Selecting the Martial Art that suits me best

[turboman]

I've been thinking about studying a martial art, and the infamous question of, "Which martial art should I study?" has come up. I'm not here to start a flame war about which martial art is the best or blah blah blah blah, but I figured some of you veterans might be able to give me suggestions about what I should choose. I have listed some of the things I am looking for below. I'm kind of leaning towards Karate. I took Tae Kwon Do when I was a kid for a year and I recently tried an Aikido class at my local community college, which wasn't a really good fit for me.

 

1. Something that will help me learn basic self defense relatively quickly. i.e. in a couple of months

 

2. An art with little to no emphasis on the spiritual or philosophical aspects of martial arts.

 

3. A more or less external martial art emphasizing striking rather than diverting energy.

 

4. An emphasis on function over flashy moves.

[italian_guy]

Ok I give you some arts names then you can check what's available in your area.

 

Kickboxing (with additional self-defence application, quite quick to learn and effective)

 

Muay Thai (similar to kickboxing maybe even more physically demanding)

 

Jeet Kune Do (a modern martial art with striking and also grappling, sometimes associated with Kali escrima which teach you how to use ordinary objects as weapon).

 

San-da (Chinese kickboxing it is like kickboxing with some grappling added).

 

Krav-Maga (Self defence modern martial art).

 

Those are my favorites for self-defence.

 

If you like something more traditional Karate (basically any style) is still a valid choice but don't expect to see visible improvements in self-defence after two months of practice.

[WapCaplet]

I'd suggest Shotokan karate, but I'd have to agree with Italian_guy in that you won't be able to effectively defend yourself after only a few months. I know there are self-defense courses out there that specialize in that sort of thing, but the key to Shotokan, and perhaps most martial arts, is practice, practice, practice and more practice. Knowledge of the techniques is not what will protect you; muscle memory and reflexes will. Once you have trained your body to perform a certain move, you have to practice that move over and over and over so that your body is able to execute it without your brain having to think about it.

 

It should also be noted that I am particularily biased when it comes to Shotokan since that is the style I train it. I think most honest people would admit that they are biased when providing their opinion of "which martial art is best". You have already done the right first step, and that is to ask yourself what you want to achieve from taking martial arts.

 

Shotokan has great katas and good emphasis on striking and efficient moves without all the flash. But I'm sure there are tons of other MAs that fit the bill aswell. Best to see what is available in your area, what the prices are like, what the instructors are like, etc etc. There are so many factors to consider, sometimes the best bet is to just take a free class and see if you enjoy it or not.

 

Good luck!

 

Wap

[aefibird]

I'll back up what Italian_Guy has said and recommend Kickboxing, Boxing, Muay Thai, Krav Maga or Jeet Kune Do.

 

I'll always recommend Shotokan karate to anyone, as it is my primary art and I love it, but if you're looking for quick self defence improvement within a short space of time, then it'll probably not be for you.

 

Similarly, because of their traditional nature and the fact that they can take a very long time to master the following arts probably wouldn't be your 'cup of tea' either: TaeKwonDo, Tang Soo Do, any Karate (unless it is 'freestyle' or 'sport' karate), Japanese JuJitsu, most forms of Kung Fu, Kenpo or Kempo.

 

Good luck in your search for a martial art.

[CloudDragon]

Pretty much what everyone else says, but with krav maga at the top of the list. Specifially because it is proven in practial situations on a pretty large scale. Not that the others aren't proven, but I dont recall the others being taught on a large scale to the military as krav maga. Sure the others are taught, but not as a complete art.

[SBN Doug]

Moved to "Getting Started".