus and the discipline to achieve what ever goals they set for themselves ,and all of them are on the honor roll. martial arts can be a great family event . i won my share of tournaments in my day and even though i am retired from competition now i am more proud of what they have achieved than anything i ever accomplished. my children and i have met many great practitioners famous and not so famous over the years and these people have been great role models for them . i feel everyone should train in the martial arts. i have instructed students from 4 years old to 68 so its never to late or to early to start . just make sure you do your homework on the school and its instructors you are interested in learning from. most schools will let you take a couple of classes free to see if you like it before you sign up . make sure you are comfortable with the class and there style of instruction. i am not here to push tkd we have had our fair share of fakes and crooks. you have to know your physical limits. tkd ( korean art) is mainly kicking. in fact at a lot of olympic style tkd tournaments fighters are called athletes now and kicking is highly stressed for scoring. traditional karate (japanese art) is hand strikes and typically low kicks aiming for the groin and legs . kung fu is a chinese art which is very fluid it works alot in circular movements. you also have brazillian jujitsu which teaches you ground fighting skills which is very effective. i dont want to confuse you but in todays day in age you have alot of very effective arts out there and everyone who takes a certain art will tell you that thiers is the best. the truth is we can always learn from each other . like i always say after 27 years i am still learning and loving it. you just have to find the style that suits you best and you may have to got to three or four or more schools till you find the right one so dont get discouraged because in the end it will all be worth it .

ps get the whole family right there with you it will be a great family adventure .peace

Answer 2

I have relatives that are into the hole dance since and even compete. If you want to learn how to dance you'll go to a dance studio but on the other hand, if you want to learn how defend yourself you'll need to go to a Karate school.

I can talk your ear off about Karate, all the pros and cons etc. but I'll keep it short and simple. If you'd like to learn some Karate go to youtube.com and watch some Kenpo demos by, Larry Tatum, Jeff Speakman, Frank Soto and Ed Parker just to name a few.
If you enjoy it (I know you will) look for a School within your driving distance and go watch a few class and ask some questions.

Kenpo is an awesome self defense Art with truly devastating techniques. I have been learning & teaching the Art of Kenpo Karate for just over 10 years now.
I have studied other Arts over the years but nothing like this.

Good luck.

Answer 3

i would pick Karate, if that is your second option. 1) you will be learning a useful skill (dancing is nice, but is not likely to save your butt if you get mugged), 2) Karate will also teach you discipline and relaxation/focus techniques - if you are a hyper person, you will benefit from both, 3) there is no pre-requisite for Karate classes, whereas certain types of dance will require that you have had previous experience in other forms of dance (i.e. if you want to take a jazz class, they will probably require that you have had some ballet and/or tap experience).

i would also like to recommend an activity like yoga. it is a non-violent martial art that teaches focus and relaxation. it will enable you to focus your energies and use it for your own benefit, and some yoga poses are recommended for kids with ADD & ADHD to re-balance their systems.

Answer 4

I would advise taking a martial arts class first. Get into a class that teaches beginning kung fu or kenpo. They are both great for beginners and will teach you discipline and get rid of some of your energy every day.
Karate is a term meaning 'open hands'. It is a general skill set, but there are hundreds of different types. Kung fu is one of those skill sets, but that set has hundreds of variations in styles. Kung fu is actually another term for 'the art of' and then the style is the form you learn.
For instance, if you learn Ed Parker's kenpo system, that's a style of kung fu.
It takes time and patience, though. You might find that you enjoy it after a few lessons and you have got your 'feet wet' in it.
Some people might not think it fun, but as a recreational class, it's great. it will help keep you in balance both physically and mentally and keep your weight down. It will help build your discipline and even help with the family disciplines.
I am a practitioner of Kung fu ( a style called san soo) that I first learned in college as a beginner. I use it's disciplines every day and have kept my weight down.
But that's just my opinion.
If you take a dance class, you just might find that if you have the karate classes, you will find the dance easier also if you take that at a later date! You will already have the built in discipline for practice and perfection and it might be fun!
Enjoy!

