which martial arts should I take?

Question

Hi! I'm 23 and am thinking of taking a martial art to improve my physical and mental status. There are so many to choose from and I don't know where to start.

Answer 1

Maybe start with yourself and where you are located. What styles are available in your area?

Honestly, the best thing to do is to visit each and every school in your area. It needs to be convenient enough to make a class at least 3 times per week. When you visit, take a look around. If it feels right then ask to take a guest class, which most any school will offer. You will learn more by visiting just a few school that you actually can train at than you can from weeks of searching on the Internet.

Most Asian based styles have a lot in common, yet there are many different branches within each style. So, this is some homework that is best done on your feet. It doesn't do you a bit a of good to research on style and decide that is the one for you only to find out the nearest school is a 12 hour drive from where you live.

This is just a realistic answer.

Answer 2

Choosing a good martial arts school is not an easy task. You have to choose a school that is located not too far from your house. You need to make sure that you will be able to attend classes and not to use the excuse that is too far away.

Pretty much all martial arts will help you improve your self both physically and mentally. You also need to know as to how much they charge per month. Many schools also charge for testing and even they make you sing a contract.
First visit and checkout the schools near your house or work, and visit the ones that you will be able to attend. Talk to the instructors and students.

Also think about questions you might want to ask the instructors and the student like: How long does it take to get a black belt (if they assure you will get your black belt in two years, I will think twice about joining it). How hard do they spar? How difficult are the workouts? Do the instructors have patience with new students?

Also they are many schools that they teach different types of martial arts in the same class. Other arts have implemented techniques from other arts, so you might want to ask a little about the history of the school and the art.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Akido is a great form and is probably the best for mental attitude. It is a soft art that can be very powerful using the opponents size and speed back against them.

I have practised numerous styles and found that this suited me best, however it is not the greatest art to improve your physical prowess. This is as it does not concentrate on developing power through punches and kicks. There are plenty of striking techniques but there is not the same emphasis on power.
To improve my physique and grappling techniques I complimented Akido with Wado Ryu karate.

To be honest there are so many different options you need to try a few and find what suits you best. Most people here are recommending (as I am) based on what has suited them best over the years - we would not all be suited to the same style.

I am sure that we will agree on one thing though - you will get out of any martial art only what you put into it. To achieve a high level in any of the styles will require a lot of dedication and commitment - but it is worth it.

Answer 4

To be honest, the only one I wouldn't turn to is kick boxing, and narrowing it down, the Muay Thai kick boxing in particular, which is nothing but unparralled agression and brute force. Although it is the most physically demanding of all the arts, but in a meat head kind of way.

I practise Gojo Ryu which is one of the later forms that came out of japan, and concentrates on close quarters attack and defense, you can eqaute it to fighting in a phone box if you will so it might not be apt for you.

There are very few throws and take downs, and as your doing it for fitness (like I do) thats a good thing, as the last thing you want is to wake up every morning with bruises and pains.

Any of the Karate forms should be good for your needs. I'd avoid ju-jitsu because thats more about technique and control than actual total fitness.

If you're of slight build, Kung Fu is the daddy, relying on absolute speed and precision. Don't even bother if you're porky though as you'll look like a bull at the ballet. It's physically the hardest of the true arts and builds stamina like no other sport.

Another one to try is Ken-do, which on a basic level is japanese fencing, done with a multitude of weapons. Extremely good for the thighs and glutes, and builds collosal upper body and arm strength if you use the longer bokkens.

