holytriforce Posted June 18, 2005 Posted June 18, 2005 Hi I have parents that will not let me learn more than one martial arts because of school and other activities. So i have decided to beg them to do either Kendo or Shorin-Ryu Karate. I have did my homework on both these dojos and they are great, sadly I do not know which to choose. Can I get someone's opinion? Im leaning towards karate because I can use that as self defense. Though I think Kendo would be quite fun and im in love with samurais.
Koji-Kabuto Posted June 18, 2005 Posted June 18, 2005 I think Kendo is completely useless, I'd go for Karate.
Mr. Mike Posted June 18, 2005 Posted June 18, 2005 if you want empty hand self defense, go with the karate. THe kendo is great for discipline and learning the art of the sword, but you can learn the discipline in Karate also.I would pick the Karate. When a man's fortunate time comes, he meets a good friend;When a man has lost his luck, he meets a beautiful woman.-anonymous
Eiichi Posted June 18, 2005 Posted June 18, 2005 I think Kendo is completely useless, I'd go for Karate.Kendo is not completely useless. Kendo has a good footwork plus you could always carry a bokken around with you. I don't think bokken is illegal, but it would be cumbersome to bring with you wherever you went. Carrying a shinai would probably draw more attention. Holytriforce, bottom line is you should pick the art that you'll think you'll enjoy the most. If you love the samurai and their history then kendo will suit you fine. Try to look for an Iaido dojo as well. Shorin Ryu is traditional Okinawan karate and has nothing to do with Japanese samurai. Karate would probably be cheaper when you consider the equipment you'll eventually have to purchase for kendo practice, but if you're truly interested in Japanese swordsmanship then that shouldn't deter you. Personally I think karate and kendo are great, but like I said earlier, pick the art that you think you would enjoy the most. Good luck! "The true essence of karate, the perfection or ideal for which we strive, cannot be expressed or passed on through the spoken or written word. It is intangible in nature" Chojun Miyagi
wingedsoldier Posted June 18, 2005 Posted June 18, 2005 but also consider which would serve you best in the long run. if you get jumped in the streets and you always carry a bokken with you than perfect. but chances are you'll be unarmed. kendo is a great art, but karate will be more useful for you. when you've reached a point where your satisfied with your abilities, then study kendo, or even better yet, traditional kenjutsu if you're lucky enough to find a place for study.
kenpo_fighter Posted June 19, 2005 Posted June 19, 2005 if it were me, i'd go with karate for right now. karate will give you a good basic understanding of the martial arts in general. not to mention, logically, you'll more often have to fight without a weapon than fighting with one should you unfortunately be forced into a situation where bowing out is not an option. later on, you can always pick up kendo later on when your situation or parents will allow it. kendo is a fine art and is immensly fun! i practice iiado (study of the samurai sword) myself in addition to my kenpo karate training. doubtful i'd ever get to use my sword training on anybody; hope i never have to. but, it's always a good piece of arsenal to have in my back pocket. Wisdom is knowledge rightly applied. To fight wisely is to rightly apply techniques.
Conqueror Posted June 20, 2005 Posted June 20, 2005 Kendo/Iaido are beautiful arts that are quite effective in their own rights. However, to echo what's already been said, they are not nearly as practical as empty-hand. It is rare that you would be attacked while carrying a bokken, broom handle, etc. Most of the time you'll be unarmed, and an empty-hand martial art would probably prepare you better for such a situation. Jason B.Hendersonville, NC"I'm not really eccentric... I'm not eccentric unless that means 'crazy', which I am, probably." - Kyoshi Doug Perry
Sabumnim Posted June 20, 2005 Posted June 20, 2005 I'll echo what other people have already said; Karate will probably serve you better in the long run "There are no limitations only plateux, and once you reach them you must not stay there."--Bruce Lee
Dark Shogun Posted June 20, 2005 Posted June 20, 2005 I once did kendo but now do iai and kenjutsu. If you want to learn to fight with a sword pass on kendo and hold out for koryu kenjutsu. Kenjutsu dojo are rare in the west tho. If you are looking for a MA that is lot of fun than I would recomend kendo. You get to put on armour and hit each other with sticks, it's great!If self defence is what you are looking for than go for karate. Although I've never trained in Shorin Ryu I've heard that it is a very effective style.So, it really depends on what you want out of your MA.
JimmyNewton Posted June 21, 2005 Posted June 21, 2005 go with karate. Or perhaps a school that offers karate with other eapons classes during the week. its not exactly kendo, but you will benefit from both types of training. Shorin-ryu particularly has a variety of weapons to learn, so i woould highly recomend taking that route "The wise and successsful will always be met with violent opposition by mediocre minds."
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