goolsbee Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 I need to get into shape and martial arts is the way I want to do it. I get bored with things with no mental side--bike, treadmill, etc. What are the best martial arts styles if your main goal is to get a good workout on a regular basis? I went to see an Aikido class and really liked it but even the intermediate class didn't seem to involve a lot of aerobic activity. The caveats/background: I am tall and skinny and quite inflexible (high kicks will be a problem). I don't care about learning to be a good street fighter or about enterring competitions. Any thoughts on what would be good ones? (Aikido, Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Jiujitsu, Kickboxing, Kung Fu/Wing Chun/WuShu, etc?) Any help would be much appreciated.
WolverineGuy Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 Hmm...wasn't this in the Getting Started forum? Wolverine1st Dan - Kalkinodo"Shut up brain, or I'll stab you with a q-tip""There is no spoon."
goolsbee Posted February 27, 2004 Author Posted February 27, 2004 sorry, I started in one and then saw the other
Bretty101 Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 If you want something aerobic it's probably better to avoid the more tradition martial arts. These often involve a lot of standing still as complex stances and hand positions are explained. I'd recommend kickboxing or boxing when you can get stuck into the pads and sparring fairly quickly. Bretty
Rich67 Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 I concur with Bretty. Kickboxing, TSD, TKD, and the other basic (???) arts (Judo also fits in there) stress aerobic fitness. I'm not too sure about Aikido (never took it) and I only took KF San Soo, which wasn't too keen on a lot of aerobics. Mixed Martial Artist
stl_karateka Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 capoeira --- its will definately keep you moving! problem is schools are hard to find. Its a fun art too KarateForums.com Sempai
Arys Posted March 1, 2004 Posted March 1, 2004 Ah.. fitness in martial arts. Kickboxing would definently be one of your choices. (muy thai) Aikido takes incredibly long to develop so if you want fitness now dont take that. I take Hapkido and i'd say that would be a great choice as well. If you wanna go Chinese I'd say Wing Chun. Very fast and aggressive. Its a great work-out and and a awesome fighting system. Well, thats my addition to your list. All Martial Arts have a fitness aspect to all of them. Its really a personal choice. Its about what you likre most and what systems philosophy fits your purpose best. ^^ Good luck in you choice.
ramymensa Posted March 1, 2004 Posted March 1, 2004 All MA styles improve your phisical condition so it's up to you to chose the one you like most. The thing with flexibility is not a problem. In 2 years you'll do the splits. Trust me, I did it, though I was very inflexible at the beginning. So do some research, find a nice decent club, preferrably close to your home and give it a try. World Shotokan Karate
angelica d Posted March 1, 2004 Posted March 1, 2004 Don't be deceived by 'traditional' MAs that appear to be not very physically demanding, its often the opposite. Whereas when you start an MA it might involve standing around as techniques are explained, as you progress much more is expected of you. If you put your best into every technique, you can get exhausted after just 20 mins of basics. "Weaseling out of things is what separates us from the animals . . . except the weasel."- Homer J Simpson
Thuggish Posted March 17, 2004 Posted March 17, 2004 you want some physically demanding stuff, do MMA, BJJ, boxing, muay thai or kickboxing, things like that. not to burn everyone else, but people in karate classes doing katas arent going to push their bodies like people sparring and hitting heavy bags for the same amount of time, or doing drills like those people do. a broken arm throws no punches
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