Answer 5

No one should think they can tell you what art is best if they truly have a clue about the arts.
Any art can improve your physical and mental status, so can any other exersice program if you apply yourself to it.
Your body structure is the most important part of picking an art.
Do you have long flexible legs for TKD kicks?
Are you solid enough to go to the ground for jujitsu, judo, or other ground techniques?
Do you have the flexibility and calm self control to learn to redirect an attacker as in Akido?
Your body style and goals as a martial artist are the only things which can tell you what style is best.
Bruce Lee believed the martial art should fit you; you shouldn't pick a style someone else told you about and try to fit yourself to it.
Take an art from an instructor who demands respect, for yourself as well as the school, art, and instructor.
Research the web for various martial arts; goggle martial arts and start learning how to identify the various ones, and what your body will be required to do. If you have a low center mass take an art concentrating on ground techniques. If you have long limbs, study a style that concentrates on keeping your distance.
It is a good idea to suplement your chosen style with some training for other situations. If all you know is distance fighting how do you handle an attacker who gets in close.
Do not try studying multiple arts, you won't become proficient in any of them. Learn your choosen art first and then suplement.
Hopefully, when you buy something or invest in something you learn about it first. You started by asking your question, now start learning what fits you. Don't ask others what works for them.
If you just want to beat people up then you don't belong in the arts anyway.
If you want to learn to protect what you care about-yourself, family- then go for it, embrace anything that works comfortably for your mindset and body abilities.
DO NOT go to a school which emphasizes how fast you can advance, or how important your belts are.
I am now 38 and have tried about 6-7 different styles looking for what was right for me over about 24 years, I found Sho-Rin-Ryu to be the one which fit me and I loved it.
Shortly after finding it I became partialy disabled from work. I regret the time I lost while I searched without knowing what I should be looking for. Now I practice the little I had time to learn in slow motion because I can't actually study without hurting myself.
I wasted to much time listening to what others told me I should study, by the time I found my art it was to late.

Answer 6

If you have a friend that is currently training somewhere, go there. It is always nice to have a friend to workout with. If not, then find a school that is near your home or work and go there. It is also good to have a school that is convenient to get to.

The style of Martial Art you choose is totally up to you, so choose what interests you. There is no single Art that anyone can honestly recommend to you. Most will obviously recommend their Art and hype it with words. The truth is all Arts are beneficial and it is completely up to you to make whatever Art you choose a success for you.

The most important thing is get started and keep going. It will be tough at first, but it will get easier very quickly.

Have fun!

Answer 7

I've sampled about 5 martial arts and the jewels I found were CApoeira, shaolin-do, and ki-aikido. EAch one is very dear to me and i highly reccomend these.

Shaolin-do is a line of shaolion schools owned by grandmaster Sin Kwang The. the tuition is very inexpensive, the curriculum is solid, and the people are great.

Capoeira is the Brazilian dance martial art invented by slaves. THis class is fun, as there is music and singing, and you burn at least 1000 calories a class. You learn to attack an opponent with a variety of attacks you wouldn't imagine.
There are capoeira videos on youy tube. Pay attention to ones with sul de bahia or batuque in the name (a good one i capoeira prodigy).

ki-aikido is a martial art that emphasises the coordination of mind and body. This martail art hs given me wierd experiences, one of which is bering thrown without being touched. The people are great and the stuff you sometimes learn blows your mind,

Answer 8

A good well rounded style would be freestyle Karate.You will learn stand up,ground,grappling and weapons.What a lot of people don't understand is that freestyle Karate is about practical street defence not who can kick the highest or punch a pad the hardest.It's definitely not a sport martial art like TKD or BJJ.The motto of my style is the best of everything in progression.Basically that means we don't care where the technique comes from we improve it and integrate it into our style while still maintaining tradition as do most freestyle Karate's.
The hardest thing is finding a good experienced instructor.I would recommend Bushi Kai or Zen Do Kai, but if your not in Australia or New Zealand you may have some difficulty finding some one who teaches these styles.These styles also usually have separate classes available to everyone in Muay Thai and BJJ/Submission/Shoot wrestling.If you can't find one of these i would suggest Kempo or Enshin or another freestyle Karate.
http://www.zendokai.com.au/countries2/USA/index.htm

Answer 9

Jessjwoo got it right! If you are short and heavyset Taewondo will be wrong for you. Thats not to say you can't do it, just that tall flexible people will make you look useless. Grapple instead. If you are an aggressive person try an art with contact training like Muay Tai. If passive/gentle/intellectual then Aikido.
If all else fails - try them all!! Most dojo give free initial lessons. Then when you've found THE style find THE instructor you like.

Answer 10

Here is a brief summary.

Striking: Tae Kwon Do. Karate, Shaolin boxing
Good: Can handle multiple attackers, can engage at long range, enables you to be pro active when necessary.
Not so good: Ground, hard to control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.

Grappling: Hapkido, Judo, etc.
Good: effective in close, good on the ground, can control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.
Not so Good: Not good at long range, you must wait for the attacker to make the 1st move. Not effective against multiple attackers.


Remember, it's not the art, it's the artist.