Answer 5

Both have their advantages. Karate obviously for the strength, conditioning and self-defense components and dance for the strength and conditioning. When considering karate, it's kind of a love it or it just ends up being a lot of damn exercise sort of thing. If you love it, it's a great thing to get and stay involved in. I got to my second brown belt in shotokan, but lost interest, but you might love it. Dance is something you can "use" more frequently and also learn/perfect for the rest of your life, like karate. Plus, it's flat out fun when you find a dance you like. My wife and I take Latin dance and it's a blast. So, ask yourself if you had only one choice to make and strength/conditioning being equal b/n the two, would you rather learn self-defense or become a better dancer? That's what it boils down to.

Answer 6

My daughter who is a black belt in Tai Quain Do, (Karate) has always loved the fact that she did it. It took two years in obtain. She gets a lot of respect from girls and guys when they find out she knows it. She did this in spare time and also took, singing and dancing lessons. All this while she kept a B+ average. She was in Middle School at the time of the Black belt. Unless you are working somewhere, you can find the time for both. She is now a senior and is a performer in and elite Show choir, and performs in all the musicals. Good luck.

Answer 7

Karate can be a lot of fun, although it is based on discipline. I can't exactly say I've taken dance classes, but from what I understand those can be pretty based on discipline as well. Pros for taking karate are different depending on which type of karate you get into.

I took Kenpo Karate for about 4-5 years until I achieved my black belt and I can't say I regret taking it. In Kenpo you learn and do forms, drills, and combinations (all three are sequenced moves used in fighting), acrobats, aerobics. You do contact sparing (with pads and gear), as well as non-contact sparing depending on the director.

Another popular type of karate is called Tae Kwon Do. Which, to the best of my knowledge, is more based upon weapons and acrobats. I'm sure it's pretty much the same basis of Kenpo, just taught in different ways and there are different add-ons to the class.

No matter what you take, it's going to vary depending on who your instructor is. For example, I've been considering getting back into Kenpo with a different instructor. He teaches the same things, but more on a street-fighting level, where as my old instructor was more based upon learning combinations and forms. Just be sure to get recommendations on who to take it with before jumping into it with any instructor.

There aren't any cons to taking karate except a little bit of sweat. If you're willing to work hard, and if you're a disciplined person by nature, I'd definitely recommend getting into it.

Pros for taking it include learning how to defend yourself. Now a days it's important for anyone, boy or girl, to know how to defend themselves. Also, if you're like me and you have asthma, it'll help a bunch. When I took it, I rarely ever had asthma attacks and it was like it was cured. When I quit participating in it, my asthma immediately came back. It also keeps you fit. The pros can go on and on.

Here's a few sites that you can look at for different types of karate that are available. Sorry I'm not much help with the dance lessons portion.

Answer 8

either can give you skills that will benefit your life.
Beware of the ones that only want to give you skills with a poor intention. Dancing has never done this I don't believe, many Martial Artists with Money are very Guilty. If you are being taught beneficial skills like endurance, balance etc, both are great.
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Answer 9

Do karate, (may I suggest kung Fu or taekwondo)dance is relaxing and all, but you won't get as much energy out as you would doing karate. With karate, you are able to defend yourself, family, and friends. you can become the family defender or something like that.

Answer 10

I took kung fu and kickboxing. These classes are great. I would highly recommend kickboxing if you have a lot of anger that you need to get out and like loud music and fast paced. If you're more of a slow paced kind of girl, I would recommend kung fu. It is more about technique and passion. Any of these will get you into shape if you stay dedicated. If you like to dance though, that will get you into shape too, it just may start off a little slower than you like and you might get bored with it easily. I would recommend a hip hop dance class, that will get you pumped!!!!! Have fun!

Answer 11

don't know if either of those may be the right option for you bothe quite rigid and discipline but maybe something more adventure like kayaking or climbing, they're great fun
but if the choice is these 2, then i'd say karate may release more anger, but if you took a modern sort of dance that may be more fun